the story of an african farm-第6章

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three　days　before。



〃Don't　tell　me；〃　cried　the　Boer…woman；　〃the　man　isn't　born　that　can　take　me

in。　　If　he'd　had　money；　wouldn't　he　have　bought　a　horse？　　Men　who　walk　are

thieves；　liars；　murderers；　Rome's　priests；　seducers！　　I　see　the　devil　in

his　nose！〃　cried　Tant　Sannie　shaking　her　fist　at　him；　〃and　to　come　walking

into　the　house　of　this　Boer's　child　and　shaking　hands　as　though　he　came　on

horseback！　　Oh；　no；　no！〃



The　stranger　took　off　his　hat；　a　tall；　battered　chimneypot；　and　disclosed　a

bald　head；　at　the　back　of　which　was　a　little　fringe　of　curled　white　hair；

and　he　bowed　to　Tant　Sannie。



〃What　does　she　remark；　my　friend？〃　he　inquired；　turning　his　crosswise…

looking　eyes　on　the　old　German。



The　German　rubbed　his　old　hands　and　hesitated。



〃AhwellahtheDutchyou　knowdo　not　like　people　who　walkin　this

countryah！〃



〃My　dear　friend；〃　said　the　stranger；　laying　his　hand　on　the　German's　arm；

〃I　should　have　bought　myself　another　horse；　but　crossing；　five　days　ago；　a

full　river；　I　lost　my　pursea　purse　with　five　hundred　pounds　in　it。　　I

spent　five　days　on　the　bank　of　the　river　trying　to　find　itcouldn't。　　Paid

a　Kaffer　nine　pounds　to　go　in　and　look　for　it　at　the　risk　of　his　life

couldn't　find　it。〃



The　German　would　have　translated　this　information；　but　the　Boer…woman　gave

no　ear。



〃No；　no；　he　goes　tonight。　　See　how　he　looks　at　mea　poor　unprotected

female！　　If　he　wrongs　me；　who　is　to　do　me　right？〃　cried　Tant　Sannie。



〃I　think；〃　said　the　German　in　an　undertone；　if　you　didn't　look　at　her　quite

so　much　it　might　be　advisable。　　Sheahshemightimagine　that　you　liked

her　too　well；in　factah〃



〃Certainly；　my　dear　friend；　certainly；〃　said　the　stranger。　　〃I　shall　not

look　at　her。〃



Saying　this；　he　turned　his　nose　full　upon　a　small　Kaffer　of　two　years　old。

That　small　naked　son　of　Ham　became　instantly　so　terrified　that　he　fled　to

his　mother's　blanket　for　protection；　howling　horribly。



Upon　this　the　newcomer　fixed　his　eyes　pensively　on　the　stamp…block；　folding

his　hands　on　the　head　of　his　cane。　　His　boots　were　broken；　but　he　still　had

the　cane　of　a　gentleman。



〃You　vagabonds　se　Engelschman！〃　said　Tant　Sannie；　looking　straight　at　him。



This　was　a　near　approach　to　plain　English；　but　the　man　contemplated　the

block　abstractedly；　wholly　unconscious　that　any　antagonism　was　being

displayed　toward　him。



〃You　might　not　be　a　Scotchman　or　anything　of　that　kind；　might　you？〃

suggested　the　German。　　〃It　is　the　English　that　she　hates。〃



〃My　dear　friend；〃　said　the　stranger；　〃I　am　Irish　every　inch　of　mefather

Irish；　mother　Irish。　　I've　not　a　drop　of　English　blood　in　my　veins。〃



〃And　you　might　not　be　married；　might　you？〃　persisted　the　German。　　〃If　you

had　a　wife　and　children；　now？　　Dutch　people　do　not　like　those　who　are　not

married。〃



〃Ah；〃　said　the　stranger；　looking　tenderly　at　the　block；　〃I　have　a　dear　wife

and　three　sweet　little　childrentwo　lovely　girls　and　a　noble　boy。〃



This　information　having　been　conveyed　to　the　Boer…woman；　she；　after　some

further　conversation；　appeared　slightly　mollified；　but　remained　firm　to　her

conviction　that　the　man's　designs　were　evil。　　



〃For；　dear　Lord！〃　she　cried；　〃all　Englishmen　are　ugly；　but　was　there　ever

such　a　red…rag…nosed　thing　with　broken　boots　and　crooked　eyes　before？　　Take

him　to　your　room；〃　she　cried　to　the　German；　〃but　all　the　sin　he　does　I　lay

at　your　door。〃



The　German　having　told　him　how　matters　were　arranged；　the　stranger　made　a

profound　bow　to　Tant　Sannie　and　followed　his　host；　who　led　the　way　to　his

own　little　room。



〃I　thought　she　would　come　to　her　better　self　soon；〃　the　German　said

joyously。　　〃Tant　Sannie　is　not　wholly　bad；　far　from　it；　far。〃　　Then　seeing

his　companion　cast　a　furtive　glance　at　him；　which　he　mistook　for　one　of

surprise；　he　added　quickly；　〃Ah；　yes；　yes；　we　are　all　a　primitive　people

herenot　very　lofty。　　We　deal　not　in　titles。　　Every　one　is　Tante　and　Oom

