the story of an african farm-第76部分

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against　the　kartel；　and　listened　to　the　chewing　of　the　tired　oxen；　and　to

the　crackling　of　the　fire；　till；　overpowered　by　weariness；　he　fell　into　a

heavy　sleep。　　Then　all　was　very　still　in　the　wagon。　　The　dog　slept　on　his

mistress'　feet；　and　only　two　mosquitoes；　creeping　in　through　a　gap　in　the

front　sail；　buzzed　drearily　round。



The　night　was　grown　very　old　when　from　a　long；　peaceful　sleep　Lyndall

awoke。　　The　candle　burnt　at　her　head；　the　dog　lay　on　her　feet；　but　he

shivered；　it　seemed　as　though　a　coldness　struck　up　to　him　from　his　resting…

place。　　She　lay　with　folded　hands；　looking　upward；　and　she　heard　the　oxen

chewing；　and　she　saw　the　two　mosquitoes　buzzing　drearily　round　and　round；

and　her　thoughtsher　thoughts　ran　far　back　into　the　past。



Through　these　months　of　anguish　a　mist　had　rested　on　her　mind；　it　was

rolled　together　now；　and　the　old　clear　intellect　awoke　from　its　long

torpor。　　It　looked　back　into　the　past；　it　saw　the　present；　there　was　no

future　now。　　The　old　strong　soul　gathered　itself　together　for　the　last

time；　it　knew　where　it　stood。



Slowly　raising　herself　on　her　elbow；　she　took　from　the　sail　a　glass　that

hung　pinned　there。　　Her　fingers　were　stiff　and　cold。　　She　put　the　pillow　on

her　breast；　and　stood　the　glass　against　it。　　Then　the　white　face　on　the

pillow　looked　into　the　white　face　in　the　glass。　　They　had　looked　at　each

other　often　so　before。　　It　had　been　a　child's　face　once；　looking　out　above

its　blue　pinafore；　it　had　been　a　woman's　face；　with　a　dim　shadow　in　the

eyes；　and　a　something　which　had　said；　〃We　are　not　afraid；　you　and　I；　we　are

together；　we　will　fight；　you　and　I。〃　　Now　tonight　it　had　come　to　this。



The　dying　eyes　on　the　pillow　looked　into　the　dying　eyes　in　the　glass；　they

knew　that　their　hour　had　come。　　She　raised　one　hand　and　pressed　the　stiff

fingers　against　the　glass。　　They　were　growing　very　stiff。　　She　tried　to

speak　to　it；　but　she　would　never　speak　again。　　Only　the　wonderful　yearning

light　was　in　the　eyes　still。　　The　body　was　dead　now；　but　the　soul；　clear

and　unclouded；　looked　forth。



Then　slowly；　without　a　sound；　the　beautiful　eyes　closed。　　The　dead　face

that　the　glass　reflected　was　a　thing　of　marvelous　beauty　and　tranquillity。

The　Grey　Dawn　crept　in　over　it　and　saw　it　lying　there。



Had　she　found　what　she　sought　forsomething　to　worship？　　Had　she　ceased

from　being？　　Who　shall　tell　us？　　There　is　a　veil　of　terrible　mist　over　the

face　of　the　Hereafter。





Chapter　2。XIII。　　Dreams。



〃Tell　me　what　a　soul　desires；　and　I　will　tell　you　what　it　is。〃　　So　runs　the

phrase。



〃Tell　me　what　a　man　dreams；　and　I　will　tell　you　what　he　loves。〃　　That　also

has　its　truth。



For；　ever　from　the　earliest　childhood　to　the　latest　age；　day　by　day；　and

step　by　step；　the　busy　waking　life　is　followed　and　reflected　by　the　life　of

dreamswaking　dreams；　sleeping　dreams。　　Weird；　misty；　and　distorted　as　the

inverted　image　of　a　mirage；　or　a　figure　seen　through　the　mountain　mist；

they　are　still　the　reflections　of　a　reality。



On　the　night　when　Gregory　told　his　story　Waldo　sat　alone　before　the　fire；

his　untasted　supper　before　him。　　He　was　weary　after　his　day's　worktoo

weary　to　eat。　　He　put　the　plate　down　on　the　floor　for　Doss；　who　licked　it

clean；　and　then　went　back　to　his　corner。　　After　a　time　the　master　threw

himself　across　the　foot　of　the　bed　without　undressing；　and　fell　asleep

there。　　He　slept　so　long　that　the　candle　burnt　itself　out；　and　the　room　was

