the story of an african farm-第50章

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go　in　and　light　a　candle　for　you。〃



〃No；　thank　you；　it　is　all　right；〃　she　said。　　〃Good　night；　Waldo；　dear。〃



But　when　she　went　in　she　sat　long　alone　in　the　dark。





Chapter　2。VII。　　Waldo　Goes　Out　to　Taste　Life；　and　Em　Stays　At　Home　and

Tastes　It。



At　nine　o'clock　in　the　evening；　packing　his　bundles　for　the　next　morning's

start；　Waldo　looked　up；　and　was　surprised　to　see　Em's　yellow　head　peeping

in　at　his　door。　　It　was　many　a　month　since　she　had　been　there。　　She　said

she　had　made　him　sandwiches　for　his　journey；　and　she　stayed　a　while　to　help

him　put　his　goods　into　the　saddlebags。



〃You　can　leave　the　old　things　lying　about；〃　she　said；　〃I　will　lock　the

room；　and　keep　it　waiting　for　you　to　come　back　some　day。〃



To　come　back　some　day！　　Would　the　bird　ever　return　to　its　cage？　　But　he

thanked　her。　　When　she　went　away　he　stood　on　the　doorstep　holding　the

candle　till　she　had　almost　reached　the　house。　　But　Em　was　that　evening　in

no　hurry　to　enter；　and；　instead　of　going　in　at　the　back　door；　walked　with

lagging　footsteps　round　the　low　brick　wall　that　ran　before　the　house。　

Opposite　the　open　window　of　the　parlour　she　stopped。　　The　little　room；　kept

carefully　closed　in　Tant　Sannie's　time；　was　well　lighted　by　a　paraffin

lamp；　books　and　work　lay　strewn　about　it；　and　it　wore　a　bright；　habitable

aspect。　　Beside　the　lamp　at　the　table　in　the　corner　sat　Lyndall；　the　open

letters　and　papers　of　the　day's　post　lying　scattered　before　her；　while　she

perused　the　columns　of　a　newspaper。　　At　the　centre　table；　with　his　arms

folded　on　an　open　paper；　which　there　was　not　light　enough　to　read；　sat

Gregory。　　He　was　looking　at　her。　　The　light　from　the　open　window　fell　on

Em's　little　face　under　its　white　kapje　as　she　looked　in；　but　no　one　glanced

that　way。



〃Go　and　fetch　me　a　glass　of　water！〃　Lyndall　said；　at　last。



Gregory　went　out　to　find　it；　when　he　put　it　down　at　her　side　she　merely

moved　her　head　in　recognition；　and　he　went　back　to　his　seat　and　his　old

occupation。　　Then　Em　moved　slowly　away　from　the　window；　and　through　it　came

in　spotted；　hard…winged　insects；　to　play　round　the　lamp；　till；　one　by　one；

they　stuck　to　its　glass；　and　fell　to　the　foot　dead。



Ten　o'clock　struck。　　Then　Lyndall　rose；　gathered　up　her　papers　and　letters；

and　wished　Gregory　good　night。　　Some　time　after　Em　entered；　she　had　been

sitting　all　the　while　on　the　loft　ladder；　and　had　drawn　her　kapje　down　very

much　over　her　face。



Gregory　was　piecing　together　the　bits　of　an　envelope　when　she　came　in。



〃I　thought　you　were　never　coming；〃　he　said；　turning　round　quickly；　and

throwing　the　fragments　onto　the　floor。　　〃You　know　I　have　been　shearing　all

day；　and　it　is　ten　o'clock　already。〃



〃I'm　sorry。　　I　did　not　think　you　would　be　going　so　soon；〃　she　said　in　a　low

voice。



〃I　can't　hear　what　you　say。　　What　makes　you　mumble　so？　　Well；　good　night；

Em。〃



He　stooped　down　hastily　to　kiss　her。



〃I　want　to　talk　to　you；　Gregory。〃



〃Well；　make　haste；〃　he　said　pettishly。　　〃I'm　awfully　tired。　　I've　been

sitting　here　all　the　evening。　　Why　couldn't　　you　come　and　talk　before？〃



〃I　will　not　keep　you　long；〃　she　answered　very　steadily　now。　　〃I　think；

Gregory；　it　would　be　better　if　you　and　I　were　never　to　be　married。〃



〃Good　Heaven！　　Em；　what　do　you　mean？　　I　thought　you　were　so　fond　of　me？　

You　always　professed　to　be。　　What　on　earth　have　you　taken　into　your　head

now？〃



