marie-第3章

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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　Labuschagne；　also；　be　it　noted；　of　the　Huguenot　stock。　　In　the

next　year　follows　the　birth　of　Marie　Marais；　my　Marie；　and；　after　a　long

interval；　for　no　other　children　were　born；　the　death　of　her　mother。　

Immediately　below　appears　the　following　curious　passage：



〃Le　3　Janvier；　1836。　　Je　quitte　ce　pays　voulant　me　sauver　du　maudit

gouvernement　Britannique　comme　mes　ancetres　se　sont　sauves　de　ce

diableLouis　XIV。



〃A　bas　les　rois　et　les　ministres　tyrannique！　　Vive　la　liberte！〃



Which　indicates　very　clearly　the　character　and　the　opinions　of　Henri

Marais；　and　the　feeling　among　the　trek…Boers　at　that　time。



Thus　the　record　closes　and　the　story　of　the　Marais　endsthat　is；　so　far

as　the　writings　in　the　Bible　go；　for　that　branch　of　the　family　is　now

extinct。



Their　last　chapter　I　will　tell　in　due　course。





There　was　nothing　remarkable　about　my　introduction　to　Marie　Marais。　　I

did　not　rescue　her　from　any　attack　of　a　wild　beast　or　pull　her　out　of　a

raging　river　in　a　fashion　suited　to　romance。　　Indeed；　we　interchanged

our　young　ideas　across　a　small　and　extremely　massive　table；　which；　in

fact；　had　once　done　duty　as　a　block　for　the　chopping　up　of　meat。　　To

this　hour　I　can　see　the　hundreds　of　lines　running　criss…cross　upon　its

surface；　especially　those　opposite　to　where　I　used　to　sit。



One　day；　several　years　after　my　father　had　emigrated　to　the　Cape；　the

Heer　Marais　arrived　at　our　house　in　search；　I　think；　of　some　lost　oxen。　

He　was　a　thin；　bearded　man　with　rather　wild；　dark　eyes　set　close

together；　and　a　quick　nervous　manner；　not　in　the　least　like　that　of　a

Dutch　Boeror　so　I　recall　him。　　My　father　received　him　courteously　and

asked　him　to　stop　to　dine；　which　he　did。



They　talked　together　in　French；　a　tongue　that　my　father　knew　well；

although　he　had　not　used　it　for　years；　Dutch　he　could　not；　or；　rather；

would　not；　speak　if　he　could　help　it；　and　Mr。　Marais　preferred　not　to

talk　English。　　To　meet　someone　who　could　converse　in　French　delighted

him；　and　although　his　version　of　the　language　was　that　of　two　centuries

before　and　my　father's　was　largely　derived　from　reading；　they　got　on

very　well　together；　if　not　too　fast。



At　length；　after　a　pause；　Mr。　Marais；　pointing　to　myself；　a　small　and

stubbly…haired　youth　with　a　sharp　nose；　asked　my　father　whether　he　would

like　me　to　be　instructed　in　the　French　tongue。　　The　answer　was　that

nothing　would　please　him　better。



〃Although；〃　he　added　severely；　〃to　judge　by　my　own　experience　where

Latin　and　Greek　are　concerned；　I　doubt　his　capacity　to　learn　anything。〃



So　an　arrangement　was　made　that　I　should　go　over　for　two　days　in　each

week　to　Maraisfontein；　sleeping　there　on　the　intervening　night；　and

acquire　a　knowledge　of　the　French　tongue　from　a　tutor　whom　Mr。　Marais

had　hired　to　instruct　his　daughter　in　that　language　and　other　subjects。　

I　remember　that　my　father　agreed　to　pay　a　certain　proportion　of　this

tutor's　salary；　a　plan　which　suited　the　thrifty　Boer　very　well　indeed。



Thither；　accordingly；　I　went　in　due　course；　nothing　loth；　for　on　the

veld　between　our　station　and　Maraisfontein　many　pauw　and　koranthat　is；

big　and　small　bustardswere　to　be　found；　to　say　nothing　of　occasional

buck；　and　I　was　allowed　to　carry　a　gun；　which　even　in　those　days　I　could

use　fairly　well。　　So　to　Maraisfontein　I　rode　on　the　appointed　day；

attended　by　a　Hottentot　after…rider；　a　certain　Hans；　of　whom　I　shall

have　a　good　deal　to　tell。　　I　enjoyed　very　goof　sport　on　the　road；

arriving　at　the　stead　laden　with　one　pauw；　two　koran；　and　a　little

klipspringer　buck　which　I　had　been　lucky　enough　to　shoot　as　it　bounded

out　of　some　rocks　in　front　of　me。



There　was　a　peach　orchard　planted　round　Maraisfontein；　which　just　then

was　a　mass　of　lovely　pink　blossom；　and　as　I　rode　through　it　slowly；　not

being　sure　of　my　way　to　the　house；　a　lanky　child　appeared　in　front　of

