marie-第1章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！





Marie



by　H。　Rider　Haggard






AN　EPISODE　IN　THE　LIFE　OF　THE　LATE　ALLAN　QUATERMAIN








DEDICATION



Ditchingham；　1912。



My　dear　Sir　Henry；



Nearly　thirty…seven　years　have　gone　by；　more　than　a　generation；　since

first　we　saw　the　shores　of　Southern　Africa　rising　from　the　sea。　　Since

then　how　much　has　happened：　the　Annexation　of　the　Transvaal；　the　Zulu

War；　the　first　Boer　War；　the　discovery　of　the　Rand；　the　taking　of

Rhodesia；　the　second　Boer　War；　and　many　other　matters　which　in　these

quick…moving　times　are　now　reckoned　as　ancient　history。



Alas！　I　fear　that　were　we　to　re…visit　that　country　we　should　find　but

few　faces　which　we　knew。　　Yet　of　one　thing　we　may　be　glad。　　Those

historical　events；　in　some　of　which　you；　as　the　ruler　of　Natal；　played　a

great　part；　and　I；　as　it　chanced；　a　smaller　one；　so　far　as　we　can

foresee；　have　at　length　brought　a　period　of　peace　to　Southern　Africa。　

To…day　the　flag　of　England　flies　from　the　Zambesi　to　the　Cape。　　Beneath

its　shadow　may　all　ancient　feuds　and　blood　jealousies　be　forgotten。　　May

the　natives　prosper　also　and　be　justly　ruled；　for　after　all　in　the

beginning　the　land　was　theirs。　　Such；　I　know；　are　your　hopes；　as　they

are　mine。



It　is；　however；　with　an　earlier　Africa　that　this　story　deals。　　In　1836；

hate　and　suspicion　ran　high　between　the　Home　Government　and　its　Dutch

subjects。　　Owing　to　the　freeing　of　the　slaves　and　mutual

misunderstandings；　the　Cape　Colony　was　then　in　tumult；　almost　in

rebellion；　and　the　Boers；　by　thousands；　sought　new　homes　in　the　unknown；

savage…peopled　North。　　Of　this　blood…stained　time　I　have　tried　to　tell；

of　the　Great　Trek　and　its　tragedies；　such　as　the　massacre　of　the

true…hearted　Retief　and　his　companions　at　the　hands　of　the　Zulu　king；

Dingaan。



But　you　have　read　the　tale　and　know　its　substance。　　What；　then；　remains

for　me　to　say？　　Only　that　in　memory　of　long…past　days　I　dedicate　it　to

you　whose　image　ever　springs　to　mind　when　I　strive　to　picture　an　English

gentleman　as　he　should　be。　　Your　kindness　I　never　shall　forget；　in

memory　of　it；　I　offer　you　this　book。



Ever　sincerely　yours；



H。　RIDER　HAGGARD。



To　Sir　Henry　Bulwer；　G。C。M。G。







PREFACE











The　Author　hopes　that　the　reader　may　find　some　historical　interest　in

the　tale　set　out　in　these　pages　of　the　massacre　of　the　Boer　general；

Retief；　and　his　companions　at　the　hands　of　the　Zulu　king；　Dingaan。　　Save

for　some　added　circumstances；　he　believes　it　to　be　accurate　in　its

details。



The　same　may　be　said　of　the　account　given　of　the　hideous　sufferings　of

the　trek…Boers　who　wandered　into　the　fever　veld；　there　to　perish　in　the

neighbourhood　of　Delagoa　Bay。　　Of　these　sufferings；　especially　those

that　were　endured　by　Triechard　and　his　companions；　a　few　brief

contemporary　records　still　exist；　buried　in　scarce　works　of　reference。　

It　may　be　mentioned；　also；　that　it　was　a　common　belief　among　the　Boers

of　that　generation　that　the　cruel　death　of　Retief　and　his　companions；

and　other　misfortunes　which　befell　them；　were　due　to　the　treacherous

plottings　of　an　Englishman；　or　of　Englishmen；　with　the　despot；　Dingaan。







EDITOR'S　NOTE











The　following　extract　explains　how　the　manuscript　of　〃Marie；〃　and　with

it　some　others；　one　of　which　is　named　〃Child　of　Storm；〃　came　into　the

hands　of　the　Editor。



It　is　from　a　letter；　dated　January　17th；　1909；　and　written　by　Mr。　George

Curtis；　the　brother　of　Sir　Henry　Curtis；　Bart。；　who；　it　will　be

remembered；　was　one　of　the　late　Mr。　Allan　Quatermain's　friends　and

companions　in　adventure　when　he　discovered　King　Solomon's　Mines；　and　who

afterwards　disappeared　with　him　in　Central　Africa。





This　extract　runs　as　follows：



〃You　may　recall　that　our　mutual　and　dear　friend；　old　Allan　Quatermain；

left　me　the　sole　executor　of　his　will；　which　he　signed　before　he　set　out

with　my　brother　Henry　for　Zuvendis；　where　he　was　killed。　　The　Court；

