marie-第72章

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

certain　good　reasons　why　I　should　be　dead。　　Only；　onlywhy　should　they

have　buried　me　in　woman's　clothes　as　I　seemed　to　wear？



And　what　was　that　noise　that　had　wakened　me？



It　could　not　be　the　trump　of　doom；　unless　the　trumping　of　doom　went　off

like　a　double…barrelled　gun。



I　began　to　try　to　climb　out　of　my　hole；　but　as　it　was　nine　feet　deep　and

bottle…shaped；　which　the　light　flowing　in　from　the　neck　showed；　I　found

this　impossible。　　Just　as　I　was　giving　up　the　attempt；　a　yellow　face

appeared　in　that　neck；　which　looked　to　me　like　the　face　of　Hans；　and　an

arm　was　projected　downwards。



〃Jump；　if　you　are　awake；　baas；〃　said　a　voicesurely　it　was　the　voice　of

Hans〃and　I　will　pull　you　out。〃



So　I　jumped；　and　caught　the　arm　above　the　wrist。　　Then　the　owner　of　the

arm　pulled　desperately；　and　the　end　of　it　was　that　I　succeeded　in

gripping　the　edge　of　the　bottle…like　hole；　and；　with　the　help　of　the

arm；　in　dragging　myself　out。



〃Now；　baas；〃　said　Hans；　for　it　_was_　Hans；　〃run；　run　before　the　Boers

catch　you。〃



〃What　Boers？〃　I　asked；　sleepily；　〃and　how　can　I　run　with　these　things

flapping　about　my　legs？〃



Then　I　looked　about　me；　and；　although　the　dawn　was　only　just　breaking；

began　to　recognise　my　surroundings。　　Surely　this　was　the　Prinsloos'

