the story of an african farm-第25章

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I　am　going　to　do　to　you。〃



The　first　cut　ran　from　the　shoulder　across　the　middle　of　the　back；　the

second　fell　exactly　in　the　same　place。　　A　shudder　passed　through　the　boy's

frame。



〃Nice；　eh？〃　said　Bonaparte；　peeping　round　into　his　face；　speaking　with　a

lisp；　as　though　to　a　very　little　child。　　〃Nith；　eh？〃



But　the　eyes　were　black　and　lustreless；　and　seemed　not　to　see　him。　　When　he

had　given　sixteen　Bonaparte　paused　in　his　work　to　wipe　a　little　drop　of

blood　from　his　whip。



〃Cold；　eh？　　What　makes　you　shiver　so？　　Perhaps　you　would　like　to　pull　up

your　shirt？　　But　I've　not　quite　done　yet。〃



When　he　had　finished　he　wiped　the　whip　again；　and　put　it　back　in　his

pocket。　　He　cut　the　rope　through　with　his　penknife；　and　then　took　up　the

light。



〃You　don't　seem　to　have　found　your　tongue　yet。　　Forgotten　how　to　cry？〃　said

Bonaparte；　patting　him　on　the　cheek。



The　boy　looked　up　at　himnot　sullenly；　not　angrily。　　There　was　a　wild；

fitful　terror　in　the　eyes。　　Bonaparte　made　haste　to　go　out　and　shut　the

door；　and　leave　him　alone　in　the　darkness。　　He　himself　was　afraid　of　that

look。



。。。



It　was　almost　morning。　　Waldo　lay　with　his　face　upon　the　ground　at　the　foot

of　the　fuel…heap。　　There　was　a　round　hole　near　the　top　of　the　door；　where　a

knot　of　wood　had　fallen　out；　and　a　stream　of　grey　light　came　in　through　it。



Ah；　it　was　going　to　end　at　last。　　Nothing　lasts　forever；　not　even　the

night。　　How　was　it　he　had　never　thought　of　that　before？　　For　in　all　that

long　dark　night　he　had　been　very　strong；　had　never　been　tired；　never　felt

pain；　had　run　on　and　on；　up　and　down；　up　and　down；　he　had　not　dared　to

stand　still；　and　he　had　not　known　it　would　end。　　He　had　been　so　strong；

that　when　he　struck　his　head　with　all　his　force　upon　the　stone　wall　it　did

not　stun　him　nor　pain　himonly　made　him　laugh。　　That　was　a　dreadful　night。



When　he　clasped　his　hands　frantically　and　prayed〃O　God；　my　beautiful　God；

my　sweet　God；　once；　only　once；　let　me　feel　you　near　me　tonight！〃　he　could

not　feel　him。　　He　prayed　aloud；　very　loud；　and　he　got　no　answer；　when　he

listened　it　was　all　quite　quietlike　when　the　priests　of　Baal　cried　aloud

to　their　god〃Oh；　Baal；　hear　us！　　Oh；　Baal；　hear　us！　　But　Baal　was　gone　a…

hunting。



That　was　a　long　wild　night；　and　wild　thoughts　came　and　went　in　it；　but　they

left　their　marks　behind　them　forever：　　for；　as　years　cannot　pass　without

leaving　their　traces　behind　them；　neither　can　nights　into　which　are　forced

the　thoughts　and　sufferings　of　years。　　And　now　the　dawn　was　coming；　and　at

last　he　was　very　tired。　　He　shivered　and　tried　to　draw　the　shirt　up　over

his　shoulders。　　They　were　getting　stiff。　　He　had　never　known　they　were　cut

in　the　night。　　He　looked　up　at　the　white　light　that　came　in　through　the

hole　at　the　top　of　the　door　and　shuddered。　　Then　he　turned　his　face　back　to

the　ground　and　slept　again。



Some　hours　later　Bonaparte　came　toward　the　fuel…house　with　a　lump　of　bread

in　his　hand。　　He　opened　the　door　and　peered　in；　then　entered；　and　touched

the　fellow　with　his　boot。　　Seeing　that　he　breathed　heavily；　though　he　did

not　rouse；　Bonaparte　threw　the　bread　down　on　the　ground。　　He　was　alive；

that　was　one　thing。　　He　bent　over　him；　and　carefully　scratched　open　one　of

the　cuts　with　the　nail　of　his　forefinger；　examining　with　much　interest　his

last　night's　work。　　He　would　have　to　count　his　sheep　himself　that　day；　the

boy　was　literally　cut　up。　　He　locked　the　door　and　went　away　again。



〃Oh；　Lyndall；〃　said　Em；　entering　the　dining　room；　and　bathed　in　tears；　that

afternoon；　〃I　have　been　begging　Bonaparte　to　let　him　out；　and　he　won't。〃



〃The　more　you　beg　the　more　he　will　not；〃　said　Lyndall。



She　was　cutting　out　aprons　on　the　table。



〃Oh；　but　it's　late；　and　I　think　they　want　to　kill　him；〃　said　Em；　weeping

bitterly；　and　finding　that　no　more　consolation　was　to　be　gained　from　her

cousin；　she　went　off　blubbering〃I　wonder　you　can　cut　out　aprons　when