〃I　think　it　would　be　better；〃　she　said；　folding　her　hands　over　each　other；

very　much　as　though　she　were　praying。



〃Better；　Em！　　What　do　you　mean？　　Even　a　woman　can't　take　a　freak　all　about

nothing！　　You　must　have　some　reason　for　it；　and　I'm　sure　I've　done　nothing

to　offend　you。　　I　wrote　only　today　to　my　sister　to　tell　her　to　come　up　next

month　to　our　wedding；　and　I've　been　as　affectionate　and　happy　as　possible。

Comewhat's　the　matter？〃



He　put　his　arm　half　round　her　shoulder；　very　loosely。



〃I　think　it　would　be　better；〃　she　answered；　slowly。



〃Oh；　well；〃　he　said；　drawing　himself　up；　〃if　you　won't　enter　into

explanations　you　won't；　and　I'm　not　the　man　to　beg　and　praynot　to　any

woman；　and　you　know　that！　　If　you　don't　want　to　marry　me　I　can't　oblige　you

to；　of　course。〃



She　stood　quite　still　before　him。



〃You　women　never　do　know　your　own　minds　for　two　days　together；　and　of

course　you　know　the　state　of　your　own　feelings　best；　but　it's　very　strange。　

Have　you　really　made　up　your　mind；　Em？〃



〃Yes。〃



〃Well；　I'm　very　sorry。　　I'm　sure　I've　not　been　in　anything　to　blame。　　A　man

can't　always　be　billing　and　cooing；　but；　as　you　say；　if　your　feeling　for　me

has　changed；　it's　much　better　you　shouldn't　marry　me。　　There's　nothing　so

foolish　as　to　marry　some　one　you　don't　love；　and　I　only　wish　for　your

happiness；　I'm　sure。　　I　daresay　you'll　find　some　one　can　make　you　much

happier　than　I　could；　the　first　person　we　love　is　seldom　the　right　one。　

You　are　very　young；　it's　quite　natural　you　should　change。〃



She　said　nothing。



〃Things　often　seem　hard　at　the　time；　but　Providence　makes　them　turn　out　for

the　best　in　the　end；〃　said　Gregory。　　〃You'll　let　me　kiss　you；　Em；　just　for

old　friendship's　sake。〃　　He　stooped　down。　　〃You　must　look　upon　me　as　a　dear

brother；　as　a　cousin　at　least；　as　long　as　I　am　on　the　farm　I　shall　always

be　glad　to　help　you；　Em。〃



Soon　after　the　brown　pony　was　cantering　along　the　footpath　to　the　daub…and…

wattle　house；　and　his　master　as　he　rode　whistled　John　Speriwig　and　the

Thorn　Kloof　Schottische。



The　sun　had　not　yet　touched　the　outstretched　arms　of　the　prickly　pear　upon

the　kopje；　and　the　early　cocks　and　hens　still　strutted　about　stiffly　after

the　night's　roost；　when　Waldo　stood　before　the　wagon…house　saddling　the

grey　mare。　　Every　now　and　then　he　glanced　up　at　the　old　familiar　objects：　

they　had　a　new　aspect　that　morning。　　Even　the　cocks；　seen　in　the　light　of

parting；　had　a　peculiar　interest；　and　he　listened　with　conscious　attention

while　one　crowed　clear　and　loud　as　it　stood　on　the　pigsty　wall。　　He　wished

good　morning　softly　to　the　Kaffer　woman　who　was　coming　up　from　the　huts　to

light　the　fire。　　He　was　leaving　them　all　to　that　old　life；　and　from　his

height　he　looked　down　on　them　pityingly。　　So　they　would　keep　on　crowing；

and　coming　to　light　fires；　when　for　him　that　old　colourless　existence　was

but　a　dream。



He　went　into　the　house　to　say　good…bye　to　Em；　and　then　he　walked　to　the

door　of　Lyndall's　room　to　wake　her；　but　she　was　up；　and　standing　in　the

doorway。



〃So　you　are　ready；〃　she　said。



Waldo　looked　at　her　with　sudden　heaviness；　the　exhilaration　died　out　of　his

heart。　　Her　grey　dressing…gown　hung　close　about　her；　and　below　its　edge　the

little　bare　feet　were　resting　on　the　threshold。



〃I　wonder　when　we　shall　meet　again；　Waldo？　　What　you　will　be；　and　what　I？〃



〃Will　you　write　to　me？〃　he　asked　of　her。



〃Yes；　and　if　I　should　not；　you　can　still　remember；　wherever　you　are；　that

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　mus