marie-第2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！



Christian　name　was　Marie。　　He　started　when　he　heard　it；　and　asked　if　she

were　French。　　The　young　lady　answered　No；　but　only　of　French　extraction

through　her　grandmother；　who　also　was　called　Marie。



〃Indeed？〃　he　said。　　〃Once　I　knew　a　maiden　not　unlike　you　who　was　also　of

French　extraction　and　called　Marie。　　May　you　prove　more　fortunate　in

life　than　she　was；　though　better　or　nobler　you　can　never　be；〃　and　he

bowed　to　her　in　his　simple；　courtly　fashion；　then　turned　away。　

Afterwards；　when　we　were　alone；　I　asked　him　who　was　this　Marie　of　whom

he　had　spoken　to　the　young　lady。　　He　paused　a　little；　then　answered：



〃She　was　my　first　wife；　but　I　beg　you　not　to　speak　of　her　to　me　or　to

anyone　else；　for　I　cannot　bear　to　hear　her　name。　　Perhaps　you　will　learn

all　about　her　one　day。〃　　Then；　to　my　grief　and　astonishment；　he　broke

into　something　like　a　sob　and　abruptly　left　the　room。



After　reading　the　record　of　this　Marie　I　can　well　understand　why　he　was

so　moved。　　I　print　it　practically　as　it　left　his　hands。



There　are　other　MSS。　also；　one　of　which；　headed　〃Child　of　Storm；〃

relates　the　moving　history　of　a　beautiful　and；　I　fear　I　must　add；　wicked

Zulu　girl　named　Mameena　who　did　much　evil　in　her　day　and　went

unrepentant　from　the　world。



Another；　amongst　other　things；　tells　the　secret　story　of　the　causes　of

the　defeat　of　Cetewayo　and　his　armies　by　the　English　in　1879；　which

happened　not　long　before　Quatermain　met　Sir　Henry　Curtis　and　Captain

Good。



These　three　narratives　are；　indeed；　more　or　less　connected　with　each

other。　　At　least；　a　certain　aged　dwarf；　called　Zikali；　a　witch…doctor

and　an　terrible　man；　has　to　do　with　all　of　them；　although　in　the　first；

〃Marie；〃　he　is　only　vaguely　mentioned　in　connection　with　the　massacre　of

Retief；　whereof　he　was　doubtless　the　primary　instigator。　　As　〃Marie〃

comes　first　in　chronological　order；　and　was　placed　on　the　top　of　the

pile　by　its　author；　I　publish　it　first。　　With　the　others　I　hope　to　deal

later　on；　as　I　may　find　time　and　opportunity。



But　the　future　must　take　care　of　itself。　　We　cannot　control　it；　and　its

events　are　not　in　our　hand。　　Meanwhile；　I　hope　that　those　who　in　their

youth　have　read　of　King　Solomon's　Mines　and　Zuvendis；　and　perhaps　some

others　who　are　younger；　may　find　as　much　of　interest　in　these　new

chapters　of　the　autobiography　of　Allan　Quatermain　as　I　have　done　myself。







CONTENTS



I。　ALLAN　LEARNS　FRENCH

II。　THE　ATTACK　ON　MARAISFONTEIN

III。　THE　RESCUE

IV。　HERNANDO　PEREIRA

V。　THE　SHOOTING　MATCH

VI。　THE　PARTING

VII。　ALLAN'S　CALL

VIII。　THE　CAMP　OF　DEATH

IX。　THE　PROMISE

X。　VROUW　PRINSLOO　SPEAKS　HER　MIND

XI。　THE　SHOT　IN　THE　KLOOF

XII。　DINGAAN'S　BET

XIII。　THE　REHEARSAL

XIV。　THE　PLAY

XV。　RETIEF　ASKS　A　FAVOUR

XVI。　THE　COUNCIL

XVII。　THE　MARRIAGE

XVIII。　THE　TREATY

XIX。　DEPART　IN　PEACE

XX。　THE　COURT…MARTIAL

XXI。　THE　INNOCENT　BLOOD







CHAPTER　I









ALLAN　LEARNS　FRENCH











Although　in　my　old　age　I；　Allan　Quatermain；　have　taken　to　writingafter

a　fashionnever　yet　have　I　set　down　a　single　word　of　the　tale　of　my

first　love　and　of　the　adventures　that　are　grouped　around　her　beautiful

and　tragic　history。　　I　suppose　this　is　because　it　has　always　seemed　to

me　too　holy　and　far…off　a　matteras　holy　and　far…off　as　is　that　heaven

which　holds　the　splendid　spirit　of　Marie　Marais。　　But　now；　in　my　age；

that　which　was　far…off　draws　near　again；　and　at　night；　in　the　depths

between　the　stars；　sometimes　I　seem　to　see　the　opening　doors　through

which　I　must　pass；　and　leaning　earthwards　across　their　threshold；　with

outstretched　arms　and　dark　and　dewy　eyes；　a　shadow　long　forgotten　by　all

save　methe　shadow　of　Marie　Marais。



An　old　man's　dream；　doubtless；　no　more。　　Still；　I　will　try　to　set　down

that　history　which　ended　in　so　great　a　sacrifice；　and　one　so　worthy　of

record；　though　I　hope　that　no　human　eye　will　read　it　until　I　also　am

forgotten；　or；　at　any　rate；　have　grown　dim　in　the　gathering　mists　of

