the story of an african farm-第52部分

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wagon…box；'　she　said。



〃'What　did　it　say？'　I　asked。



〃'It　said　that　if　I　died　you　must　marry　a　fat　woman。'



〃'I　will；'　I　said；　and　I　went　to　sleep　again。　　Presently　she　woke　me。



〃'The　little　baby　has　been　here　again；　and　it　says　you　must　marry　a　woman

over　thirty；　and　who's　had　two　husbands。'



〃I　didn't　go　to　sleep　after　that　for　a　long　time；　aunt；　but　when　I　did　she

woke　me。



〃'The　baby　has　been　here　again；'　she　said；　'and　it　says　you　mustn't　marry　a

woman　with　a　mole。'　　I　told　her　I　wouldn't；　and　the　next　day　she　died。〃



〃That　was　a　vision　from　the　Redeemer；〃　said　Tant　Sannie。



The　young　man　nodded　his　head　mournfully。　　He　thought　of　a　younger　sister

of　his　wife's　who　was　not　fat；　and　who　had　a　mole；　and　of　whom　his　wife　had

always　been　jealous；　and　he　wished　the　little　baby　had　liked　better　staying

in　heaven　than　coming　and　standing　over　the　wagon…chest。



〃I　suppose　that's　why　you　came　to　me；〃　said　Tant　Sannie。



〃Yes；　aunt。　　And　pa　said　I　ought　to　get　married　before　shearing…time。　　It

is　bad　if　there's　no　one　to　see　after　things　then；　and　the　maids　waste　such

a　lot　of　fat。〃



〃When　do　you　want　to　get　married？〃



〃Next　month；　aunt；〃　said　the　young　man　in　a　tone　of　hopeless　resignation。　

〃May　I　kiss　you；　aunt？〃



〃Fie！　fie！〃　said　Tant　Sannie；　and　then　gave　him　a　resounding　kiss。　　Come；

draw　your　chair　a　little　closer；〃　she　said；　and　their　elbows　now　touching；

they　sat　on　through　the　night。



The　next　morning　at　dawn；　as　Em　passed　through　Tant　Sannie's　bedroom；　she

found　the　Boer…woman　pulling　off　her　boots　preparatory　to　climbing　into

bed。



〃Where　is　Piet　Vander　Walt？〃



〃Just　gone；〃　said　Tant　Sannie；　〃and　I　am　going　to　marry　him　this　day　four

weeks。　　I　am　dead　sleepy；〃　she　added；　〃the　stupid　thing　doesn't　know　how　to

talk　love…talk　at　all；〃　and　she　climbed　into　the　four…poster；　clothes　and

all；　and　drew　the　quilt　up　to　her　chin。



。。。



On　the　day　preceding　Tant　Sannie's　wedding；　Gregory　Rose　sat　in　the　blazing

sun　on　the　stone　wall　behind　his　daub…and…wattle　house。　　It　was　warm；　but

he　was　intently　watching　a　small　buggy　that　was　being　recklessly　driven

over　the　bushes　in　the　direction　of　the　farmhouse。　　Gregory　never　stirred

till　it　had　vanished；　then；　finding　the　stones　hot；　he　slipped　down　and

walked　into　the　house。　　He　kicked　the　little　pail　that　lay　in　the　doorway；

and　sent　it　into　one　corner；　that　did　him　good。　　Then　he　sat　down　on　the

box；　and　began　cutting　letters　out　of　a　piece　of　newspaper。　　Finding　that

the　snippings　littered　the　floor；　he　picked　them　up　and　began　scribbling　on

his　blotting…paper。　　He　tried　the　effect　of　different　initials　before　the

name　Rose：　　G。　Rose；　E。　Rose；　L。　Rose；　Rose；　L。L。；　L。L。　Rose。　　When　he　had

covered　the　sheet；　he　looked　at　it　discontentedly　a　little　while；　then

suddenly　began　to　write　a　letter：



〃Beloved　Sister；



〃It　is　a　long　while　since　I　last　wrote　to　you；　but　I　have　had　no　time。　

This　is　the　first　morning　I　have　been　at　home　since　I　don't　know　when。　　Em

always　expects　me　to　go　down　to　the　farmhouse　in　the　morning；　but　I　didn't

feel　as　though　I　could　stand　the　ride　today。



〃I　have　much　news　for　you。



〃Tant　Sannie；　Em's　Boer　stepmother；　is　to　be　married　tomorrow。　　She　is　gone

to　town　today；　and　the　wedding　feast　is　to　be　at　her　brother's　farm。　　Em

and　I　are　going　to　ride　over　on　horseback；　but　her　cousin　is　going　to　ride

in　the　buggy　with　that　German。　　I　don't　think　I've　written　to　you　since　she

