the story of an african farm-第58部分

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you　are　not　alone。〃



〃I　have　left　Doss　for　you；〃　he　said。



〃Will　you　not　miss　him？〃



〃No；　I　want　you　to　have　him。　　He　loves　you　better　than　he　loves　me。〃



〃Thank　you。〃　　They　stood　quiet。



〃Good…bye！〃　she　said；　putting　her　little　hand　in　his；　and　he　turned　away；

but　when　he　reached　the　door　she　called　to　him：　　〃Come　back；　I　want　to　kiss

you。〃　　She　drew　his　face　down　to　hers；　and　held　it　with　both　hands；　and

kissed　it　on　the　forehead　and　mouth。　　〃Good…bye；　dear！〃



When　he　looked　back　the　little　figure　with　its　beautiful　eyes　was　standing

in　the　doorway　still。





Chapter　2。VIII。　　The　Kopje。



〃Good　morning！〃



Em；　who　was　in　the　storeroom　measuring　the　Kaffer's　rations；　looked　up　and

saw　her　former　lover　standing　betwixt　her　and　the　sunshine。　　For　some　days

after　that　evening　on　which　he　had　ridden　home　whistling　he　had　shunned

her。　　She　might　wish　to　enter　into　explanations；　and　he；　Gregory　Rose；　was

not　the　man　for　that　kind　of　thing。　　If　a　woman　had　once　thrown　him

overboard　she　must　take　the　consequences；　and　stand　by　them。　　When；

however；　she　showed　no　inclination　to　revert　to　the　past；　and　shunned　him

more　than　he　shunned　her；　Gregory　softened。



〃You　must　let　me　call　you　Em　still；　and　be　like　a　brother　to　you　till　I

go；〃　he　said；　and　Em　thanked　him　so　humbly　that　he　wished　she　hadn't。　　It

wasn't　so　easy　after　that　to　think　himself　an　injured　man。



On　that　morning　he　stood　some　time　in　the　doorway　switching　his　whip；　and

moving　rather　restlessly　from　one　leg　to　the　other。



〃I　think　I'll　just　take　a　walk　up　to　the　camps　and　see　how　your　birds　are

getting　on。　　Now　Waldo's　gone　you've　no　one　to　see　after　things。　　Nice

morning；　isn't　it？〃　　Then　he　added　suddenly；　〃I'll　just　go　round　to　the

house　and　get　a　drink　of　water　first；〃　and　somewhat　awkwardly　walked　off。　

He　might　have　found　water　in　the　kitchen；　but　he　never　glanced　toward　the

buckets。　　In　the　front　room　a　monkey　and　two　tumblers　stood　on　the　centre…

table；　but　he　merely　looked　round；　peeped　into　the　parlour；　looked　round

again；　and　then　walked　out　at　the　front　door；　and　found　himself　again　at

the　storeroom　without　having　satisfied　his　thirst。　　〃Awfully　nice　morning

this；〃　he　said；　trying　to　pose　himself　in　a　graceful　and　indifferent

attitude　against　the　door。　　〃It　isn't　hot　and　it　isn't　cold。　　It's　awfully

nice。〃



〃Yes；〃　said　Em。



〃Your　cousin；　now；〃　said　Gregory　in　an　aimless　sort　of　way〃I　suppose

she's　shut　up　in　her　room　writing　letters。〃



〃No；〃　said　Em。



〃Gone　for　a　drive；　I　expect？　　Nice　morning　for　a　drive。〃



〃No。〃



〃Gone　to　see　the　ostriches；　I　suppose？〃



〃No。〃　　After　a　little　silence　Em　added；　〃I　saw　her　go　by　the　kraals　to　the

kopje。〃



Gregory　crossed　and　uncrossed　his　legs。



〃Well；　I　think　I'll　just　go　and　have　a　look　about；〃　he　said；　〃and　see　how

things　are　getting　on　before　I　go　to　the　camps。　　Good…bye；　so　long。〃



Em　left　for　a　while　the　bags　she　was　folding　and　went　to　the　window；　the

same　through　which；　years　before；　Bonaparte　had　watched　the　slouching

figure　cross　the　yard。　　Gregory　walked　to　the　pigsty　first；　and

contemplated　the　pigs　for　a　few　seconds；　then　turned　round；　and　stood

looking　fixedly　at　the　wall　of　the　fuel…house　as　though　he　thought　it

wanted　repairing；　then　he　started　off　suddenly　with　the　evident　intention

of　going　to　the　ostrich…camps；　then　paused；　hesitated；　and　finally　walked

off　in　the　direction　of　the　kopje。