oblivion。　　And　I　am　glad　that　I　have　waited　to　make　this　attempt；　for　it

seems　to　me　that　only　of　late　have　I　come　to　understand　and　appreciate

at　its　true　value　the　character　of　her　of　whom　I　tell；　and　the

passionate　affection　which　was　her　bounteous　offering　to　one　so　utterly

unworthy　as　myself。　　What　have　I　done；　I　wonder；　that　to　me　should　have

been　decreed　the　love　of　two　such　women　as　Marie　and　that　of　Stella；

also　now　long　dead；　to　whom　alone　in　the　world　I　told　all　her　tale？　　I

remember　I　feared　lest　she　should　take　it　ill；　but　this　was　not　so。　

Indeed；　during　our　brief　married　days；　she　thought　and　talked　much　of

Marie；　and　some　of　her　last　words　to　me　were　that　she　was　going　to　seek

her；　and　that　they　would　wait　for　me　together　in　the　land　of　love；　pure

and　immortal。



So　with　Stella's　death　all　that　side　of　life　came　to　an　end　for　me；

since　during　the　long　years　which　stretch　between　then　and　now　I　have

never　said　another　tender　word　to　woman。　　I　admit；　however；　that　once；

long　afterwards；　a　certain　little　witch　of　a　Zulu　did　say　tender　words

to　me；　and　for　an　hour　or　so　almost　turned　my　head；　an　art　in　which　she

had　great　skill。　　This　I　say　because　I　wish　to　be　quite　honest；　although

itI　mean　my　head；　for　there　was　no　heart　involved　in　the　mattercame

straight　again　at　once。　　Her　name　was　Mameena；　and　I　have　set　down　her

remarkable　story　elsewhere。



To　return。　　As　I　have　already　written　in　another　book；　I　passed　my　youth

with　my　old　father；　a　Church　of　England　clergyman；　in　what　is　now　the

Cradock　district　of　the　Cape　Colony。



Then　it　was　a　wild　place　enough；　with　a　very　small　white　population。　

Among　our　few　neighbours　was　a　Boer　farmer　of　the　name　of　Henri　Marais；

who　lived　about　fifteen　miles　from　our　station；　on　a　fine　farm　called

Maraisfontein。　　I　say　he　was　a　Boer；　but；　as　may　be　guessed　from　both

his　Christian　and　surname；　his　origin　was　Huguenot；　his　forefather；　who

was　also　named　Henri　Maraisthough　I　think　the　Marais　was　spelt　rather

differently　thenhaving　been　one　of　the　first　of　that　faith　who

emigrated　to　South　Africa　to　escape　the　cruelties　of　Louis　XIV。　at　the

time　of　the　revocation　of　the　Edict　of　Nantes。



Unlike　most　Boers　of　similar　descent；　these　particular　Maraisfor；　of

course；　there　are　many　other　families　so　callednever　forgot　their

origin。　　Indeed；　from　father　to　son；　they　kept　up　some　knowledge　of　the

French　tongue；　and　among　themselves　often　spoke　it　after　a　fashion。　　At

any　rate；　it　was　the　habit　of　Henri　Marais；　who　was　excessively

religious；　to　read　his　chapter　of　the　Bible　（which　it　is；　or　was；　the

custom　of　the　Boers　to　spell　out　every　morning；　should　their　learning

allow　them　to　do　so）；　not　in　the　〃taal〃　or　patois　Dutch；　but　in　good　old

French。　　I　have　the　very　book　from　which　he　used　to　read　now；　for；

curiously　enough；　in　after　years；　when　all　these　events　had　long　been

gathered　to　the　past；　I　chanced　to　buy　it　among　a　parcel　of　other　works

at　the　weekly　auction　of　odds　and　ends　on　the　market　square　of

Maritzburg。　　I　remember　that　when　I　opened　the　great　tome；　bound　over

the　original　leather　boards　in　buckskin；　and　discovered　to　whom　it　had

belonged；　I　burst　into　tears。　　There　was　no　doubt　about　it；　for；　as　was

customary　in　old　days；　this　Bible　had　sundry　fly…leaves　sewn　up　with　it

for　the　purpose　of　the　recording　of　events　important　to　its　owner。



The　first　entries　were　made　by　the　original　Henri　Marais；　and　record　how

he　and　his　compatriots　were　driven　from　France；　his　father　having　lost

his　life　in　the　religious　persecutions。　　After　this　comes　a　long　list　of

births；　marriages　and　deaths　continued　from　generation　to　generation；

and　amongst　them　a　few　notes　telling　of　such　matters　as　the　change　of

the　dwelling…places　of　the　family；　always　in　French。　　Towards　the　end　of

the　list　appears　the　entry　of　the　birth　of　the　Henri　Marais　whom　I　knew；

alas！　too　well；　and　of　his　only　sister。　　Then　is　written　his　marriage　to

Marie　La