marie-第33章

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but　you'll　pay　him　all　the　same　and　in　bad　coin　if　you　get　the　chance。　

Oh！　I　have　come　out　to　tell　you　what　I　think　of　you。　　You　are　a

stinkcat；　do　you　hear　that？　　A　thing　that　no　dog　would　bite　if　he　could

help　it！　　You　are　a　traitor　also。　　You　brought　us　to　this　cursed

country；　where　you　said　your　relatives　would　give　us　wealth　and　land；

and　then；　after　famine　and　fever　attacked　us；　you　rode　away；　and　left　us

to　die　to　save　your　own　dirty　skin。　　And　now　you　come　back　here　for

help；　saved　by　him　whom　you　cheated　in　the　Goose　Kloof；　by　him　whose

true　love　you　have　tried　to　steal。　　Oh；　mein　Gott！　why　does　the　Almighty

leave　such　fellows　alive；　while　so　many　that　are　good　and　honest　and

innocent　lie　beneath　the　soil　because　of　stinkcats　like　you？〃



So　she　went　on；　striding　at　the　side　of　the　pack…ox；　and　reviling

Pereira　in　a　ceaseless　stream　of　language；　until　at　length　he　thrust　his

thumbs　into　his　ears　and　glared　at　her　in　speechless　wrath。



Thus　it　was　that　at　last　we　arrived　in　the　camp；　where；　having　seen　us

coming；　all　the　Boers　were　gathered。　　They　are　not　a　particularly

humorous　people；　but　this　spectacle　of　the　advance　of　Pereira　seated　on

the　pack…ox；　a　steed　that　is　becoming　to　few　riders；　with　the　furious

and　portly　Vrouw　Prinsloo　striding　at　his　side　and　shrieking　abuse　at

him；　caused　them　to　burst　into　laughter。　　Then　Pereira's　temper　gave

out；　and　he　became　even　more　abusive　than　Vrouw　Prinsloo。



〃Is　this　the　way　you　receive　me；　you　veld…hogs；　you　common　Boers；　who

are　not　fit　to　mix　with　a　man　of　position　and　learning　like　myself？〃　he

began。



〃Then　in　God's　name　why　do　you　mix　with　us；　Hernan　Pereira？〃　asked　the

saturnine　Meyer；　thrusting　his　face　forward　till　the　Newgate　fringe　he

wore　by　way　of　a　beard　literally　seemed　to　curl　with　wrath。　　〃When　we

were　hungry　you　did　not　wish　it；　for　you　slunk　away　and　left　us；　taking

all　the　powder。　　But　now　that　we　are　full　again；　thanks　to　the　little

Englishman；　and　you　are　hungry；　you　come　back。　　Well；　if　I　had　my　way　I

would　give　you　a　gun　and　six　days'　rations；　and　turn　you　out　to　shift

for　yourself。〃



〃Don't　be　afraid；　Jan　Meyer；〃　shouted　Pereira　from　the　back　of　the

pack…ox。　　〃As　soon　as　I　am　strong　enough　I　will　leave　you　in　charge　of

your　English　captain　here〃and　he　pointed　to　me〃and　go　to　tell　our

people　what　sort　of　folk　you　are。〃



〃That　is　good　news；〃　interrupted　Prinsloo；　a　stolid　old　Boer；　who　stood

by　puffing　at　his　pipe。　　〃Get　well；　get　well　as　soon　as　you　can；　Hernan

Pereira。〃



It　was　at　this　juncture　that　Marais　arrived；　accompanied　by　Marie。　

Where　he　came　from　I　do　not　know；　but　I　think　he　must　have　been　keeping

in　the　background　on　purpose　to　see　what　kind　of　a　reception　Pereira

would　meet　with。



〃Silence；　brothers；〃　he　said。　　〃Is　this　the　way　you　greet　my　nephew；　who

has　returned　from　the　gate　of　death；　when　you　should　be　on　your　knees

thanking　God　for　his　deliverance？〃



〃Then　go　on　your　knees　and　thank　Him　yourself；　Henri　Marais；〃　　screamed

the　irrepressible　Vrouw　Prinsloo。　　〃I　give　thanks　for　the　safe　return　of

Allan　here；　though　it　is　true　they　would　be　warmer　if　he　had　left　this

stinkcat　behind　him。　　Allemachte！　Henri　Marais；　why　do　you　make　so　much

of　this　Portuguese　fellow？　　Has　he　bewitched　you？　　Or　is　it　because　he

is　your　sister's　son；　or　because　you　want　to　force　Marie　there　to　marry

him？　　Or　is　it；　perhaps；　that　he　knows　of　something　bad　in　your　past

life；　and　you　have　to　bribe　him　to　keep　his　mouth　shut？〃



Now；　whether　this　last　unpleasant　suggestion　was　a　mere　random　arrow

drawn　from　Vrouw　Prinsloo's　well…stored　quiver；　or　whether　the　vrouw　had

got　hold　of　the　tail…end　of　some　long…buried　truth；　I　do　not　know。　　Of

course；　however；　the　latter　explanation　is　possible。　　Many　men　have　done

things　in　their　youth　which　they　do　not　wish　to　see　dug　up　in　their　age；

and　Pereira　may　have　learned　a　family　secret　of　the　kind　from　his

mother。



