benita-第2章

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he　gambled　away　most　of　her　patrimony；　and　after　old　Andreas

Ferreira's　death　they　grew　poor。　One　night　there　was　a　dreadful　scene

between　them；　and　in　his　madness　he　struck　her。



〃Well；　she　was　a　very　proud　woman；　determined；　too；　and　she　turned　on

him　and　saidfor　I　heard　her'I　will　never　forgive　you；　we　have　done

with　each　other。'　Next　morning；　when　my　father　was　sober；　he　begged

her　pardon；　but　she　made　no　answer；　although　he　was　starting　somewhere

on　a　fortnight's　trek。　When　he　had　gone　my　mother　ordered　the　Cape

cart；　packed　up　her　clothes；　took　some　money　that　she　had　put　away；

drove　to　Durban；　and　after　making　arrangements　at　the　bank　about　a

small　private　income　of　her　own；　sailed　with　me　for　England；　leaving　a

letter　for　my　father　in　which　she　said　that　she　would　never　see　him

again；　and　if　he　tried　to　interfere　with　me　she　would　put　me　under　the

protection　of　the　English　court；　which　would　not　allow　me　to　be　taken

to　the　home　of　a　drunkard。



〃In　England　we　went　to　live　in　London　with　my　aunt；　who　had　married　a

Major　King；　but　was　a　widow　with　five　children。　My　father　often　wrote

to　persuade　my　mother　to　go　back　to　him；　but　she　never　would；　which　I

think　was　wrong　of　her。　So　things　went　on　for　twelve　years　or　more；

till　one　day　my　mother　suddenly　died；　and　I　came　into　her　little

fortune　of　between　￡200　and　￡300　a　year；　which　she　had　tied　up　so　that

nobody　can　touch　it。　That　was　about　a　year　ago。　I　wrote　to　tell　my

father　of　her　death；　and　received　a　pitiful　letter；　indeed；　I　have　had

several　of　them。　He　implored　me　to　come　out　to　him　and　not　to　leave

him　to　die　in　his　loneliness；　as　he　soon　would　do　of　a　broken　heart；

if　I　did　not。　He　said　that　he　had　long　ago　given　up　drinking；　which

was　the　cause　of　the　ruin　of　his　life；　and　sent　a　certificate　signed

by　a　magistrate　and　a　doctor　to　that　effect。　Well；　in　the　end；

although　all　my　cousins　and　their　mother　advised　me　against　it；　I

consented；　and　here　I　am。　He　is　to　meet　me　at　Durban；　but　how　we　shall

get　on　together　is　more　than　I　can　say；　though　I　long　to　see　him；　for

after　all　he　is　my　father。〃



〃It　was　good　of　you　to　come；　under　all　the　circumstances。　You　must

have　a　brave　heart；〃　said　Robert　reflectively。



〃It　is　my　duty；〃　she　answered。　〃And　for　the　rest；　I　am　not　afraid　who

was　born　to　Africa。　Indeed；　often　and　often　have　I　wished　to　be　back

there　again；　out　on　the　veld；　far　away　from　the　London　streets　and

fog。　I　am　young　and　strong；　and　I　want　to　see　things；　natural　things

not　those　made　by　man；　you　knowthe　things　I　remember　as　a　child。　One

can　always　go　back　to　London。〃



〃Yes；　or　at　least　some　people　can。　It　is　a　curious　thing；　Miss

Clifford；　but　as　it　happens　I　have　met　your　father。　You　always

reminded　me　of　the　man；　but　I　had　forgotten　his　name。　Now　it　comes

back　to　me；　it　/was/　Clifford。〃



〃Where　on　earth？〃　she　asked；　astonished。



〃In　a　queer　place。　As　I　told　you；　I　have　visited　South　Africa　before；

under　different　circumstances。　Four　years　ago　I　was　out　here　big…game

shooting。　Going　in　from　the　East　coast　my　brother　and　Ihe　is　dead

now；　poor　fellowgot　up　somewhere　in　the　Matabele　country；　on　the

banks　of　the　Zambesi。　As　we　didn't　find　much　game　there　we　were　going

to　strike　south；　when　some　natives　told　us　of　a　wonderful　ruin　that

stood　on　a　hill　overhanging　the　river　a　few　miles　farther　on。　So；

leaving　the　waggon　on　the　hither　side　of　the　steep　nek；　over　which　it

would　have　been　difficult　to　drag　it；　my　brother　and　I　took　our　rifles

and　a　bag　of　food　and　started。　The　place　was　farther　off　than　we

thought；　although　from　the　top　of　the　nek　we　could　see　it　clearly

enough；　and　before　we　reached　it　dark　had　fallen。



〃Now　we　had　observed　a　waggon　and　a　tent　outside　the　wall　which　we

thought　must　belong　to　white　men；　and　headed　for　them。　There　was　a

light　in　the　tent；　and　the　flap　was　open；　the　night　being　very　hot。

Inside　two　men　were　seated；　one　old；　with　a　grey　beard；　and　the　other；

a　good…looking　fellowunder　forty；　I　should　saywith　a　Jewish　face；

dark；　piercing　eyes；　and　a　black；　pointed　beard。　They　were　engaged　in

examining　a　heap　of　gold　beads　and　bangles；　which　lay　on　the　table

between　them。　As　I　was　about　to　speak；　the　black…bearded　man　heard　or

caught　sight　of　us；　and　seizing　a　rifle　that　leaned　against　the　table；

swung　round　and　covered　me。



〃'For　God's　sake　don't　shoot；　Jacob；'　said　the　old　man；　'they　are

English。'



〃'Best　dead；　any　way；'　answered　the　other；　in　a　soft　voice；　with　a

slight　foreign　accent；　'we　don't　want　spies　or　thieves　here。'