house　to　my　right；　and　that；　faintly　seen　through　the　mist　about　a

hundred　paces　away；　was　Marie's　and　my　own。　　There　seemed　to　be

something　going　on　yonder　which　excited　my　awakening　curiosity。　　I　could

see　figures　moving　in　an　unusual　manner；　and　desired　to　know　what　they

were　doing。　　I　began　to　walk　towards　them；　and　Hans；　for　his　part；　began

to　try　to　drag　me　in　an　opposite　direction；　uttering　all　sorts　of

gibberish　as　to　the　necessity　of　my　running　away。　　But　I　would　not　be

dragged；　indeed；　I　struck　at　him；　until　at　last；　with　an　exclamation　of

despair；　he　let　go　of　me　and　vanished。



So　I　went　on　alone。　　I　came　to　my　house；　or　what　I　thought　resembled　it；

and　there　saw　a　figure　lying　on　its　face　on　the　ground　some　ten　or

fifteen　yards　to　the　right　of　the　doorway；　and　noted　abstractedly　that

it　was　dressed　in　my　clothes。　　The　Vrouw　Prinsloo；　in　her　absurd　night

garments；　was　waddling　towards　the　figure；　and　a　little　way　off　stood

Hernan　Pereira；　apparently　in　the　act　of　reloading　a　double…barrelled

gun。　　Beyond；　staring　at　him；　stood　the　lantern…faced　Henri　Marais；

pulling　at　his　long　beard　with　one　hand　and　holding　a　rifle　in　the

other。　　Behind　were　two　saddled　horses　in　the　charge　of　a　raw　Kaffir；

who　looked　on　stupidly。



The　Vrouw　Prinsloo　reached　the　body　that　lay　upon　the　ground　dressed　in

what　resembled　my　clothes；　and　bending　down　her　stout　shape　with　an

effort；　turned　it　over。　　She　glared　into　its　face　and　then　began　to

shriek。



〃Come　here；　Henri　Marais；〃　she　shrieked；　〃come；　see　what　your　beloved

nephew　has　done！　　You　had　a　daughter　who　was　all　your　life　to　you；　Henri

Marais。　　Well；　come；　look　at　her　after　your　beloved　nephew　has　finished

his　work　with　her！〃



Henri　Marais　advanced　slowly　like　one　who　does　not　understand。　　He　stood

over　the　body　on　the　ground；　and　looked　down　upon　it　through　the　morning

mists。



Then　suddenly　he　went　mad。　　His　broad　hat　fell　from　his　head；　and　his

long　hair　seemed　to　stand　up。　　Also　his　beard　grew　big　and　bristled　like

the　feathers　of　a　bird　in　frosty　weather。　　He　turned　on　Hernan　Pereira。　

〃You　devil！〃　he　shouted；　and　his　voice　sounded　like　the　roar　of　a　wild

beast；　〃you　devil；　you　have　murdered　my　daughter！　　Because　you　could　not

get　Marie　for　yourself；　you　have　murdered　her。　　Well；　I　will　pay　you

back！〃



Without　more　ado　he　lifted　his　gun　and　fired　straight　at　Hernan　Pereira；

who　sank　slowly　to　the　ground　and　lay　there　groaning。



Just　then　I　grew　aware　that　horsemen　were　advancing　upon　us；　a　great

number　of　horsemen；　though　whence　they　came　at　that　time　I　did　not　know。

　One　of　these　I　recognised　even　in　my　half…drunken　state；　for　he　had

impressed　himself　very　vividly　upon　my　mind。　　He　was　the　dark…browed

commandant　who　had　tried　and　condemned　me　to　death。　　He　dismounted；　and；

staring　at　the　two　figures　that　lay　upon　the　ground；　said　in　a　loud　and

terrible　voice：



〃What　is　this？　　Who　are　these　men；　and　why　are　they　shot？　　Explain；

Henri　Marais。〃



〃Men！〃　wailed　Henri　Marais；　〃they　are　not　men。　　One　is　a　womanmy　only

child；　and　the　other　is　a　devil；　who；　being　a　devil；　will　not　die。　　See！

he　will　not　die。　　Give　me　another　gun　that　I　may　make　him　die。〃



The　commandant　looked　about　him　wildly；　and　his　eye　fell　upon　the　Vrouw

Prinsloo。



〃What　has　chanced；　vrouw？〃　he　asked。



〃Only　this；〃　she　replied　in　a　voice　of　unnatural　calm。　　〃Your　murderers

whom　you　set　on　in　the　name　of　law　and　justice　have　made　a　mistake。　　You

told　them　to　murder　Allan　Quatermain　for　reasons　of　your　own。　　Well；

they　have　murdered　his　wife　instead。〃



Now　the　commandant　struck　his　hand　upon　his　forehead　and　groaned；　and　I；

half　awakened　at　last；　ran　forward；　shaking　my　fists　and　gibbering。



〃Who　is　that？〃　asked　the　commandant。　　〃Is　it　a　man　or　a　woman？〃



〃It　is　a　man　in　woman's　clothing；　it　is　Allan　Quatermain；〃　answered　the

vrouw；　〃whom　we　drugged　and　tried　to　hide　from　your　butchers。〃



〃God　above　us！〃　exclaimed　the　commandant；　〃is　this　earth　or　hell？〃



Then　the　wounded　Pereira　raised　himself　upon　one　hand。



〃I　am　dying；〃　he　cried；　〃my　life　is　bleeding　away；　but　before　I　die　I

must　speak。　　All　that　story　I　told　against　the　Englishman　is　false。　　He

never　plotted　with　Dingaan　against　the　Boers。　　It　was　I　who　plotted　with

Dingaan。　　Although　I　hated　him　because　he　found　me　out；　I　did　not　wish

Retief　and　our　people　to　be　killed。　　But　I　did　wish　Allan　Quatermain　to

be　killed；　because　he　had　won　her　whom　I　loved；　though；　as　it　happened；

all　the　others　were　slain；　and　he　alone　escaped。　　Then　I　came　here　and

learned　that　Marie　was　his　wifeyes；　his　wife　indeedand　grew　mad　with

hate　and　jealousy。　　So　I　bore　false　witness　against　him；　and；　you　fools；

you　believed　me　and　ordered　me　to　shoot　him　who　is　innocent　before　God

and　man。　　Then　things　went　wrong。　　The　woman　tricked　me　againfor　the

last　time。　　She　dressed　herself　as　the　man；　and　in　the　dawnlight　I　was

deceived。　　I　killed　her；　her　whom　I　love　alone；　and　now　her　father；　who

loved　her　also；　has　killed　me。〃



By　this　time　I　understood　all；　for　my　drugged　brain　had　awakened　at

last。　　I　ran　to　the　brute　upon　the　ground；　grotesque　in　my　woman's

garments　all　awry；　I　leaped　on　him　and　stamped　out　the　last　of　his　life。

　Then；　standing　over　his　dead　body；　I　shook　my　fists　and　cried：



〃Men；　see　what　you　have　done。　　May　God　pay　you　back　all　you　owe　her　and

me！〃



They　dismounted；　they　came　round　me；　they　protested；　they　even　wept。　

And　I；　I　raved　at　them　upon　the　one　side；　while　the　mad　Henri　Marais

raved　upon　the　other；　and　the　Vrouw　Prinsloo；　waving　her　big　arms；

called　down　the　curse　of　God　and　the　blood　of　the　innocent　upon　their

heads　and　those　of　their　children　for　ever。



Then　I　remember　no　more。





When　I　came　to　myself　two　weeks　afterwards；　for　I　had　been　very　ill　and

in　delirium；　I　was　lying　in　the　house　of　the　Vrouw　Prinsloo　alone。　　The

Boers　had　all　gone；　east　and　west　and　north　and　south；　and　the　dead　were

long　buried。　　They　had　taken　Henri　Marais　with　them；　so　I　was　told；

dragging　him　away　in　a　bullock　cart；　to　which　he　was　tied；　for　he　was

raving　mad。　　Afterwards　he　became　quieter；　and；　indeed；　lived　for　years；

walking　about　and　asking　all　whom　he　met　if　they　could　lead　him　to

Marie。　　But　enough　of　himpoor　man；　poor　man！



The　tale　which　got　about　was　that　Pereira　had　murdered　Marie　out　of

jealousy；　and　been　shot　by　her　father。　　But　there　were　so　many　tragic

histories　in　those　days　of　war　and　massacre　that　this　particular　one　was

soon　quite　forgotten；　especially　as　those　concerned　in　it　for　one　reason

and　another　did