marie-第5章

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admitted　a　shaded　but　sufficient　light；　especially　as　it　always　stood

open；　the　ceiling　was　of　unplastered　reeds；　a　large　bookcase　stood　in

the　corner　containing　many　French　works；　most　of　them　the　property　of

Monsieur　Leblanc；　and　in　the　centre　of　the　room　was　the　strong；　rough

table　made　of　native　yellow…wood；　that　once　had　served　as　a　butcher's

block。　　I　recollect　also　a　coloured　print　of　the　great　Napoleon

commanding　at　some　battle　in　which　he　was　victorious；　seated　upon　a

white　horse　and　waving　a　field…marshal's　baton　over　piles　of　dead　and

wounded；　and　near　the　window；　hanging　to　the　reeds　of　the　ceiling；　the

nest　of　a　pair　of　red…tailed　swallows；　pretty　creatures　that；

notwithstanding　the　mess　they　made；　afforded　to　Marie　and　me　endless

amusement　in　the　intervals　of　our　work。



When；　on　that　day；　I　shuffled　shyly　into　this　homely　place；　and；

thinking　myself　alone　there；　fell　to　examining　it；　suddenly　I　was

brought　to　a　standstill　by　a　curious　choking　sound　which　seemed　to

proceed　from　the　shadows　behind　the　bookcase。　　Wondering　as　to　its

cause；　I　advanced　cautiously　to　discover　a　pink…clad　shape　standing　in

the　corner　like　a　naughty　child；　with　her　head　resting　against　the　wall；

and　sobbing　slowly。



〃Marie　Marais；　why　do　you　cry？〃　I　asked。



She　turned；　tossing　back　the　locks　of　long；　black　hair　which　hung　about

her　face；　and　answered：



〃Allan　Quatermain；　I　cry　because　of　the　shame　which　has　been　put　upon

you　and　upon　our　house　by　that　drunken　Frenchman。〃



〃What　of　that？〃　I　asked。　　〃He　only　called　me　a　pig；　but　I　think　I　have

shown　him　that　even　a　pig　has　tusks。〃



〃Yes；〃　she　replied；　〃but　it　was　not　you　he　meant；　it　was　all　the

English；　whom　he　hates；　and　the　worst　of　it　is　that　my　father　is　of　his

mind。　　He；　too；　hates　the　English；　and；　oh！　I　am　sure　that　trouble　will

come　of　his　hatred；　trouble　and　death　to　many。〃



〃Well；　if　so；　we　have　nothing　to　do　with　it；　have　we？〃　I　replied　with

the　cheerfulness　of　extreme　youth。



〃What　makes　you　so　sure？〃　she　said　solemnly。　　〃Hush！　here　comes　Monsieur

Leblanc。〃







CHAPTER　II









THE　ATTACK　ON　MARAISFONTEIN











I　do　not　propose　to　set　out　the　history　of　the　years　which　I　spent　in

acquiring　a　knowledge　of　French　and　various　other　subjects；　under　the

tuition　of　the　learned　but　prejudiced　Monsieur　Leblanc。　　Indeed；　there

is　〃none　to　tell；　sir。〃　　When　Monsieur　Leblanc　was　sober；　he　was　a　most

excellent　and　well…informed　tutor；　although　one　apt　to　digress　into　many

side　issues；　which　in　themselves　were　not　uninstructive。　　When　tipsy；　he

grew　excited　and　harangued　us；　generally　upon　politics　and　religion；　or

rather　its　reverse；　for　he　was　an　advanced　freethinker；　although　this

was　a　side　to　his　character　which；　however　intoxicated　he　might　be；　he

always　managed　to　conceal　from　the　Heer　Marais。　　I　may　add　that　a

certain　childish　code　of　honour　prevented　us　from　betraying　his　views　on

this　and　sundry　other　matters。　　When　absolutely　drunk；　which；　on　an

average；　was　not　more　than　once　a　month；　he　simply　slept；　and　we　did

what　we　pleaseda　fact　which　our　childish　code　of　honour　also　prevented

us　from　betraying。



But；　on　the　whole；　we　got　on　very　well　together；　for；　after　the　incident

of　our　first　meeting；　Monsieur　Leblanc　was　always　polite　to　me。　　　Marie

he　adored；　as　did　every　one　about　the　place；　from　her　father　down　to　the

meanest　slave。　　　Need　I　add　that　I　adored　her　more　than　all　of　them　put

together；　first　with　the　love　that　some　children　have　for　each　other；

and　afterwards；　as　we　became　adult；　with　that　wider　love　by　which　it　is

at　once　transcended　and　made　complete。　　Strange　would　it　have　been　if

this　were　not　so；　seeing　that　we　spent　nearly　half　of　every　week

practically　alone　together；　and　that；　from　the　first；　Marie；　whose

nature　was　as　open　as　the　clear　noon；　never　concealed　her　affection　for

me。　　　True；　it　was　a　very　discreet　affection；　almost　sisterly；　or　even

