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第52章

marie-第52章

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

fall upon your head and break it like a peanut…shell。〃



〃Hold your chattering tongue; old woman;〃 said Marais furiously。  〃Am I

to be taught my duty to my conscience and my daughter by you?〃



〃Certainly you are; if you cannot teach them to yourself;〃 began the

vrouw; setting her hands upon her hips。



But Retief pushed her aside; saying:



〃No quarrelling here。  Now; Henri Marais; your conduct about these two

young people who love each other is a scandal。  Will you let them be

married to…morrow or not?〃



〃No; commandant; I will not。  By the law I have power over my daughter

till she is of age; and I refuse to allow her to marry a cursed

Englishman。  Moreover; the Predicant Celliers is away; so there is none

to marry them。〃



〃You speak strange words; Mynheer Marais;〃 said Retief quietly;

〃especially when I remember all that this 'cursed Englishman' has done

for you and yours; for I have heard every bit of that story; though not

from him。  Now hearken。  You have appealed to the law; and; as

commandant; I must allow your appeal。  But after twelve o'clock

to…morrow night; according to your own showing; the law ceases to bind

your daughter。  Therefore; on Monday morning; if there is no clergyman

in the camp and these two wish it; I; as commandant; will marry them

before all men; as I have the power to do。〃



Then Marais broke into one of those raving fits of temper which were

constitutional in him; and to my mind showed that he was never quite

sane。  Oddly enough; it was on poor Marie that he concentrated his

wrath。  He cursed her horribly because she had withstood his will and

refused to marry Hernan Pereira。  He prayed that evil might fall on her;

that she might never bear a child; and that if she did; it might die;

and other things too unpleasant to mention。



We stared at him astonished; though I think that had he been any other

man than the father of my betrothed; I should have struck him。  Retief;

I noticed; lifted his hand to do so; then let it fall again; muttering:

〃Let be; he is possessed with a devil。〃



At last Marais ceased; not; I think; from lack of words; but because he

was exhausted; and stood before us; his tall form quivering; and his

thin; nervous face working like that of a person in convulsions。  Then

Marie; who had dropped her head beneath this storm; lifted it; and I saw

that her deep eyes were all ablaze and that she was very white。



〃You are my father;〃 she said in a low voice; 〃and therefore I must

submit to whatever you choose to say to me。  Moreover; I think it likely

that the evil which you call down will fall upon me; since Satan is

always at hand to fulfil his own wishes。  But if so; my father; I am

sure that this evil will recoil upon your own head; not only here; but

hereafter。  There justice will be done to both of us; perhaps before

very long; and also to your nephew; Hernan Pereira。〃



Marais made no answer; his rage seemed to have spent itself。  He only

sat himself again upon the disselboom of the wagon and went on cutting

up the tobacco viciously; as though he were slicing the heart of a foe。 

Even the Vrouw Prinsloo was silent and stared at him whilst she fanned

herself with the vatdoek。  But Retief spoke。



〃I wonder if you are mad; or only wicked; Henri Marais;〃 he said。  〃To

curse your own sweet girl like this you must be one or the othera

single child who has always been good to you。  Well; as you are to ride

with me on Monday; I pray that you will keep your temper under control;

lest it should bring us into trouble; and you also。  As for you; Marie;

my dear; do not fret because a wild beast has tried to toss you with his

horns; although he happens to be your father。  On Monday morning you

pass out of his power into your own; and on that day I will marry you to

Allan Quatermain here。  Meanwhile; I think you are safest away from this

father of yours; who might take to cutting your throat instead of that

tobacco。  Vrouw Prinsloo; be so good as to look after Marie Marais; and

on Monday morning next bring her before me to be wed。  Until then; Henri

Marais; I; as commandant; shall set a guard over you; with orders to

seize you if it should be necessary。  Now I advise you to take a walk;

and when you are calm again; to pray God to forgive you your wicked

words; lest they should be fulfilled and drag you down to judgment。〃



Then we all went; leaving Henri Marais still cutting up his tobacco on

the disselboom。



On the Sunday I met Marais walking about the camp; followed by the guard

whom Retief had set over him。  To my surprise he greeted me almost with

affection。



〃Allan;〃 he said; 〃you must not misunderstand me。  I do not really wish

ill to Marie; whom I love more dearly than I do my life; God alone knows

how much I love her。  But I made a promise to her cousin; Hernan; my

only sister's only child; and you will understand that I cannot break

that promise; although Hernan has disappointed me in many waysyes; in

many ways。  But if he is bad; as they say; it comes with that Portuguese

blood; which is a misfortune that he cannot help; does it not?  However

bad he may be; as an honest man I am bound to keep my promise; am I not?

 Also; Allan; you must remember that you are English; and although you

may be a good fellow in yourself; that is a fault which you cannot

expect me to forgive。  Still; if it is fated that you should marry my

daughter and breed English childrenHeaven above! to think of it;

English children!well; there is nothing more to be said。  Don't

remember the words I spoke to Marie。  Indeed; I can't remember them

myself。  When I grow angry; a kind of rush of blood comes into my brain;

and then I forget what I have said;〃 and he stretched out his hand to

me。



I shook it and answered that I understood he was not himself when he

spoke those dreadful words; which both Marie and I wished to forget。



〃I hope you will come to our wedding to…morrow;〃 I added; 〃and wipe them

out with a father's blessing。〃



〃To…morrow!  Are you really going to be married to…morrow?〃 he

exclaimed; his sallow face twitching nervously。  〃O God; it was another

man that I dreamed to see standing by Marie's side。  But he is not here;

he has disgraced and deserted me。  Well; I will come; if my gaolers will

suffer it。  Good…bye; you happy bridegroom of to…morrow; good…bye。〃



Then he swung round and departed; followed by the guards; one of whom

touched his brow and shook his head significantly as he passed me。



I think that Sunday seemed the longest day I ever spent。  The Vrouw

Prinsloo would scarcely allow me even a glimpse of Marie; because of

some fad she had got into her mind that it was either not proper or not

fortunate; I forget which; that a bride and bridegroom should associate

on the eve of their marriage。  So I occupied myself as best I could。 

First I wrote a long letter to my father; the third that I had sent;

telling him everything that was going to happen; and saying how grieved

I was that he could not be present to marry us and give us his blessing。



This letter I gave to a trader who was trekking to the bay on the

following morning; begging him to forward it by the first opportunity。



That duty done; I saw about the horses which I was taking into Zululand;

three of them; two for myself and one for Hans; who accompanied me as

after…rider。  Also the saddlery; saddle…bags; guns and ammunition must

be overhauled; all of which took some time。



〃You are going to spend a strange wittebroodsweek 'white…bread…week; or;

in other words; honeymoon'; baas;〃 said Hans; squinting at me with his

little eyes; as he brayed away at a buckskin which was to serve as a

saddle…cloth。  〃Now; if _I_ was to be married to…morrow; I should stop

with my pretty for a few days; and only ride off somewhere else when I

was tired of her; especially if that somewher

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