the ivory child-第25章

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told　me。'



〃Those　were　his　very　words；　Quatermain；　for　I　wrote　them　down

afterwards　while　they　were　fresh　in　my　memory；　and　you　see　here　they

are　in　my　pocket…book。



〃Well；　I　answered　him；　rather　brusquely　I　am　afraid；　for　a　crazed　man

who　is　about　to　leave　the　world　under　such　circumstances　does　not　show

at　his　best　when　disturbed　almost　in　the　very　act；　to　the　edge　of

which　long　agony　has　brought　him。　I　told　him　that　all　his　dream　of

snakes　seemed　ridiculous；　which　obviously　it　was；　and　was　about　to

send　him　away；　when　it　occurred　to　me　that　the　suggestion　it　conveyed

that　I　should　put　myself　in　communication　with　you　was　not　ridiculous

in　view　of　the　part　you　had　already　played　in　the　story。〃



〃Very　far　from　ridiculous；〃　I　interpolated。



〃To　tell　the　truth；〃　went　on　Lord　Ragnall；　〃I　had　already　thought　of

doing　the　same　thing；　but　somehow　beneath　the　pressure　of　my　imminent

grief　the　idea　was　squeezed　out　of　my　mind；　perhaps　because　you　were

so　far　away　and　I　did　not　know　if　I　could　find　you　even　if　I　tried。

Pausing　for　a　moment　before　I　dismissed　Savage；　I　rose　from　the　desk

at　which　I　was　writing　and　began　to　walk　up　and　down　the　room　thinking

what　I　would　do。　I　am　not　certain　if　you　saw　it　when　you　were　at

Ragnall；　but　it　is　a　large　room；　fifty　feet　long　or　so　though　not　very

broad。　It　has　two　fireplaces；　in　both　of　which　fires　were　burning　on

this　night；　and　it　was　lit　by　four　standing　lamps　besides　that　upon　my

desk。　Now　between　these　fireplaces；　in　a　kind　of　niche　in　the　wall；

and　a　little　in　the　shadow　because　none　of　the　lamps　was　exactly

opposite　to　it；　hung　a　portrait　of　my　wife　which　I　had　caused　to　be

painted　by　a　fashionable　artist　when　first　we　became　engaged。〃



〃I　remember　it；〃　I　said。　〃Or　rather；　I　remember　its　existence。　I　did

not　see　it　because　a　curtain　hung　over　the　picture；　which　Savage　told

me　you　did　not　wish　to　be　looked　at　by　anybody　but　yourself。　At　the

time　I　remarked　to　him；　or　rather　to　myself；　that　to　veil　the　likeness

of　a　living　woman　in　such　a　way　seemed　to　me　rather　an　ill…omened

thing　to　do；　though　why　I　should　have　thought　it　so　I　do　not　quite

know。〃



〃You　are　quite　right；　Quatermain。　I　had　that　foolish　fancy；　a　lover's

freak；　I　suppose。　When　we　married　the　curtain　was　removed　although　the

brass　rod　on　which　it　hung　was　left　by　some　oversight。　On　my　return　to

England　after　my　loss；　however；　I　found　that　I　could　not　bear　to　look

upon　this　lifeless　likeness　of　one　who　had　been　taken　from　me　so

cruelly；　and　I　caused　it　to　be　replaced。　I　did　more。　In　order　that　it

might　not　be　disturbed　by　some　dusting　housemaid；　I　myself　made　it

fast　with　three　or　four　tin…tacks　which　I　remember　I　drove　through　the

velvet　stuff　into　the　panelling；　using　a　fireiron　as　a　hammer。　At　the

time　I　thought　it　a　good　job　although　by　accident　I　struck　the　nail　of

the　third　finger　of　my　left　hand　so　hard　that　it　came　off。　Look；　it

has　not　quite　finished　growing　again；〃　and　he　showed　the　finger　on

which　the　new　nail　was　still　in　process　of　formation。



〃Well；　as　I　walked　up　and　down　the　room　some　impulse　caused　me　to　look

towards　the　picture。　To　my　astonishment　I　saw　that　it　was　no　longer

veiled；　although　to　the　best　of　my　belief　the　curtain　had　been　drawn

over　it　as　lately　as　that　afternoon；　indeed　I　could　have　sworn　that

this　was　so。　I　called　to　Savage　to　bring　the　lamp　that　stood　upon　my

table；　and　by　its　light　made　an　examination。　The　curtain　was　drawn

back；　very　tidily；　being　fastened　in　its　place　clear　of　the　little

alcove　by　means　of　a　thin　brass　chain。　Also　along　one　edge　of　it；　that

which　I　had　nailed　to　the　panelling；　the　tin…tacks　were　still　in　their

places；　that　is；　three　of　them　were；　the　fourth　I　found　afterwards

upon　the　floor。



〃'She　looks　beautiful；　doesn't　she；　my　lord；'　said　Savage；　'and　please

God　so　we　shall　still　find　her　somewhere　in　the　world。'



