marie-第51章

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cattle　if　we　recovered　them。　　As　I　could　speak　their　language　I　was　more

or　less　in　command　of　this　Zulu　contingent；　and　managed　to　make　myself

very　useful　in　that　capacity。　　Also；　during　the　month　or　so　of　our

absence；　by　continually　conversing　with　them；　I　perfected　myself

considerably　in　my　knowledge　of　their　beautiful　but　difficult　tongue。



Now　it　is　not　my　intention　to　write　down　the　details　of　this　expedition；

during　which　there　was　no　fighting　and　nothing　serious　happened。　　We

arrived　in　due　course　at　Sikonyela's　and　stated　our　errand。　　When　he　saw

how　numerous　and　well　armed　we　were；　and　that　behind　us　was　all　the

might　of　the　Zulu　army；　that　wily　old　rascal　thought　it　well　to

surrender　the　stolen　cattle　without　further　to…do；　and　with　these　some

horses　which　he　had　lifted　from　the　Boers。　　So；　having　received　them；　we

delivered　them　over　to　the　Zulu　captains；　with　instructions　to　drive

them　carefully　to　Umgungundhlovu。　　The　commandant　sent　a　message　by

these　men　to　the　effect　that；　having　fulfilled　his　part　of　the　compact；

he　would　wait　upon　Dingaan　as　soon　as　possible　in　order　to　conclude　the

treaty　about　the　land。



This　business　finished；　Retief　took　me　and　a　number　of　the　Boers　to

visit　other　bodies　of　the　emigrant　Dutch　who　were　beyond　the

Drakensberg；　in　what　is　now　the　Transvaal　territory。　　This　occupied　a

long　time；　as　these　Boers　were　widely　scattered；　and　at　each　camp　we　had

to　stop　for　several　days　while　Retief　explained　everything　to　its

leaders。　　Also　he　arranged　with　them　to　come　down　into　Natal；　so　as　to

be　ready　to　people　it　as　soon　as　he　received　the　formal　cession　of　the

country　from　Dingaan。　　Indeed；　most　of　them　began　to　trek　at　once；

although　jealousies　between　the　various　commandants　caused　some　of　the

bands；　luckily　for　themselves；　to　remain　on　the　farther　side　of　the

mountains。



At　length；　everything　being　settled；　we　rode　away；　and　reached　the

Bushman's　River　camp　on　a　certain　Saturday　afternoon。　　Here；　to　my　joy；

we　found　all　well。　　Nothing　had　been　heard　of　Hernan　Pereira；　while　the

Zulus；　if　we　might　judge　from　messengers　who　came　to　us；　seemed　to　be

friendly。　　Marie；　also；　had　now　quite　recovered　from　the　fears　and

hardships　which　she　had　undergone。　　Never　had　I　seen　her　look　so　sweet

and　beautiful　as　she　did　when　she　greeted　me；　arrayed　no　longer　in　rags；

but　in　a　simple　yet　charming　dress　made　of　some　stuff　that　she　had

managed　to　buy　from　a　trader　who　came　up　to　the　camp　from　Durban。　

Moreover；　I　think　that　there　was　another　reason　for　the　change；　since

the　light　of　dawning　happiness　shone　in　her　deep　eyes。



The　day；　as　I　have　said；　was　Saturday；　and　on　the　Monday　she　would　come

of　age　and　be　free　to　dispose　of　herself　in　marriage；　for　on　that　day

lapsed　the　promise　which　we　had　given　to　her　father。　　But；　alas！　by　a

cursed　perversity　of　fate；　on　this　very　Monday　at　noon　the　Commandant

Retief　had　arranged　to　ride　into　Zululand　on　his　second　visit　to

Dingaan；　and　with　Retief　I　was　in　honour　bound　to　go。



〃Marie；〃　I　said；　〃will　not　your　father　soften　towards　us　and　let　us　be

married　to…morrow；　so　that　we　may　have　a　few　hours　together　before　we

part？〃



〃I　do　not　know；　my　dear；〃　she　answered；　blushing；　〃since　about　this

matter　he　is　very　strange　and　obstinate。　　Do　you　know　that　all　the　time

you　were　absent　he　never　mentioned　your　name；　and　if　anyone　else　spoke

it　he　would　get　up　and　go　away！〃



〃That's　bad；〃　I　said。　　〃Still；　if　you　are　willing；　we　might　try。〃



〃Indeed　and　indeed；　Allan；　I　am　willing；　who　am　sick　of　being　so　near　to

you　and　yet　so　far。　　But　how　shall　we　do　so？〃



〃I　think　that　we　will　ask　the　Commandant　Retief　and　the　Vrouw　Prinsloo

to　plead　for　us；　Marie。　　Let　us　go　to　seek　them。〃



She　nodded；　and　hand　in　hand　we　walked　through　the　Boers；　who　nudged

each　other　and　laughed　at　us　as　we　passed　to　where　the　old　vrouw　was

seated　on　a　stool　by　her　wagon　drinking　coffee。　　I　remember　that　her