At　any　rate；　the　effect　of　the　old　lady's　words　upon　Marais　was　quite

remarkable。　　Suddenly　he　went　into　one　of　his　violent　and　constitutional

rages。　　He　cursed　Vrouw　Prinsloo。　　He　cursed　everybody　else；　assuring

them　severally　and　collectively　that　Heaven　would　come　even　with　them。　

He　said　there　was　a　plot　against　him　and　his　nephew；　and　that　I　was　at

the　bottom　of　it；　I　who　had　made　his　daughter　fond　of　my　ugly　little

face。　　So　furious　were　his　words；　whereof　there　were　many　more　which　I

have　forgotten；　that　at　length　Marie　began　to　cry　and　ran　away。　

Presently；　too；　the　Boers　strolled　off；　shrugging　their　shoulders；　one

of　them　saying　audibly　that　Marais　had　gone　quite　mad　at　last；　as　he

always　thought　he　would。



Then　Marais　followed　them；　throwing　up　his　arms　and　still　cursing　as　he

went；　and；　slipping　over　the　tail　of　the　pack…ox；　Pereira　followed　him。　

So　the　Vrouw　Prinsloo　and　I　were　left　alone；　for　the　coloured　men　had

departed；　as　they　always　do　when　white　people　begin　to　quarrel。



〃There；　Allan；　my　boy；〃　said　the　vrouw　in　triumph；　〃I　have　found　the

sore　place　on　the　mule's　back；　and　didn't　I　make　him　squeal　and　kick；

although　on　most　days　of　the　week　he　seems　to　be　such　a　good　and　quiet

muleat　any　rate；　of　late。〃



〃I　dare　say　you　did；　vrouw；〃　I　said　wrathfully；　〃but　I　wish　you　would

leave　Mynheer　Marais's　sore　places　alone；　seeing　that　if　the　squeals　are

for　you；　the　kicks　are　for　me。〃



〃What　does　that　matter；　Allan？〃　she　asked。　　〃He　always　was　your　enemy；

so　that　it　is　just　as　well　you　should　see　his　heels　when　you　are　out　of

reach　of　them。　　My　poor　boy；　I　think　you　will　have　a　bad　time　of　it

between　the　stinkcat　and　the　mule；　although　you　have　done　so　much　for

both　of　them。　　Well；　there　is　one　thingMarie　has　a　true　heart。　　She

will　never　marry　any　man　except　yourself；　Allaneven　if　you　are　not

here　to　marry；〃　she　added　by　an　afterthought。



The　old　lady　paused　a　little；　staring　at　the　ground。　　Then　she　looked　up

and　said：



〃Allan；　my　dear〃　（for　she　was　really　fond　of　me；　and　called　me　thus　at

times）；　〃you　didn't　take　the　advice　I　gave　you；　namely；　to　look　for

Pereira　and　not　to　find　him。　　Well；　I　will　give　you　some　more；　which　you

_will_　take　if　you　are　wise。〃



〃What　is　it？〃　I　asked　doubtfully；　for；　although　she　was　upright　enough

in　her　own　way；　the　Vrouw　Prinsloo　could　bring　herself　to　look　at　things

in　strange　lights。　　Like　many　other　women；　she　judged　of　moral　codes　by

the　impulses　of　her　heart；　and　was　quite　prepared　to　stretch　them　to

suit　circumstances　or　to　gain　an　end　which　she　considered　good　in

itself。



〃Just　this；　lad。　　Do　you　make　a　two　days'　march　with　Marie　into　the

bush。　　I　want　a　little　change；　so　I　will　come；　too；　and　marry　you　there；

for　I　have　got　a　prayer…book；　and　can　spell　out　the　service　if　we　go

through　it　once　or　twice　first。〃



Now；　the　vision　of　Marie　and　myself　being　married　by　the　Vrouw　Prinsloo

in　the　vast　and　untrodden　veld；　although　attractive；　was　so　absurd　that

I　laughed。



〃Why　do　you　laugh；　Allan？　　Anyone　can　marry　people　if　there　is　no　one

else　there；　indeed；　I　believe　that　they　can　marry　themselves。〃



〃I　dare　say；〃　I　answered；　not　wishing　to　enter　into　a　legal　argument

with　the　vrouw。　　〃But　you　see；　Tante；　I　solemnly　promised　her　father

that　I　would　not　marry　her　until　she　was　of　age；　and　if　I　broke　my　word

I　should　not　be　an　honest　man。〃



〃An　honest　man！〃　she　exclaimed　with　the　utmost　contempt；　〃an　honest　man！

　Well；　are　Marais　and　Hernan　Pereira　honest　men？　　Why　do　you　not　cut

your　stick　the　same　length　as　theirs；　Allan　Quatermain？　　I　tell　you　that

your　verdomde　honesty　will　be　your　ruin。　　You　remember　my　words　later

on；〃　and　she　marched　off　in　high　dudgeon。



When　she　had　gone　I　went　to　my　wagons；　where　Hans　was　waiting　for　me

with　a　detailed　and　interminable　report　of　everything　that　had　happened

in　my　absence。　　Glad　was　I　to　find　that；　except　for　the　death　of　one

sickly　ox；　nothing　had　gone　wrong。　　When　at　length　he　had　ended　his　long