〃I　did　not　answer　him；　or　even　remark　upon　the　withdrawal　of　the

curtain；　as　to　which　indeed　I　never　made　an　inquiry。　I　suppose　that　it

was　done　by　some　zealous　servant　while　I　was　pretending　to　eat　my

dinnerthere　were　one　or　two　new　ones　in　the　house　whose　names　and

appearance　I　did　not　know。　What　impressed　itself　upon　my　mind　was　that

the　face　which　I　had　never　expected　to　see　again　on　the　earth；　even　in

a　picture；　was　once　more　given　to　my　eyes；　it　mattered　not　how。　This；

in　my　excited　state；　for　laudanum　waiting　to　be　swallowed　and　a　pistol

at　full　cock　for　firing　do　not　induce　calmness　in　a　man　already　almost

mad；　at　any　rate　until　they　have　fulfilled　their　offices；　did　in　truth

appear　to　me　to　be　something　of　the　nature　of　a　sign　such　as　that

spoken　of　in　Savage's　idiotic　dream；　which　I　was　to　find　if　'I　looked

round　the　study。'



〃'Savage；'　I　said；　'I　don't　think　much　of　your　dreams　about　snakes

that　talk　to　you；　but　I　do　think　that　it　might　be　well　to　see　Mr。

Quatermain。　To…day　is　Sunday　and　I　believe　that　the　African　mail　sails

on　Friday。　Go　to　town　early　to…morrow　and　book　passages。'



〃Also　I　told　him　to　see　various　gunsmiths　and　bid　them　send　down　a

selection　of　rifles　and　other　weapons　for　me　to　choose　from；　as　I　did

not　know　whither　we　might　wander　in　Africa；　and　to　make　further

necessary　arrangements。　All　of　these　things　he　did；　andhere　we　are。〃



〃Yes；〃　I　answered　reflectively；　〃here　you　are。　What　is　more；　here　is

your　luggage　of　which　there　seems　to　be　enough　for　a　regiment；〃　and　I

pointed　to　a　Scotch　cart　piled　up　with　baggage　and　followed　by　a　long

line　of　Kafirs　carrying　sundry　packages　upon　their　heads　that；

marshalled　by　Savage；　had　halted　at　my　gate。







CHAPTER　VIII



THE　START



That　evening　when　the　baggage　had　been　disposed　of　and　locked　up　in　my

little　stable　and　arrangements　were　made　for　the　delivery　of　some

cases　containing　tinned　foods；　etc。；　which　had　proved　too　heavy　for

the　Scotch　cart；　Lord　Ragnall　and　I　continued　our　conversation。　First；

however；　we　unpacked　the　guns　and　checked　the　ammunition；　of　which

there　was　a　large　supply；　with　more　to　follow。



A　beautiful　battery　they　were　of　all　sorts　from　elephant　guns　down；

the　most　costly　and　best　finished　that　money　could　buy　at　the　time。　It

made　me　shiver　to　think　what　the　bill　for　them　must　have　been；　while

their　appearance　when　they　were　put　together　and　stood　in　a　long　line

against　the　wall　of　my　sitting…room；　moved　old　Hans　to　a　kind　of

ecstasy。　For　a　long　while　he　contemplated　them；　patting　the　stocks　one

after　the　other　and　giving　to　each　a　name　as　though　they　were　all

alive；　then　exclaimed：



〃With　such　weapons　as　these　the　Baas　could　kill　the　devil　himself。

Still；　let　the　Baas　bring　Intombi　with　him〃a　favourite　old　rifle　of

mine　and　a　mere　toy　in　size；　that　had　however　done　me　good　service　in

the　past；　as　those　who　have　read　what　I　have　written　in　〃Marie〃　and

〃The　Holy　Flower〃　may　remember。　〃For；　Baas；　after　all；　the　wife　of

one's　youth　often　proves　more　to　be　trusted　than　the　fine　young　ones　a

man　buys　in　his　age。　Also　one　knows　all　her　faults；　but　who　can　say

how　many　there　may　be　hidden　up　in　new　women　however　beautifully　they

are　tattooed？〃　and　he　pointed　to　the　elaborate　engraving　upon　the

guns。



I　translated　this　speech　to　Lord　Ragnall。　It　made　him　laugh；　at　which

I　was　glad　for　up　till　then　I　had　not　seen　him　even　smile。　I　should

add　that　in　addition　to　these　sporting　weapons　there　were　no　fewer

than　fifty　military　rifles　of　the　best　make；　they　were　large…bore

Sniders　that　had　just　then　been　put　upon　the　market；　and　with　them；

packed　in　tin　cases；　a　great　quantity　of　ammunition。　Although　the

regulations　were　not　so　strict　then　as　they　are　now；　I　met　with　a

great　deal　of　difficulty　in　getting　all　this　armament　through　the

Customs。　Lord　Ragnall　however　had　letters　from　the　Colonial　Office　to

such　authorities　as　ruled　in　Natal；　and　on　our　giving　a　joint

undertaking　that　they　were　for　defensive　purposes　only　in　unexplored

territory　and　not　for　sale；　they