the story of an african farm-第61章

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the　house；　most　like　a　tired　child　weary　with　crying。



Em　woke　up；　and　sat　before　the　fire；　rubbing　her　eyes；　and　listening；　as　it

sobbed　about　the　gables；　and　wandered　away　over　the　long　stone　walls。



〃How　quiet　it　has　grown　now；〃　she　said；　and　sighed　herself；　partly　from

weariness　and　partly　from　sympathy　with　the　tired　wind。　　He　did　not　answer

her；　he　was　lost　in　his　letter。



She　rose　slowly　after　a　time；　and　rested　her　hand　on　his　shoulder。



〃You　have　many　letters　to　write；〃　she　said。



〃No；〃　he　answered；　〃it　is　only　one　to　Lyndall。〃



She　turned　away；　and　stood　long　before　the　fire　looking　into　it。　　If　you

have　a　deadly　fruit　to　give；　it　will　not　grow　sweeter　by　keeping。



〃Waldo；　dear；〃　she　said；　putting　her　hand　on　his；　〃leave　off　writing。〃



He　threw　back　the　dark　hair　from　his　forehead　and　looked　at　her。



〃It　is　no　use　writing　any　more；〃　she　said。



〃Why　not？〃　he　asked。



She　put　her　hand　over　the　papers　he　had　written。



〃Waldo；〃　she　said；　〃Lyndall　is　dead。〃





Chapter　2。XII。　　Gregory's　Womanhood。



Slowly　over　the　flat　came　a　cart。　　On　the　back　seat　sat　Gregory；　his　arms

folded；　his　hat　drawn　over　his　eyes。　　A　Kaffer　boy　sat　on　the　front　seat

driving；　and　at　his　feet　sat　Doss；　who；　now　and　again；　lifted　his　nose　and

eyes　above　the　level　of　the　splashboard；　to　look　at　the　surrounding

country；　and　then；　with　an　exceedingly　knowing　wink　of　his　left　eye；　turned

to　his　companions；　thereby　intimating　that　he　clearly　perceived　his

whereabouts。　　No　one　noticed　the　cart　coming。　　Waldo；　who　was　at　work　at

his　carpenter's　table　in　the　wagon…house；　saw　nothing；　till　chancing　to

look　down　he　perceived　Doss　standing　before　him；　the　legs　trembling；　the

little　nose　wrinkled；　and　a　series　of　short　suffocating　barks　giving

utterance　to　his　joy　at　reunion。



Em；　whose　eyes　had　ached　with　looking　out　across　the　plain；　was　now　at　work

in　a　back　room；　and　knew　nothing　till；　looking　up；　she　saw　Gregory；　with

his　straw　hat　and　blue　eyes；　standing　in　the　doorway。　　He　greeted　her

quietly；　hung　his　hat　up　in　its　old　place　behind　the　door；　and　for　any

change　in　his　manner　or　appearance　he　might　have　been　gone　only　the　day

before　to　fetch　letters　from　the　town。　　Only　his　beard　was　gone；　and　his

face　was　grown　thinner。　　He　took　off　his　leather　gaiters；　said　the

afternoon　was　hot　and　the　roads　dusty；　and　asked　for　some　tea。　　They　talked

of　wool；　and　the　cattle；　and　the　sheep；　and　Em　gave　him　the　pile　of　letters

that　had　come　for　him　during　the　months　of　absence；　but　of　the　thing　that

lay　at　their　hearts　neither　said　anything。　　Then　he　went　out　to　look　at　the

kraals；　and　at　supper　Em　gave　him　hot　cakes　and　coffee。　　They　talked　about

the　servants；　and　then　ate　their　meal　in　quiet。　　She　asked　no　questions。　

When　it　was　ended　Gregory　went　into　the　front　room；　and　lay　in　the　dark　on

the　sofa。



〃Do　you　not　want　a　light？〃　Em　asked；　venturing　to　look　in。



〃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　gentle