marie-第71章

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time　he　would　have　preferred　to　be　alone　with　his　wife。〃



〃The　Vrouw　Prinsloo　wishes　to　ask　my　husband　certain　questions　about　his

property　here　and　what　is　to　be　done　while　he　and　her　men　are　away　at

the　main　camp　for　the　second　trial；　as　I；　whose　heart　is　full　of　sorrow；

have　no　head　for　such　things。　　Also　the　Hottentot　must　have　orders　as　to

where　he　is　to　get　a　horse　to　ride　with　him；　so　pray　let　us　pass；

mynheer。〃



〃Very　good；　it　is　no　affair　of　ours；　Vrouw　Quatermain　　Stay；　I　suppose

that　you　have　no　arms　under　that　long　cloak　of　yours。〃



〃Search　me；　if　you　will；　mynheer；〃　she　answered；　opening　the　cloak；

whereon；　after　a　quick　glance；　he　nodded　and　bade　them　enter；　saying：



〃Mind；　you　are　to　come　out　by　ten　o'clock。　　You　must　not　pass　the　night

in　that　house；　or　we　shall　have　the　little　Englishman　oversleeping

himself　in　the　morning。〃



Then　they　entered　and　found　me　seated　at　a　table　preparing　notes　for　my

defence　and　setting　down　the　heads　of　the　facts　of　my　relations　with

Pereira；　Dingaan；　and　the　late　Commandant　Retief。



Here　I　may　state　that　my　condition　at　the　time　was　not　one　of　fear；　but

rather　of　burning　indignation。　　Indeed；　I　had　not　the　slightest　doubt

but　that　when　my　case　was　re…tried　before　the　great　council；　I　should　be

able　to　establish　my　complete　innocence　of　the　abominable　charges　that

had　been　brought　against　me。　　Therefore　it　came　about　that　when　Marie

suggested　that　I　should　try　to　escape；　I　begged　her　almost　roughly　not

to　mention　such　a　thing　again。



〃Run　away！〃　I　said。　　〃Why；　that　would　be　to　confess　myself　guilty；　for

only　the　guilty　run　away。　　What　I　want　is　to　have　all　this　business

thrashed　out　and　that　devil　Pereira　exposed。〃



〃But；　Allan；〃　said　Marie；　〃how　if　you　should　never　live　to　have　it

thrashed　out？　　How　if　you　should　be　shot　first？〃　　Then　she　rose；　and

having　looked　to　see　that　the　shutter…board　was　fast　in　the　little

window…place　and　the　curtain　that　she　had　made　of　sacking　drawn　over　it；

returned　and　whispered：　〃Hans　here　has　heard　a　horrible　tale；　Allan。　

Tell　it　to　the　baas；　Hans。〃



So　while　Vrouw　Prinsloo；　in　order　to　deceive　any　prying　eyes　if　such　by

chance　could　see　us；　busied　herself　with　lighting　a　fire　on　the　hearth

in　the　second　room　on　which　to　warm　the　food；　Hans　told　his　story　much

as　it　has　already　been　set　out。



I　listened　to　it　with　growing　incredulity。　　The　thing　seemed　to　me

impossible。　　Either　Hans　was　deceived　or　lying；　the　latter　probably；　for

well　I　knew　the　Hottentot　powers　of　imagination。　　Or　perhaps　he　was

drunk；　indeed；　he　smelt　of　liquor；　of　which　I　was　aware　be　could　carry　a

great　quantity　without　outward　signs　of　intoxication。



〃I　cannot　believe　it；〃　I　said　when　he　had　finished。　　〃Even　if　Pereira　is

such　a　fiend；　as　is　possible；　would　Henri　Marais；　your　fatherwho；　at

any　rate；　has　always　been　a　good　and　God…fearing　manconsent　to　work

such　a　crime　upon　his　daughter's　husband；　though　he　does　dislike　him？〃



〃My　father　is　not　what　he　was；　Allan；〃　said　Marie。　　〃Sometimes　I　think

that　his　brain　has　gone。〃



〃He　did　not　speak　like　a　man　whose　brain　has　gone　this　afternoon；〃　I

replied。　　〃But　let　us　suppose　that　this　tale　is　true；　what　is　it　that

you　wish　me　to　do？〃



〃Allan；　I　wish　you　to　dress　up　in　my　clothes　and　get　away　to　a

hiding…place　which　Hans　and　the　vrouw　know；　leaving　me　here　instead　of

you。〃



〃Why；　Marie？〃　I　said。　　〃Then　you　might　get　yoursTsaoTsaoTsaoTsaoTsaoTsao
TsaoTsaoTsaoTsaoTsaoTsaoTsaoTsaoTsaoTsaoTsaoTsaoTsaoTsaoTsaoTsaoTsaoTsao
TsaoTsaoTsaoTsaoTsaoTsaoTsaoTsaoTsaoTsaoTsaoTsaoTsaoTsaoTsaoTsaoTsaoTsao
TsaoTsaoTsaoTsaoTsaoTsaoTsaoTsaoTsaoTsaoTsaoTsaoTsaoTsaoTsaoTsaoTsaoTsao
TsaoTsaoTsaoTsaoTsaoTsaoTsaoTsaoTsaoTsaoTsaoTsaoTsaoTsaoTsaoTsaoTsaoTsao
TsaoTsaoTsaoTsaoTsaoTsaoTsaoTsaoTsaoTsaoTsaoTsaoTsaoTsaoTsaoTsaoTsaoTsao
TsaoTsaoTsaoTsaoTsaoTsaoTsaoTsaoTsaoTsaoTsaoTsaoTsaoTsaoTsaoTsaoTsaoTsao
TsaoTsaoTsaoTsaoTsaoTsaoTsaoTsaoTsaoTsaoTsaoTsaoTsaoTsaore　was　any