vatdoek　was　spread　over　her　knees；　for　she　also　had　a　new　dress；　which

she　was　afraid　of　staining。



〃Well；　my　dears；〃　she　said　in　her　loud　voice；　〃are　you　married　already

that　you　hang　so　close　together？〃



〃No；　my　aunt；〃　I　answered；　〃but　we　want　to　be；　and　have　come　to　you　to

help　us。〃



〃That　I　will　do　with　all　my　heart；　though　to　speak　truth；　young　people；

at　your　age；　as　things　are；　I　should　have　been　inclined　to　help　myself；

as　I　have　told　you　before。　　Heaven　above　us！　what　is　it　that　makes

marriage　in　the　sight　of　God？　　It　is　that　male　and　female　should　declare

themselves　man　and　wife　before　all　folk；　and　live　as　such。　　The　pastor

and　his　mumblings　are　very　well　if　you　can　get　them；　but　it　is　the

giving　of　the　hand；　not　the　setting　of　the　ring　upon　it；　it　is　the

vowing　of　two　true　hearts；　and　not　words　read　out　of　a　book；　that　make

marriage。　　Still；　this　is　bold　talk；　for　which　any　reverend　predicant

would　reprove　me；　for　if　young　folk　acted　on　it；　although　the　tie　might

hold　good　in　law；　what　would　become　of　his　fee？　　Come；　let　us　seek　the

commandant　and　hear　what　he　has　to　say。　　Allan；　pull　me　up　off　this

stool；　where；　if　I　had　my　way；　after　so　much　travelling；　I　should　like

to　sit　while　a　house　was　built　over　my　head　and　for　the　rest　of　my

life。〃



I　obeyed；　not　without　difficulty；　and　we　went　to　find　Retief。



At　the　moment　he　was　standing　alone；　watching　two　wagons　that　had　just

trekked　away。　　These　contained　his　wife　with　other　members　of　his

family；　and　some　friends　whom　he　was　sending；　under　the　charge　of　the

Heer　Smit；　to　a　place　called　Doornkop；　that　lay　at　a　distance　of　fifteen

miles　or　more。　　At　this　Doornkop　he　had　already　caused　a　rough　house；　or

rather　shed；　to　be　built　for　the　Vrouw　Retief's　occupation；　thinking

that　she　would　be　more　comfortable　and　perhaps　safer　there　during　his

absence　than　at　the　crowded　camp　in　a　wagon。



〃Allemachte！　Allan；〃　he　said；　catching　sight　of　me；　〃my　heart　is　sore；　I

do　not　know　why。　　I　tell　you　that　when　I　kissed　my　old　woman　good…bye

just　now　I　felt　as　though　I　should　never　see　her　again；　and　the　tears

came　into　my　eyes。　　I　wish　we　were　all　safe　back　from　Dingaan。　　But

there；　there；　I　will　try　to　get　over　to　see　her　to…morrow；　as　we　don't

start　till　Monday。　　What　is　it　that　you　want；　Allan；　with　that　'mooi

mesje'　of　yours？〃and　he　pointed　to　the　tall　Marie。



〃What　would　any　man　want　with　such　a　one；　save　to　marry　her？〃　broke　in

the　Vrouw　Prinsloo。　　〃Now；　commandant；　listen　while　I　set　out　the　tale。〃



〃All　right；　aunt；　only　be　brief；　for　I　have　no　time　to　spare。〃



She　obeyed；　but　I　cannot　say　that　she　was　brief。



When　at　last　the　old　lady　paused；　breathless；　Retief　said：



〃I　understand　everything；　there　is　no　need　for　you　young　people　to　talk。

　Now　we　will　go　and　see　Henri　Marais；　and；　if　he　is　not　madder　than

usual；　make　him　listen　to　reason。〃



So　we　walked　to　where　Marais's　wagon　stood　at　the　end　of　the　line；　and

found　him　sitting　on　the　disselboom　cutting　up　tobacco　with　his

pocket…knife。



〃Good…day；　Allan；〃　he　said；　for　we　had　not　met　since　my　return。　　〃Have

you　had　a　nice　journey？〃



I　was　about　to　answer　when　the　commandant　broke　in　impatiently：



〃See　here；　see　here；　Henri；　we　have　not　come　to　talk　about　Allan's

journey；　but　about　his　marriage；　which　is　more　important。　　He　rides　with

me　to　Zululand　on　Monday；　as　you　do；　and　wants　to　wed　your　daughter

to…morrow；　which　is　Sunday；　a　good　day　for　the　deed。〃



〃It　is　a　day　to　pray；　not　to　give　and　be　given　in　marriage；〃　commented

Marais　sulkily。　　〃Moreover；　Marie　does　not　come　of　age　before　Monday；

and　until　then　the　oath　that　I　made　to　God　holds。〃



〃My　vatdoek　for　your　oath！〃　exclaimed　the　vrouw；　flapping　that　awful　rag

in　his　face。　　〃How　much　do　you　suppose　that　God　cares　what　you　in　your

folly　swore　to　that　stinkcat　of　a　nephew　of　yours？　　Do　you　be　careful；

Henri　Marais；　that　God　does　not　make　of　your　precious　oath　a　stone　to

fall　upon　your　head　and　break　it　like　a