benita-第13章

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Meyer；　he　a　very　clever　manoh！　a　very　clever　man；　who　want　to　be　a

great　man　too。　And　one　day；　Missee；　he　be　a　great　man；　great　and　rich

if　the　Heer　God　Almighty　let　him。〃







VI



THE　GOLD　COIN



Six　weeks　had　gone　by　since　the　eventful　evening　of　Benita's　arrival

at　Rooi　Krantz。　Now　the　spring　had　fully　come；　the　veld　was　emerald

with　grass　and　bright　with　flowers。　In　the　kloof　behind　the　house

trees　had　put　out　their　leaves；　and　the　mimosas　were　in　bloom；　making

the　air　heavy　with　their　scent。　Amongst　them　the　ringdoves　nested　in

hundreds；　and　on　the　steep　rocks　of　the　precipice　the　red…necked

vultures　fed　their　young。　Along　the　banks　of　the　stream　and　round　the

borders　of　the　lake　the　pig…lilies　bloomed；　a　sheet　of　white。　All　the

place　was　beautiful　and　full　of　life　and　hope。　Nothing　seemed　dead　and

hopeless　except　Benita's　heart。



Her　health　had　quite　come　back　to　her；　indeed；　never　before　had　she

felt　so　strong　and　well。　But　the　very　soul　had　withered　in　her　breast。

All　day　she　thought；　and　all　night　she　dreamed　of　the　man　who；　in　cold

blood；　had　offered　up　his　life　to　save　a　helpless　woman　and　her　child。

She　wondered　whether　he　would　have　done　this　if　he　had　heard　the

answer　that　was　upon　her　lips。　Perhaps　that　was　why　she　had　not　been

given　time　to　speak　that　answer；　which　might　have　made　a　coward　of

him。　For　nothing　more　had　been　heard　of　Robert　Seymour；　indeed；

already　the　tragedy　of　the　ship　/Zanzibar/　was　forgotten。　The　dead　had

buried　their　dead；　and　since　then　worse　disasters　had　happened　in　the

world。



But　Benita　could　not　bury　her　dead。　She　rode　about　the　veld；　she　sat

by　the　lake　and　watched　the　wild　fowl；　or　at　night　heard　them

flighting　over　her　in　flocks。　She　listened　to　the　cooing　of　the　doves；

the　booming　of　the　bitterns　in　the　reeds；　and　the　drumming　of　the

snipe　high　in　air。　She　counted　the　game　trekking　along　the　ridge　till

her　mind　grew　weary。　She　sought　consolation　from　the　breast　of　Nature

and　found　none；　she　sought　it　in　the　starlit　skies；　and　oh！　they　were

very　far　away。　Death　reigned　within　her　who　outwardly　was　so　fair　to

see。



In　the　society　of　her　father；　indeed；　she　took　pleasure；　for　he　loved

her；　and　love　comforted　her　wounded　heart。　In　that　of　Jacob　Meyer　also

she　found　interest；　for　now　her　first　fear　of　the　man　had　died　away；

and　undoubtedly　he　was　very　interesting；　well…bred　also　after　a

fashion；　although　a　Jew　who　had　lost　his　own　faith　and　rejected　that

of　the　Christians。



He　told　her　that　he　was　a　German　by　birth；　that　he　had　been　sent　to

England　as　a　boy；　to　avoid　the　conscription；　which　Jews　dislike；　since

in　soldiering　there　is　little　profit。　Here　he　had　become　a　clerk　in　a

house　of　South　African　merchants；　and；　as　a　consequencehaving　shown

all　the　ability　of　his　racewas　despatched　to　take　charge　of　a　branch

business　in　Cape　Colony。　What　happened　to　him　there　Benita　never

discovered；　but　probably　he　had　shown　too　much　ability　of　an　oblique

nature。　At　any　rate；　his　connection　with　the　firm　terminated；　and　for

years　he　became　a　wandering　〃smouse；〃　or　trader；　until　at　length　he

drifted　into　partnership　with　her　father。



Whatever　might　have　been　his　past；　however；　soon　she　found　that　he　was

an　extremely　able　and　agreeable　man。　It　was　he　and　no　other　who　had

painted　the　water…colours　that　adorned　her　room；　and　he　could　play　and

sing　as　well　as　he　painted。　Also；　as　Robert　had　told　her；　Mr。　Meyer

was　very　well…read　in　subjects　that　are　not　usually　studied　on　the

veld　of　South　Africa；　indeed；　he　had　quite　a　library　of　books；　most　of

them　histories　or　philosophical　and　scientific　works；　of　which　he

would　lend　her　volumes。　Fiction；　however；　he　never　read；　for　the

reason；　he　told　her；　that　he　found　life　itself　and　the　mysteries　and

problems　which　surround　it　so　much　more　interesting。



One　evening；　when　they　were　walking　together　by　the　lake；　watching　the

