marie-第20章

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to　silence。



〃Well；〃　went　on　my　father；　〃although　I　am　fond　of　Marie；　and　know　her　to

be　a　sweet　and　noble…hearted　girl；　neither　do　I　wish　that　she　should

marry　my　son。　　I　would　see　him　wed　to　some　English　woman；　and　not

dragged　into　the　net　of　the　Boers　and　their　plottings。　　Still；　it　is

plain　that　these　two　love　each　other　with　heart　and　soul；　as　doubtless

it　has　been　decreed　that　they　should　love。　　This　being　so；　I　tell　you

that　to　separate　them　and　force　another　marriage　upon　one　of　them　is　a

crime　before　God；　of　which；　I　am　sure；　He　will　take　note　and　pay　it　back

to　you。　　Strange　things　may　happen　in　those　lands　whither　you　go；　Henri

Marais。　　Will　you　not；　then；　be　content　to　leave　your　child　in　safe

keeping？〃



〃Never！〃　shouted　Marais。　　〃She　shall　accompany　me　to　a　new　home；　which

is　not　under　the　shadow　of　your　accursed　British　flag。〃



〃Then　I　have　no　more　to　say。　　On　your　head　be　it　here　and　hereafter；〃

replied　my　father　solemnly。



Now　unable　to　control　myself　any　longer　I　broke　in：



〃But　I　have；　mynheer。　　To　separate　Marie　and　myself　is　a　sin；　and　one

that　will　break　her　heart。　　As　for　my　poverty；　I　have　something；　more

perhaps　than　you　think；　and　in　this　rich　country　wealth　can　be　earned　by

those　who　work；　as　I　would　do　for　her　sake。　　The　man　to　whom　you　would

give　her　showed　his　true　nature　this　day；　for　he　who　can　play　so　low　a

trick　to　win　a　wager；　will　play　worse　tricks　to　win　greater　things。　

Moreover；　the　scheme　must　fail　since　Marie　will　not　marry　him。〃



〃I　say　she　shall；〃　replied　Marais；　〃and　that　whether　she　does　or　not；

she　shall　accompany　me　and　not　stay　here　to　be　the　wife　of　an　English

boy。〃



〃Accompany　you　I　will；　father；　and　share　your　fortunes　to　the　last。　　But

marry　Hernando　Pereira　I　will　not；〃　said　Marie　quietly。



〃Perhaps；　mynheer；〃　I　added；　〃days　may　come　when　once　again　you　will　be

glad　of　the　help　of　an　'English　boy。'〃



The　words　were　spoken　at　random；　a　kind　of　ejaculation　from　the　heart；

caused　by　the　sting　of　Marais's　cruelty　and　insults；　like　the　cry　of　a

beast　beneath　a　blow。　　Little　did　I　know　how　true　they　would　prove；　but

at　times　it　is　thus　that　truth　is　mysteriously　drawn　from　some　well　of

secret　knowledge　hidden　in　our　souls。



〃When　I　want　your　help　I　will　ask　for　it；〃　raved　Marais；　who；　knowing

himself　to　be　in　the　wrong；　strove　to　cover　up　that　wrong　with　violence。



〃Asked　or　unasked；　if　I　live　it　shall　be　given　in　the　future　as　in　the

past；　Mynheer　Marais。　　God　pardon　you　for　the　woe　you　are　bringing　on

Marie　and　on　me。〃



Now　Marie　began　to　weep　a　little；　and；　unable　to　bear　that　sight；　I

covered　my　eyes　with　my　hand。　　Marais；　who；　when　he　was　not　under　the

influence　of　his　prejudices　or　passion；　had　a　kind　heart；　was　moved

also；　but　tried　to　hide　his　feelings　in　roughness。　　He　swore　at　Marie；

and　told　her　to　go　to　bed；　and　she　obeyed；　still　weeping。　　Then　my

father　rose　and　said：



〃Henri　Marais；　we　cannot　leave　here　to…night　because　the　horses　are

kraaled；　and　it　would　be　difficult　to　find　them　in　this　darkness；　so　we

must　ask　your　hospitality　till　dawn。〃



〃_I_　do　not　ask　it；〃　I　exclaimed。　　〃I　go　to　sleep　in　the　cart；〃　and　I

limped　from　the　room　and　the　house；　leaving　the　two　men　together。



What　passed　afterwards　between　them　I　do　not　quite　know。　　I　gathered

that　my　father；　who；　when　roused；　also　had　a　temper　and　was　mentally　and

intellectually　the　stronger　man；　told　Marais　his　opinion　of　his

wickedness　and　folly　in　language　that　he　was　not　likely　to　forget。　　I

believe　he　even　drove　him　to　confess　that　his　acts　seemed　cruel；

excusing　them；　however；　by　announcing　that　he　had　sworn　before　God　that

his　daughter　should　never　marry　an　Englishman。　　Also　he　said　that　he　had

promised　her　solemnly　to　Pereira；　his　own　nephew；　whom　he　loved；　and

could　not　break　his　word。



〃No；〃　answered　my　father；　〃because；　being　mad　with　the　madness　that　runs