Then　Em　went　back　to　the　corner　and　folded　more　sacks。



On　the　other　side　of　the　kopje　Gregory　caught　sight　of　a　white　tail　waving

among　the　stones；　and　a　succession　of　short；　frantic　barks　told　where　Doss

was　engaged　in　howling　imploringly　to　a　lizard　who　had　crept　between　two

stones；　and　who　had　not　the　slightest　intention　of　re…sunning　himself　at

that　particular　moment。



The　dog's　mistress　sat　higher　up；　under　the　shelving　rock；　her　face　bent

over　a　volume　of　plays　upon　her　knee。　　As　Gregory　mounted　the　stones　she

started　violently　and　looked　up；　then　resumed　her　book。



〃I　hope　I　am　not　troubling　you；〃　said　Gregory　as　he　reached　her　side。　　〃If

I　am　I　will　go　away。　　I　just〃



〃No；　you　may　stay。〃



〃I　fear　I　startled　you。〃



〃Yes；　your　step　was　firmer　than　it　generally　is。　　I　thought　it　was　that　of

some　one　else。〃



〃Who　could　it　be　but　me？〃　asked　Gregory；　seating　himself　on　a　stone　at　her

feet。



〃Do　you　suppose　you　are　the　only　man　who　would　find　anything　to　attract　him

to　this　kopje？〃



〃Oh；　no；〃　said　Gregory。



He　was　not　going　to　argue　that　point　with　her；　nor　any　other；　but　no　old

Boer　was　likely　to　take　the　trouble　of　climbing　the　kopje；　and　who　else　was

there？



She　continued　the　study　of　her　book。



〃Miss　Lyndall；〃　he　said　at　last；　〃I　don't　know　why　it　is　you　never　talk　to

me。〃



〃We　had　a　long　conversation　yesterday；〃　she　said　without　looking　up。



〃Yes；　but　you　ask　me　questions　about　sheep　and　oxen。　　I　don't　call　that

talking。　　You　used　to　talk　to　Waldo；　now；〃　he　said；　in　an　aggrieved　tone　of

voice。　　〃I've　heard　you　when　I　came　in；　and　then　you've　just　left　off。　　You

treated　me　like　that　from　the　first　day；　and　you　couldn't　tell　from　just

looking　at　me　that　I　couldn't　talk　about　the　things　you　like。　　I'm　sure　I

know　as　much　about　such　things　as　Waldo　does；〃　said　Gregory；　in　exceeding

bitterness　of　spirit。



〃I　do　not　know　which　things　you　refer　to。　　If　you　will　enlighten　me　I　am

quite　prepared　to　speak　of　them；〃　she　said；　reading　as　she　spoke。



〃Oh；　you　never　used　to　ask　Waldo　like　that；〃　said　Gregory；　in　a　more　sorely

aggrieved　tone　than　ever。　　〃You　used　just　to　begin。〃



〃Well；　let　me　see；〃　she　said；　closing　her　book　and　folding　her　hands　on　it。

〃There　at　the　foot　of　the　kopje　goes　a　Kaffer；　he　has　nothing　on　but　a

blanket；　he　is　a　splendid　fellowsix　feet　high；　with　a　magnificent　pair　of

legs。　　In　his　leather　bag　he　is　going　to　fetch　his　rations；　and　I　suppose

to　kick　his　wife　with　his　beautiful　legs　when　he　gets　home。　　He　has　a　right

to；　he　bought　her　for　two　oxen。　　There　is　a　lean　dog　going　after　him；　to

whom　I　suppose　he　never　gives　more　than　a　bone　from　which　he　has　sucked　the

marrow；　but　his　dog　loves　him；　as　his　wife　does。　　There　is　something　of　the

master　about　him　in　spite　of　his　blackness　and　wool。　　See　how　he　brandishes

his　stick　and　holds　up　his　head！〃



〃Oh；　but　aren't　you　making　fun？〃　said　Gregory；　looking　doubtfully　from　her

to　the　Kaffer　herd；　who　rounded　the　kopje。



〃No；　I　am　very　serious。　　He　is　the　most　interesting　and　intelligent　thing　I

can　see　just　now；　except；　perhaps；　Doss。　　He　is　profoundly　suggestive。　

Will　his　race　melt　away　in　the　heat　of　a　collision　with　a　higher？　　Are　the

men　of　the　future　to　see　his　bones　only　in　museumsa　vestige　of　one　link

that　spanned　between　the　dog　and　the　white　man？　　He　wakes　thoughts　that　run

far　out　into　the　future　and　back　into　the　past。〃



Gregory　was　not　quite　sure　how　to　take　these　remarks。　　Being　about　a

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