marie-第54章

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a　very　pretty　girl；　and　it　is　not　natural　that　you　should　wish　to　spend

the　next　fortnight　in　Zululand。　　Don't　you　see；　brothers；　he　wants　to

get　out　of　it　because　he　is　going　to　be　married；　as　it　is　natural　that

he　should；　and　therefore　he　tries　to　frighten　us　all？　　When　we　were

going　to　be　married；　should　we　have　wished　to　ride　away　at　once　to　visit

some　stinking　savage？　　Ach！　I　am　glad　I　thought　of　that　just　as　I　was

beginning　to　turn　his　gloomy　colour；　like　a　chameleon　on　a　black　hat；

for　it　explains　everything；〃　and　he　struck　his　thigh　with　his　big　hand

and　burst　into　a　roar　of　laughter。



All　the　company　of　Boers　who　stood　around　began　to　laugh　also；

uproariously；　for　this　primitive　joke　appealed　to　them。　　Moreover；　their

nerves　were　strained；　they　also　dreaded　this　expedition；　and　therefore

they　were　glad　to　relieve　themselves　in　bucolic　merriment。　　Everything

was　clear　to　them　now。　　Feeling　myself　in　honour　bound　to　go　on　the

embassy；　as　I　was　their　only　interpreter；　I；　artful　dog；　was　trying　to

play　upon　their　fears　in　order　to　prevent　it　from　starting；　so　that　I

might　have　a　week　or　two　of　the　company　of　my　new…wed　wife。　　They　saw

and　appreciated　the　joke。



〃He's　slim；　this　little　Englishman；〃　shouted　one。



〃Don't　be　angry　with　him。　　We　should　have　done　as　much　ourselves；〃

replied　another。



〃Leave　him　behind；〃　said　a　third。　　〃Even　the　Zulus　do　not　send　a

new…married　man　on　service。〃　　Then　they　smacked　me　on　the　back；　and

hustled　me　in　their　rude；　kindly　manner；　till　at　length　I　fell　into　a

rage　and　hit　one　of　them　on　the　nose；　at　which　he　only　laughed　the

louder；　although　I　made　it　bleed。



〃See　here；　friends；〃　I　said；　as　soon　as　silence　was　restored；　〃married

or　no；　whoever　does　not　ride　to　Dingaan；　I　ride　to　him；　although　it　is

against　my　judgment。　　Let　those　laugh　loudest　who　laugh　last。〃



〃Good！〃　cried　one；　〃if　you　set　the　pace　we　shall　soon　be　home　again；

Allan　Quatermain。　　Who　would　not　with　Marie　Marais　at　the　end　of　the

journey？〃



Then；　followed　by　their　rough　and　mocking　laughter；　I　broke　away　from

them；　and　took　refuge　in　my　wagon；　little　guessing　that　all　this　talk

would　be　brought　up　against　me　on　a　day　to　come。



In　a　certain　class　of　uneducated　mind　foresight　is　often　interpreted　as

guilty　knowledge。







CHAPTER　XVII









THE　MARRIAGE











I　was　awakened　on　my　wedding　morning　by　the　crash　and　bellowing　of　a

great　thunderstorm。　　The　lightning　flashed　fearfully　all　about　us；

killing　two　oxen　quite　near　to　my　wagon；　and　the　thunder　rolled　and

echoed　till　the　very　earth　seemed　to　shake。　　Then　came　a　wail　of　cold

wind；　and　after　that　the　swish　of　torrential　rain。　　Although　I　was　well

accustomed　to　such　natural　manifestations；　especially　at　this　season　of

the　year；　I　confess　that　these　sights　and　sounds　did　not　tend　to　raise

my　spirits；　which　were　already　lower　than　they　should　have　been　on　that

eventful　day。　　Hans；　however；　who　arrived　to　help　me　put　on　my　best

clothes　for　the　ceremony；　was　for　once　consoling。



〃Don't　look　sick；　baas；〃　he　said；　〃for　if　there　is　storm　in　the　morning；

there　is　shine　at　night。〃



〃Yes；〃　I　answered；　speaking　more　to　myself　than　to　him；　〃but　what　will

happen　between　the　storm　of　the　morning　and　the　peace　of　the　night？〃



It　was　arranged　that　the　commission；　which；　counting　the　native

after…riders；　consisted　of　over　a　hundred　people；　among　them　several

boys；　who　were　little　more　than　children；　was　to　ride　at　one　hour　before

noon。　　Nobody　could　get　about　to　make　the　necessary　preparations　until

the　heavy　rain　had　passed　away；　which　it　did　a　little　after　eight

o'clock。　　Therefore　when　I　left　the　wagon　to　eat；　or　try　to　eat　some

breakfast；　I　found　the　whole　camp　in　a　state　of　bustle。



Boers　were　shouting　to　their　servants；　horses　were　being　examined；　women

were　packing　the　saddle…bags　of　their　husbands　and　fathers　with　spare

