the story of an african farm-第60部分

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Lyndall　was　softly　touching　the　little　sore　foot　as　she　read；　and　Doss；　to

show　he　liked　it；　licked　her　hand。



〃But；　Miss　Lyndall；〃　persisted　Gregory；　〃what　do　you　really　think　of　him？〃



〃I　think；〃　said　Lyndall；　〃that　he　is　like　a　thorn…tree；　which　grows　up　very

quietly；　without　any　one's　caring　for　it；　and　one　day　suddenly　breaks　out

into　yellow　blossoms。〃



〃And　what　do　you　think　I　am　like？〃　asked　Gregory；　hopefully。



Lyndall　looked　up　from　her　book。



〃Like　a　little　tin　duck　floating　on　a　dish　of　water；　that　comes　after　a

piece　of　bread　stuck　on　a　needle；　and　the　more　the　needle　pricks　it　the

more　it　comes　on。〃



〃Oh；　you　are　making　fun　of　me　now；　you　really　are！〃　said　Gregory　feeling

wretched。　　〃You　are　making　fun；　aren't　you；　now？〃



〃Partly。　　It　is　always　diverting　to　make　comparisons。〃



〃Yes；　but　you　don't　compare　me　to　anything　nice；　and　you　do　other　people。　

What　is　Em　like；　now？〃



〃The　accompaniment　of　a　song。　　She　fills　up　the　gaps　in　other　people's

lives；　and　is　always　number　two；　but　I　think　she　is　like　many

accompanimentsa　great　deal　better　than　the　song　she　is　to　accompany。〃



〃She　is　not　half　so　good　as　you　are！〃　said　Gregory；　with　a　burst　of

uncontrollable　ardour。



〃She　is　so　much　better　than　I；　that　her　little　finger　has　more　goodness　in

it　than　my　whole　body。　　I　hope　you　may　not　live　to　find　out　the　truth　of

that　fact。〃



〃You　are　like　an　angel；〃　he　said；　the　blood　rushing　to　his　head　and　face。



〃Yes；　probably；　angels　are　of　many　orders。〃



〃You　are　the　one　being　that　I　love！〃　said　Gregory　quivering。　　〃I　thought　I

loved　before；　but　I　know　now！　　Do　not　be　angry　with　me。　　I　know　you　could

never　like　me；　but；　if　I　might　but　always　be　near　you　to　serve　you；　I　would

be　utterly；　utterly　happy。　　I　would　ask　nothing　in　return！　　If　you　could

only　take　everything　I　have　and　use　it；　I　want　nothing　but　to　be　of　use　to

you。〃



She　looked　at　him　for　a　few　moments。



〃How　do　you　know；〃　she　said　slowly；　〃that　you　could　not　do　something　to

serve　me？　　You　could　serve　me　by　giving　me　your　name。〃



He　started；　and　turned　his　burning　face　to　her。



〃You　are　very　cruel；　you　are　ridiculing　me；〃　he　said。



〃No；　I　am　not；　Gregory。　　What　I　am　saying　is　plain；　matter…of…fact

business。　　If　you　are　willing　to　give　me　your　name　within　three　weeks'

