the story of an african farm-第70部分

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〃No；〃　he　answered；　then　presently　called　to　her；　〃Come　and　sit　here；　I　want

to　talk　to　you。〃



She　came　and　sat　on　a　footstool　near　him。



〃Do　you　wish　to　hear　anything？〃　he　asked。



She　whispered：



〃Yes；　if　it　does　not　hurt　you。〃



〃What　difference　does　it　make　to　me？〃　he　said。　　〃If　I　talk　or　am　silent；　is

there　any　change？〃



Yet　he　lay　quiet　for　a　long　time。　　The　light　through　the　open　door　showed

him　to　her；　where　he　lay；　with　his　arm　thrown　across　his　eyes。　　At　last　he

spoke。　　Perhaps　it　was　a　relief　to　him　to　speak。



To　Bloemfontein　in　the　Free　State；　to　which　through　an　agent　he　had　traced

them；　Gregory　had　gone。　　At　the　hotel　where　Lyndall　and　her　stranger　had

stayed　he　put　up；　he　was　shown　the　very　room　in　which　they　had　slept。　　The

coloured　boy　who　had　driven　them　to　the　next　town　told　him　in　which　house

they　had　boarded；　and　Gregory　went　on。　　In　that　town　he　found　they　had　left

the　cart；　and　bought　a　spider　and　four　greys；　and　Gregory's　heart　rejoiced。

Now　indeed　it　would　be　easy　to　trace　their　course。　　And　he　turned　his　steps

northward。



At　the　farmhouses　where　he　stopped　the　ooms　and　tantes　remembered　clearly

the　spider　with　its　four　grey　horses。　　At　one　place　the　Boer…wife　told　how

the　tall；　blue…eyed　Englishman　had　bought　milk；　and　asked　the　way　to　the

next　farm。　　At　the　next　farm　the　Englishman　had　bought　a　bunch　of　flowers；

and　given　half　a　crown　for　them　to　the　little　girl。　　It　was　quite　true；　the

Boer…mother　made　her　get　it　out　of　the　box　and　show　it。　　At　the　next　place

they　had　slept。　　Here　they　told　him　that　the　great　bulldog；　who　hated　all

strangers；　had　walked　in　in　the　evening　and　laid　its　head　in　the　lady's

lap。　　So　at　every　place　he　heard　something；　and　traced　them　step　by　step。



At　one　desolate　farm　the　Boer　had　a　good　deal　to　tell。　　The　lady　had　said

she　liked　a　wagon　that　stood　before　the　door。　　Without　asking　the　price　the

Englishman　had　offered　a　hundred　and　fifty　pounds　for　the　old　thing；　and

bought　oxen　worth　ten　pounds　for　sixteen。　　The　Dutchman　chuckled；　for　he

had　the　Salt…riem's　money　in　the　box　under　his　bed。　　Gregory　laughed　too；

in　silence；　he　could　not　lose　sight　of　them　now；　so　slowly　they　would　have

to　move　with　that　cumbrous　ox…wagon。　　Yet；　when　that　evening　came；　and　he

reached　a　little　wayside　inn；　no　one　could　tell　him　anything　of　the

travellers。



The　master；　a　surly　creature；　half　stupid　with　Boer…brandy；　sat　on　the

bench　before　the　door　smoking。　　Gregory　sat　beside　him；　questioning；　but　he

smoked　on。　　He　remembered　nothing　of　such　strangers。　　How　should　he　know

who　had　been　there　months　and　months　before？　　He　smoked　on。　　Gregory；　very

weary；　tried　to　wake　his　memory；　said　that　the　lady　he　was　seeking　for　was

very　beautiful；　had　a　little　mouth；　and　tiny；　very　tiny；　feet。　　The　man

only　smoked　on　as　sullenly　as　at　first。　　What　were　little；　very　little；

mouths　and　feet　to　him。　　But　his　daughter　leaned　out　in　the　window　above。　

She　was　dirty　and　lazy；　and　liked　to　loll　there　when　travellers　came；　to

hear　the　men　talk；　but　she　had　a　soft　heart。　　Presently　a　hand　came　out　of

the　window；　and　a　pair　of　velvet　slippers　touched　his　shoulder；　tiny

slippers　with　black　flowers。　　He　pulled　them　out　of　her　hand。　　Only　one

woman's　feet　had　worn　them；　he　knew　that。



〃Left　here　last　summer　by　a　lady；〃　said　the　girl；　〃might　be　the　one　you　are

looking　for。　　Never　saw　any　feet　so　small。〃



Gregory　rose　and　questioned　her。



