the ivory child-第1章

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The　Ivory　Child



by　H。　Rider　Haggard









CHAPTER　I



ALLAN　GIVES　A　SHOOTING　LESSON



Now　I；　Allan　Quatermain；　come　to　the　story　of　what　was；　perhaps；　one

of　the　strangest　of　all　the　adventures　which　have　befallen　me　in　the

course　of　a　life　that　so　far　can　scarcely　be　called　tame　or　humdrum。



Amongst　many　other　things　it　tells　of　the　war　against　the　Black　Kendah

people　and　the　dead　of　Jana；　their　elephant　god。　Often　since　then　I

have　wondered　if　this　creature　was　or　was　not　anything　more　than　a

mere　gigantic　beast　of　the　forest。　It　seems　improbable；　even

impossible；　but　the　reader　of　future　days　may　judge　of　this　matter　for

himself。



Also　he　can　form　his　opinion　as　to　the　religion　of　the　White　Kendah

and　their　pretensions　to　a　certain　degree　of　magical　skill。　Of　this

magic　I　will　make　only　one　remark：　If　it　existed　at　all；　it　was　by　no

means　infallible。　To　take　a　single　instance；　Har？t　and　Mar？t　were

convinced　by　divination　that　I；　and　I　only；　could　kill　Jana；　which　was

why　they　invited　me　to　Kendahland。　Yet　in　the　end　it　was　Hans　who

killed　him。　Jana　nearly　killed　me！



Now　to　my　tale。







In　another　history；　called　〃The　Holy　Flower；〃　I　have　told　how　I　came

to　England　with　a　young　gentleman　of　the　name　of　Scroope；　partly　to

see　him　safely　home　after　a　hunting　accident；　and　partly　to　try　to

dispose　of　a　unique　orchid　for　a　friend　of　mine　called　Brother　John　by

the　white　people；　and　Dogeetah　by　the　natives；　who　was　popularly

supposed　to　be　mad；　but；　in　fact；　was　very　sane　indeed。　So　sane　was　he

that　he　pursued　what　seemed　to　be　an　absolutely　desperate　quest　for

over　twenty　years；　until；　with　some　humble　assistance　on　my　part；　he

brought　it　to　a　curiously　successful　issue。　But　all　this　tale　is　told

in　〃The　Holy　Flower；〃　and　I　only　allude　to　it　here；　that　is　at

present；　to　explain　how　I　came　to　be　in　England。



While　in　this　country　I　stayed　for　a　few　days　with　Scroope；　or；

rather；　with　his　fiancée　and　her　people；　at　a　fine　house　in　Essex。　（I

called　it　Essex　to　avoid　the　place　being　identified；　but　really　it　was

one　of　the　neighbouring　counties。）　During　my　visit　I　was　taken　to　see

a　much　finer　place；　a　splendid　old　castle　with　brick　gateway　towers；

that　had　been　wonderfully　well　restored　and　turned　into　a　most

luxurious　modern　dwelling。　Let　us　call　it　〃Ragnall；〃　the　seat　of　a

baron　of　that　name。



I　had　heard　a　good　deal　about　Lord　Ragnall；　who；　according　to　all

accounts；　seemed　a　kind　of　Admirable　Crichton。　He　was　said　to　be

wonderfully　handsome；　a　great　scholarhe　had　taken　a　double　first　at

college；　a　great　athletehe　had　been　captain　of　the　Oxford　boat　at

the　University　race；　a　very　promising　speaker　who　had　already　made　his

mark　in　the　House　of　Lords；　a　sportsman　who　had　shot　tigers　and　other

large　game　in　India；　a　poet　who　had　published　a　successful　volume　of

verse　under　a　pseudonym；　a　good　solider　until　he　left　the　Service；　and

lastly；　a　man　of　enormous　wealth；　owning；　in　addition　to　his　estates；

several　coal　mines　and　an　entire　town　in　the　north　of　England。



〃Dear　me！〃　I　said　when　the　list　was　finished；　〃he　seems　to　have　been

born　with　a　whole　case　of　gold　spoons　in　his　mouth。　I　hope　one　of　them

will　not　choke　him；〃　adding：　〃Perhaps　he　will　be　unlucky　in　love。〃



〃That's　just　where　he　is　most　lucky　of　all；〃　answered　the　young　lady

to　whom　I　was　talkingit　was　Scroope's　fiancée；　Miss　Manners〃for　he

is　engaged　to　a　lady　that；　I　am　told；　is　the　loveliest；　sweetest；

cleverest　girl　in　all　England；　and　they　absolutely　adore　each　other。〃