motherly；　in　its　outward　and　visible　aspects；　as　though　she　could　never

forget　that　extra　half…inch　of　height　or　month　or　two　of　age。



Moreover；　from　a　child　she　was　a　woman；　as　an　Irishman　might　say；　for

circumstances　and　character　had　shaped　her　thus。　　Not　much　more　than　a

year　before　we　met；　her　mother；　whose　only　child　she　was；　and　whom　she

loved　with　all　her　strong　and　passionate　heart；　died　after　a　lingering

illness；　leaving　her　in　charge　of　her　father　and　his　house。　　I　think　it

was　this　heavy　bereavement　in　early　youth　which　coloured　her　nature　with

a　grey　tinge　of　sadness　and　made　her　seem　so　much　older　than　her　years。



So　the　time　went　on；　I　worshipping　Marie　in　my　secret　thought；　but

saying　nothing　about　it；　and　Marie　talking　of　and　acting　towards　me　as

though　I　were　her　dear　younger　brother。　　Nobody；　not　even　her　father　or

mine；　or　Monsieur　Leblanc；　took　the　slightest　notice　of　this　queer

relationship；　or　seemed　to　dream　that　it　might　lead　to　ultimate

complications　which；　in　fact；　would　have　been　very　distasteful　to　them

all　for　reasons　that　I　will　explain。



Needless　to　say；　in　due　course；　as　they　were　bound　to　do；　those

complications　arose；　and　under　pressure　of　great　physical　and　moral

excitement　the　truth　came　out。　　It　happened　thus。



Every　reader　of　the　history　of　the　Cape　Colony　has　heard　of　the　great

Kaffir　War　of　1835。　　That　war　took　place　for　the　most　part　in　the

districts　of　Albany　and　Somerset；　so　that　we　inhabitants　of　Cradock；　on

the　whole；　suffered　little。　　Therefore；　with　the　natural　optimism　and

carelessness　of　danger　of　dwellers　in　wild　places；　we　began　to　think

ourselves　fairly　safe　from　attack。　　Indeed；　so　we　should　have　been；　had

it　not　been　for　a　foolish　action　on　the　part　of　Monsieur　Leblanc。



It　seems　that　on　a　certain　Sunday；　a　day　that　I　always　spent　at　home

with　my　father；　Monsieur　Leblanc　rode　out　alone　to　some　hills　about　five

miles　distant　from　Maraisfontein。　　He　had　often　been　cautioned　that　this

was　an　unsafe　thing　to　do；　but　the　truth　is　that　the　foolish　man　thought

he　had　found　a　rich　copper　mine　in　these　hills；　and　was　anxious　that　no

one　should　share　his　secret。　　Therefore；　on　Sundays；　when　there　were　no

lessons；　and　the　Heer　Marais　was　in　the　habit　of　celebrating　family

prayers；　which　Leblanc　disliked；　it　was　customary　for　him　to　ride　to

these　hills　and　there　collect　geological　specimens　and　locate　the　strike

of　his　copper　vein。　　On　this　particular　Sabbath；　which　was　very　hot；

after　he　had　done　whatever　he　intended　to　do；　he　dismounted　from　his

horse；　a　tame　old　beast。　　Leaving　it　loose；　he　partook　of　the　meal　he

had　brought　with　him；　which　seems　to　have　included　a　bottle　of　peach

brandy　that　induced　slumber。



Waking　up　towards　evening；　he　found　that　his　horse　had　gone；　and　at　once

jumped　to　the　conclusion　that　it　had　been　stolen　by　Kaffirs；　although　in

truth　the　animal　had　but　strolled　over　a　ridge　in　search　of　grass。　

Running　hither　and　thither　to　seek　it；　he　presently　crossed　this　ridge

and　met　the　horse；　apparently　being　led　away　by　two　of　the　Red　Kaffirs；

who；　as　was　usual；　were　armed　with　assegais。　　As　a　matter　of　fact　these

men　had　found　the　beast；　and；　knowing　well　to　whom　it　belonged；　were

seeking　its　owner；　whom；　earlier　in　the　day；　they　had　seen　upon　the

hills；　in　order　to　restore　it　to　him。　　This；　however；　never　occurred　to

the　mind　of　Monsieur　Leblanc；　excited　as　it　was　by　the　fumes　of　the

peach　brandy。



Lifting　the　double…barrelled　gun　he　carried；　he　fired　at　the　first

Kaffir；　a　young　man　who　chanced　to　be　the　eldest　son　and　heir　of　the

chief　of　the　tribe；　and；　as　the　range　was　very　close；　shot　him　dead。　

Thereon　his　companion；　leaving　go　of　the　horse；　ran　for　his　life。　　At

him　Leblanc　fired　also；　wounding　him　slightly　in　the　thigh；　but　no　more；

so　that　he　escaped　to　tell　the　tale　of　what　he　and　every　other　native

for　miles　round　considered　a　wanton　and　premeditated　murder。　　The　deed

done；　the　fiery　old　Frenchman　mounted　his　nag　and　r