time；　I　am　willing　to　marry　you；　if　not；　well。　　I　want　nothing　more　than

your　name。　　That　is　a　clear　proposal；　is　it　not？〃



He　looked　up。　　Was　it　contempt；　loathing；　pity；　that　moved　in　the　eyes

above！　　He　could　not　tell；　but　he　stooped　over　the　little　foot　and　kissed

it。



She　smiled。



〃Do　you　really　mean　it？〃　he　whispered。



〃Yes。　　You　wish　to　serve　me；　and　to　have　nothing　in　return！you　shall　have

what　you　wish。〃　　She　held　out　her　fingers　for　Doss　to　lick。　　〃Do　you　see

this　dog？　　He　licks　my　hand　because　I　love　him；　and　I　allow　him　to。　　Where

I　do　not　love　I　do　not　allow　it。　　I　believe　you　love　me；　I　too　could　love

so；　that　to　lie　under　the　foot　of　the　thing　I　loved　would　be　more　heaven

than　to　lie　in　the　breast　of　another。　　Come！　let　us　go。　　Carry　the　dog；〃

she　added；　〃he　will　not　bite　you　if　I　put　him　in　your　arms。　　Sodo　not　let

his　foot　hang　down。〃



They　descended　the　kopje。　　At　the　bottom；　he　whispered：



〃Would　you　not　take　my　arm？　the　path　is　very　rough。〃



She　rested　her　fingers　lightly　on　it。



〃I　may　yet　change　my　mind　about　marrying　you　before　the　time　comes。　　It　is

very　likely。　　Mark　you！〃　she　said；　turning　round　on　him；　〃I　remember　your

words：　　You　will　give　everything；　and　expect　nothing。　　The　knowledge　that

you　are　serving　me　is　to　be　your　reward；　and　you　will　have　that。　　You　will

serve　me；　and　greatly。　　The　reasons　I　have　for　marrying　you　I　need　not

inform　you　of　now；　you　will　probably　discover　some　of　them　before　long。〃



〃I　only　want　to　be　of　some　use　to　you；〃　he　said。



It　seemed　to　Gregory　that　there　were　pulses　in　the　soles　of　his　feet；　and

the　ground　shimmered　as　on　a　summer's　day。　　They　walked　round　the　foot　of

the　kopje　and　past　the　Kaffer　huts。　　An　old　Kaffer　maid　knelt　at　the　door

of　one　grinding　mealies。　　That　she　should　see　him　walking　so　made　his　heart

beat　so　fast；　that　the　hand　on　his　arm　felt　its　pulsation。　　It　seemed　that

she　must　envy　him。



Just　then　Em　looked　out　again　at　the　back　window　and　saw　them　coming。　　She

cried　bitterly　all　the　while　she　sorted　the　skins。



But　that　night　when　Lyndall　had　blown　her　candle　out；　and　half　turned　round

to　sleep；　the　door　of　Em's　bedroom　opened。



〃I　want　to　say　good　night　to　you；　Lyndall；〃　she　said；　coming　to　the　bedside

and　kneeling　down。



〃I　thought　you　were　asleep；〃　Lyndall　replied。



〃Yes；　I　have　been　asleep；　but　I　had　such　a　vivid　dream；〃　she　said；　holding

the　other's　hands；　〃and　that　woke　me。　　I　never　had　so　vivid　a　dream　before。



〃It　seemed　I　was　a　little　girl　again；　and　I　came　somewhere　into　a　large

room。　　On　a　bed　in　the　corner　there　was　something　lying　dressed　in　white；

and　its　little　eyes　were　shut；　and　its　little　face　was　like　wax。　　I　thought

it　was　a　doll；　and　I　ran　forward　to　take　it；　but　some　one　held　up　her

finger　and　said：　　'Hush！　it　is　a　little　dead　baby。'　　And　I　said：　　'Oh；　I

must　go　and　call　Lyndall；　that　she　may　look　at　it　also。'



〃And　they　put　their　faces　close　down　to　my　ear　and　whispered：　　'It　is

Lyndall's　baby。'



〃And　I　said：　　'She　cannot　be　grown　up　yet；　she　is　only　a　little　girl！　

Where　is　she？'　　And　I　went　to　look　for　you；　but　I　could　not　find　you。



〃And　when　I　came　to　some　people　who　were　dressed　in　black；　I　asked　them

where　you　were；　and　they　looked　down　at　their　black　clothes；　and　shook

their　heads；　and　said　nothing；　and　I　could　not　find　you　anywhere。　　And　then

I　awoke。



〃Lyndall；〃　she　said；　putting　her　face　down　upon　the　hands　she　held；　〃it

made　me　think　about　that　time　when　we　were　little　girls　and　used　to　play

together；　when　I　loved　you　better　than　anything　else　in　the　world。　　It

isn't　any　one's　fault　that　they　love　you；　they　can't　help　it。　　And　it　isn't

your　fault；　you　don't　make　them　love　you。　　I　know　it。〃



〃Thank　you；　dear；〃　Lyndall　said。　　〃It　is　nice　to　be　loved；　but　it　would　be

better　to　be　good。〃



Then　they　wished　good　night；　and　Em　went　back　to　her　room。　　Long　after

Lyndall　lay　in　the　dark　thinking；　thinking；　thinking；　and　as　she　turned

round　wearily　to　sleep　she　muttered：



〃There　are　some　wiser　in　their　sleeping　than　in　their　waking。〃





Chapter　2。IX。　　Lyndall's　Stranger。



A　fire　is　burning　in　the　unused　hearth　of　the　cabin。　　The　fuel　blazes　up；

and　lights　the　black　rafters；　and　warms　the　faded　red　lions　on　the　quilt；

and　fills　the　little　room　with　a　glow　of　warmth　and　light　made　brighter　by

contrast；　for　outside　the　night　is　chill　and　misty。



Before　the　open　fireplace　sits　a　stranger；　his　tall；　slight　figure　reposing

in　the　broken　armchair；　his　keen　blue　eyes　studying　the　fire　from　beneath

delicately　pencilled；　drooping　eyelids。　　One　white　ha