however；　not　being　satisfied　that　there　was　any　legal　proof　of　his

death；　invested　the　capital　funds　in　trustee　securities；　and　by　my

advice　let　his　place　in　Yorkshire　to　a　tenant　who　has　remained　in

occupation　of　it　during　the　last　two　decades。　　Now　that　tenant　is　dead；

and　at　the　earnest　prayer　of　the　Charities　which　benefit　under

Quatermain's　will；　and　of　myselffor　in　my　uncertain　state　of　health　I

have　for　long　been　most　anxious　to　wind　up　this　executorshipabout

eight　months　ago　the　Court　at　last　consented　to　the　distribution　of　this

large　fund　in　accordance　with　the　terms　of　the　will。



〃This；　of　course；　involved　the　sale　of　the　real　property；　and　before　it

was　put　up　to　auction　I　went　over　the　house　in　company　of　the　solicitor

appointed　by　the　Court。　　On　the　top　landing；　in　the　room　Quatermain　used

to　occupy；　we　found　a　sealed　cupboard　that　I　opened。　　It　proved　to　be

full　of　various　articles　which　evidently　he　had　prized　because　of　their

associations　with　his　earthy　life。　　These　I　need　not　enumerate　here；

especially　as　I　have　reserved　them　as　his　residuary　legatee　and；　in　the

event　of　my　death；　they　will　pass　to　you　under　my　will。



〃Among　these　relics；　however；　I　found　a　stout　box；　made　of　some　red

foreign　wood；　that　contained　various　documents　and　letters　and　a　bundle

of　manuscripts。　　Under　the　tape　which　fastened　these　manuscripts

together；　as　you　will　see；　is　a　scrap　of　paper　on　which　is　written；　in

blue　pencil；　a　direction　signed　'Allan　Quatermain；'　that　in　the　event　of

anything　happening　to　him；　these　MSS。　are　to　be　sent　to　you　（for　whom；

as　you　know；　he　had　a　high　regard）；　and　that　at　your　sole　discretion　you

are　to　burn　or　publish　them　as　you　may　see　fit。



〃So；　after　all　these　years；　as　we　both　remain　alive；　I　carry　out　our　old

friend's　instructions　and　send　you　his　bequest；　which　I　trust　may　prove

of　interest　and　value。　　I　have　read　the　MS。　called　'Marie；'　and

certainly　am　of　the　opinion　that　it　ought　to　be　published；　for　I　think

it　a　strange　and　moving　tale　of　a　great　lovefull；　moreover；　of

forgotten　history。



〃That　named　'Child　of　Storm'　also　seems　very　interesting　as　a　study　of

savage　life；　and　the　others　may　be　the　same；　but　my　eyes　are　troubling

me　so　much　that　I　have　not　been　able　to　decipher　them。　　I　hope；　however；

that　I　may　be　spared　long　enough　to　see　them　in　print。



〃Poor　old　Allan　Quatermain。　　It　is　as　though　he　had　suddenly　reappeared

from　the　dead！　　So　at　least　I　thought　as　I　perused　these　stories　of　a

period　of　his　life　of　which　I　do　not　remember　his　speaking　to　me。



〃And　now　my　responsibility　in　this　matter　is　finished　and　yours　begins。　

Do　what　you　like　about　the　manuscripts。〃



〃George　Curtis。〃





As　may　be　imagined；　I；　the　Editor；　was　considerably　astonished　when　I

received　this　letter　and　the　accompanying　bundle　of　closely…written　MSS。

　To　me　also　it　was　as　though　my　old　friend　had　risen　from　the　grave　and

once　more　stood　before　me；　telling　some　history　of　his　stormy　and　tragic

past　in　that　quiet；　measured　voice　that　I　have　never　been　able　to

forget。



The　first　manuscript　I　read　was　that　entitled　〃Marie。〃　　It　deals　with

Mr。　Quatermain's　strange　experiences　when　as　a　very　young　man　he

accompanied　the　ill…fated　Pieter　Retief　and　the　Boer　Commission　on　an

embassy　to　the　Zulu　despot；　Dingaan。　　This；　it　will　be　remembered；　ended

in　their　massacre；　Quatermain　himself　and　his　Hottentot　servant　Hans

being　the　sole　survivors　of　the　slaughter。　　Also　it　deals　with　another

matter　more　personal　to　himself；　namely；　his　courtship　of　and　marriage

to　his　first　wife；　Marie　Marais。



Of　this　Marie　I　never　heard　him　speak；　save　once。　　I　remember　that　on　a

certain　occasionit　was　that　of　a　garden　fete　for　a　local　charityI

was　standing　by　Quatermain　when　someone　introduced　to　him　a　young　girl

who　was　staying　in　the　neighborhood　and　had　distinguished　herself　by

singing　very　prettily　at　the　fete。　　Her　surname　I　forget；　but　her

Christian　name　was　Marie。　　He　started