the story of an african farm-第51章

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not　the　man　for　that　kind　of　thing。　　If　a　woman　had　once　thrown　him

overboard　she　must　take　the　consequences；　and　stand　by　them。　　When；

however；　she　showed　no　inclination　to　revert　to　the　past；　and　shunned　him

more　than　he　shunned　her；　Gregory　softened。



〃You　must　let　me　call　you　Em　still；　and　be　like　a　brother　to　you　till　I

go；〃　he　said；　and　Em　thanked　him　so　humbly　that　he　wished　she　hadn't。　　It

wasn't　so　easy　after　that　to　think　himself　an　injured　man。



On　that　morning　he　stood　some　time　in　the　doorway　switching　his　whip；　and

moving　rather　restlessly　from　one　leg　to　the　other。



〃I　think　I'll　just　take　a　walk　up　to　the　camps　and　see　how　your　birds　are

getting　on。　　Now　Waldo's　gone　you've　no　one　to　see　after　things。　　Nice

morning；　isn't　it？〃　　Then　he　added　suddenly；　〃I'll　just　go　round　to　the

house　and　get　a　drink　of　water　first；〃　and　somewhat　awkwardly　walked　off。　

He　might　have　found　water　in　the　kitchen；　but　he　never　glanced　toward　the

buckets。　　In　the　front　room　a　monkey　and　two　tumblers　stood　on　the　centre…

table；　but　he　merely　looked　round；　peeped　into　the　parlour；　looked　round

again；　and　then　walked　out　at　the　front　door；　and　found　himself　again　at

the　storeroom　without　having　satisfied　his　thirst。　　〃Awfully　nice　morning

this；〃　he　said；　trying　to　pose　himself　in　a　graceful　and　indifferent

attitude　against　the　door。　　〃It　isn't　hot　and　it　isn't　cold。　　It's　awfully

nice。〃



〃Yes；〃　said　Em。



〃Your　cousin；　now；〃　said　Gregory　in　an　aimless　sort　of　way〃I　suppose

she's　shut　up　in　her　room　writing　letters。〃



〃No；〃　said　Em。



〃Gone　for　a　drive；　I　expect？　　Nice　morning　for　a　drive。〃



〃No。〃



〃Gone　to　see　the　ostriches；　I　suppose？〃



〃No。〃　　After　a　little　silence　Em　added；　〃I　saw　her　go　by　the　kraals　to　the

kopje。〃



Gregory　crossed　and　uncrossed　his　legs。



〃Well；　I　think　I'll　just　go　and　have　a　look　about；〃　he　said；　〃and　see　how

things　are　getting　on　before　I　go　to　the　camps。　　Good…bye；　so　long。〃



Em　left　for　a　while　the　bags　she　was　folding　and　went　to　the　window；　the

same　through　which；　years　before；　Bonaparte　had　watched　the　slouching

figure　cross　the　yard。　　Gregory　walked　to　the　pigsty　first；　and

contemplated　the　pigs　for　a　few　seconds；　then　turned　round；　and　stood

looking　fixedly　at　the　wall　of　the　fuel…house　as　though　he　thought　it

wanted　repairing；　then　he　started　off　suddenly　with　the　evident　intention

of　going　to　the　ostrich…camps；　then　paused；　hesitated；　and　finally　walked

off　in　the　direction　of　the　kopje。



Then　Em　went　back　to　the　corner　and　folded　more　sacks。



On　the　other　side　of　the　kopje　Gregory　caught　sight　of　a　white　tail　waving

among　the　stones；　and　a　succession　of　short；　frantic　barks　told　where　Doss

was　engaged　in　howling　imploringly　to　a　lizard　who　had　crept　between　two

stones；　and　who　had　not　the　slightest　intention　of　re…sunning　himself　at

that　particular　moment。



The　dog's　mistress　sat　higher　up；　under　the　shelving　rock；　her　face　bent

over　a　volume　of　plays　upon　her　knee。　　As　Gregory　mounted　the　stones　she

started　violently　and　looked　up；　then　resumed　her　book。



〃I　hope　I　am　not　troubling　you；〃　said　Gregory　as　he　reached　her　side。　　〃If

I　am　I　will　go　away。　　I　just〃



〃No；　you　may　stay。〃



〃I　fear　I　startled　you。〃



〃Yes；　your　step　was　firmer　than　it　generally　is。　　I　thought　it　was　that　of

some　one　else。〃



〃Who　could　it　be　but　me？〃　asked　Gregory；　seating　himself　on　a　stone　at　her

feet。



〃Do　you　suppose　you　are　the　only　man　who　would　find　anything　to　attract　him

to　this　kopje？〃



〃Oh；　no；〃　said　Gregory。



He　was　not　going　to　argue　that　point　with　her；　nor　any　other；　but　no　old

Boer　was　likely　to　take　the　trouble　of　climbing　the　kopje；　and　who　else　was

there？



She　continued　the　study　of　her　book。



〃Miss　Lyndall；〃　he　said　at　last；　〃I　don't　know　why　it　is　you　never　talk　to

me。〃



〃We　had　a　long　conversation　yesterday；〃　she　said　without　looking　up。



