the story of an african farm-第12部分

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were　gathered　for　the　Sunday　service；　and　waited　the　officiator。



Meanwhile　Bonaparte　and　the　German　approached　arm　in　armBonaparte

resplendent　in　the　black　cloth　clothes；　a　spotless　shirt；　and　a　spotless

collar；　the　German　in　the　old　salt…and…pepper；　casting　shy　glances　of

admiration　at　his　companion。



At　the　front　door　Bonaparte　removed　his　hat　with　much　dignity；　raised　his

shirt　collar；　and　entered。　　To　the　centre　table　he　walked；　put　his　hat

solemnly　down　by　the　big　Bible；　and　bowed　his　head　over　it　in　silent

prayer。



The　Boer…woman　looked　at　the　Hottentot；　and　the　Hottentot　looked　at　the

Boer…woman。



There　was　one　thing　on　earth　for　which　Tant　Sannie　had　a　profound

reverence；　which　exercised　a　subduing　influence　over　her；　which　made　her

for　the　time　a　better　womanthat　thing　was　new；　shining　black　cloth。　　It

made　her　think　of　the　predikant；　it　made　her　think　of　the　elders　who　sat　in

the　top　pew　of　the　church　on　Sundays；　with　the　hair　so　nicely　oiled；　so

holy　and　respectable；　with　their　little　swallow…tailed　coats；　it　made　her

think　of　heaven；　where　everything　was　so　holy　and　respectable；　and　nobody

wore　tancord；　and　the　littlest　angel　had　a　black…tailed　coat。　　She　wished

she　hadn't　called　him　a　thief　and　a　Roman　Catholic。　　She　hoped　the　German

hadn't　told　him。　　She　wondered　where　those　clothes　were　when　he　came　in

rags　to　her　door。　　There　was　no　doubt；　he　was　a　very　respectable　man；　a

gentleman。



The　German　began　to　read　a　hymn。　　At　the　end　of　each　line　Bonaparte

groaned；　and　twice　at　the　end　of　every　verse。



The　Boer…woman　had　often　heard　of　persons　groaning　during　prayers；　to　add　a

certain　poignancy　and　finish　to　them；　old　Jan　Vanderlinde；　her　mother's

brother；　always　did　it　after　he　was　converted；　and　she　would　have　looked

upon　it　as　no　especial　sign　of　grace　in　any　one；　but　to　groan　at　hymn…time！

She　was　startled。　　She　wondered　if　he　remembered　that　she　shook　her　fist　in

his　face。　　This　was　a　man　of　God。　　They　knelt　down　to　pray。　　The　Boer…woman

weighed　two　hundred　and　fifty　pounds；　and　could　not　kneel。　　She　sat　in　her

chair；　and　peeped　between　her　crossed　fingers　at　the　stranger's　back。　　She

could　not　understand　what　he　said；　but　he　was　in　earnest。　　He　shook　the

chair　by　the　back　rail　till　it　made　quite　a　little　dust　on　the　mud　floor。



When　they　rose　from　their　knees　Bonaparte　solemnly　seated　himself　in　the

chair　and　opened　the　Bible。　　He　blew　his　nose；　pulled　up　his　shirt　collar；

smoothed　the　leaves；　stroked　down　his　capacious　waistcoat；　blew　his　nose

again；　looked　solemnly　round　the　room；　then　began。



〃All　liars　shall　have　their　part　in　the　lake　which　burneth　with　fire　and

brimstone；　which　is　the　second　death。〃



Having　read　this　portion　of　Scripture；　Bonaparte　paused　impressively；　and

looked　all　round　the　room。



〃I　shall　not；　my　dear　friends；〃　he　said；　〃long　detain　you。　　Much　of　our

precious　time　has　already　fled　blissfully　from　us　in　the　voice　of

thanksgiving　and　the　tongue　of　praise。　　A　few；　a　very　few　words　are　all　I

shall　address　to　you；　and　may　they　be　as　a　rod　of　iron　dividing　the　bones

from　the　marrow；　and　the　marrow　from　the　bones。



〃In　the　first　place：　　What　is　a　liar？〃



The　question　was　put　so　pointedly；　and　followed　by　a　pause　so　profound；

that　even　the　Hottentot　man　left　off　looking　at　his　boots　and　opened　his

eyes；　though　he　understood　not　a　word。



〃I　repeat；〃　said　Bonaparte；　〃what　is　a　liar？〃



The　sensation　was　intense；　the　attention　of　the　audience　was　riveted。



〃Have　you　any　of　you　ever　seen　a　liar；　my　dear　friends？〃　　There　was　a　still

longer　pause。　　〃I　hope　not；　I　truly　hope　not。　　But　I　will　tell　you　what　a

liar　is。　　I　knew　a　liar　oncea　little　boy　who　lived　in　Cape　Town；　in　Short

Market　Street。　　His　mother　and　I　sat　together　one　day；　discoursing　about

our　souls。



〃'Here；　Sampson；'　said　his　mother；　'go　and　buy　sixpence　of　meiboss　from　the

Malay　round　the　corner。'