〃Dear　me！〃　I　repeated。　〃I　wonder　what　Fate　/has/　got　up　its　sleeve　for

Lord　Ragnall　and　his　perfect　lady…love？〃



I　was　doomed　to　find　out　one　day。



So　it　came　about　that　when；　on　the　following　morning；　I　was　asked　if　I

would　like　to　see　the　wonders　of　Ragnall　Castle；　I　answered　〃Yes。〃

Really；　however；　I　wanted　to　have　a　look　at　Lord　Ragnall　himself；　if

possible；　for　the　account　of　his　many　perfections　had　impressed　the

imagination　of　a　poor　colonist　like　myself；　who　had　never　found　an

opportunity　of　setting　his　eyes　upon　a　kind　of　human　angel。　Human

devils　I　had　met　in　plenty；　but　never　a　single　angelat　least；　of　the

male　sex。　Also　there　was　always　the　possibility　that　I　might　get　a

glimpse　of　the　still　more　angelic　lady　to　whom　he　was　engaged；　whose

name；　I　understood；　was　the　Hon。　Miss　Holmes。　So　I　said　that　nothing

would　please　me　more　than　to　see　this　castle。



Thither　we　drove　accordingly　through　the　fine；　frosty　air；　for　the

month　was　December。　On　reaching　the　castle；　Mr。　Scroope　was　told　that

Lord　Ragnall；　whom　he　knew　well；　was　out　shooting　somewhere　in　the

park；　but　that；　of　course；　he　could　show　his　friend　over　the　place。　So

we　went　in；　the　three　of　us；　for　Miss　Manners；　to　whom　Scroope　was　to

be　married　very　shortly；　had　driven　us　over　in　her　pony　carriage。　The

porter　at　the　gateway　towers　took　us　to　the　main　door　of　the　castle

and　handed　us　over　to　another　man；　whom　he　addressed　as　Mr。　Savage；

whispering　to　me　that　he　was　his　lordship's　personal　attendant。



I　remember　the　name；　because　it　seemed　to　me　that　I　had　never　seen

anyone　who　looked　much　less　savage。　In　truth；　his　appearance　was　that

of　a　duke　in　disguise；　as　I　imagine　dukes　to　be；　for　I　never　set　eyes

on　one。　His　dresshe　wore　a　black　morning　cut…away　coatwas

faultless。　His　manners　were　exquisite；　polite　to　the　verge　of　irony；

but　with　a　hint　of　haughty　pride　in　the　background。　He　was　handsome

also；　with　a　fine　nose　and　a　hawk…like　eye；　while　a　touch　of　baldness

added　to　the　general　effect。　His　age　may　have　been　anything　between

thirty…five　and　forty；　and　the　way　he　deprived　me　of　my　hat　and　stick；

to　which　I　strove　to　cling；　showed；　I　thought；　resolution　of

character。　Probably；　I　reflected　to　myself；　he　considers　me　an　unusual

sort　of　person　who　might　damage　the　pictures　and　other　objects　of　art

with　the　stick；　and　not　seeing　his　way　how　to　ask　me　to　give　it　up

without　suggesting　suspicion；　has　hit　upon　the　expedient　of　taking　my

hat　also。



In　after　days　Mr。　Samuel　Savage　informed　me　that　I　was　quite　right　in

this　surmise。　He　said　he　thought　that；　judging　from　my　somewhat

unconventional　appearance；　I　might　be　one　of　the　dangerous　class　of

whom　he　had　been　reading　in　the　papers；　namely；　a　〃hanarchist。〃　I

write　the　word　as　he　pronounced　it；　for　here　comes　the　curious　thing。

This　man；　so　flawless；　so　well　instructed　in　some　respects；　had　a

fault　which　gave　everything　away。　His　h's　were　uncertain。　Three　of

them　would　come　quite　right；　but　the　fourth；　let　us　say；　would　be

conspicuous　either　by　its　utter　absence　or　by　its　unwanted　appearance。

He　could　speak；　when　describing　the　Ragnall　pictures；　in　rotund　and

flowing　periods　that　would　scarcely　have　disgraced　the　pen　of　Gibbon。

Then　suddenly　that　〃h〃　would　appear　or　disappear；　and　the　illusion　was

over。　It　was　like　a　sudden　shock　of　cold　water　down　the　back。　I　never

discovered　the　origin　of　his　family；　it　was　a　matter　of　which　he　did

not　speak；　perhaps　because　he　was　vague　about　it　himself；　but　if　an

earl　of　Norman　blood　had　married　a　handsome　Cockney　kitchenmaid　of

native　ability；　I　can　quite　imagine　that　Samuel　Savage　might　have　been

