the story of an african farm-第7章

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

angels　with　Him。〃　　In　lower　and　lower　tones　they　would　talk；　till　at　last

they　fell　into　whispers；　then　they　would　wish　good　night　softly；　and　walk

home　hushed　and　quiet。



Tonight；　when　Lyndall　looked　in；　Waldo　sat　before　the　fire　watching　a　pot

which　simmered　there；　with　his　slate　and　pencil　in　his　hand；　his　father　sat

at　the　table　buried　in　the　columns　of　a　three…weeks…old　newspaper；　and　the

stranger　lay　stretched　on　the　bed　in　the　corner；　fast　asleep；　his　mouth

open；　his　great　limbs　stretched　out　loosely；　betokening　much　weariness。　

The　girl　put　the　rations　down　upon　the　table；　snuffed　the　candle；　and　stood

looking　at　the　figure　on　the　bed。



〃Uncle　Otto；〃　she　said　presently；　laying　her　hand　down　on　the　newspaper；

and　causing　the　old　German　to　look　up　over　his　glasses；　〃how　long　did　that

man　say　he　had　been　walking？〃



〃Since　this　morning；　poor　fellow！　　A　gentlemannot　accustomed　to　walking

horse　diedpoor　fellow！〃　said　the　German；　pushing　out　his　lip　and　glancing

commiseratingly　over　his　spectacles　in　the　direction　of　the　bed　where　the

stranger　lay；　with　his　flabby　double　chin；　and　broken　boots　through　which

the　flesh　shone。



〃And　do　you　believe　him；　Uncle　Otto？〃



〃Believe　him？　why　of　course　I　do。　　He　himself　told　me　the　story　three　times

distinctly。〃



〃If；〃　said　the　girl　slowly；　〃he　had　walked　for　only　one　day　his　boots　would

not　have　looked　so；　and　if〃



〃If！〃　said　the　German　starting　up　in　his　chair；　irritated　that　any　one

should　doubt　such　irrefragable　evidence〃if！　　Why；　he　told　me　himself！　

Look　how　he　lies　there；〃　added　the　German　pathetically；　〃worn　outpoor

fellow！　　We　have　something　for　him　though；〃　pointing　with　his　forefinger

over　his　shoulder　to　the　saucepan　that　stood　on　the　fire。　　〃We　are　not

cooksnot　French　cooks；　not　quite；　but　it's　drinkable；　drinkable；　I　think；

better　than　nothing；　I　think；〃　he　added；　nodding　his　head　in　a　jocund

manner　that　evinced　his　high　estimation　of　the　contents　of　the　saucepan　and

his　profound　satisfaction　therein。　　〃Bish！　bish！　my　chicken；〃　he　said；　as

Lyndall　tapped　her　little　foot　up　and　down　upon　the　floor。　　〃Bish！　bish！　my

chicken；　you　will　wake　him。〃



He　moved　the　candle　so　that　his　own　head　might　intervene　between　it　and　the

sleeper's　face；　and；　smoothing　his　newspaper；　he　adjusted　his　spectacles　to

read。



The　child's　grey…black　eyes　rested　on　the　figure　on　the　bed；　then　turned　to

the　German；　then　rested　on　the　figure　again。



〃I　think　he　is　a　liar。　　Good　night；　Uncle　Otto；〃　she　said　slowly；　turning

to　the　door。



Long　after　she　had　gone　the　German　folded　his　paper　up　methodically；　and

put　it　in　his　pocket。



The　stranger　had　not　awakened　to　partake　of　the　soup；　and　his　son　had

fallen　asleep　on　the　ground。　　Taking　two　white　sheepskins　from　the　heap　of

sacks　in　the　corner；　the　old　man　doubled　them　up；　and　lifting　the　boy's

head　gently　from　the　slate　on　which　it　rested；　placed　the　skins　beneath　it。



〃Poor　lambie；　poor　lambie！〃　he　said；　tenderly　patting　the　great　rough　bear…

like　head；　〃tired　is　he！〃



He　threw　an　overcoat　across　the　boy's　feet；　and　lifted　the　saucepan　from

the　fire。　　There　was　no　place　where　the　old　man　could　comfortably　lie　down

himself；　so　he　resumed　his　seat。　　Opening　a　much…worn　Bible；　he　began　to

read；　and　as　he　read　pleasant　thoughts　and　visions　thronged　on　him。



〃I　was　a　stranger；　and　ye　took　me　in；〃　he　read。



He　turned　again　to　the　bed　where　the　sleeper　lay。



〃I　was　a　stranger。〃



Very　tenderly　the　old　man　looked　at　him。　　He　saw　not　the　bloated　body　nor

the　evil　face　of　the　man；　but；　as　it　were；　under　deep　disguise　and　fleshly

concealment；　the　form　that　long　years　of　dreaming　had　made　very　real　to

him。　　〃Jesus；　lover；　and　is　it　given　to　us；　weak　and　sinful；　frail　and

erring；　to　serve　Thee；　to　take　Thee　in！〃　he　said　softly；　as　he　rose　from

his　seat。　　Full　of　joy；　he　began　to　pace　the　little　room。　　Now　and　again　as