thought　of　my　being　shot　to…morrow　morning；　it　will　be　abandoned。　　You

can　refuse　to　say　who　told　you　the　tale。〃



〃Yes；　please　do　that；〃　muttered　Hans；　〃else　I　know　one　who　will　be

shot。〃



〃Good；　I　will　go；〃　said　the　vrouw；　and　she　went；　the　guards　letting　her

pass　after　a　few　words　which　we　could　not　hear。



Half　an　hour　later　she　returned　and　called　to　us　to　open　the　door。



〃Well？〃　I　asked。



〃Well；〃　she　said；　〃I　have　failed；　nephew。　　Except　those　sentries　outside

the　door；　the　commandant　and　all　the　Boers　have　ridden　off；　I　know　not

where；　taking　our　people　with　them。〃



〃That's　odd；〃　I　answered；　〃but　I　suppose　they　thought　they　had　not

enough　grass　for　their　horses；　or　Heaven　knows　what　they　thought。　　Stay

now；　I　will　do　something；〃　and；　opening　the　door；　I　called　to　the

guards；　honest　fellows　in　their　way；　whom　I　had　known　in　past　times。



〃Listen；　friends；〃　I　said。　　〃A　tale　has　been　brought　to　me　that　I　am　not

to　be　taken　to　the　big　camp　to　have　my　case　inquired　of　by　the　council；

but　am　to　be　shot　down　in　cold　blood　when　I　come　out　of　this　house

to…morrow　morning。　　Is　that　true？〃



〃Allemachte；　Englishman！〃　answered　one　of　them。　　〃Do　you　take　us　for

murderers？　　Our　orders　are　to　lead　you　to　the　commandant　wherever　he　may

appoint；　so　have　no　fear　that　we　shall　shoot　you　like　a　Kaffir。　　Either

you　or　they　who　told　you　such　a　story　are　mad。〃



〃So　I　thought；　friends；〃　I　answered。　　〃But　where　is　the　commandant　and

where　are　the　others？　　The　Vrouw　Prinsloo　here　has　been　to　see　them；　and

reports　that　they　are　all　gone。〃



〃That　is　very　likely；〃　said　the　Boer。　　〃There　is　a　rumour　that　some　of

your　Zulu　brothers　have　come　across　the　Tugela　again　to　hunt　us；　which；

if　you　want　to　know　the　truth；　is　why　we　visited　this　place。　　Well；　the

commandant　has　taken　his　men　for　a　ride　to　see　if　he　can　meet　them　by

this　bright　moonlight。　　Pity　he　could　not　take　you；　too；　since　you　would

have　known　so　well　where　to　find　them；　if　they　are　there　at　all。　　Now

please　talk　no　more　nonsense　to　us；　which　it　makes　us　sick　to　hear；　and

don't　think　that　you　can　slip　away　because　we　are　only　two；　for　you　know

our　roers　are　loaded　with　slugs；　and　we　have　orders　to　use　them。〃



〃There；〃　I　said　when　I　had　shut　the　door；　〃now　you　have　heard　for

yourselves。　　As　I　thought；　there　is　nothing　in　this　fine　story；　so　I

hope　you　are　convinced。〃



Neither　the　vrouw　nor　Marie　made　any　answer；　and　Hans　also　held　his

tongue。　　Yet；　as　I　remembered　afterwards；　I　saw　a　strange　glance　pass

between　the　two　women；　who　were　not　at　all　convinced；　and；　although　I

never　dreamed　of　such　a　thing；　had　now　determined　to　carry　out　their　own

desperate　plan。　　But　of　this　I　repeat　the　vrouw　and　Hans　only　knew　one

half；　the　rest　was　locked　in　Marie's　loving　heart。



〃Perhaps　you　are　right；　Allan；〃　said　the　vrouw　in　the　tone　of　one　who

gives　way　to　an　unreasonable　child。　　〃I　hope　so；　and；　at　any　rate；　you

can　refuse　to　come　out　of　the　house　to…morrow　morning　until　you　are

quite　sure。　　And　now　let　us　eat　some　supper；　for　we　shall　not　make

matters　better　by　going　hungry。　　Hans；　bring　the　food。〃



So　we　ate；　or　made　pretence　to　eat；　and　I；　being　thirsty；　drank　two　cups

of　the　black　coffee　dashed　with　spirit　to　serve　as　milk。　　After　this　I

grew　strangely　sleepy。　　The　last　thing　I　remember　was　Marie　looking　at

me　with　her　beautiful　eyes；　that　were　fullah！　so　full　of　tender　love；

and　kissing　me　again　and　again　upon　the　lips。





I　dreamed　all　sorts　of　dreams；　rather　pleasant　dreams　on　the　whole。　

Then　I　woke　up　by　degrees　to　find　myself　in　an　earthen　pit　shaped　like　a

bottle　and　having　the　remains　of　polished　sides　to　it。　　It　made　me　think

of　Joseph　who　was　let　down　by　his　brethren　into　a　well　in　the　desert。　

Now；　who　on　earth　could　have　let　me　down　into　a　well；　especially　as　I

had　no　brethren？　　Perhaps　I　was　not　really　in　a　well。　　Perhaps　this　was

a　nightmare。　　Or　I　might　be　dead。　　I　began　to　remember　that　there　were

certain　good　reasons