They　might　have　come　in　a　wagon　and　spider；　she　could　not　tell。　　But　the

gentleman　was　very　handsome；　tall；　lovely　figure；　blue　eyes；　wore　gloves

always　when　he　went　out。　　An　English　officer；　perhaps；　no　Africander；

certainly。



Gregory　stopped　her。



The　lady？　　Well；　she　was　pretty；　rather；　the　girl　said；　very　cold；　dull

air；　silent。　　They　stayed　for；　it　might　be；　five　days；　slept　in　the　wing

over　against　the　stoep；　quarrelled　sometimes；　she　thoughtthe　lady。　　She

had　seen　everything　when　she　went　in　to　wait。　　One　day　the　gentleman

touched　her　hair；　she　drew　back　from　him　as　though　his　fingers　poisoned

her。　　Went　to　the　other　end　of　the　room　if　he　came　to　sit　near　her。　　Walked

out　alone。　　Cold　wife　for　such　a　handsome　husband；　the　girl　thought；　she

evidently　pitied　him；　he　was　such　a　beautiful　man。　　They　went　away　early

one　morning；　how；　or　in　which　way；　the　girl　could　not　tell。



Gregory　inquired　of　the　servants；　but　nothing　more　was　to　be　learnt；　so　the

next　morning　he　saddled　his　horse　and　went　on。　　At　the　farms　he　came　to　the

good　old　ooms　and　tantes　asked　him　to　have　coffee；　and　the　little　shoeless

children　peeped　out　at　the　stranger　from　behind　ovens　and　gables；　but　no

one　had　seen　what　he　asked　for。　　This　way　and　that　he　rode　to　pick　up　the

thread　he　had　dropped；　but　the　spider　and　the　wagon；　the　little　lady　and

the　handsome　gentleman；　no　one　had　seen。　　In　the　towns　he　fared　yet　worse。



Once　indeed　hope　came　to　him。　　On　the　stoep　of　an　hotel　at　which　he　stayed

the　night　in　a　certain　little　village；　there　walked　a　gentleman；　grave　and

kindly…looking。　　It　was　not　hard　to　open　conversation　with　him　about　the

weather；　and　thenHad　he　ever　seen　such　and　such　people；　a　gentleman　and　a

lady；　a　spider　and　wagon；　arrive　at　that　place？　　The　kindly　gentleman　shook

his　head。　　What　was　the　lady　like；　he　inquired。



Gregory　painted。　　Hair　like　silken　floss；　small　mouth；　underlip　very　full

and　pink；　upper　lip　pink　but　very　thin　and　curled；　there　were　four　white

spots　on　the　nail　of　her　right　hand　forefinger；　and　her　eyebrows　were　very

delicately　curved。



〃Yes；　and　a　rose…bud　tinge　in　the　cheeks；　hands　like　lilies；　and　perfectly

seraphic　smile。〃



〃That　is　she！　that　is　she！〃　cried　Gregory。



Who　else　could　it　be？　　He　asked　where　she　had　gone　to。　　The　gentleman　most

thoughtfully　stroked　his　beard。



He　would　try　to　remember。　　Were　not　her　ears。　　Here　such　a　violent　fit　of

coughing　seized　him　that　he　ran　away　into　the　house。　　An　ill…fed　clerk　and

a　dirty　barman　standing　in　the　doorway　laughed　aloud。　　Gregory　wondered　if

they　could　be　laughing　at　the　gentleman's　cough；　and　then　he　heard　some　one

laughing　in　the　room　into　which　the　gentleman　had　gone。　　He　must　follow　him

and　try　to　learn　more；　but　he　soon　found　that　there　was　nothing　more　to　be

learnt　there。　　Poor　Gregory！



Backward　and　forward；　backward　and　forward；　from　the　dirty　little　hotel

where　he　had　dropped　the　thread；　to　this　farm　and　to　that；　rode　Gregory；

till　his　heart　was　sick　and　tired。　　That　from　that　spot　the　wagon　might

have　gone　its　own　way　and　the　spider　another　was　an　idea　that　did　not　occur

to　him。　　At　last　he　saw　it　was　no　use　lingering　in　that　neighbourhood；　and

pressed　on。



One　day　coming　to　a　little　town；　his　horses　knocked　up；　and　he　resolved　to

rest　them　there。　　The　little　hotel　of　the　town　was　a　bright　and　sunny

place；　like　the　jovial　face　of　the　clean　little　woman　who　kept　it；　and　who

trotted　about　talking　alwaystalking　to　the　customers　in　the　tapr