before　destruction；　you　prefer　to　break　Marie's　heart　and　perhaps　become

guilty　of　her　blood。〃



Then　he　left　him。





The　darkness　was　intense。　　Through　it　I　groped　my　way　to　the　cart；　which

stood　where　it　had　been　outspanned　on　the　veld　at　a　little　distance　from

the　house；　wishing　heartily；　so　miserable　was　I；　that　the　Kaffirs　might

choose　that　black　night　for　another　attack　and　make　an　end　of　me。



When　I　reached　it　and　lit　the　lantern　which　we　always　carried；　I　was

astonished　to　find　that；　in　a　rough　fashion；　it　had　been　made　ready　to

sleep　in。　　The　seats　had　been　cleared　out；　the　hind　curtain　fastened；

and　so　forth。　　Also　the　pole　was　propped　up　with　an　ox…yoke　so　as　to

make　the　vehicle　level　to　lie　in。　　While　I　was　wondering　vaguely　who

could　have　done　this；　Hans　climbed　on　to　the　step；　carrying　two　karosses

which　he　had　borrowed　or　stolen；　and　asked　if　I　was　comfortable。



〃Oh；　yes！〃　I　answered；　〃but　why　were　you　going　to　sleep　in　the　cart？〃



〃Baas；〃　he　replied；　〃I　was　not；　I　prepared　it　for　you。　　How　did　I　know

that　you　were　coming？　　Oh；　very　simply。　　I　sat　on　the　stoep　and　listened

to　all　the　talk　in　the　sitkammer。　　The　window　has　never　been　mended；

baas；　since　the　Quabies　broke　it。　　God　in　Heaven！　what　a　talk　that　was。　

I　never　knew　that　white　people　could　have　so　much　to　say　about　a　simple

matter。　　You　want　to　marry　the　Baas　Marais's　daughter；　the　baas　wants

her　to　marry　another　man　who　can　pay　more　cattle。　　Well；　among　us　it

would　soon　have　been　settled；　for　the　father　would　have　taken　a　stick

and　beaten　you　out　of　the　hut　with　the　thick　end。　　Then　he　would　have

beaten　the　girl　with　the　thin　end　until　she　promised　to　take　the　other

man；　and　all　would　have　been　settled　nicely。　　But　you　Whites；　you　talk

and　talk；　and　nothing　is　settled。　　You　still　mean　to　marry　the　daughter；

and　the　daughter　still　means　not　to　marry　the　man　of　many　cows。　

Moreover；　the　father　has　really　gained　nothing　except　a　sick　heart　and

much　bad　luck　to　come。〃



〃Why　much　bad　luck　to　come；　Hans？〃　I　asked　idly；　for　his　naive　summing

up　of　the　case　interested　me　in　a　vague　way。



〃Oh！　Baas　Allan；　for　two　reasons。　　First；　your　reverend　father；　who　made

me　true　Christian；　told　him　so；　and　a　predicant　so　good　as　he；　is　one

down　whom　the　curse　of　God　runs　from　Heaven　like　lightning　runs　down　a

tree。　　Well；　the　Heer　Marais　was　sitting　under　that　tree；　and　we　all

know　what　happens　to　him　who　is　under　a　tree　when　the　lightning　strikes

it。　　That　my　first　Christian　reason。　　My　second　black…man　reason；　about

which　there　can　be　no　mistake；　for　it　has　always　been　true　since　there

was　a　black　man；　is　that　the　girl　is　yours　by　blood。　　You　saved　her　life

with　your　blood；〃　and　he　pointed　to　my　leg；　〃and　therefore　bought　her

for　ever；　for　blood　is　more　than　cattle。　　Therefore；　too；　he　who　would

divide　her　from　you　brings　blood　on　her　and　on　the　other　man　who　tries

to　steal　her；　blood；　blood！　and　on　himself　I　know　not　what。〃　　And　he

waved　his　yellow　arms；　staring　up　at　me　with　his　little　black　eyes　in　a

way　that　was　most　uncanny。



〃Nonsense！〃　I　said。　　〃Why　do　you　talk　such　bad　words？〃



〃Because　they　are　true　words；　Baas　Allan。　　Oh；　you　laugh　at　the　poor

Totty；　but　I　had　it　from　my　father；　and　he　from　his　father　from

generation　to　generation；　amen；　and　you　will　see。　　You　will　see；　as　I

have　seen　before　now；　and　as　the　Heer　Marais　will　see；　who；　if　the　great

God　had　not　made　him　madfor　mad　he　is；　baas；　as　we　know；　if　you　Whites

don'tmight　have　lived　in　his　home　till　he　was　old；　and　have　had　a　good

son…in…law　to　bury　him　in　his　blanket。〃



Now　I　seemed　to　have　had　enough　of　this　eerie　conversation。　　Of　course

it　is　easy　to　laugh　at　natives　and　their　superstitions；　but；　after　a

long　life　of　experience；　I　am　bound　to　admit　that　they　are　not　always

devoid　of　truth。　　The　native　has　some　kind　of　sixth　sense　which　the

civilised　man　has　lost；　or　so　it　seems　to　me。



〃Talking　of　blankets；〃　I　said　in　order　to　change　the　subject；　〃from　whom

did　you　get　these　karosses？〃