benita-第38章

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Benita　laughed。



〃Oh；　yes；　if　he　likes；〃　she　said。　〃But　I　do　not　think　that　the

operation　will　be　very　successful。〃



〃Good；　we　will　see　to…morrow。　Now；　like　you；　I　am　tired。　I　am　going　to

bed　in　my　new　camp　by　the　wall；〃　he　added　significantly。



*****



〃Why　are　you　so　dead　set　against　this　business？〃　asked　her　father；

when　he　had　gone。



〃Oh；　father！〃　she　answered；　〃can't　you　see；　don't　you　understand？　Then

it　is　hard　to　have　to　tell　you；　but　I　must。　In　the　beginning　Mr。　Meyer

only　wanted　the　gold。　Now　he　wants　more；　me　as　well　as　the　gold。　I

hate　him！　You　know　that　is　why　I　ran　away。　But　I　have　read　a　good　deal

about　this　mesmerism；　and　seen　it　once　or　twice；　and　who　knows？　If

once　I　allow　his　mind　to　master　my　mind；　although　I　hate　him　so　much；

I　might　become　his　slave。〃



〃I　understand　now；〃　said　Mr。　Clifford。　〃Oh；　why　did　I　ever　bring　you

here？　It　would　have　been　better　if　I　had　never　seen　your　face　again。〃







On　the　morrow　the　experiment　was　made。　Mr。　Clifford　attempted　to

mesmerize　his　daughter。　All　the　morning　Jacob；　who；　it　now　appeared；

had　practical　knowledge　of　this　doubtful　art；　tried　to　instruct　him

therein。　In　the　course　of　the　lesson　he　informed　him　that　for　a　short

period　in　the　past；　having　great　natural　powers　in　that　direction；　he

had　made　use　of　them　professionally；　only　giving　up　the　business

because　he　found　it　wrecked　his　health。　Mr。　Clifford　remarked　that　he

had　never　told　him　that　before。



〃There　are　lots　of　things　in　my　life　that　I　have　never　told　you；〃

replied　Jacob　with　a　little　secret　smile。　〃For　instance；　once　I

mesmerized　you；　although　you　did　not　know　it；　and　that　is　why　you

always　have　to　do　what　I　want　you　to；　except　when　your　daughter　is

near　you；　for　her　influence　is　stronger　than　mine。〃



Mr。　Clifford　stared　at　him。



〃No　wonder　Benita　won't　let　you　mesmerize　her；〃　he　said　shortly。



Then　Jacob　saw　his　mistake。



〃You　are　more　foolish　than　I　thought；〃　he　said。　〃How　could　I　mesmerize

you　without　your　knowing　it？　I　was　only　laughing　at　you。〃



〃I　didn't　see　the　laugh；〃　replied　Mr。　Clifford　uneasily；　and　they　went

on　with　the　lesson。



That　afternoon　it　was　put　to　proofin　the　cave　itself；　where　Meyer

seemed　to　think　that　the　influences　would　be　propitious。　Benita；　who

found　some　amusement　in　the　performance；　was　seated　upon　the　stone

steps　underneath　the　crucifix；　one　lamp　on　the　altar　and　others　one

each　side　of　her。



In　front　stood　her　father；　staring　at　her　and　waving　his　hands

mysteriously　in　obedience　to　Jacob's　directions。　So　ridiculous　did　he

look　indeed　while　thus　engaged　that　Benita　had　the　greatest　difficulty

in　preventing　herself　from　bursting　into　laughter。　This　was　the　only

effect　which　his　grimaces　and　gesticulations　produced　upon　her；

although　outwardly　she　kept　a　solemn　appearance；　and　even　from　time　to

time　shut　her　eyes　to　encourage　him。　Once；　when　she　opened　them　again；

it　was　to　perceive　that　he　was　becoming　very　hot　and　exhausted；　and

that　Jacob　was　watching　him　with　such　an　unpleasant　intentness　that

she　re…closed　her　eyes　that　she　might　not　see　his　face。



It　was　shortly　after　this　that　of　a　sudden　Benita　did　feel　something；

a　kind　of　penetrating　power　flowing　upon　her；　something　soft　and

subtle　that　seemed　to　creep　into　her　brain　like　the　sound　of　her

mother's　lullaby　in　the　dim　years　ago。　She　began　to　think　that　she　was

a　lost　traveller　among　alpine　snows　wrapped　round　by　snow；　falling；

falling　in　ten　myriad　flakes；　every　one　of　them　with　a　little　heart　of

fire。　Then　it　came　to　her　that　she　had　heard　this　snow…sleep　was

dangerous；　the　last　of　all　sleeps；　and　that　its　victims　must　rouse

themselves；　or　die。



Benita　roused　herself　just　in　timeonly　just；　for　now　she　was　being

borne　over　the　edge　of　a　precipice　upon　the　wings　of　swans；　and

beneath　her　was　darkness　wherein　dim　figures　walked　with　lamps　where