clothes；　the　pack…beasts　were　being　laden　with　biltong　and　other

provisions；　and　so　forth。



In　the　midst　of　all　this　tumult　I　began　to　wonder　whether　my　private

business　would　not　be　forgotten；　since　it　seemed　unlikely　that　time

could　be　found　for　marriages。　　However；　about　ten　o'clock　when；　having

done　everything　that　I　had　to　do；　I　was　sitting　disconsolately　upon　my

wagon　box；　being　too　shy　to　mix　with　that　crowd　of　busy　mockers　or　to　go

to　the　Prinsloos'　camp　to　make　inquiries；　the　vrouw　herself　appeared。



〃Come　on；　Allan；〃　she　said；　〃the　commandant　is　waiting　and　swearing

because　you　are　not　there。　　Also；　there　is　another　waiting；　and　oh！　she

looks　lovely。　　When　they　see　her；　every　man　in　the　camp　will　want　her

for　himself；　whether　he　has　got　a　wife　or　not；　for　in　that　matter；

although　you　mayn't　think　so　just　now；　they　are　all　the　same　as　the

Kaffirs。　　Oh！　I　know　them；　I　know　them；　a　white　skin　makes　no

difference。〃



While　she　held　forth　thus　in　her　usual　outspoken　fashion；　the　vrouw　was

dragging　me　along　by　the　hand；　just　as　though　I　were　a　naughty　little

boy。　　Nor　could　I　get　free　from　that　mighty　grip；　or；　when　once　her

great　bulk　was　in　motion；　match　my　weight　against　it。　　Of　course；　some

of　the　younger　Boers；　who；　knowing　her　errand；　had　followed　her；　set　up

a　shout　of　cheers　and　laughter；　which　attracted　everybody　to　the

procession。



〃It　is　too　late　to　hang　back　now；　Englishman。〃　〃You　must　make　the　best

of　a　bad　business。〃　〃If　you　wanted　to　change　your　mind；　you　should　have

done　it　before；〃　men　and　women　roared　and　screamed　with　many　other　such

bantering　words；　till　at　length　I　felt　myself　turn　the　colour　of　a　red

vlei　lily。



So　we　came　at　last　to　where　Marie　stood；　the　centre　of　an　admiring

circle。　　She　was　clothed　in　a　soft　white　gown　made　of　some　simple　but

becoming　stuff；　and　she　wore　upon　her　dark　hair　a　wreath　woven　by　the

other　maidens　in　the　camp；　a　bevy　of　whom　stood　behind　her。



Now　we　were　face　to　face。　　Our　eyes　met；　and　oh！　hers　were　full　of　love

and　trust。　　They　dazzled　and　bewildered　me。　　Feeling　that　I　ought　to

speak；　and　not　knowing　what　to　say；　I　merely　stammered　〃Good　morning；〃

whereon　everyone　broke　into　a　roar　of　laughter；　except　Vrouw　Prinsloo；

who　exclaimed：



〃Did　any　one　ever　see　such　a　fool？〃　and　even　Marie　smiled。



Then　Piet　Retief　appeared　from　somewhere　dressed　in　tall　boots　and　rough

riding　clothes；　such　as　the　Boers　wore　in　those　days。　　Handing　the　roer

he　was　carrying　to　one　of　his　sons；　after　much　fumbling　he　produced　a

book　from　his　pocket；　in　which　the　place　was　marked　with　a　piece　of

grass。



〃Now　then；〃　he　said；　〃be　silent；　all；　and　show　respect；　for　remember　I

am　not　a　man　just　now。　　I　am　a　parson；　which　is　quite　a　different　thing；

and；　being　a　commandant　and　a　veld　cornet　and　other　officers　all　rolled

into　one；　by　virtue　of　the　law　I　am　about　to　marry　these　young　people；

so　help　me　God。　　Don't　any　of　you　witnesses　ever　say　afterwards　that

they　are　not　rightly　and　soundly　married；　because　I　tell　you　that　they

are；　or　will　be。〃　　He　paused　for　breath；　and　someone　said；　〃Hear；　hear；〃

or　its　Dutch　equivalent；　whereon；　having　glared　the　offender　into

silence；　Retief　proceeded：



〃Young　man　and　young　woman；　what　are　your　names？〃



〃Don't　ask　silly　questions；　commandant；〃　broke　in　Vrouw　Prinsloo；　〃you

know　their　names　well　enough。〃



〃Of　course　I　do；　aunt；〃　he　answered；　〃but　for　this　purpose　I　must

pretend　not　to　know　them。　　Are　you　better　acquainted　with　the　law　than　I

am？　　But　stay；　where　is　the　father；　Henri　Marais？〃



Someone　thrust　Marais　forward；　and　there　he　stood　quite　silent；　staring

at　us　with　a　queer　look　upon　his　face　and　his　gun　in　his　hand；　for　he；

too；　was　ready　to　ride。



〃Take　away　that　gun；〃　said　Retief；　〃it　might　go　off　and　cause

disturbance　or　perhaps　accidents；〃　and　somebody　obeyed。　　〃Now；　Henri

Marais；　do　you　give　your　daughter　to　be　married　to　this　man？〃



〃No；〃　said　Marais　softly。



〃Very　well；　that　is　just　like　you；　but　it　doesn't