benita-第1章

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Benita

An　African　Romance


by　H。　Rider　Haggard










NOTES



　　It　may　interest　readers　of　this　story　to　know　that　its　author

　　believes　it　to　have　a　certain　foundation　in　fact。



　　It　was　said　about　five…and…twenty　or　thirty　years　ago　that　an

　　adventurous　trader；　hearing　from　some　natives　in　the　territory

　　that　lies　at　the　back　of　Quilimane；　the　legend　of　a　great　treasure

　　buried　in　or　about　the　sixteenth　century　by　a　party　of　Portuguese

　　who　were　afterwards　massacred；　as　a　last　resource　attempted　its

　　discovery　by　the　help　of　a　mesmerist。　According　to　this　history

　　the　child　who　was　used　as　a　subject　in　the　experiment；　when　in　a

　　state　of　trance；　detailed　the　adventures　and　death　of　the　unhappy

　　Portuguese　men　and　women；　two　of　whom　leapt　from　the　point　of　a

　　high　rock　into　the　Zambesi。　Although　he　knew　no　tongue　but

　　English；　this　clairvoyant　child　is　declared　to　have　repeated　in

　　Portuguese　the　prayers　these　unfortunates　offered　up；　and　even　to

　　have　sung　the　very　hymns　they　sang。　Moreover；　with　much　other

　　detail；　he　described　the　burial　of　the　great　treasure　and　its

　　exact　situation　so　accurately　that　the　white　man　and　the　mesmerist

　　were　able　to　dig　for　and　find　the　place　where　/it　had　been/for

　　the　bags　were　gone；　swept　out　by　the　floods　of　the　river。



　　Some　gold　coins　remained；　however；　one　of　them　a　ducat　of　Aloysius

　　Mocenigo；　Doge　of　Venice。　Afterwards　the　boy　was　again　thrown　into

　　a　trance　（in　all　he　was　mesmerized　eight　times）；　and　revealed

　　where　the　sacks　still　lay；　but　before　the　white　trader　could　renew

　　his　search　for　them；　the　party　was　hunted　out　of　the　country　by

　　natives　whose　superstitious　fears　were　aroused；　barely　escaping

　　with　their　lives。



　　It　should　be　added　that；　as　in　the　following　tale；　the　chief　who

　　was　ruling　there　when　the　tragedy　happened；　declared　the　place　to

　　be　sacred；　and　that　if　it　were　entered　evil　would　befall　his

　　tribe。　Thus　it　came　about　that　for　generations　it　was　never

　　violated；　until　at　length　his　descendants　were　driven　farther　from

　　the　river　by　war；　and　from　one　of　them　the　white　man　heard　the

　　legend。









BENITA



AN　AFRICAN　ROMANCE







I



CONFIDENCES



Beautiful；　beautiful　was　that　night！　No　air　that　stirred；　the　black

smoke　from　the　funnels　of　the　mail　steamer　/Zanzibar/　lay　low　over　the

surface　of　the　sea　like　vast；　floating　ostrich　plumes　that　vanished

one　by　one　in　the　starlight。　Benita　Beatrix　Clifford；　for　that　was　her

full　name；　who　had　been　christened　Benita　after　her　mother　and　Beatrix

after　her　father's　only　sister；　leaning　idly　over　the　bulwark　rail；

thought　to　herself　that　a　child　might　have　sailed　that　sea　in　a　boat

of　bark　and　come　safely　into　port。



Then　a　tall　man　of　about　thirty　years　of　age；　who　was　smoking　a　cigar；

strolled　up　to　her。　At　his　coming　she　moved　a　little　as　though　to　make

room　for　him　beside　her；　and　there　was　something　in　the　motion　which；

had　anyone　been　there　to　observe　it；　might　have　suggested　that　these

two　were　upon　terms　of　friendship；　or　still　greater　intimacy。　For　a

moment　he　hesitated；　and　while　he　did　so　an　expression　of　doubt；　of

distress　even；　gathered　on　his　face。　It　was　as　though　he　understood

that　a　great　deal　depended　on　whether　he　accepted　or　declined　that

gentle　invitation；　and　knew　not　which　to　do。



Indeed；　much　did　depend　upon　it；　no　less　than　the　destinies　of　both　of

them。　If　Robert　Seymour　had　gone　by　to　finish　his　cigar　in　solitude；

why　then　this　story　would　have　had　a　very　different　ending；　or；

rather；　who　can　say　how　it　might　have　ended？　The　dread；　foredoomed

event　with　which　that　night　was　big　would　have　come　to　its　awful　birth

leaving　certain　words　unspoken。　Violent　separation　must　have　ensued；

and　even　if　both　of　them　had　survived　the　terror；　what　prospect　was

there　that　their　lives　would　again　have　crossed　each　other　in　that

