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the story of an african farm-第20部分
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him in the morning。
Yes; dear old man; to such as you time brings no age。 You die with the
purity and innocence of your childhood upon you; though you die in your
grey hairs。
Chapter 1。IX。 He Sees A Ghost。
Bonaparte stood on the ash…heap。 He espied across the plain a moving speck
and he chucked his coat…tails up and down in expectancy of a scene。
The wagon came on slowly。 Waldo laid curled among the sacks at the back of
the wagon; the hand in his breast resting on the sheep…shearing machine。
It was finished now。 The right thought had struck him the day before as he
sat; half asleep; watching the water go over the mill…wheel。 He muttered
to himself with half…closed eyes:
〃Tomorrow smooth the cogstighten the screws a littleshow it to them。〃
Then after a pause〃Over the whole worldthe whole worldmine; that I
have made!〃 He pressed the little wheels and pulleys in his pocket till
they cracked。 Presently his muttering became louder〃And fifty poundsa
black hat for my daddafor Lyndall a blue silk; very light; and one purple
like the earth…bells; and white shoes。〃 He muttered on〃A box full; full
of books。 They shall tell me all; all; all;〃 he added; moving his fingers
desiringly: 〃why the crystals grow in such beautiful shapes; why lightning
runs to the iron; why black people are black; why the sunlight makes things
warm。 I shall read; read; read;〃 he muttered slowly。 Then came over him
suddenly what he called 〃The presence of God〃; a sense of a good; strong
something folding him round。 He smiled through his half…shut eyes。 〃Ah;
Father; my own Father; it is so sweet to feel you; like the warm sunshine。
The Bibles and books cannot tell of you and all I feel you。 They are mixed
with men's words; but you〃
His muttering sank into inaudible confusion; till; opening his eyes wide;
it struck him that the brown plain he looked at was the old home farm。 For
half an hour they had been riding in it; and he had not known it。 He
roused the leader; who sat nodding on the front of the wagon in the early
morning sunlight。 They were within half a mile of the homestead。 It
seemed to him that he had been gone from them all a year。 He fancied he
could see Lyndall standing on the brick wall to watch for him; his father;
passing from one house to the other; stopping to look。
He called aloud to the oxen。 For each one at home he had brought
something。 For his father a piece of tobacco; bought at the shop by the
mill; for Em a thimble; for Lyndall a beautiful flower dug out by the
roots; at a place where they had outspanned; for Tant Sannie a
handkerchief。 When they drew near the house he threw the whip to the
Kaffer leader; and sprung from the side of the wagon to run on。 Bonaparte
stopped him as he ran past the ash…heap。
〃Good morning; my dear boy。 Where are you running to so fast with your
rosy cheeks?〃
The boy looked up at him; glad even to see Bonaparte。
〃I am going to the cabin;〃 he said; out of breath。
〃You won't find them in just nownot your good old father;〃 said
Bonaparte。
〃Where is he?〃 asked the lad。
〃There; beyond the camps;〃 said Bonaparte; waving his hand oratorically
toward the stone…walled ostrich…camps。
〃What is he doing there?〃 asked the boy。
Bonaparte patted him on the cheek kindly。
〃We could not keep him any more; it was too hot。 We've buried him; my
boy;〃 said Bonaparte; touching with his finger the boy's cheek。 We
couldn't keep him any more。 He; he; he!〃 laughed Bonaparte; as the boy
fled away along the low stone wall; almost furtively; as one in fear。
。。。
At five o'clock Bonaparte knelt before a box in the German's room。 He was
busily unpacking it。
It had been agreed upon between Tant Sannie and himself; that now the
German was gone he; Bonaparte; was to be no longer schoolmaster; but
overseer of the farm。 In return for his past scholastic labours he had
expressed himself willing to take possession of the dead man's goods and
room。 Tant Sannie hardly liked the arrangement。 She had a great deal more
respect for the German dead than the German living; and would rather his
goods had been allowed to descend peacefully to his son。 For she was a
firm believer in the chinks in the world above; where not only ears; but
eyes might be applied to see how things went on in this world below。 She
never felt sure how far the spirit…world might overlap this world of sense;
and; as a rule; prudently abstained from doing anything which might offend
unseen auditors。 For this reason she abstained from ill…using the dead
Englishman's daughter and niece; and for this reason she would rather the
boy had had his father's goods。 But it was hard to refuse Bonaparte
anything when she and he sat so happily together in the evening drinking
coffee; Bonaparte telling her in the broken Dutch he was fast learning how
he adored fat women; and what a splendid farmer he was。
So at five o'clock on this afternoon Bonaparte knelt in the German's room。
〃Somewhere; here it is;〃 he said; as he packed the old clothes carefully
out of the box; and; finding nothing; packed them in again。 〃Somewhere in
this room it is; and if it's here Bonaparte finds it;〃 he repeated。 〃You
didn't stay here all these years without making a little pile somewhere; my
lamb。 You weren't such a fool as you looked。 Oh; no!〃 said Bonaparte。
He now walked about the room; diving his fingers in everywhere: sticking
them into the great crevices in the wall and frightening out the spiders;
rapping them against the old plaster till it cracked and fell in pieces;
peering up the chimney; till the soot dropped on his bald head and
blackened it。 He felt in little blue bags; he tried to raise the hearth…
stone; he shook each book; till the old leaves fell down in showers on the
floor。
It was getting dark; and Bonaparte stood with his finger on his nose
reflecting。 Finally he walked to the door; behind which hung the trousers
and waistcoat the dead man had last worn。 He had felt in them; but
hurriedly; just after the funeral the day before; he would examine them
again。 Sticking his fingers into the waistcoat pockets; he found in one
corner a hole。 Pressing his hand through it; between the lining and the
cloth; he presently came into contact with something。 Bonaparte drew it
fortha small; square parcel; sewed up in sail…cloth。 He gazed at it;
squeezed it; it cracked; as though full of bank…notes。 He put it quickly
into his own waistcoat pocket; and peeped over the half…door to see if
there was any one coming。 There was nothing to be seen but the last rays
of yellow sunset light; painting the karoo bushes in the plain; and shining
on the ash…heap; where the fowls were pecking。 He turned and sat down on
the nearest chair; and; taking out his pen…knife; ripped the parcel open。
The first thing that fell was a shower of yellow faded papers。 Bonaparte
opened them ca
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