〃Yes；　but　you　ask　me　questions　about　sheep　and　oxen。　　I　don't　call　that

talking。　　You　used　to　talk　to　Waldo；　now；〃　he　said；　in　an　aggrieved　tone　of

voice。　　〃I've　heard　you　when　I　came　in；　and　then　you've　just　left　off。　　You

treated　me　like　that　from　the　first　day；　and　you　couldn't　tell　from　just

looking　at　me　that　I　couldn't　talk　about　the　things　you　like。　　I'm　sure　I

know　as　much　about　such　things　as　Waldo　does；〃　said　Gregory；　in　exceeding

bitterness　of　spirit。



〃I　do　not　know　which　things　you　refer　to。　　If　you　will　enlighten　me　I　am

quite　prepared　to　speak　of　them；〃　she　said；　reading　as　she　spoke。



〃Oh；　you　never　used　to　ask　Waldo　like　that；〃　said　Gregory；　in　a　more　sorely

aggrieved　tone　than　ever。　　〃You　used　just　to　begin。〃



〃Well；　let　me　see；〃　she　said；　closing　her　book　and　folding　her　hands　on　it。

〃There　at　the　foot　of　the　kopje　goes　a　Kaffer；　he　has　nothing　on　but　a

blanket；　he　is　a　splendid　fellowsix　feet　high；　with　a　magnificent　pair　of

legs。　　In　his　leather　bag　he　is　going　to　fetch　his　rations；　and　I　suppose

to　kick　his　wife　with　his　beautiful　legs　when　he　gets　home。　　He　has　a　right

to；　he　bought　her　for　two　oxen。　　There　is　a　lean　dog　going　after　him；　to

whom　I　suppose　he　never　gives　more　than　a　bone　from　which　he　has　sucked　the

marrow；　but　his　dog　loves　him；　as　his　wife　does。　　There　is　something　of　the

master　about　him　in　spite　of　his　blackness　and　wool。　　See　how　he　brandishes

his　stick　and　holds　up　his　head！〃



〃Oh；　but　aren't　you　making　fun？〃　said　Gregory；　looking　doubtfully　from　her

to　the　Kaffer　herd；　who　rounded　the　kopje。



〃No；　I　am　very　serious。　　He　is　the　most　interesting　and　intelligent　thing　I

can　see　just　now；　except；　perhaps；　Doss。　　He　is　profoundly　suggestive。　

Will　his　race　melt　away　in　the　heat　of　a　collision　with　a　higher？　　Are　the

men　of　the　future　to　see　his　bones　only　in　museumsa　vestige　of　one　link

that　spanned　between　the　dog　and　the　white　man？　　He　wakes　thoughts　that　run

far　out　into　the　future　and　back　into　the　past。〃



Gregory　was　not　quite　sure　how　to　take　these　remarks。　　Being　about　a

Kaffer；　they　appeared　to　be　of　the　nature　of　a　joke；　but；　being　seriously

spoken；　they　appeared　earnest；　so　he　half　laughed　and　half　not；　to　be　on

the　safe　side。



〃I've　often　thought　so　myself。　　It's　funny　we　should　both　think　the　same；　I

knew　we　should　if　once　we　talked。　　But　there　are　other　thingslove；　now；〃

he　added。　　〃I　wonder　if　we　would　think　alike　about　that。　　I　wrote　an　essay

on　love　once；　the　master　said　it　was　the　best　I　ever　wrote；　and　I　can

remember　the　first　sentence　still'Love　is　something　that　you　feel　in　your

heart。'〃



〃That　was　a　trenchant　remark。　　Can't　you　remember　any　more？〃



〃No；〃　said　Gregory；　regretfully；　〃I've　forgotten　the　rest。　　But　tell　me

what　do　you　think　about　love？〃



A　look；　half　of　abstraction；　half　amusement；　played　on　her　lips。



〃I　don't　know　much　about　love；〃　she　said；　〃and　I　do　not　like　to　talk　of

things　I　do　not　understand；　but　I　have　heard　two　opinions。　　Some　say　the

devil　carried　the　seed　from　hell　and　planted　it　on　the　earth　to　plague　men

and　make　them　sin；　and　some　say；　that　when　all　the　plants　in　the　garden　of

Eden　were　pulled　up　by　the　roots；　one　bush　that　the　angels　planted　was　left

growing；　and　it　spread　its　seed　over　the　whole　earth；　and　its　name　is　love。

I　do　not　know　which　is　rightperhaps　both。　　There　are　different　species

that　go　under　the　same　name。　　There　is　a　love　that　begins　in　the　head；　and

goes　down　to　the　heart；　and　grows　slowly；　but　it　lasts　till　death；　and　asks

less　than　it　gives。　　There　is　another　love；　that　blots　out　wisdom；　that　is

sweet　with　the　sweetness　of　life　and　bitter　with　the　bitterness　of　death；

lasting　for　an　hour；　but　it　is　worth　having　lived　a　whole　life　for　that

hour。　　I　cannot　tell；　perhaps　the　old　monks　were　right　when　they　tried　to

root　love　out；　perhaps　the　poets　are　right　when　they　try　to　water　it。　　It

is　a　blood…red　flower；　with　the　colour　of　sin；　but　there　is　always　the

scent　of　a　god　about　it。〃



G