the ivory child-第17章

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statement　of　which　I　forget　the　purport；　and　thus　that　crisis　passed。



Shortly　after　breakfast　Scroope　announced　to　Miss　Manners　that　her

carriage　was　waiting；　and　we　departed。　Before　I　went；　as　it　chanced；　I

had　a　few　private　words　with　my　host；　with　Miss　Holmes；　and　with　the

magnificent　Mr。　Savage。　To　the　last；　by　the　way；　I　offered　a　tip　which

he　refused；　saying　that　after　all　we　had　gone　through　together　he

could　not　allow　〃money　to　come　between　us；〃　by　which　he　meant；　to　pass

from　my　pocket　to　his。　Lord　Ragnall　asked　me　for　both　my　English　and

my　African　addresses；　which　he　noted　in　his　pocket…book。　Then　he　said；



〃Really；　Quatermain；　I　feel　as　though　I　had　known　you　for　years

instead　of　three　days；　if　you　will　allow　me　I　will　add　that　I　should

like　to　know　a　great　deal　more　of　you。〃　（He　was　destined　to　do　so；

poor　fellow；　though　neither　of　us　knew　it　at　the　time。）　〃If　ever　you

come　to　England　again　I　hope　you　will　make　this　house　your

headquarters。〃



〃And　if　ever　you　come　to　South　Africa；　Lord　Ragnall；　I　hope　you　will

make　my　four…roomed　shanty　on　the　Berea　at　Durban　your　headquarters。

You　will　get　a　hearty　welcome　there　and　something　to　eat；　but　little

more。〃



〃There　is　nothing　I　should　like　better；　Quatermain。　Circumstances　have

put　me　in　a　certain　position　in　this　country；　still　to　tell　you　the

truth　there　is　a　great　deal　about　the　life　of　which　I　grow　very　tired。

But　you　see　I　am　going　to　be　married；　and　that　I　fear　means　an　end　of

travelling；　since　naturally　my　wife　will　wish　to　take　her　place　in

society　and　the　rest。〃



〃Of　course；〃　I　replied；　〃for　it　is　not　every　young　lady　who　has　the

luck　to　become　an　English　peeress　with　all　the　etceteras；　is　it？　Still

I　am　not　so　sure　but　that　Miss　Holmes　will　take　to　travelling　some

day；　although　I　/am/　sure　that　she　would　do　better　to　stay　at　home。〃



He　looked　at　me　curiously；　then　asked；



〃You　don't　think　there　is　anything　really　serious　in　all　this

business；　do　you？〃



〃I　don't　know　what　to　think；〃　I　answered；　〃except　that　you　will　do

well　to　keep　a　good　eye　upon　your　wife。　What　those　Easterns　tried　to

do　last　night　and；　I　think；　years　ago；　they　may　try　again　soon；　or

years　hence；　for　evidently　they　are　patient　and　determined　men　with

much　to　win。　Also　it　is　a　curious　coincidence　that　she　should　have

that　mark　upon　her　which　appeals　so　strongly　to　Messrs。　Har？t　and

Mar？t；　and；　to　be　brief；　she　is　in　some　ways　different　from　most　young

women。　As　she　said　to　me　herself　last　night；　Lord　Ragnall；　we　are

surrounded　by　mysteries；　mysteries　of　blood；　of　inherited　spirit；　of

this　world　generally　in　which　it　is　probable　that　we　all　descended

from　quite　a　few　common　ancestors。　And　beyond　these　are　other

mysteries　of　the　measureless　universe　to　which　we　belong；　that　may

already　be　exercising　their　strong　and　secret　influences　upon　us；　as

perhaps；　did　we　know　it；　they　have　done　for　millions　of　years　in　the

Infinite　whence　we　came　and　whither　we　go。〃



I　suppose　I　spoke　somewhat　solemnly；　for　he　said；



〃Do　you　know　you　frighten　me　a　little；　though　I　don't　quite　understand

what　you　mean。〃　Then　we　parted。



With　Miss　Holmes　my　conversation　was　shorter。　She　remarked；



〃It　has　been　a　great　pleasure　to　me　to　meet　you。　I　do　not　remember

anybody　with　whom　I　have　found　myself　in　so　much　sympathyexcept　one

of　course。　It　is　strange　to　think　that　when　we　meet　again　I　shall　be　a

married　woman。〃



〃I　do　not　suppose　we　shall　ever　meet　again；　Miss　Holmes。　Your　life　is

here；　mine　is　in　the　wildest　places　of　a　wild　land　far　away。〃



〃Oh！　yes；　we　shall；〃　she　answered。　〃I　learned　this　and　lots　of　other

things　when　I　held　my　head　in　that　smoke　last　night。〃



Then　we　also　parted。



Lastly　Mr。　Savage　arrived　with　my　coat。　〃Goodbye；　Mr。　Quatermain；〃　he

said。　〃If　I　forget　everything　else　I　shall　never　forget　you　and　those

villains；　Harum　and　Scarum　and　their　snakes。　I　hope　it　won't　be　my　lot

