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the story of an african farm-第22部分
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sacrament Sunday; there would still have been something unanointed in the
aspect of the fellow。 As it was; standing there in his strange old
costume; his head presenting much the appearance of having been deeply
rolled in sand; his eyelids swollen; the hair hanging over his forehead;
and a dogged sullenness on his features; he presented most the appearance
of an ill…conditioned young buffalo。
〃Beloved Lord;〃 cried Tant Sannie; 〃how he looks! Come in; boy。 Couldn't
you come and say good…day to me? Don't you want some supper?〃
He said he wanted nothing; and turned his heavy eyes away from her。
〃There's a ghost been seen in your father's room;〃 said Tant Sannie。 〃If
you're afraid you can sleep in the kitchen。〃
〃I will sleep in our room;〃 said the boy slowly。
〃Well; you can go now;〃 she said; 〃but be up early to take the sheep。 The
herd〃
〃Yes; be up early; my boy;〃 interrupted Bonaparte; smiling。 〃I am to be
master of this farm now; and we shall be good friends; I trust; very good
friends; if you try to do your duty; my dear boy。〃
Waldo turned to go; and Bonaparte; looking benignly at the candle;
stretched out one unstockinged foot; over which Waldo; looking at nothing
in particular; fell with a heavy thud upon the floor。
〃Dear me! I hope you are not hurt; my boy;〃 said Bonaparte。 〃You'll have
many a harder thing than that though; before you've gone through life;〃 he
added consolingly; as Waldo picked himself up。
The lean Hottentot laughed till the room rang again; and Tant Sannie
tittered till her sides ached。
When he had gone the little maid began to wash Bonaparte's feet。
〃Oh; Lord; beloved Lord; how he did fall! I can't think of it;〃 cried Tant
Sannie; and she laughed again。 〃I always did know he was not right; but
this evening any one could see it;〃 she added; wiping the tears of mirth
from her face。 〃His eyes are as wild as if the devil was in them。 He
never was like other children。 The dear Lord knows; if he doesn't walk
alone for hours talking to himself。 If you sit in the room with him you
can see his lips moving the whole time; and if you talk to him twenty times
he doesn't hear you。 Daft…eyes; he's as mad as mad can be。〃
This repetition of the word mad conveyed meaning to Bonaparte's mind。 He
left off paddling his toes in the water。
〃Mad; mad? I know that kind of mad;〃 said Bonaparte; 〃and I know the thing
to give for it。 The front end of a little horsewhip; the tip! Nice thing;
takes it out;〃 said Bonaparte。
The Hottentot laughed; and translated。
〃No more walking about and talking to themselves on this farm now;〃 said
Bonaparte; 〃no more minding of sheep and reading of books at the same time。
The point of a horsewhip is a little thing; but I think he'll have a taste
of it before long。〃 Bonaparte rubbed his hands and looked pleasantly
across his nose; and then the three laughed together grimly。
And Waldo in his cabin crouched in the dark in a corner; with his knees
drawn up to his chin。
Chapter 1。X。 He Shows His Teeth。
Doss sat among the karoo bushes; one yellow ear drawn over his wicked
little eye; ready to flap away any adventurous fly that might settle on his
nose。 Around him in the morning sunlight fed the sheep; behind him lay his
master polishing his machine。 He found much comfort in handling it that
morning。 A dozen philosophical essays; or angelically atuned songs for the
consolation of the bereaved; could never have been to him what that little
sheep…shearing machine was that day。
After struggling to see the unseeable; growing drunk with the endeavour to
span the infinite; and writhing before the inscrutable mystery; it is a
renovating relief to turn to some simple; feelable; weighable substance; to
something which has a smell and a colour; which may be handled and turned
over this way and that。 Whether there be or be not a hereafter; whether
there be any use in calling aloud to the Unseen power; whether there be an
Unseen power to call to; whatever be the true nature of the 〃I〃 who call
and of the objects around me; whatever be our meaning; our internal
essence; our cause (and in a certain order of minds death and the agony of
loss inevitably awaken the wild desire; at other times smothered; to look
into these things); whatever be the nature of that which lies beyond the
unbroken wall which the limits of the human intellect build up on every
hand; this thing is certaina knife will cut wood; and one cogged wheel
will turn another。 This is sure。
Waldo found an immeasurable satisfaction in the handling of his machine;
but Doss winked and blinked; and thought it all frightfully monotonous out
there on the flat; and presently dropped asleep; sitting bolt upright。
Suddenly his eyes opened wide; something was coming from the direction of
the homestead。 Winking his eyes and looking intently; he perceived it was
the grey mare。 Now Doss had wondered much of late what had become of her
master。 Seeing she carried some one on her back; he now came to his own
conclusion; and began to move his tail violently up and down。 Presently he
pricked up one ear and let the other hang; his tail became motionless; and
the expression of his mouth was one of decided disapproval bordering on
scorn。 He wrinkled his lips up on each side into little lines。
The sand was soft; and the grey mare came on so noiselessly that the boy
heard nothing till Bonaparte dismounted。 Then Doss got up and moved back a
step。 He did not approve of Bonaparte's appearance。 His costume; in
truth; was of a unique kind。 It was a combination of the town and country。
The tails of his black cloth coat were pinned up behind to keep them from
rubbing; he had on a pair of moleskin trousers and leather gaiters; and in
his hand he carried a little whip of rhinoceros hide。
Waldo started and looked up。 Had there been a moment's time he would have
dug a hole in the sand with his hands and buried his treasure。 It was only
a toy of wood; but he loved it; as one of necessity loves what has been
born of him; whether of the flesh or spirit。 When cold eyes have looked at
it; the feathers are rubbed off our butterfly's wing forever。
〃What have you here; my lad?〃 said Bonaparte; standing by him; and pointing
with the end of his whip to the medley of wheels and hinges。
The boy muttered something inaudible; and half spread over the thing。
〃But this seems to be a very ingenious little machine;〃 said Bonaparte;
seating himself on the antheap; and bending down over it with deep
interest。 〃What is it for; my lad?〃
〃Shearing sheep。〃
〃It is a very nice little machine;〃 said Bonaparte。 〃How does it work;
now? I have never seen anything so ingenious!〃
There was never a parent who heard deception in the voice that praised his
childhis first…born。 Here was one who liked the thing that had been
created in him。 He forgot everything。 He
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