long　lights　of　sunset　break　and　quiver　upon　its　surface；　Benita's

curiosity　overcame　her；　and　she　asked　him　boldly　how　it　happened　that

such　a　man　as　he　was　content　to　live　the　life　he　did。



〃In　order　that　I　may　reach　a　better；〃　he　answered。　〃Oh！　no；　not　in　the

skies；　Miss　Clifford；　for　of　them　I　know　nothing；　nor；　as　I　believe；

is　there　anything　to　know。　But　herehere。〃



〃What　do　you　mean　by　a　better　life；　Mr。　Meyer？〃



〃I　mean；〃　he　answered；　with　a　flash　of　his　dark　eyes；　〃great　wealth；

and　the　power　that　wealth　brings。　Ah！　I　see　you　think　me　very　sordid

and　materialistic；　but　money　is　God　in　this　world；　Miss　Clifford

money　is　God。〃



She　smiled　and　answered：　〃I　fear；　then；　that　he　is　likely　to　prove　an

invisible　god　on　the　high　veld；　Mr。　Meyer。　You　will　scarcely　make　a

great　fortune　out　of　horse…breeding；　and　here　there　is　no　one　to

rule。〃



〃Do　you　suppose；　then；　that　is　why　I　stop　at　Rooi　Krantz；　just　to

breed　horses？　Has　not　your　father　told　you　about　the　great　treasure

hidden　away　up　there　among　the　Makalanga？〃



〃I　have　heard　something　of　it；〃　she　answered　with　a　sigh。　〃Also　that

both　of　you　went　to　look　for　it　and　were　disappointed。〃



〃Ah！　The　Englishman　who　was　drownedMr。　Seymourhe　spoke　of　it；　did

he　not？　He　found　us　there。〃



〃Yes；　and　you　wished　to　shoot　himdo　you　remember？〃



〃God　in　Heaven！　Yes；　because　I　thought　he　had　come　to　rob　us。　Well；　I

did　not　shoot；　and　afterwards　we　were　hunted　out　of　the　place；　which

does　not　much　matter；　as　those　fools　of　natives　refused　to　let　us　dig

in　the　fortress。〃



〃Then　why　do　you　still　think　about　this　treasure　which　probably　does

not　exist？〃



〃Why；　Miss　Clifford；　do　you　think　about　various　things　that　probably

do　not　exist？　Perhaps　because　you　feel　that　here　or　elsewhere　they

/do/　exist。　Well；　that　is　what　I　feel　about　the　treasure；　and　what　I

have　always　felt。　It　exists；　and　I　shall　find　itnow。　I　shall　live　to

see　more　gold　than　you　can　even　imagine；　and　that　is　why　I　still

continue　to　breed　horses　on　the　Transvaal　veld。　Ah！　you　laugh；　you

think　it　is　a　nightmare　that　I　breed〃



Then　suddenly　he　became　aware　of　Sally；　who　had　appeared　over　the　fold

of　the　rise　behind　them；　and　asked　irritably：



〃What　is　it　now；　old　vrouw？〃



〃The　Baas　Clifford　wants　to　speak　with　you；　Baas　Jacob。　Messengers

have　come　to　you　from　far　away。〃



〃What　messengers？〃　he　asked。



〃I　know　not；〃　answered　Sally；　fanning　her　fat　face　with　a　yellow

pocket…handkerchief。　〃They　are　strange　people　to　me；　and　thin　with

travelling；　but　they　talk　a　kind　of　Zulu。　The　Baas　wishes　you　to

come。〃



〃Will　you　come　also；　Miss　Clifford？　No？　Then　forgive　me　if　I　leave

you；〃　and　lifting　his　hat　he　went。



〃A　strange　man；　Missee；〃　said　old　Sally；　when　he　had　vanished；　walking

very　fast。



〃Yes；〃　answered　Benita；　in　an　indifferent　voice。



〃A　very　strange　man；〃　went　on　the　old　woman。　〃Too　much　in　his　kop；〃

and　she　tapped　her　forehead。　〃I　tink　it　will　burst　one　day；　but　if　it

does　not　burst；　then　he　will　be　great。　I　tell　you　that　before；　now　I

tell　it　you　again；　for　I　tink　his　time　come。　Now　I　go　cook　dinner。〃



Benita　sat　by　the　lake　till　the　twilight　fell；　and　the　wild　geese

began　to　flight　over　her。　Then　she　walked　back　to　the　house　thinking

no　more　of　Heer　Meyer；　thinking　only　that　she　was　weary　of　this　place

in　which　there　was　nothing　to　occupy　her　mind　and　distract　it　from　its

ever　present　sorrow。



At　dinner；　or　rather　supper；　that　night　she　noticed　that　both　her

father　and　his　partner　seemed　to　be　suffering　from　suppressed

excitement；　of　which　she　thought　she　could　guess　the　cause。



〃Did　you　find　your　messengers；　Mr。　Meyer？〃　she　asked；　when　the　men　had

lit　their　pipes；　and　the　square…faceas　Hollands　was　called　in　those

days；　from　the　shape　of　the　bottlewas　set　upon　the　rough　table　of

speckled　buchenhout　wood。



〃Yes；　I　found　them；〃　he　answered；　〃they　are　in　the　kitchen　now。〃　And

he　looked　at　Mr。　Clifford。



〃Benita；　my　dear；〃　said　her　father；　〃rather　a　curious　thing