〃When　he　came　back　she　said：　　'How　much　have　you　got？'



〃'Five；'　he　said。



〃He　was　afraid　if　he　said　six　and　a　half　she'd　ask　for　some。　　And；　my

friends；　that　was　a　lie。　　The　half　of　a　meiboss　stuck　in　his　throat　and　he

died　and　was　buried。　　And　where　did　the　soul　of　that　little　liar　go　to；　my

friends？　　It　went　to　the　lake　of　fire　and　brimstone。　　This　brings　me　to　the

second　point　of　my　discourse。



〃What　is　a　lake　of　fire　and　brimstone？　　I　will　tell　you；　my　friends；〃　said

Bonaparte　condescendingly。　　〃The　imagination　unaided　cannot　conceive　it：　

but　by　the　help　of　the　Lord　I　will　put　it　before　your　mind's　eye。



〃I　was　travelling　in　Italy　once　on　a　time；　I　came　to　a　city　called　Rome；　a

vast　city；　and　near　it　is　a　mountain　which　spits　forth　fire。　　Its　name　is

Etna。　　Now；　there　was　a　man　in　that　city　of　Rome　who　had　not　the　fear　of

God　before　his　eyes；　and　he　loved　a　woman。　　The　woman　died；　and　he　walked

up　that　mountain　spitting　fire；　and　when　he　got　to　the　top　he　threw　himself

in　at　the　hole　that　is　there。　　The　next　day　I　went　up。　　I　was　not　afraid；

the　Lord　preserves　His　servants。　　And　in　their　hands　shall　they　bear　thee

up；　lest　at　any　time　thou　fall　into　a　volcano。　　It　was　dark　night　when　I

got　there；　but　in　the　fear　of　the　Lord　I　walked　to　the　edge　of　the　yawning

abyss；　and　looked　in。　　That　sightthat　sight；　my　friends；　is　impressed

upon　my　most　indelible　memory。　　I　looked　down　into　the　lurid　depths　upon　an

incandescent　lake；　a　melted　fire；　a　seething　sea；　the　billows　rolled　from

side　to　side；　and　on　their　fiery　crests　tossed　the　white　skeleton　of　the

suicide。　　The　heat　had　burnt　the　flesh　from　off　the　bones；　they　lay　as　a

light　cork　upon　the　melted；　fiery　waves。　　One　skeleton　hand　was　raised

upward；　the　finger　pointing　to　heaven；　the　other；　with　outstretched　finger；

pointing　downward；　as　though　it　would　say；　'I　go　below；　but　you；　Bonaparte；

may　soar　above。'　　I　gazed；　I　stood　entranced。　　At　that　instant　there　was　a

crack　in　the　lurid　lake；　it　swelled；　expanded；　and　the　skeleton　of　the

suicide　disappeared；　to　be　seen　no　more　by　mortal　eye。〃



Here　again　Bonaparte　rested；　and　then　continued：



〃The　lake　of　melted　stone　rose　in　the　crater；　it　swelled　higher　and　higher

at　the　side；　it　streamed　forth　at　the　top。　　I　had　presence　of　mind；　near　me

was　a　rock；　I　stood　upon　it。　　The　fiery　torrent　was　vomited　out　and

streamed　on　either　side　of　me。　　And　through　that　long　and　terrible　night　I

stood　there　alone　upon　that　rock；　the　glowing；　fiery　lava　on　every　handa

monument　of　the　long…suffering　and　tender　providence　of　the　Lord；　who

spared　me　that　I　might　this　day　testify　in　your　ears　of　Him。



〃Now；　my　dear　friends；　let　us　deduce　the　lessons　that　are　to　be　learnt　from

this　narrative。



〃Firstly：　　let　us　never　commit　suicide。　　The　man　is　a　fool；　my　friends；

that　man　is　insane；　my　friends；　who　would　leave　this　earth；　my　friends。　

Here　are　joys　innumerable；　such　as　it　hath　not　entered　into　the　heart　of

man　to　understand；　my　friends。　　Here　are　clothes；　my　friends；　here　are

beds；