〃'We　are　neither；　but　I　can　shoot　as　well　as　you；　friend；'　I　remarked；

for　by　this　time　my　rifle　was　on　him。



〃Then　he　thought　better　of　it；　and　dropped　his　gun；　and　we　explained

that　we　were　merely　on　an　arch？ological　expedition。　The　end　of　it　was

that　we　became　capital　friends；　though　neither　of　us　could　cotton　much

to　Mr。　JacobI　forget　his　other　name。　He　struck　me　as　too　handy　with

his　rifle；　and　was；　I　gathered；　an　individual　with　a　mysterious　and

rather　lurid　past。　To　cut　a　long　story　short；　when　he　found　out　that

we　had　no　intention　of　poaching；　your　father；　for　it　was　he；　told　us

frankly　that　they　were　treasure…hunting；　having　got　hold　of　some　story

about　a　vast　store　of　gold　which　had　been　hidden　away　there　by

Portuguese　two　or　three　centuries　before。　Their　trouble　was；　however；

that　the　Makalanga；　who　lived　in　the　fortress；　which　was　called

Bambatse；　would　not　allow　them　to　dig；　because　they　said　the　place　was

haunted；　and　if　they　did　so　it　would　bring　bad　luck　to　their　tribe。〃



〃And　did　they　ever　get　in？〃　asked　Benita。



〃I　am　sure　I　don't　know；　for　we　went　next　day；　though　before　we　left

we　called　on　the　Makalanga；　who　admitted　us　all　readily　enough　so　long

as　we　brought　no　spades　with　us。　By　the　way；　the　gold　we　saw　your

father　and　his　friend　examining　was　found　in　some　ancient　graves

outside　the　walls；　but　had　nothing　to　do　with　the　big　and　mythical

treasure。〃



〃What　was　the　place　like？　I　love　old　ruins；〃　broke　in　Benita　again。



〃Oh！　wonderful。　A　gigantic；　circular　wall　built　by　heaven　knows　who；

then　half…way　up　the　hill　another　wall；　and　near　the　top　a　third　wall

which；　I　understood；　surrounded　a　sort　of　holy　of　holies；　and　above

everything；　on　the　brink　of　the　precipice；　a　great　cone　of　granite。〃



〃Artificial　or　natural？〃



〃I　don't　know。　They　would　not　let　us　up　there；　but　we　were　introduced

to　their　chief　and　high　priest；　Church　and　State　in　one；　and　a

wonderful　old　man　he　was；　very　wise　and　very　gentle。　I　remember　he

told　me　he　believed　we　should　meet　again；　which　seemed　an　odd　thing

for　him　to　say。　I　asked　him　about　the　treasure　and　why　he　would　not

let　the　other　white　men　look　for　it。　He　answered　that　it　would　never

be　found　by　any　man；　white　or　black；　that　only　a　woman　would　find　it

at　the　appointed　time；　when　it　pleased　the　Spirit　of　Bambatse；　under

whose　guardianship　it　was。〃



〃Who　was　the　Spirit　of　Bambatse；　Mr。　Seymour？〃



〃I　can't　tell　you；　couldn't　make　out　anything　definite　about　her；

except　that　she　was　said　to　be　white；　and　to　appear　sometimes　at

sunrise；　or　in　the　moonlight；　standing　upon　the　tall　point　of　rock　of

which　I　told　you。　I　remember　that　I　got　up　before　the　dawn　to　look　for

herlike　an　idiot；　for　of　course　I　saw　nothingand　that's　all　I　know

about　the　matter。〃



〃Did　you　have　any　talk　with　my　father；　Mr。　Seymouralone；　I　mean？〃



〃Yes；　a　little。　The　next　day　he　walked　back　to　our　waggon　with　us；

being　glad；　I　fancy；　of　a　change　from　the　perpetual　society　of　his

partner　Jacob。　That　wasn't　wonderful　in　a　man　who　had　been　brought　up

at　Eton　and　Oxford；　as　I　found　out　he　had；　like　myself；　and　whatever

his　failings　may　have　beenalthough　we　saw　no　sign　of　them；　for　he

