benita-第40章

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It　was　very　lonely　there　in　the　silence；　for　no　sound　came　from　either

the　Matabele　or　the　Makalanga　camps；　and　the　bright　moonlight　seemed

to　people　the　place　with　fantastic　shadows　that　looked　alive。　Benita

cried　a　little　now　that　her　father　could　not　see　her；　and　then　also

sought　refuge　in　bed。　Evidently　the　end；　whatever　it　might　be；　was

near；　and　of　it　she　could　not　bear　to　think。　Moreover；　her　eyes　were

strangely　heavy；　so　much　so　that　before　she　had　finished　saying　her

prayers　sleep　fell　upon　her；　and　she　knew　no　more。



Had　she　remained　as　wakeful　as　it　was　often　her　fate　to　be　during

those　fearful　days；　towards　midnight　she　might　have　heard　some　light…

footed　creature　creeping　to　her　tent；　and　seen　that　the　moon…rays

which　flowed　through　the　gaping　and　ill…closed　flap　were　cut　off　by

the　figure　of　a　man　with　glowing　eyes；　whose　projected　arms　waved　over

her　mysteriously。　But　Benita　neither　heard　nor　saw。　In　her　drugged

rest　she　did　not　know　that　her　sleep　turned　gradually　to　a　magic

swoon。　She　had　no　knowledge　of　her　rising；　or　of　how　she　threw　her

thick　cloak　about　her；　lit　her　lamp；　and；　in　obedience　to　that

beckoning　finger；　glided　from　the　tent。　She　never　heard　her　father

stumble　from　his　hut；　disturbed　by　the　sound　of　footsteps；　or　the

words　that　passed　between　him　and　Jacob　Meyer；　while；　lamp　in　hand；

she　stood　near　them　like　a　strengthless　ghost。



〃If　you　dare　to　wake　her；〃　hissed　Jacob；　〃I　tell　you　that　she　will

die；　and　afterwards　you　shall　die；〃　and　he　fingered　the　pistol　at　his

belt。　〃No　harm　shall　come　to　herI　swear　it！　Follow　and　see。　Man；

man；　be　silent；　our　fortunes　hang　on　it。〃



Then；　overcome　also　by　the　strange　fierceness　of　that　voice　and　gaze；

he　followed。



On　they　go　to　the　winding　neck　of　the　cavern；　first　Jacob　walking

backwards　like　the　herald　of　majesty；　then　majesty　itself　in　the　shape

of　this　long…haired；　death…like　woman；　cloaked　and　bearing　in　her　hand

the　light；　and　last；　behind；　the　old；　white…bearded　man；　like　Time

following　Beauty　to　the　grave。　Now　they　were　in　the　great　cavern；　and

now；　avoiding　the　open　tombs；　the　well　mouth　and　the　altar；　they　stood

beneath　the　crucifix。



〃Be　seated；〃　said　Meyer；　and　the　entranced　Benita　sat　herself　down

upon　the　steps　at　the　foot　of　the　cross；　placing　the　lamp　on　the　rock

pavement　before　her；　and　bowing　her　head　till　her　hair　fell　upon　her

naked　feet　and　hid　them。　He　held　his　hands　above　her　for　a　while；　then

asked：



〃Do　you　sleep？〃



〃I　sleep；〃　came　the　strange；　slow　answer。



〃Is　your　spirit　awake？〃



〃It　is　awake。〃



〃Command　it　to　travel　backwards　through　the　ages　to　the　beginning；　and

tell　me　what　you　see　here。〃



〃I　see　a　rugged　cave　and　wild　folk　dwelling　in　it；　an　old　man　is　dying

yonder；〃　and　she　pointed　to　the　right；　〃and　a　black　woman　with　a　babe

at　her　breast　tends　him。　A　man；　it　is　her　husband；　enters　the　cave。　He

holds　a　torch　in　one　hand；　and　with　the　other　drags　a　buck。〃



〃Cease；〃　said　Meyer。　〃How　long　is　this　ago？〃



〃Thirty…three　thousand　two　hundred　and　one　years；〃　came　the　answer；

spoken　without　any　hesitation。



〃Pass　on；〃　he　said；　〃pass　on　thirty　thousand　years；　and　tell　me　what

you　see。〃



For　a　long　while　there　was　silence。



〃Why　do　you　not　speak？〃　he　asked。



〃Be　patient；　I　am　living　through　those　thirty　thousand　years；　many　a

life；　many　an　age；　but　none　may　be　missed。〃



Again　there　was　silence　for　a　long　while；　till　at　length　she　spoke：



〃They　are　done；　all　of　them；　and　now　three　thousand　years　ago　I　see

this　place　changed　and　smoothly　fashioned；　peopled　by　a　throng　of

worshippers　clad　in　strange　garments　with　clasps　upon　them。　Behind　me

stands　the　graven　statue　of　a　goddess　with　a　calm　and　cruel　face；　in

front　of　the　altar　burns　a　fire；　and　on　the　altar　white…robed　priests

are　sacrificing　an　infant　which　cries　aloud。〃



〃Pass　on；　pass　on；〃　Meyer　said　hurriedly；　as　though　the　horror　of　that