wide　Africa？



But　it　was　not　so　fated；　for　just　as　he　put　his　foot　forward　to

continue　his　march　Benita　spoke　in　her　low　and　pleasant　voice。



〃Are　you　going　to　the　smoking…room　or　to　the　saloon　to　dance；　Mr。

Seymour？　One　of　the　officers　just　told　me　that　there　is　to　be　a

dance；〃　she　added；　in　explanation；　〃because　it　is　so　calm　that　we

might　fancy　ourselves　ashore。〃



〃Neither；〃　he　answered。　〃The　smoking…room　is　stuffy；　and　my　dancing

days　are　over。　No；　I　proposed　to　take　exercise　after　that　big　dinner；

and　then　to　sit　in　a　chair　and　fall　asleep。　But；〃　he　added；　and　his

voice　grew　interested；　〃how　did　you　know　that　it　was　I？　You　never

turned　your　head。〃



〃I　have　ears　in　my　head　as　well　as　eyes；〃　she　answered　with　a　little

laugh；　〃and　after　we　have　been　nearly　a　month　together　on　this　ship　I

ought　to　know　your　step。〃



〃I　never　remember　that　anyone　ever　recognized　it　before；〃　he　said；

more　to　himself　than　to　her；　then　came　and　leaned　over　the　rail　at　her

side。　His　doubts　were　gone。　Fate　had　spoken。



For　a　while　there　was　silence　between　them；　then　he　asked　her　if　she

were　not　going　to　the　dance。



Benita　shook　her　head。



〃Why　not？　You　are　fond　of　dancing；　and　you　dance　very　well。　Also　there

are　plenty　of　officers　for　partners；　especially　Captain〃　and　he

checked　himself。



〃I　know；〃　she　said；　〃it　would　be　pleasant；　butMr。　Seymour；　will　you

think　me　foolish　if　I　tell　you　something？〃



〃I　have　never　thought　you　foolish　yet；　Miss　Clifford；　so　I　don't　know

why　I　should　begin　now。　What　is　it？〃



〃I　am　not　going　to　the　dance　because　I　am　afraid；　yes；　horribly

afraid。〃



〃Afraid！　Afraid　of　what？〃



〃I　don't　quite　know；　but；　Mr。　Seymour；　I　feel　as　though　we　were　all　of

us　upon　the　edge　of　some　dreadful　catastropheas　though　there　were

about　to　be　a　mighty　change；　and　beyond　it　another　life；　something　new

and　unfamiliar。　It　came　over　me　at　dinnerthat　was　why　I　left　the

table。　Quite　suddenly　I　looked；　and　all　the　people　were　different；

yes；　all　except　a　few。〃



〃Was　I　different？〃　he　asked　curiously。



〃No；　you　were　not；〃　and　he　thought　he　heard　her　add　〃Thank　God！〃

beneath　her　breath。



〃And　were　you　different？〃



〃I　don't　know。　I　never　looked　at　myself；　I　was　the　seer；　not　the　seen。

I　have　always　been　like　that。〃



〃Indigestion；〃　he　said　reflectively。　〃We　eat　too　much　on　board　ship；

and　the　dinner　was　very　long　and　heavy。　I　told　you　so；　that's　why　I'm

takingI　mean　why　I　wanted　to　take　exercise。〃



〃And　to　go　to　sleep　afterwards。〃



〃Yes；　first　the　exercise；　then　the　sleep。　Miss　Clifford；　that　is　the

rule　of　lifeand　death。　With　sleep　thought　ends；　therefore　for　some

of　us　your　catastrophe　is　much　to　be　desired；　for　it　would　mean　long

sleep　and　no　thought。〃



〃I　said　that　they　were　changed；　not　that　they　had　ceased　to　think。

Perhaps　they　thought　the　more。〃



〃Then　let　us　pray　that　your　catastrophe　may　be　averted。　I　prescribe

for　you　bismuth　and　carbonate　of　soda。　Also　in　this　weather　it　seems

difficult　to　imagine　such　a　thing。　Look　now；　Miss　Clifford；〃　he　added；

with　a　note　of　enthusiasm　in　his　voice；　pointing　towards　the　east；

〃look。〃



Her　eyes　followed　his　outstretched　hand；　and　there；　above　the　level

ocean；　rose　the　great　orb　of　the　African　moon。　Lo！　of　a　sudden　all

that　ocean　turned　to　silver；　a　wide　path　of　rippling　silver　stretched

from　it　to　them。　It　might　have　been　the　road　of　angels。　The　sweet　soft

light　beat　upon　their　ship；　showing　its　tapering　masts　and　every

detail　of　the　rigging。　It　passed　on　beyond　them；　and　revealed　the　low；

foam…fringed　coast…line　rising　here　and　there；　dotted　with　kloofs　and

their　clinging　bush。　Even　the　round　huts　of　Kaffir　kraals　became

faintly　visible　in　that　radiance。　Other　things　became　visible　also

for　instance；　the　features　of　this　pair。



The　man　was　light　in　his　colouring；　fair…skinned；　with　fair　hair　which

already　showed　a　tendency　towards　greyness；　especially　in　the

moustache；　for　he　wore　no　beard。　His　face　was　clean　c