would　not　touch　a　drop　of　spiritswas　a　gentleman；　which　Jacob

wasn't。　Still；　heJacobhad　read　a　lot；　especially　on　out…of…the…way

subjects；　and　could　talk　every　language　under　the　suna　clever　and

agreeable　scoundrel　in　short。〃



〃Did　my　father　say　anything　about　himself？〃



〃Yes；　he　told　me　that　he　had　been　an　unsuccessful　man　all　his　life；

and　had　much　to　reproach　himself　with；　for　we　got　quite　confidential

at　last。　He　added　that　he　had　a　family　in　Englandwhat　family　he

didn't　saywhom　he　was　anxious　to　make　wealthy　by　way　of　reparation

for　past　misdeeds；　and　that　was　why　he　was　treasure…hunting。　However；

from　what　you　tell　me；　I　fear　he　never　found　anything。〃



〃No；　Mr。　Seymour；　he　never　found　it　and　never　will；　but　all　the　same　I

am　glad　to　hear　that　he　was　thinking　of　us。　Also　I　should　like　to

explore　that　place；　Bambatse。〃



〃So　should　I；　Miss　Clifford；　in　your　company；　and　your　father's；　but

not　in　that　of　Jacob。　If　ever　you　should　go　there　with　him；　I　say：

'Beware　of　Jacob。'〃



〃Oh！　I　am　not　afraid　of　Jacob；〃　she　answered　with　a　laugh；　〃although　I

believe　that　my　father　still　has　something　to　do　with　himat　least　in

one　of　his　letters　he　mentioned　his　partner；　who　was　a　German。〃



〃A　German！　I　think　that　he　must　have　meant　a　German　Jew。〃



After　this　there　was　silence　between　them　for　a　time；　then　he　said

suddenly；　〃You　have　told　me　your　story；　would　you　like　to　hear　mine？〃



〃Yes；〃　she　answered。



〃Well；　it　won't　take　you　long　to　listen　to　it；　for；　Miss　Clifford；

like　Canning's　needy　knife…grinder；　I　have　really　none　to　tell。　You

see　before　you　one　of　the　most　useless　persons　in　the　world；　an

undistinguished　member　of　what　is　called　in　England　the　'leisured

class；'　who　can　do　absolutely　nothing　that　is　worth　doing；　except

shoot　straight。〃



〃Indeed；〃　said　Benita。



〃You　do　not　seem　impressed　with　that　accomplishment；〃　he　went　on；　〃yet

it　is　an　honest　fact　that　for　the　last　fifteen　yearsI　was　thirty…two

this　monthpractically　my　whole　time　has　been　given　up　to　it；　with　a

little　fishing　thrown　in　in　the　spring。　As　I　want　to　make　the　most　of

myself；　I　will　add　that　I　am　supposed　to　be　among　the　six　best　shots

in　England；　and　that　my　ambitionyes；　great　Heavens！　my　ambitionwas

to　become　better　than　the　other　five。　By　that　sin　fell　the　poor　man

who　speaks　to　you。　I　was　supposed　to　have　abilities；　but　I　neglected

them　all　to　pursue　this　form　of　idleness。　I　entered　no　profession；　I

did　no　work；　with　the　result　that　at　thirty…two　I　am　ruined　and　almost

hopeless。〃



〃Why　ruined　and　hopeless？〃　she　asked　anxiously；　for　the　way　in　which

they　were　spoken　grieved　her　more　than　the　words　themselves。



〃Ruined　because　my　old　uncle；　the　Honourable　John　Seymour　Seymour；

whose　heir　I　was；　committed　the　indiscretion　of　marrying　a　young　lady

who　has　presented　him　with　thriving　twins。　With　the　appearance　of

those　twins　my　prospects　disappeared；　as　did　the　allowance　of　￡1；500　a

year　that　he　was　good　enough　to　make　me　on　which　to　keep　up　a　position

as　his　next…of…kin。　I　had　something　of　my　own；　but　also　I　had　debts；

and　at　the　present　moment　a　draft　in　my　pocket　fo