a　child　of　the　union。　For　the　rest　he　was　a　good　man　and　a　faithful

one；　for　whom　I　have　a　high　respect。



On　this　occasion　he　conducted　us　round　the　castle；　or；　rather；　its

more　public　rooms；　showing　us　many　treasures　and；　I　should　think；　at

least　two　hundred　pictures　by　eminent　and　departed　artists；　which　gave

him　an　opportunity　of　exhibiting　a　peculiar；　if　somewhat　erratic；

knowledge　of　history。　To　tell　the　truth；　I　began　to　wish　that　it　were

a　little　less　full　in　detail；　since　on　a　December　day　those　large

apartments　felt　uncommonly　cold。　Scroope　and　Miss　Manners　seemed　to

keep　warm；　perhaps　with　the　inward　fires　of　mutual　admiration；　but　as

I　had　no　one　to　admire　except　Mr。　Savage；　a　temperature　of　about　35

degrees　produced　its　natural　effect　upon　me。



At　length　we　took　a　short　cut　from　the　large　to　the　little　gallery

through　a　warmed　and　comfortable　room；　which　I　understood　was　Lord

Ragnall's　study。　Halting　for　a　moment　by　one　of　the　fires；　I　observed

a　picture　on　the　wall；　over　which　a　curtain　was　drawn；　and　asked　Mr。

Savage　what　it　might　be。



〃That；　sir；〃　he　replied　with　a　kind　of　haughty　reserve；　〃is　the

portrait　of　her　future　ladyship；　which　his　lordship　keeps　for　his

private　heye。〃



Miss　Manners　sniggered；　and　I　said：



〃Oh；　thank　you。　What　an　ill…omened　kind　of　thing　to　do！〃



Then；　observing　through　an　open　door　the　hall　in　which　my　hat　had　been

taken　from　me；　I　lingered　and　as　the　others　vanished　in　the　little

gallery；　slipped　into　it；　recovered　my　belongings；　and　passed　out　to

the　garden；　purposing　to　walk　there　till　I　was　warm　again　and　Scroope

reappeared。　While　I　marched　up　and　down　a　terrace；　on　which；　I

remember；　several　very　cold…looking　peacocks　were　seated；　like

conscientious　birds　that　knew　it　was　their　duty　to　be　ornamental；

however　low　the　temperature；　I　heard　some　shots　fired；　apparently　in　a

clump　of　ilex　oaks　which　grew　about　five　hundred　yards　away；　and

reflected　to　myself　that　they　seemed　to　be　those　of　a　small　rifle；　not

of　a　shotgun。



My　curiosity　being　excited　as　to　what　was　to　be　an　almost　professional

matter；　I　walked　towards　the　grove；　making　a　circuit　through　a

shrubbery。　At　length　I　found　myself　near　to　the　edge　of　a　glade；　and

perceived；　standing　behind　the　shelter　of　a　magnificent　ilex；　two　men。

One　of　these　was　a　young　keeper；　and　the　other；　from　his　appearance；　I

felt　sure　must　be　Lord　Ragnall　himself。　Certainly　he　was　a　splendid…

looking　man；　very　tall；　very　broad；　very　handsome；　with　a　peaked

beard；　a　kind　and　charming　face；　and　large　dark　eyes。　He　wore　a　cloak

upon　his　shoulders；　which　was　thrown　back　from　over　a　velvet　coat；

and；　except　for　the　light　double…barrelled　rifle　in　his　hand；　looked

exactly　like　a　picture　by　Van　Dyck　which　Mr。　Savage　had　just　informed

me　was　that　of　one　of　his　lordship's　ancestors　of　the　time　of　Charles

I。



Standing　behind　another　oak；　I　observed　that　he　was　trying　to　shoot

wood…pigeons　as　they　descended　to　feed　upon　the　acorns；　for　which　the

hard　weather　had　made　them　greedy。　From　time　to　time　these　beautiful

blue　birds　appeared　and　hovered　a　moment　before　they　settled；　whereon

the　sportsman　fired　andthey　flew　away。　/Bang！　Bang！/　went　the

double…barrelled　rifle；　and　off　fled　the　pigeon。



〃Damn！〃　said　the　sportsman　in　a　pleasant；　laughing　voice；　〃that's　the

twelfth　I　have　missed；　Charles。〃



〃You　hit　his　tail；　my　lord。　I　saw　a　feather　come　out。　But；　my　lord；　as

I　told　you；　there　ain't　no　man　living　what　can　kill　pigeons　on　the

wing　with　a　bullet；　even　when　they　seem　to　sit　still　in　the　air。〃



〃I　have　heard　of　one；　Charles。　Mr。　Scroope　has　a　friend　from　Africa

staying　with　him　who；　he　swears；　could　kn