their　hearts　should　be。　Oh；　how　heavy　were　her　eyelids！　Surely　a

weight　hung　to　each　of　them；　a　golden　weight。　There；　there；　they　were

open；　and　she　saw。　Her　father　had　ceased　his　efforts；　he　was　rubbing

his　brow　with　a　red　pocket…handkerchief；　but　behind　him；　with　rigid

arms　outstretched；　his　glowing　eyes　fastened　on　her　face；　stood　Jacob

Meyer。　By　an　effort　she　sprang　to　her　feet；　shaking　her　head　as　a　dog

does。



〃Have　done　with　this　nonsense；〃　she　said。　〃It　tires　me；〃　and　snatching

one　of　the　lamps　she　ran　swiftly　down　the　place。



Benita　expected　that　Jacob　Meyer　would　be　very　angry　with　her；　and

braced　herself　for　a　scene。　But　nothing　of　the　sort　happened。　A　while

afterwards　she　saw　the　two　of　them　approaching；　engaged　apparently　in

amicable　talk。



〃Mr。　Meyer　says　that　I　am　no　mesmerist；　love；〃　said　her　father；　〃and　I

can　quite　believe　him。　But　for　all　that　it　is　a　weary　job。　I　am　as

tired　as　I　was　after　our　escape　from　the　Matabele。〃



She　laughed　and　answered：



〃To　judge　by　results　I　agree　with　you。　The　occult　is　not　in　your　line；

father。　You　had　better　give　it　up。〃



〃Did　you；　then；　feel　nothing？〃　asked　Meyer。



〃Nothing　at　all；〃　she　answered；　looking　him　in　the　eyes。　〃No；　that's

wrong；　I　felt　extremely　bored　and　sorry　to　see　my　father　making

himself　ridiculous。　Grey　hairs　and　nonsense　of　that　sort　don't　go　well

together。〃



〃No；〃　he　answered。　〃I　agree　with　younot　of　that　sort；〃　and　the

subject　dropped。



For　the　next　few　days；　to　her　intense　relief；　Benita　heard　no　more　of

mesmerism。　To　begin　with；　there　was　something　else　to　occupy　their

minds。　The　Matabele；　tired　of　marching　round　the　fortress　and　singing

endless　war…songs；　had　determined　upon　an　assault。　From　their　point　of

vantage　on　the　topmost　wall　the　three　could　watch　the　preparations

which　they　made。　Trees　were　cut　down　and　brought　in　from　a　great

distance　that　rude　ladders　might　be　fashioned　out　of　them；　also　spies

wandered　round　reconnoitring　for　a　weak　place　in　the　defences。　When

they　came　too　near　the　Makalanga　fired　on　them；　killing　some；　so　that

they　retreated　to　the　camp；　which　they　had　made　in　a　fold　of　ground　at

a　little　distance。　Suddenly　it　occurred　to　Meyer　that　although　here

the　Matabele　were　safe　from　the　Makalanga　bullets；　it　was　commanded

from　the　greater　eminence；　and　by　way　of　recreation　he　set　himself　to

harass　them。　His　rifle　was　a　sporting　Martini；　and　he　had　an　ample

supply　of　ammunition。　Moreover；　he　was　a　beautiful　marksman；　with

sight　like　that　of　a　hawk。



A　few　trial　shots　gave　him　the　range；　it　was　a　shade　under　seven

hundred　yards；　and　then　he　began　operations。　Lying　on　the　top　of　the

wall　and　resting　his　rifle　upon　a　stone；　he　waited　until　the　man　who

was　superintending　the　manufacture　of　the　ladders　came　out　into　the

open；　when；　aiming　carefully；　he　fired。　The　soldier；　a　white…bearded

savage；　sprang　into　the　air；　and　fell　backwards；　while　his　companions

stared　upwards；　wondering　whence　the　bullet　had　come。



〃Pretty；　wasn't　it？〃　said　Meyer　to　Benita；　who　was　watching　through　a

pair　of　field…glasses。



〃I　dare　say；〃　she　answered。　〃But　I　don't　want　to　see　any　more；〃　and

giving　the　glasses　to　her　father；　she　climbed　down　the　wall。



But　Meyer　stayed　there；　and　from　time　to　time　she　heard　the　report　of

his　rifle。　In　the　evening　he　told　her　that　he　had　killed　six　men　and

wounded　ten　more；　adding　that　it　was　the　best　day's　shooting　which　he

could　remember。



〃What　is　the　use　when　there　are　so　many？〃　she　asked。



〃Not　much；〃　he　answered。　〃But　it　annoys　them　and　amuses　me。　Also；　it

was　part　of　our　bargain　that　we　should　help　the　Makalanga　if　they　were

attacked。〃



〃I　believe　that　you　like　killing　people；〃　she　said。



〃I　don't　mind　it；　Miss　Clifford；　especially　as　they　tried　to　kill　you。〃







XVIII



THE　OTHER　BENITA



At　irregular　times；　when　he　had　nothing　else　to　do；　Jacob　went　on　with

his　man…shooting；　in　which　Mr。　Clifford　joined　him；　though　with　less

effect。　Soon　it　became　evident　that　the　Matabel