Waldo　is　shut　up　like　that。〃



For　ten　minutes　after　she　was　gone　Lyndall　worked　on　quietly；　then　she

folded　up　her　stuff；　rolled　it　tightly　together；　and　stood　before　the

closed　door　of　the　sitting　room　with　her　hands　closely　clasped。　　A　flush

rose　to　her　face：　　she　opened　the　door　quickly；　and　walked　in；　went　to　the

nail　on　which　the　key　of　the　fuel…room　hung。　　Bonaparte　and　Tant　Sannie　sat

there　and　saw　her。



〃What　do　you　want？〃　they　asked　together。



〃This　key；〃　she　said；　holding　it　up；　and　looking　at　them。



〃Do　you　mean　her　to　have　it？〃　said　Tant　Sannie　in　Dutch。



〃Why　don't　you　stop　her？〃　asked　Bonaparte　in　English。



〃Why　don't　you　take　it　from　her？〃　said　Tant　Sannie。



So　they　looked　at　each　other；　talking；　while　Lyndall　walked　to　the　fuel…

house　with　the　key；　her　underlip　bitten　in。



〃Waldo；〃　she　said；　as　she　helped　him　to　stand　up；　and　twisted　his　arm　about

her　waist　to　support　him；　〃we　will　not　be　children　always；　we　shall　have

the　power；　too；　some　day。〃　　She　kissed　his　naked　shoulder　with　her　soft

little　mouth。　　It　was　all　the　comfort　her　young　soul　could　give　him。





Chapter　1。XIII。　　He　Makes　Love。



〃Here；〃　said　Tant　Sannie　to　her　Hottentot　maid；　〃I　have　been　in　this　house

four　years；　and　never　been　up　in　the　loft。　　Fatter　women　than　I　go　up

ladders；　I　will　go　up　today　and　see　what　it　is　like；　and　put　it　to　rights

up　there。　　You　bring　the　little　ladder　and　stand　at　the　bottom。〃



〃There's　one　would　be　sorry　if　you　were　to　fall；〃　said　the　Hottentot　maid；

leering　at　Bonaparte's　pipe；　that　lay　on　the　table。



〃Hold　your　tongue；　jade；〃　said　her　mistress；　trying　to　conceal　a　pleased

smile；　〃and　go　and　fetch　the　ladder。〃



There　was　a　never…used　trap…door　at　one　end　of　the　sitting　room：　　this　the

Hottentot　maid　pushed　open；　and　setting　the　ladder　against　it；　the　Boer…

woman　with　some　danger　and　difficulty　climbed　into　the　loft。　　Then　the

Hottentot　maid　took　the　ladder　away；　as　her　husband　was　mending　the　wagon…

house；　and　needed　it；　but　the　trap…door　was　left　open。



For　a　little　while　Tant　Sannie　poked　about　among　the　empty　bottles　and

skins；　and　looked　at　the　bag　of　peaches　that　Waldo　was　supposed　to　have

liked　so；　then　she　sat　down　near　the　trap…door　beside　a　barrel　of　salt

mutton。　　She　found　that　the　pieces　of　meat　were　much　too　large；　and　took

out　her　clasp…knife　to　divide　them。



That　was　always　the　way　when　one　left　things　to　servants；　she　grumbled　to

herself：　　but　when　once　she　was　married　to　her　husband　Bonaparte　it　would

not　matter　whether　a　sheep　spoiled　or　nowhen　once　his　rich　aunt　with　the

dropsy　was　dead。　　She　smiled　as　she　dived　her　hand　into　the　pickle…water。



At　that　instant　her　niece　entered　the　room　below；　closely　followed　by

Bonaparte；　with　his　head　on　one　side；　smiling　mawkishly。　　Had　Tant　Sannie

spoken　at　that　moment　the　life　of　Bonaparte　Blenkins　would　have　run　a

wholly　different　course；　as　it　was；　she　remained　silent；　and　neither

noticed　the　open　trap…door　above　their　heads。



〃Sit　there；　my　love；〃　said　Bonaparte；　motioning　Trana　into　her　aunt's

elbow…chair；　and　drawing　another　close　up　in　front　of　it；　in　which　he

seated　himself。　　〃There；　put　your　feet　upon　the　stove　too。　　Your　aunt　has

gone　out　somewhere。　　Long　have　I　waited　for　this　auspicious　event！〃



Trana；　who　understood　not　one　word　of　English；　sat　down　in　the　chair　and

wondered　if　this　was　one　of　the　strange　customs　of　other　lands；　that　an　old

gentleman　may　bring　his　chair　up　to　yours；　and　sit　with　his　knees　touching

you。　　She　had　been　five　days　in　Bonaparte's　company；　and　feared　the　old

man；　and　disliked　his　nose。



〃How　long　have　I　desired　this　moment！〃　said　Bonaparte。　　〃But　that　aged

relative　of　thine　is　always　casting　her　unhallowed　shadow　upon　us。　　Look

into　my　eyes；　Trana。〃



Bonaparte　knew　that　she　comprehended　not　a　syllable；　but　he　understood　that

it　is　the　eye；　the　tone；　the　action；　and　not　at　all　the　rational　word；　that

touches　the　love…chords。　　He　saw　she　changed　colour。