he　walked　he　sang　the　lines　of　a　German　hymn；　or　muttered　broken　words　of

prayer。　　The　little　room　was　full　of　light。　　It　appeared　to　the　German　that

Christ　was　very　near　him；　and　that　at　almost　any　moment　the　thin　mist　of

earthly　darkness　that　clouded　his　human　eyes　might　be　withdrawn；　and　that

made　manifest　of　which　the　friends　at　Emmaus；　beholding　it；　said；　〃It　is

the　Lord！〃



Again；　and　yet　again；　through　the　long　hours　of　that　night；　as　the　old　man

walked　he　looked　up　to　the　roof　of　his　little　room；　with　its　blackened

rafters；　and　yet　saw　them　not。　　His　rough　bearded　face　was　illuminated　with

a　radiant　gladness；　and　the　night　was　not　shorter　to　the　dreaming　sleepers

than　to　him　whose　waking　dreams　brought　heaven　near。



So　quickly　the　night　fled；　that　he　looked　up　with　surprise　when　at　four

o'clock　the　first　grey　streaks　of　summer　dawn　showed　themselves　through　the

little　window。　　Then　the　old　man　turned　to　rake　together　the　few　coals　that

lay　under　the　ashes；　and　his　son；　turning　on　the　sheepskins；　muttered

sleepily　to　know　if　it　were　time　to　rise。



〃Lie　still；　lie　still！　　I　would　only　make　a　fire；〃　said　the　old　man。



〃Have　you　been　up　all　night？〃　asked　the　boy。



〃Yes；　but　it　has　been　short；　very　short。　　Sleep　again；　my　chicken；　it　is

yet　early。〃



And　he　went　out　to　fetch　more　fuel。





Chapter　1。IV。　　Blessed　is　He　That　Believeth。



Bonaparte　Blenkins　sat　on　the　side　of　the　bed。　　He　had　wonderfully　revived

since　the　day　before；　held　his　head　high；　talked　in　a　full　sonorous　voice；

and　ate　greedily　of　all　the　viands　offered　him。　　At　his　side　was　a　basin　of

soup；　from　which　he　took　a　deep　draught　now　and　again　as　he　watched　the

fingers　of　the　German；　who　sat　on　the　mud　floor　mending　the　bottom　of　a

chair。



Presently　he　looked　out；　where；　in　the　afternoon　sunshine；　a　few　half…grown

ostriches　might　be　seen　wandering　listlessly　about；　and　then　he　looked　in

again　at　the　little　whitewashed　room；　and　at　Lyndall；　who　sat　in　the

doorway　looking　at　a　book。　　Then　he　raised　his　chin　and　tried　to　adjust　an

imaginary　shirt…collar。　　Finding　none；　he　smoothed　the　little　grey　fringe

at　the　back　of　his　head；　and　began：



〃You　are　a　student　of　history；　I　perceive；　my　friend；　from　the　study　of

these　volumes　that　lie　scattered　about　this　apartment；　this　fact　has　been

made　evident　to　me。〃



〃Wella　littleperhapsit　may　be；〃　said　the　German　meekly。



〃Being　a　student　of　history　then；〃　said　Bonaparte；　raising　himself　loftily；

〃you　will　doubtless　have　heard　of　my　great；　of　my　celebrated　kinsman；

Napoleon　Bonaparte？〃



〃Yes；　yes；〃　said　the　German；　looking　up。



〃I；　sir；〃　said　Bonaparte；　〃was　born　at　this　hour；　on　an　April　afternoon；

three…and…fifty　years　ago。　　The　nurse；　sirshe　was　the　same　who　attended

when　the　Duke　of　Sutherland　was　bornbrought　me　to　my　mother。　　'There　is

only　one　name　for　this　child；'　she　said：　　'he　has　the　nose　of　his　great

kinsman；'　and　so　Bonaparte　Blenkins　became　my　nameBonaparte　Blenkins。　

Yes；　sir；〃　said　Bonaparte；　〃there　is　a　stream　on　my　maternal　side　that

connects　me　with　a　stream　on　his　maternal　side。〃



The　German　made　a　sound　of　astonishment。



〃The　connection；〃　said　Bonaparte；　〃is　one　which　could　not　be　easily

comprehended　by　one　unaccustomed　to　the　study　of　aristocratic　pedigrees；

but　the　connection　is　close。〃



〃Is　it　possible！〃　said　the　German；　pausing　in　his　work　with　much　interest

and　astonishment。　　〃Napoleon　an　Irishman！〃



〃Yes；〃　said　Bonaparte；　〃on　the　mother's　side；　and　that　is　how　we　are

related。　　There　wasn't　a　man　to　beat　him；〃　said　Bonaparte；　stretching

himself〃not　a　man　except　the　Duke　of　Wellington。　　And　it's　a　strange

coincidence；〃　added　Bonaparte；　bending　forward；　〃but　he　was　a　connection　of

mine。　　His　nephew；　the　Duke　of　Wellington's　nephew；　married　a　cousin　of

mine。　　She　was　a　woman！　　See　her　at　one　of　the　court　ballsamber　satin

daisies　in　her　hair。　　Worth　going　a　hundred　miles　to　look　at　her！　　Ofte