benita-第46章

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〃Then　I　am　sorry；　but　I　must　take　means　to　compel　your　obedience。

Under　those　circumstances；　much　against　my　will；　I　shall　be　obliged〃

here　his　eye　blazed　out　wildly〃to　execute　your　father；　whose

obstinacy　and　influence　stand　between　us　and　splendid　fortunes。　No；

Clifford；〃　he　added；　〃don't　stretch　out　your　hand　towards　that　rifle；

for　I　am　already　covering　you　with　the　pistol　in　my　pocket；　and　the

moment　your　hand　touches　it　I　shall　fire。　You　poor　old　man；　do　you

imagine　for　a　single　second　that；　sick　as　you　are；　and　with　your　stiff

limbs；　you　can　hope　to　match　yourself　against　my　agility；　intellect；

and　strength？　Why；　I　could　kill　you　in　a　dozen　ways　before　you　could

lift　a　finger　against　me；　and　by　the　God　I　do　not　believe　in；　unless

your　daughter　is　more　compliant；　kill　you　I　will！〃



〃That　remains　to　be　seen；　my　friend；〃　said　Mr。　Clifford　with　a　laugh；

for　he　was　a　brave　old　man。　〃I　am　not　certain　that　the　Godwhom　you

do　not　believe　inwill　not　kill　you　first。〃



Now　Benita；　who　had　been　taking　counsel　with　herself；　looked　up　and

said　suddenly：



〃Very　well；　Mr。　Meyer；　I　consentbecause　I　must。　To…morrow　morning

you　shall　try　to　mesmerize　me；　if　you　can；　in　the　same　place；　before

the　crucifix　in　the　cave。〃



〃No；〃　he　answered　quickly。　〃It　was　not　there；　it　was　here；　and　here　it

shall　be　again。　The　spot　you　mention　is　unpropitious　to　me；　the

attempt　would　fail。〃



〃It　is　the　spot　that　I　have　chosen；〃　answered　Benita　stubbornly。



〃And　this　is　the　spot　that　I　have　chosen；　Miss　Clifford；　and　my　will

must　prevail　over　yours。〃



〃Because　you　who　do　not　believe　in　spirits　are　afraid　to　re…enter　the

cave；　Mr。　Meyer；　lest　you　should　chance〃



〃Never　mind　what　I　am　or　am　not　afraid　of；〃　he　replied　with　fury。

〃Make　your　choice　between　doing　my　will　and　your　father's　life。

To…morrow　morning　I　shall　come　for　your　answer；　and　if　you　are　still

obstinate；　within　half　an　hour　he　will　be　dead；　leaving　you　and　me

alone　together。　Oh！　you　may　call　me　wicked　and　a　villain；　but　it　is

you　who　are　wicked；　you；　you；　/you/　who　force　me　to　this　deed　of

justice。〃



Then　without　another　word　he　sprang　up　and　walked　away　from　them

backwards；　as　he　went　covering　Mr。　Clifford　with　the　pistol　which　he

had　drawn　from　his　pocket。　The　last　that　they　saw　of　him　were　his

eyes；　which　glowered　at　them　through　the　darkness　like　those　of　a

lion。



〃Father；〃　said　Benita；　when　she　was　sure　that　he　had　gone；　〃that

madman　really　means　to　murder　you；　there　is　no　doubt　of　it。〃



〃None　whatever；　dear；　if　I　am　alive　to…morrow　night　I　shall　be　lucky；

unless　I　can　kill　him　first　or　get　out　of　his　way。〃



〃Well；〃　she　said　hurriedly；　〃I　think　you　can。　I　have　an　idea。　He　is

afraid　to　go　into　that　cave；　I　am　sure。　Let　us　hide　ourselves　there。

We　can　take　food　and　shall　have　plenty　of　water；　whereas；　unless　rain

falls；　he　can　get　nothing　to　drink。〃



〃But　what　then；　Benita？　We　can't　stop　in　the　dark　for　ever。〃



〃No；　but　we　can　wait　there　until　something　happens。　Something　must　and

will　happen。　His　disease　won't　stand　still。　He　may　go　raving　mad　and

kill　himself。　Or　he　may　attempt　to　attack　us；　though　that　is　not

likely；　and　then　we　must　do　what　we　can　in　self　defence。　Or　help　may

reach　us　from　somewhere。　At　the　worst　we　shall　only　die　as　we　should

have　died　outside。　Come；　let　us　be　quick；　lest　he　should　change　his

mind；　and　creep　back　upon　us。〃



So　Mr。　Clifford　gave　way；　knowing　that　even　if　he　could　steel　himself

to　do　the　deed　of　attempting　to　kill　Jacob；　he　would　have　little

chance　against　that　strong　and　agile　man。　Such　a　struggle　would　only

end　in　his　own　death；　and　Benita　must　then　be　left　alone　with　Meyer

and　his　insane　passions。



Hurriedly　they　carried　their　few　belongings　into　the　cave。　First　they

took　most　of　the　little　store　of　food　that　remained；　the　three　hand…

lamps　and　all　the　paraffin；　there　was　but　one　tin。　Then　returning　they

