the story of an african farm-第51部分

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the　men　know　where　sheep　and　good　looks　and　money　in　the　bank　are　to　be

found；〃　she　added；　winking　knowingly。　　〃How　does　he　look？〃



〃Nineteen；　weak　eyes；　white　hair；　little　round　nose；〃　said　the　maid。



〃Then　it's　he！　then　it's　he！〃　said　Tant　Sannie　triumphantly；　〃little　Piet

Vander　Walt；　whose　wife　died　last　monthtwo　farms；　twelve　thousand　sheep。

I've　not　seen　him；　but　my　sister…in…law　told　me　about　him；　and　I　dreamed

about　him　last　night。〃



Here　Piet's　black　hat　appeared　in　the　doorway；　and　the　Boer…woman　drew

herself　up　in　dignified　silence；　extended　the　tips　of　her　fingers；　and

motioned　solemnly　to　a　chair。　　The　young　man　seated　himself；　sticking　his

feet　as　far　under　it　as　they　would　go；　and　said　mildly：



〃I　am　Little　Piet　Vander　Walt；　and　my　father　is　Big　Piet　Vander　Walt。〃



Tant　Sannie　said　solemnly：　　〃Yes。〃



〃Aunt；〃　said　the　young　man；　starting　up　spasmodically；　〃can　I　off…saddle？〃



〃Yes。〃



He　seized　his　hat；　and　disappeared　with　a　rush　through　the　door。



〃I　told　you　so！　　I　knew　it！〃　said　Tant　Sannie。　　〃The　dear　Lord　doesn't　send

dreams　for　nothing。　　Didn't　I　tell　you　this　morning　that　I　dreamed　of　a

great　beast　like　a　sheep；　with　red　eyes；　and　I　killed　it？　　Wasn't　the　white

wool　his　hair；　and　the　red　eyes　his　weak　eyes；　and　my　killing　him　meant

marriage？　　Get　supper　ready　quickly；　the　sheep's　inside　and　roaster…cakes。

We　shall　sit　up　tonight。〃



To　young　Piet　Vander　Walt　that　supper　was　a　period　of　intense　torture。　

There　was　something　overawing　in　that　assembly　of　English　people；　with

their　incomprehensible　speech；　and　moreover；　it　was　his　first　courtship；

his　first　wife　had　courted　him；　and　ten　months　of　severe　domestic　rule　had

not　raised　his　spirit　nor　courage。　　He　ate　little；　and　when　he　raised　a

morsel　to　his　lips　glanced　guiltily　round　to　see　if　he　were　not　observed。　

He　had　put　three　rings　on　his　little　finger；　with　the　intention　of　sticking

it　out　stiffly　when　he　raised　a　coffee…cup；　now　the　little　finger　was

curled　miserably　among　its　fellows。　　It　was　small　relief　when　the　meal　was

over；　and　Tant　Sannie　and　he　repaired　to　the　front　room。　　Once　seated

there；　he　set　his　knees　close　together；　stood　his　black　hat　upon　them；　and

wretchedly　turned　the　brim　up　and　down。　　But　supper　had　cheered　Tant

Sannie；　who　found　it　impossible　longer　to　maintain　that　decorous　silence；

and　whose　heart　yearned　over　the　youth。



〃I　was　related　to　your　aunt　Selena　who　died；〃　said　Tant　Sannie。　　〃My

mother's　stepbrother's　child　was　married　to　her　father's　brother's

stepnephew's　niece。〃



〃Yes；　aunt；〃　said　the　young　man；　〃I　know　we　were　related。〃



〃It　was　her　cousin；〃　said　Tant　Sannie；　now　fairly　on　the　flow；　〃who　had　the

cancer　cut　out　of　her　breast　by　the　other　doctor；　who　was　not　the　right

doctor　they　sent　for；　but　who　did　it　quite　as　well。〃



〃Yes；　aunt；〃　said　the　young　man。



〃I've　heard　about　it　often；〃　said　Tant　Sannie。　　〃And　he　was　the　son　of　the

old　doctor　that　they　say　died　on　Christmas…day；　but　I　don't　know　if　that's

true。　　People　do　tell　such　awful　lies。　　Why　should　he　die　on　Christmas…day

more　than　any　other　day？〃



〃Yes；　aunt；　why？〃　said　the　young　man　meekly。



〃Did　you　ever　have　the　toothache？〃　asked　Tant　Sannie。



〃No；　aunt。〃



〃Well；　they　say　that　doctornot　the　son　of　the　old　doctor　that　died　on

Christmas…day；　the　other　that　didn't　come　when　he　was　sent　forhe　gave

