the story of an african farm-第62章

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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　taproom；　and

to　the　maids　in　the　kitchen；　and　to　the　passers…by　when　she　could　hail　them

from　the　windows；　talking；　as　good…natured　women　with　large　mouths　and

small　noses　always　do；　in　season　and　out。



There　was　a　little　front　parlour　in　the　hotel；　kept　for　strangers　who

wanted　to　be　alone。　　Gregory　sat　there　to　eat　his　breakfast；　and　the

landlady　dusted　the　room　and　talked　of　the　great　finds　at　the　Diamond

Fields；　and　the　badness　of　maid…servants；　and　the　shameful　conduct　of　the

Dutch　parson　in　that　town　to　the　English　inhabitants。　　Gregory　ate　his

breakfast　and　listened　to　nothing。　　He　had　asked　his　one　question；　and　had

had　his　answer；　now　she　might　talk　on。



Presently　a　door　in　the　corner　opened　and　a　woman　came　outa　Mozambiquer；

with　a　red　handkerchief　twisted　round　her　head。　　She　carried　in　her　hand　a

tray；　with　a　slice　of　toast　crumbled　fine；　and　a　half…filled　cup　of　coffee；

and　an　egg　broken　open；　but　not　eaten。　　Her　ebony　face　grinned　complacently

as　she　shut　the　door　softly　and　said；　〃Good　morning。〃



The　landlady　began　to　talk　to　her。



〃You　are　not　going　to　leave　her　really；　Ayah；　are　you？〃　she　said。　　〃The

maids　say　so；　but　I'm　sure　you　wouldn't　do　such　a　thing。〃



The　Mozambiquer　grinned。



〃Husband　says　I　must　go　home。〃



〃But　she　hasn't　got　any　one　else；　and　won't　have　any　one　else。　　Come；　now；〃

said　the　landlady；　〃I've　no　time　to　be　sitting　always　in　a　sickroom；　not　if

I　was　paid　anything　for　it。〃



The　Mozambiquer　only　showed　her　white　teeth　good…naturedly　for　answer；　and

went　out；　and　the　landlady　followed　her。



Gregory；　glad　to　be　alone；　watched　the　sunshine　as　it　came　over　the

fuchsias　in　the　window；　and　ran　up　and　down　on　the　panelled　door　in　the

corner。　　The　Mozambiquer　had　closed　it　loosely　behind　her；　and　presently

something　touched　it　inside。　　It　moved　a　little；　then　it　was　still；　then

moved　again；　then　through　the　gap　a　small　nose　appeared；　and　a　yellow　ear

overlapping　one　eye；　then　the　whole　head　obtruded；　placed　itself　critically

on　one　side；　wrinkled　its　nose　disapprovingly　at　Gregory；　and　withdrew。　

Through　the　half…open　door　came　a　faint　scent　of　vinegar；　and　the　room　was

dark　and　still。



Presently　the　landlady　came　back。



〃Left　the　door　open；〃　she　said；　bustling　to　shut　it；　〃but　a　darky　will　be　a

darky；　and　never　carries　a　head　on　its　shoulders　like　other　folks。　　Not

ill；　I　hope　sir？〃　she　said；　looking　at　Gregory　when　she　had　shut　the

bedroom　door。



〃No；〃　said　Gregory；　〃no。〃



The　landlady　began　putting　the　things　together。



〃Who；〃　asked　Gregory；　〃is　in　that　room？〃



Glad　to　have　a　little　innocent　piece　of　gossip　to　relate；　and　some　one

willing　to　hear　it；　the　landlady　made　the　most　of　a　little　story　as　she

cleared　the　table。　　Six　months　before　a　lady　had　come　alone　to　the　hotel　in

a　wagon；　with　only　a　coloured　leader　and　driver。　　Eight　days　after　a　little

baby　had　been　born。



If　Gregory　stood　up　and　looked　out　at　the　window　he　would　see　a　bluegum…

tree　in　the　graveyard；　close　by　it　was　a　little　grave。　　The　baby　was　buried

there。　　A　tiny　thingonly　lived　two　hours；　and　the　mother　herself　almost

went　with　it。　　After　a　while　she　was　better；　but　one　day　she　got　up　out　of

bed；　dressed　herself　without　saying　a　word　to　any　one；　and　went　out。　　It

was　a　drizzly　day；　a　little　time　after　some　one　saw　her　sitting　on　the　wet

ground　under　the　bluegum…tree；　with　the　rain　dripping　from　her　hat　and

shawl。　　They　went　to　fetch　her；　but　she　would　not　come　until　she　chose。　

When　she　did；　she　had　gone　to　bed　and　had　not　risen　again　from　it；　never

would；　the　doctor　said。



She　was　very　patient；　poor　thing。　　When　you　went　in　to　ask　her　how　she　was

she　said　always　〃Better；〃　or　〃Nearly　well！〃　and　lay　still　in　the　darkened

room；　and　never　troubled　any　one。　　The　Mozambiquer　took　care　of　her；　and

she　would　not　allow　any　one　else　to　touch　her；　would　not　so　much　as　allow

any　one　else　to　see　her　foot　uncovered。　　She　was　strange　in　many　ways；　but

she　paid　well；　poor　thing；　and　now　the　Mozambiquer　was　going；　and　she　would

have　to　take　up　with　some　one　else。



The　landlady　prattled　on　pleasantly；　and　now　carried　away　the　tray　with　the

breakfast　things。　　When　she　was　gone　Gregory　leaned　his　head　on　his　hands；

but　he　did　not　think　long。



Before　dinner　he　had　ridden　out　of　the　town　to　where　on　a　rise　a　number　of

transport…wagons　were　outspanned。　　The　Dutchman　driver　of　one　wondered　at

the　stranger's　eagerness　to　free　himself　of　his　horses。　　Stolen　perhaps；

but　it　was　worth　his　while　to　buy　them　at　so　low　a　price。　　So　the　horses

changed　masters；　and　Gregory　walked　off　with　his　saddlebags　slung　across

his　arm。　　Once　out　of　sight　of　the　wagons　he　struck　out　of　the　road　and

walked　across　the　veld；　the　dry；　flowering　grasses　waving　everywhere　about

him；　half…way　across　the　plain　he　came　to　a　deep　gully　which　the　rain

torrents　had　washed　out；　but　which　was　now　dry。　　Gregory　sprung　down　into

its　red　bed。　　It　was　a　safe　place；　and　quiet。　　When　he　had　looked　about　him

he　sat　down　under　the　shade　of　an　overhanging　bank　and　fanned　himself　with

his　hat；　for　the　afternoon　was　hot；　and　he　had　walked　fast。　　At　his　feet

the　dusty　ants　ran　about；　and　the　high　red　bank　before　him　was　covered　by　a

network　of　roots　and　fibres　washed　bare　by　the　rains。　　Above　his　head　rose

the　clear　blue　African　sky；　at　his　side　were　the　saddlebags　full　of　women's

clothing。　　Gregory　looked　up　half　plaintively　into　the　blue　sky。



〃Am　I；　am　I　Gregory　Nazianzen　Rose？〃　he　said。



It　was　also　strange；　he　sitting　there　in　that　sloot　in　that　up…country

plain！strange　as　the　fantastic；　changing　shapes　in　a　summer　cloud。　　At

last；　tired　out；　he　fell　asleep；　with　his　head　against　the　bank。　　When　he

woke　the　shadow　had　stretched　across　the　sloot；　and　the　sun　was　on　the　edge

of　the　plain。　　Now　he　must　be　up　and　doing。　　He　drew　from　his　breast　pocke