came　back　from　school。　　I　don't　think　you　would　like　her　at　all；　Jemima；

there's　something　so　proud　about　her。　　She　thinks　just　because　she's

handsome　there's　nobody　good　enough　to　talk　to　her；　and　just　as　if　there

had　nobody　else　but　her　been　to　boarding…school　before。



〃They　are　going　to　have　a　grand　affair　tomorrow；　all　the　Boers　about　are

coming；　and　they　are　going　to　dance　all　night；　but　I　don't　think　I　shall

dance　at　all；　for；　as　Em's　cousin　says；　these　Boer　dances　are　low　things。　

I　am　sure　I　only　danced　at　the　last　to　please　Em。　　I　don't　know　why　she　is

fond　of　dancing。　　Em　talked　of　our　being　married　on　the　same　day　as　Tant

Sannie；　but　I　said　it　would　be　nicer　for　her　if　she　waited　till　the

shearing　was　over；　and　I　took　her　down　to　see　you。　　I　suppose　she　will　have

to　live　with　us　（Em's　cousin；　I　mean）；　as　she　has　not　anything　in　the　world

but　a　poor　fifty　pounds。　　I　don't　like　her　at　all；　Jemima；　and　I　don't

think　you　would。　　She's　got　such　queer　ways；　she's　always　driving　about　in

a　gig　with　that　low　German；　and　I　don't　think　it's　at　all　the　thing　for　a

woman　to　be　going　about　with　a　man　she's　not　engaged　to。　　Do　you？　　If　it

was　me　now；　of　course；　who　am　a　kind　of　connection；　it　would　be　different。

The　way　she　treats　me；　considering　that　I　am　so　soon　to　be　her　cousin；　is

not　at　all　nice。　　I　took　down　my　album　the　other　day　with　your　likenesses

in　it；　and　I　told　her　she　could　look　at　it；　and　put　it　down　close　to　her；

but　she　just　said；　Thank　you；　and　never　even　touched　it；　as　much　as　to　say…

…What　are　your　relations　to　me？



〃She　gets　the　wildest　horses　in　that　buggy；　and　a　horrid　snappish　little

cur　belonging　to　the　German　sitting　in　front；　and　then　she　drives　out

alone。　　I　don't　think　it's　at　all　proper　for　a　woman　to　drive　out　alone；　I

wouldn't　allow　it　if　she　was　my　sister。　　The　other　morning；　I　don't　know

how　it　happened；　I　was　going　in　the　way　from　which　she　was　coming；　and　that

little　beastthey　call　him　Dossbegan　to　bark　when　he　saw　mehe　always

does；　the　little　wretchand　the　horses　began　to　spring；　and　kicked　the

splashboard　all　to　pieces。　　It　was　a　sight　to　see　Jemima！　　She　has　got　the

littlest　hands　I　ever　sawI　could　hold　them　both　in　one　of　mine；　and　not

know　that　I'd　got　anything　except　that　they　were　so　soft；　but　she　held

those　horses　in　as　though　they　were　made　of　iron。　　When　I　wanted　to　help

her　she　said；　'No　thank　you：　　I　can　manage　them　myself。　　I've　got　a　pair　of

bits　that　would　break　their　jaws　if　I　used　them　well；'　and　she　laughed　and

drove　away。　　It's　so　unwomanly。



〃Tell　father　my　hire　of　the　ground　will　not　be　out　for　six　months；　and

before　that　Em　and　I　will　be　married。　　My　pair　of　birds　is　breeding　now；

but　I　haven't　been　down　to　see　them　for　three　days。　　I　don't　seem　to　care

about　anything　any　more。　　I　don't　know　what　it　is；　I'm　not　well。　　If　I　go

into　town　on　Saturday　I　will　let　the　doctor　examine　me；　but　perhaps　she'll

go　in　herself。　　It's　a　very　strange　thing；　Jemima；　but　she　never　will　send

her　letters　to　post　by　me。　　If　I　ask　her　she　has　none；　and　the　very　next

day　she　goes　in　and　posts　them　herself。　　You　mustn't　say　anything　about　it；

Jemima；　but　twice　I've　brought　her　letters　from　the　post　in　a　gentleman's

hand；　and　I'm　sure　they　were　both　from　the　same　person；　because　I　noticed

every　little　mark；　even　the　dotting　of　the　i's。



〃Of　course　it's　nothing　to　me；　but　for　Em's　sake　I　can't　help　feeling　an

interest　in　her；　however　much　I　may　dislike　her　myself；　and　I　hope　she's