in　darkness。　　But　he　dreamed　a　lovely　dream　as　he　lay　there。



In　his　dream；　to　his　right　rose　high　mountains；　their　tops　crowned　with

snow；　their　sides　clothed　with　bush　and　bathed　in　the　sunshine。　　At　their

feet　was　the　sea；　blue　and　breezy；　bluer　than　any　earthly　sea；　like　the　sea

he　had　dreamed　of　in　his　boyhood。　　In　the　narrow　forest　that　ran　between

the　mountains　and　the　sea　the　air　was　rich　that　the　scent　of　the　honey…

creeper　that　hung　from　dark　green　bushes；　and　through　the　velvety　grass

little　streams　ran　purling　down　into　the　sea。



He　sat　on　a　high　square　rock　among　the　bushes；　and　Lyndall　sat　by　him　and

sang　to　him。　　She　was　only　a　small　child；　with　a　blue　pinafore；　and　a

grave；　grave；　little　face。　　He　was　looking　up　at　the　mountains；　then

suddenly　when　he　looked　round　she　was　gone。　　He　slipped　down　from　his　rock；

and　went　to　look　for　her；　but　he　found　only　her　little　footmarks；　he　found

them　on　the　bright　green　grass；　and　in　the　moist　sand；　and　there　where　the

little　streams　ran　purling　down　into　the　sea。　　In　and　out；　in　and　out；　and

among　the　bushes　where　the　honey…creeper　hung；　he　went　looking　for　her。　　At

last；　far　off；　in　the　sunshine；　he　saw　her　gathering　shells　upon　the　sand。

She　was　not　a　child　now；　but　a　woman；　and　the　sun　shone　on　her　soft　brown

hair；　and　in　her　white　dress　she　put　the　shells　she　gathered。　　She　was

stooping；　but　when　she　heard　his　step　she　stood　up；　holding　her　skirt　close

about　her；　and　waited　for　his　coming。　　One　hand　she　put　in　his；　and

together　they　walked　on　over　the　glittering　sand　and　pink　sea…shells；　and

they　heard　the　leaves　talking；　and　they　heard　the　waters　babbling　on　their

way　to　the　sea；　and　they　heard　the　sea　singing　to　itself；　singing；　singing。



At　last　they　came　to　a　place　where　was　a　long　reach　of　pure　white　sand；

there　she　stood　still；　and　dropped　on　to　the　sand　one　by　one　the　shells

that　she　had　gathered。　　Then　she　looked　up　into　his　face　with　her　beautiful

eyes。　　She　said　nothing；　but　she　lifted　one　hand　and　laid　it　softly　on　his

forehead；　the　other　she　laid　on　his　heart。



With　a　cry　of　suppressed　agony　Waldo　sprung　from　the　bed；　flung　open　the

upper　half　of　the　door；　and　leaned　out；　breathing　heavily。



Great　God！　it　might　be　only　a　dream；　but　the　pain　was　very　real；　as　though

a　knife　ran　through　his　heart；　as　though　some　treacherous　murderer　crept　on

him　in　the　dark！　　The　strong　man　drew　his　breath　like　a　frightened　woman。



〃Only　a　dream；　but　the　pain　was　very　real；〃　he　muttered；　as　he　pressed　his

right　hand　upon　his　breast。　　Then　he　folded　his　arms　on　the　door；　and　stood

looking　out　into　the　starlight。



The　dream　was　with　him　still；　the　woman　who　was　his　friend　was　not

separated　from　him　by　yearsonly　that　very　night　he　had　seen　her。　　He

looked　up　into　the　night　sky　that　all　his　life　long　had　mingled　itself　with

his　existence。　　There　were　a　thousand　faces　that　he　loved　looking　down　at

him；　a　thousand　stars　in　their　glory；　in　crowns；　and　circles；　and　solitary

grandeur。　　To　the　man　they　were　not　less　dear　than　to　the　boy　they　had　been

not　less　mysterious；　yet　he　looked　up　at　them　and　shuddered；　at　last　turned

away　from　them　with　horror。　　Such　countless　multitudes　stretching　out　far

into　space；　and　yet　not　in　one　of　them　all　was　she！　　Though　he　searched

through　them　all；　to　the　furthest；　faintest　point　of　light；　nowhere　should

he　ever　say；　〃She　is　here！〃　　Tomorrow's　sun　would　rise　and　gild　the　world's

mountains；　and　shine　into　its　thousand　valleys；　it　would　set　and　the　stars

cr