me；　clad　in　a　frock　which　exactly　matched　the　colour　of　the　peach　bloom。

　I　can　see　her　now；　her　dark　hair　hanging　down　her　back；　and　her　big；

shy　eyes　staring　at　me　from　the　shadow　of　the　Dutch　〃kappie〃　which　she

wore。　　Indeed；　she　seemed　to　be　all　eyes；　like　a　〃dikkop〃　or

thick…headed　plover；　at　any　rate；　I　noted　little　else　about　her。



I　pulled　up　my　pony　and　stared　at　her；　feeling　very　shy　and　not　knowing

what　to　say。　　For　a　while　she　stared　back　at　me；　being　afflicted；

presumably；　with　the　same　complaint；　then　spoke　with　an　effort；　in　a

voice　that　was　very　soft　and　pleasant。



〃Are　you　the　little　Allan　Quatermain　who　is　coming　to　learn　French　with

me？〃　she　asked　in　Dutch。



〃Of　course；〃　I　answered　in　the　same　tongue；　which　I　knew　well；　〃but　why

do　you　call　me　little；　missie？　I　am　taller　than　you；〃　I　added

indignantly；　for　when　I　was　young　my　lack　of　height　was　always　a　sore

point　with　me。



〃I　think　not；〃　she　replied。　　〃But　get　off　that　horse；　and　we　will

measure　here　against　this　wall。〃



So　I　dismounted；　and；　having　assured　herself　that　I　had　no　heels　to　my

boots　（I　was　wearing　the　kind　of　raw…hide　slippers　that　the　Boers　call

〃veld…shoon〃）；　she　took　the　writing　slate　which　she　was　carryingit　had

no　frame；　I　remember；　being；　in　fact；　but　a　piece　of　the　material　used

for　roofingand；　pressing　it　down　tight　on　my　stubbly　hair；　which　stuck

up　then　as　now；　made　a　deep　mark　in　the　soft　sandstone　of　the　wall　with

the　hard　pointed　pencil。



〃There；〃　she　said；　〃that　is　justly　done。　　Now；　little　Allan；　it　is　your

turn　to　measure　me。〃



So　I　measured　her；　and；　behold！　she　was　the　taller　by　a　whole　half…inch。



〃You　are　standing　on　tiptoe；〃　I　said　in　my　vexation。



〃Little　Allan；〃　she　replied；　〃to　stand　on　tiptoe　would　be　to　lie　before

the　good　Lord；　and　when　you　come　to　know　me　better　you　will　learn　that；

though　I　have　a　dreadful　temper　and　many　other　sins；　I　do　not　lie。〃



I　suppose　that　I　looked　snubbed　and　mortified；　for　she　went　on　in　her

grave；　grown…up　way：　〃Why　are　you　angry　because　God　made　me　taller　than

you？　especially　as　I　am　whole　months　older；　for　my　father　told　me　so。　

Come；　let　us　write　our　names　against　these　marks；　so　that　in　a　year　or

two　you　may　see　how　you　outgrow　me。〃　　Then　with　the　slate　pencil　she

scratched　〃Marie〃　against　her　mark　very　deeply；　so　that　it　might　last；

she　said；　after　which　I　wrote　〃Allan〃　against　mine。



Alas！　　Within　the　last　dozen　years　chance　took　me　past　Maraisfontein

once　more。　　The　house　had　long　been　rebuilt；　but　this　particular　wall

yet　stood。　　I　rode　to　it　and　looked；　and　there　faintly　could　still　be

seen　the　name　Marie；　against　the　little　line；　and　by　it　the　mark　that　I

had　made。　　My　own　name　and　with　it　subsequent　measurements　were　gone；

for　in　the　intervening　forty　years　or　so　the　sandstone　had　flaked　away

in　places。　　Only　her　autograph　remained；　and　when　I　saw　it　I　think　that

I　felt　even　worse　than　I　did　on　finding　whose　was　the　old　Bible　that　I

had　bought　upon　the　market　square　at　Maritzburg。



I　know　that　I　rode　away　hurriedly　without　even　stopping　to　inquire　into

whose　hands　the　farm　had　passed。　　Through　the　peach　orchard　I　rode；

where　the　treesperhaps　the　same；　perhaps　otherswere　once　more　in

bloom；　for　the　season　of　the　year　was　that　when　Marie　and　I　first　met；

nor　did　I　draw　rein　for　half　a　score　of　miles。



But　here　I　may　state　that　Marie　always　stayed　just　half　an　inch　the

taller　in　body；　and　how　much　taller　in　mind　and　spirit　I　cannot　tell。





When　we　had　finished　our　measuring　match　Marie　turned　to　lead　me　to　the

house；　and；　pretending　to　observe　for　the　first　time　the　beautiful

bustard　and　the　two　koran　hanging　from　my　saddle；　also　the　klipspringer

buck　that　Hans　the　Hottentot　carried　behind　him　on　his　horse；　asked：



〃Did　you　shoot　all　these；　Allan　Quatermain？〃



〃Yes；〃　I　answered　proudly；　〃I　killed　them　in　four　shots；　and　the　pauw

and　koran　were　flying；