ever　to　clap　eyes　on　them　again；　Mr。　Quatermain；　and　yet　somehow　I

don't　feel　so　sure　of　that。〃



〃Nor　do　I；〃　I　replied；　with　a　kind　of　inspiration；　after　which

followed　the　episode　of　the　rejected　tip。







CHAPTER　VI



THE　BONA　FIDE　GOLD　MINE



Fully　two　years　had　gone　by　since　I　bade　farewell　to　Lord　Ragnall　and

Miss　Holmes；　and　when　the　curtain　draws　up　again　behold　me　seated　on

the　stoep　of　my　little　house　at　Durban；　plunged　in　reflection　and　very

sad　indeed。　Why　I　was　sad　I　will　explain　presently。



In　that　interval　of　time　I　had　heard　once　or　twice　about　Lord　Ragnall。

Thus　I　received　from　Scroope　a　letter　telling　of　his　lordship's

marriage　with　Miss　Holmes；　which；　it　appeared；　had　been　a　very　fine

affair　indeed；　quite　one　of　the　events　of　the　London　season。　Two

Royalties　attended　the　ceremony；　a　duke　was　the　best　man；　and　the

presents　according　to　all　accounts　were　superb　and　of　great　value；

including　a　priceless　pearl　necklace　given　by　the　bridegroom　to　the

bride。　A　cutting　from　a　society　paper　which　Scroope　enclosed　dwelt　at

length　upon　the　splendid　appearance　of　the　bridegroom　and　the　sweet

loveliness　of　the　bride。　Also　it　described　her　dress　in　language　which

was　Greek　to　me。　One　sentence；　however；　interested　me　intensely。



It　ran：　〃The　bride　occasioned　some　comment　by　wearing　only　one

ornament；　although　the　Ragnall　family　diamonds；　which　have　not　seen

the　light　for　many　years；　are　known　to　be　some　of　the　finest　in　the

country。　It　was　a　necklace　of　what　appeared　to　be　large　but　rather

roughly　polished　rubies；　to　which　hung　a　small　effigy　of　an　Egyptian

god　also　fashioned　from　a　ruby。　It　must　be　added　that　although　of　an

unusual　nature　on　such　an　occasion　this　jewel　suited　her　dark　beauty

well。　Lady　Ragnall's　selection　of　it；　however；　from　the　many　she

possesses　was　the　cause　of　much　speculation。　When　asked　by　a　friend

why　she　had　chosen　it；　she　is　reported　to　have　said　that　it　was　to

bring　her　good　fortune。〃



Now　why　did　she　wear　the　barbaric　marriage　gift　of　Har？t　and　Mar？t　in

preference　to　all　the　other　gems　at　her　disposal；　I　wondered。　The

thing　was　so　strange　as　to　be　almost　uncanny。



The　second　piece　of　information　concerning　this　pair　reached　me

through　the　medium　of　an　old　/Times/　newspaper　which　I　received　over　a

year　later。　It　was　to　the　effect　that　a　son　and　heir　had　been　born　to

Lord　Ragnall　and　that　both　mother　and　child　were　doing　well。



So　there's　the　end　to　a　very　curious　little　story；　thought　I　to

myself。







Well；　during　those　two　years　many　things　befell　me。　First　of　all；　in

company　with　my　old　friend　Sir　Stephen　Somers；　I　made　the　expedition

to　Pongoland　in　search　of　the　wonderful　orchid　which　he　desired　to　add

to　his　collection。　I　have　already　written　of　that　journey　and　our

extraordinary　adventures；　and　need　therefore　allude　to　it　no　more

here；　except　to　say　that　during　the　course　of　it　I　was　sorely　tempted

to　travel　to　the　territory　north　of　the　lake　in　which　the　Pongos

dwelt。　Much　did　I　desire　to　see　whether　Messrs。　Har？t　and　Mar？t　would

in　truth　appear　to　conduct　me　to　the　land　where　the　wonderful　elephant

which　was　supposed　to　be　animated　by　an　evil　spirit　was　waiting　to　be

killed　by　my　rifle。　However；　I　resisted　the　impulse；　as　indeed　our

circumstances　obliged　me　to　do。　In　the　end　we　returned　safely　to

Durban；　and　here　I　came　to　the　conclusion　that　never　again　would　I

risk　my　life　on　such　mad　expeditions。



Owing　to　circumstances　which　I　have　detailed　elsewhere　I　was　now　in

possession　of　a　considerable　sum　of　cash；　and　this　I　determined　to　lay

out　in　such　a　fashion　as　to　make　me　independent　of　hunting　and　trading

in　the　wilder　regions　of　Africa。　As　usual　when　money　is　forthcoming；

an　opportunity　soon　presented　itself　in　the　shape　of　a　gold　mine　which

had　been　discovered　on　the　borders　of　Zululand；　one　of　the　first　that

was　ever　found　in　those　districts。　A　Jew　trader　named　Jacob　brought　it

to　my　notice　and　offered　me　a　half　share　if　I　would　put　up　t