scene　had　leapt　to　his　eyes。　〃Pass　on　two　thousand　seven　hundred　years

and　tell　me　what　you　see。〃



Again　there　was　a　pause；　while　the　spirit　he　had　evoked　in　the　body　of

Benita　lived　through　those　ages。　Then　slowly　she　answered：



〃Nothing；　the　place　is　black　and　desolate；　only　the　dead　sleep　beneath

its　floor。〃



〃Wait　till　the　living　come　again；〃　he　commanded；　〃then　speak。〃



〃They　are　here；〃　she　replied　presently。　〃Tonsured　monks；　one　of　whom

fashions　this　crucifix；　and　their　followers　who　bow　before　the　Host

upon　the　altar。　They　come；　they　goof　whom　shall　I　tell　you？〃



〃Tell　me　of　the　Portuguese；　of　those　who　were　driven　here　to　die。〃



〃I　see　them　all；〃　she　answered；　after　a　pause。　〃Two　hundred　and　three

of　them。　They　are　ragged　and　wayworn　and　hungry。　Among　them　is　a

beautiful　woman；　a　girl。　She　draws　near　to　me；　she　enters　into　me。　You

must　ask　her〃this　was　spoken　in　a　very　faint　voice〃I　am　I　no

more。〃



Mr。　Clifford　attempted　to　interrupt；　but　fiercely　Meyer　bade　him　to　be

silent。



〃Speak；〃　he　commanded；　but　the　crouching　figure　shook　her　head。



〃Speak；〃　he　said　again；　whereon　another　voice；　not　that　of　Benita；

answered　in　another　tongue：



〃I　hear；　but　I　do　not　understand　your　language。〃



〃Great　Heaven！〃　said　Meyer；　〃it　is　Portuguese；〃　and　for　a　while　the

terror　of　the　thing　struck　him　dumb；　for　he　was　aware　that　Benita　knew

no　Portuguese。　He　knew　it；　however；　who　had　lived　at　Loren？o　Marquez。



〃Who　are　you？〃　he　asked　in　that　tongue。



〃I　am　Benita　da　Ferreira。　I　am　the　daughter　of　the　Captain　da　Ferreira

and　of　his　wife；　the　lady　Christinha；　who　stand　by　you　now。　Turn；　and

you　will　see　them。〃



Jacob　started　and　looked　about　him　uneasily。



〃What　did　she　say？　I　did　not　catch　it　all；〃　asked　Mr。　Clifford。



He　translated　her　words。



〃But　this　is　black　magic；〃　exclaimed　the　old　man。　〃Benita　knows　no

Portuguese；　so　how　comes　she　to　speak　it？〃



〃Because　she　is　no　longer　our　Benita；　she　is　another　Benita；　Benita　da

Ferreira。　The　Molimo　was　right　when　he　said　that　the　spirit　of　the

dead　woman　went　with　her；　as　it　seems　the　name　has　gone；〃　he　added。



〃Have　done；〃　said　Mr。　Clifford；　〃the　thing　is　unholy。　Wake　her　up；　or

I　will。〃



〃And　bring　about　her　death。　Touch　or　disturb　her；　and　I　tell　you　she

will　die；〃　and　he　pointed　to　Benita；　who　crouched　before　them　so　white

and　motionless　that　indeed　it　seemed　as　though　already　she　were　dead。

〃Be　quiet；〃　he　went　on。　〃I　swear　to　you　that　no　hurt　shall　come　to

her；　also　that　I　will　translate　everything　to　you。　Promise；　or　I　will

tell　you　nothing；　and　her　blood　be　on　your　head。〃



Then　Mr。　Clifford　groaned　and　said：



〃I　promise。〃



〃Tell　me　your　story；　Benita　da　Ferreira。　How　came　you　and　your　people

here？〃



〃The　tribes　of　Monomotapa　rose　against　our　rule。　They　killed　many　of

us　in　the　lower　land；　yes；　they　killed　my　brother　and　him　to　whom　I

was　affianced。　The　rest　of　us　fled　north　to　this　ancient　fortress；

hoping　thence　to　escape　by　the　river；　the　Zambesi。　The　Mambo；　our

vassal；　gave　us　shelter　here；　but　the　tribes　besieged　the　walls　in

thousands；　and　burnt　all　the　boats　so　that　we　could　not　fly　by　the

water。　Many　times　we　beat　them　back　from　the　wall；　the　ditch　was　full

of　their　dead；　and　at　last　they　dared　to　attack　no　more。



〃Then　we　began　to　starve　and　they　won　the　first　wall。　We　went　on

starving　and　they　won　the　second　wall；　but　the　third　wall　they　could

not　climb。　So　we　died；　one　by　one　we　laid　ourselves　down　in　this　cave

and　died；　till　I　alone　was　left；　for　while　our　people　had　food　they

gave　it　to　me　who　was　the　daughter　of　their　captain。　Yes；　alone　I

knelt　at　the　foot　of　this　crucifix　by　the　body　of　my　father；　praying

to　the　blessed　Son　of　Mary　for　the　death　that　would　not　come；　and

kneeling　there　I　swooned。　When　I　awoke　again　the　Mambo　and　his　men

stood　about　me；　for　now；　knowing　us　to　be　dead；　the　tribes　had　gone；

and　those　who　were　in　hiding　across　the　river　had　returned　and　knew

how