aunt　and　uncle。　　This　may　be　my　room；〃　he　said；　opening　the　door。　　〃It　is

rough；　the　room　is　rough；　not　a　palacenot　quite。　　But　it　may　be　better

than　the　fields；　a　little　better！〃　he　said；　glancing　round　at　his

companion。　　〃Come　in；　come　in。　　There　is　something　to　eata　mouthful：　　not

the　fare　of　emperors　or　kings；　but　we　do　not　starve；　not　yet；〃　he　said；

rubbing　his　hands　together　and　looking　round　with　a　pleased；　half…nervous

smile　on　his　old　face。



〃My　friend；　my　dear　friend；〃　said　the　stranger；　seizing　him　by　the　hand；

〃may　the　Lord　bless　you；　the　Lord　bless　and　reward　youthe　God　of　the

fatherless　and　the　stranger。　　But　for　you　I　would　this　night　have　slept　in

the　fields；　with　the　dews　of　heaven　upon　my　head。〃



Late　that　evening　Lyndall　came　down　to　the　cabin　with　the　German's　rations。

Through　the　tiny　square　window　the　light　streamed　forth；　and　without

knocking　she　raised　the　latch　and　entered。　　There　was　a　fire　burning　on　the

hearth；　and　it　cast　its　ruddy　glow　over　the　little　dingy　room；　with　its

worm…eaten　rafters　and　mud　floor；　and　broken　whitewashed　walls。　　A　curious

little　place；　filled　with　all　manner　of　articles。　　Next　to　the　fire　was　a

great　toolbox；　beyond　that　the　little　bookshelf　with　its　well…worn　books；

beyond　that；　in　the　corner；　a　heap　of　filled　and　empty　grain…bags。　　From

the　rafters　hung　down　straps；　riems；　old　boots；　bits　of　harness；　and　a

string　of　onions。　　The　bed　was　in　another　corner；　covered　by　a　patchwork

quilt　of　faded　red　lions；　and　divided　from　the　rest　of　the　room　by　a　blue

curtain；　now　drawn　back。　　On　the　mantelshelf　was　an　endless　assortment　of

little　bags　and　stones；　and　on　the　wall　hung　a　map　of　South　Germany；　with　a

red　line　drawn　through　it　to　show　where　the　German　had　wandered。　　This

place　was　the　one　home　the　girls　had　known　for　many　a　year。　　The　house

where　Tant　Sannie　lived　and　ruled　was　a　place　to　sleep　in；　to　eat　in；　not

to　be　happy　in。　　It　was　in　vain　she　told　them　they　were　grown　too　old　to　go

there；　every　morning　and　evening　found　them　there。　　Were　there　not　too　many

golden　memories　hanging　about　the　old　place　for　them　to　leave　it？



Long　winter　nights；　when　they　had　sat　round　the　fire　and　roasted　potatoes；

and　asked　riddles；　and　the　old　man　had　told　of　the　little　German　village；

where；　fifty　years　before；　a　little　German　boy　had　played　at　snowballs；　and

had　carried　home　the　knitted　stockings　of　a　little　girl　who　afterward

became　Waldo's　mother；　did　they　not　seem　to　see　the　German　peasant　girls

walking　about　with　their　wooden　shoes　and　yellow；　braided　hair；　and　the

little　children　eating　their　suppers　out　of　little　wooden　bowls　when　the

good　mothers　called　them　in　to　have　their　milk　and　potatoes？



And　were　there　not　yet　better　times　than　these？　　Moonlight　nights；　when

they　romped　about　the　door；　with　the　old　man；　yet　more　a　child　than　any　of

them；　and　laughed；　till　the　old　roof　of　the　wagon…house　rang？



Or；　best　of　all；　were　there　not　warm；　dark；　starlight　nights；　when　they　sat

together　on　the　doorstep；　holding　each　other's　hands；　singing　German　hymns；

their　voices　rising　clear　in　the　still　night　airtill　the　German　would

draw　away　his　hand　suddenly　to　wipe　quickly　a　tear　the　children　must　not

see？　　Would　they　not　sit　looking　up　at　the　stars　and　talking　of　themof

the　dear　Southern　Cross；　red；　fiery　Mars；　Orion；　with　his　belt；　and　the

Seven　Mysterious　Sistersand　fall　to　speculating　over　them？　　How　old　are

they？　　Who　dwelt　in　them？　　And　the　old　German　would　say　that　perhaps　the

souls　we　loved　lived　in　them；　there；　in　that　little　twinkling　point　was

perhaps　the　little　girl　whose　stockings　he　had　carried　home；　and　the

children　would　look　up　at　it　lovingly；　and　call　it　〃Uncle　Otto's　star。〃　

Then　they　would　fall　to　deeper　speculationsof　the　times　and　seasons

wherein　the　heavens　shall　be　rolled　together　as　a　scroll；　and　the　stars

shall　fall　as　a　fig…tree　casteth　her　untimely　figs；　and　there　shall　be　time

no　longer：　　〃When　the　Son　of　man　shall　come　in　His　glory；　and　all　His　holy

angels　with　Hi