marie-第38章

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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　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　somewhere　else　chanced　to　be

Zululand；　where　they　are　so　fond　of　killing　people。〃



〃I　dare　say　you　would；　Hans；　and　so　would　I；　if　I　could；　you　be　sure。　

But；　you　see；　the　commandant　wants　me　to　interpret；　and　therefore　it　is

my　duty　to　go　with　him。〃



〃Duty；　what　is　duty；　baas？　　Love　I　understand。　　It　is　for　love　of　you

that　I　go　with　you；　also　for　fear　lest　you　should　cause　me　to　be　beaten

if　I　refused。　　Otherwise　I　would　certainly　stop　here　in　the　camp；　where

there　is　plenty　to　eat　and　little　work　to　do；　as；　were　I　you；　I　should

do　also　for　love　of　that　white　missie。　　But　dutypah！　that　is　a

fool…word；　which　makes　bones　of　a　man　before　his　time　and　leaves　his

girl　to　others。〃



〃Of　course；　you　do　not　understand；　Hans；　any　more　than　you　coloured

people　understand　what　gratitude　is。　　But　what　do　you　mean　about　this

trek　of　ours？　　Are　you　afraid？〃



He　shrugged　his　shoulders。　　〃A　little；　perhaps；　baas。　　At　least；　I

should　be　if　I　thought　about　the　morrow；　which　I　don't；　since　to…day　is

enough　for　me；　and　thinking　about　what　one　can't　know　makes　the　head

ache。　　Dingaan　is　not　a　nice　man；　baas；　we　saw　that；　didn't　we？　　He　is　a

hunter　who　knows　how　to　set　a　trap。　　Also　he　has　the　Baas　Pereira　up

there　to　help　him。　　So　perhaps　you　might　be　more　comfortable　here

kissing　Missie　Marie。　　Why　do　you　not　say　that　you　have　hurt　your　leg

and　cannot　run？　　It　would　not　be　much　trouble　to　walk　about　on　a　crutch

for　a　day　or　two；　and　when　the　commandant　was　well　gone；　your　leg　might

heal　and　you　could　throw　the　stick　away。〃



〃Get　thee　behind　me；　Satan；〃　I　muttered　to　myself；　and　was　about　to　give

Hans　a　piece　of　my　mind　when　I　recollected　that　the　poor　fellow　had　his

own　way　of　looking　at　things　and　could　not　be　blamed。　　Also；　as　he　said；

he　loved　me；　and　only　suggested　what　he　thought　would　tend　to　my　joy　and

safety。　　How　could　I　suppose　that　he　would　be　interested　in　the　success

of　a　diplomatic　mission　to　Ding