fetched　the　bucket；　the　ammunition；　and　their　clothes。　Afterwards；　as

there　was　still　no　sign　of　Meyer；　they　even　dared　to　drag　in　the

waggon　tent　to　make　a　shelter　for　Benita；　and　all　the　wood　that　they

had　collected　for　firing。　This　proved　a　wearisome　business；　for　the

logs　were　heavy；　and　in　his　crippled　state　Mr。　Clifford　could　carry　no

great　burden。　Indeed；　towards　the　end　Benita　was　forced　to　complete

the　task　alone；　while　he　limped　beside　her　with　his　rifle；　lest　Jacob

should　surprise　them。



When　at　length　everything　was　done　it　was　long　past　midnight；　and　so

exhausted　were　they　that；　notwithstanding　their　danger；　they　flung

themselves　down　upon　the　canvas　tent；　which　lay　in　a　heap　at　the　end

of　the　cave　near　the　crucifix；　and　fell　asleep。



When　Benita　woke　the　lamp　had　gone　out；　and　it　was　pitch　dark。

Fortunately；　however；　she　remembered　where　she　had　put　the　matches　and

the　lantern　with　a　candle　in　it。　She　lit　the　candle　and　looked　at　her

watch。　It　was　nearly　six　o'clock。　The　dawn　must　be　breaking　outside；

within　an　hour　or　two　Jacob　Meyer　would　find　that　they　had　gone。

Suppose　that　his　rage　should　overcome　his　fear　and　that　he　should

creep　upon　them。　They　would　know　nothing　of　it　until　his　face　appeared

in　the　faint　ring　of　light。　Or　he　might　even　shoot　her　father　out　of

the　darkness。　What　could　she　do　that　would　give　them　warning？　A

thought　came　to　her。



Taking　one　of　the　tent　ropes　and　the　lantern；　for　her　father　still

slept　heavily；　she　went　down　to　the　entrance　of　the　cave；　and　at　the

end　of　the　last　zigzag　where　once　a　door　had　been；　managed　to　make　it

fast　to　a　stone　hinge　about　eighteen　inches　above　the　floor；　and　on

the　other　side　to　an　eye　opposite　that　was　cut　in　the　solid　rock　to

receive　a　bolt　of　wood　or　iron。　Meyer；　she　knew；　had　no　lamps　or　oil；

only　matches　and　perhaps　a　few　candles。　Therefore　if　he　tried　to　enter

the　cave　it　was　probable　that　he　would　trip　over　the　rope　and　thus

give　them　warning。　Then　she　went　back；　washed　her　face　and　hands　with

some　water　that　they　had　drawn　on　the　previous　night　to　satisfy　their

thirst；　and　tidied　herself　as　best　she　could。　This　done；　as　her　father

still　slept；　she　filled　the　lamps；　lit　one　of　them；　and　looked　about

her；　for　she　was　loth　to　wake　him。



Truly　it　was　an　awful　place　in　which　to　dwell。　There　above　them

towered　the　great　white　crucifix；　there　in　the　corner　were　piled　the

remains　of　the　Portuguese。　A　skull　with　long　hair　still　hanging　to　it

grinned　at　her；　a　withered　hand　was　thrust　forward　as　though　to　clutch

her。　Oh；　no　wonder　that　in　such　a　spot　Jacob　Meyer　had　seen　ghosts！　In

front；　too；　was　the　yawning　grave　where　they　had　found　the　monk；

indeed；　his　bones　wrapped　in　dark　robes　still　lay　within；　for　Jacob

had　tumbled　them　back　again。　Then　beyond　and　all　around　deep；　dark；

and　utter　silence。



At　last　her　father　woke；　and　glad　enough　was　she　of　his　human　company。

They　breakfasted　upon　some　biscuits　and　water；　and　afterwards；　while

Mr。　Clifford　watched　near　the　entrance　with　his　rifle；　Benita　set　to

work　to　arrange　their　belongings。　The　tent　she　managed　to　prop　up

against　the　wall　of　the　cave　by　help　of　some　of　the　wood　which　they

had　carried　in。　Beneath　it　she　spread　their　blankets；　that　it　might

serve　as　a　sleeping　place　for　them　both；　and　outside　placed　the　food

and　other　things。



While　she　was　thus　engaged　she　heard　a　sound　at　the　mouth　of　the　cave

Jacob　Meyer　was　entering　and　had　fallen　over　her　rope。　Down　it　she

ran；　lantern　in　hand；　to　her　father；　who；　with　his　rifle　raised；　was

shouting：



〃If　you　come　in　here；　I　put　a　bullet　through　you！〃



Then　came　the　answer　in　Jacob's　voice；　which　rang　hollow　in　that

vaulted　place：



〃I　do　not　want　to　come　in；　I　shall　wait　for　you　to　come　out。　You

cannot　live　long　in　there；　the　horror　of　the　dark　will　kill　you。　I

have　only　to　sit　in　the　sunlight　and　wait。〃



Then　he　laughed；　and　they　heard　the　sound　of　his　footsteps　retreating

down　the　passage。



〃What　are　we　to　do？〃　asked　Mr。　Cliffo