such　good　stuff　for　the　toothache　that　if　you　opened　the　bottle　in　the　room

where　any　one　was　bad　they　got　better　directly。　　You　could　see　it　was　good

stuff；〃　said　Tant　Sannie；　〃it　tasted　horrid。　　That　was　a　real　doctor！　　He

used　to　give　a　bottle　so　high；〃　said　the　Boer…woman；　raising　her　hand　a

foot　from　the　table；　〃you　could　drink　at　it　for　a　month　and　it　wouldn't　get

done；　and　the　same　medicine　was　good　for　all　sorts　of　sicknessescroup；

measles；　jaundice；　dropsy。　　Now　you　have　to　buy　a　new　kind　for　each

sickness。　　The　doctors　aren't　so　good　as　they　used　to　be。〃



〃No；　aunt；〃　said　the　young　man；　who　was　trying　to　gain　courage　to　stick　out

his　legs　and　clink　his　spurs　together。　　He　did　so　at　last。



Tant　Sannie　had　noticed　the　spurs　before；　but　she　thought　it　showed　a　nice

manly　spirit；　and　her　heart　warmed　yet　more　to　the　youth。



〃Did　you　ever　have　convulsions　when　you　were　a　baby？〃　asked　Tant　Sannie。



〃Yes；〃　said　the　young　man。



〃Strange；〃　said　Tant　Sannie；　〃I　had　convulsions　too。　　Wonderful　that　we

should　be　so　much　alike！〃



〃Aunt；〃　said　the　young　man　explosively；　〃can　we　sit　up　tonight？〃



Tant　Sannie　hung　her　head　and　half　closed　her　eyes；　but　finding　that　her

little　wiles　were　thrown　away；　the　young　man　staring　fixedly　at　his　hat；

she　simpered；　〃Yes；〃　and　went　away　to　fetch　candles。



In　the　dining　room　Em　worked　at　her　machine；　and　Gregory　sat　close　beside

her；　his　great　blue　eyes　turned　to　the　window　where　Lyndall　leaned　out

talking　to　Waldo。



Tant　Sannie　took　two　candles　out　of　the　cupboard　and　held　them　up

triumphantly；　winking　all　round　the　room。



〃He's　asked　for　them；〃　she　said。



〃Does　he　want　them　for　his　horse's　rubbed　back？〃　asked　Gregory；　new　to　up…

country　life。



〃No；〃　said　Tant　Sannie；　indignantly；　〃we're　going　to　sit　up！〃　and　she

walked　off　in　triumph　with　the　candles。



Nevertheless；　when　all　the　rest　of　the　house　had　retired；　when　the　long

candle　was　lighted；　when　the　coffee…kettle　was　filled；　when　she　sat　in　the

elbow…chair；　with　her　lover　on　a　chair　close　beside　her；　and　when　the　vigil

of　the　night　was　fairly　begun；　she　began　to　find　it　wearisome。　　The　young

man　looked　chilly；　and　said　nothing。



〃Won't　you　put　your　feet　on　my　stove？〃　said　Tant　Sannie。



〃No　thank　you；　aunt；〃　said　the　young　man；　and　both　lapsed　into　silence。



At　last　Tant　Sannie；　afraid　of　going　to　sleep；　tapped　a　strong　cup　of

coffee　for　herself　and　handed　another　to　her　lover。　　This　visibly　revived

both。



〃How　long　were　you　married；　cousin？〃



〃Ten　months；　aunt。〃



〃How　old　was　your　baby？〃



〃Three　days　when　it　died。〃



〃It's　very　hard　when　we　must　give　our　husbands　and　wives　to　the　Lord；〃　said

Tant　Sannie。



〃Very；〃　said　the　young　man；　〃but　it's　the　Lord's　will。〃



〃Yes；〃　said　Tant　Sannie；　and　sighed。



〃She　was　such　a　good　wife；　aunt：　　I've　known　her　break　a　churn…stick　over　a

maid's　head　for　only　letting　dust　come　on　a　milk　cloth。〃



Tant　Sannie　felt　a　twinge　of　jealousy。　　She　had　never　broken　a　churn…stick

on　a　maid's　head。



〃I　hope　your　wife　made　a　good　end；〃　she　said。



〃Oh；　beautiful；　aunt：　　she　said　up　a　psalm　and　two　hymns　and　a　half　before

she　died。〃



〃Did　she　leave　any　messages？〃　asked　Tant　Sannie。



〃No；〃　said　the　young　man；　〃but　the　night　before　she　died　I　was　lying　at　the

foot　of　her　bed；　I　felt　her　foot　kick　me。



〃'Piet；'　she　said。



〃'Annie；　my　heart；'　said　I。



〃'My　little　baby　that　died　yesterday　has　been　here；　and　it　stood　over　the

wagon…box；'　she　said。



〃'What　did　it　say？'　I　asked。