benita-第24章

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priest；　took　the　thin　hand　he　stretched　out　to　her；　and　walked　forward

with　head　erect。　The　two　men　began　to　follow　her；　but　the　Molimo

stopped　them；　saying：



〃Not　so。　The　maiden　enters　first　alone　with　me；　it　is　her　house；　and

should　it　please　her　to　ask　you　to　dwell　therein；　so　be　it。　But　first

she　must　visit　her　house　alone。〃



〃Nonsense；〃　said　Mr。　Clifford　angrily。　〃I　will　not　have　it。　It　will

frighten　her。〃



〃Lady；　do　you　trust　me？〃　asked　the　Molimo。



〃Yes；〃　she　answered；　adding；　〃Father；　I　think　you　had　better　let　me　go

alone。　I　am　not　afraid　now；　and　it　may　be　wisest　not　to　thwart　him。

This　is　a　very　strange　businessnot　like　anything　elseand　really　I

think　that　I　had　better　go　alone。　If　I　do　not　come　back　presently；　you

can　follow。〃



〃Those　who　break　in　upon　the　sleep　of　the　dead　should　walk　gently；

gently；〃　piped　the　old　Molimo　in　a　sing…song　voice。　〃The　maiden's

breath　is　pure；　the　maiden's　foot　is　light；　her　breath　will　not　offend

the　dead；　her　step　will　not　disturb　the　dead。　White　men；　white　men；

anger　not　the　dead；　for　the　dead　are　mighty；　and　will　be　revenged　upon

you　when　you　are　dead；　soon；　very　soon；　when　you　are　deaddead　in

your　sorrows；　dead　in　your　sins；　dead；　gathered　to　that　company　of　the

dead　who　await　us　here。〃



And；　still　chanting　his　mystic　song；　he　led　Benita　by　the　hand　out　of

the　light；　onward　into　darkness；　away　from　life；　onward　into　the　place

of　death。







XI



THE　SLEEPERS　IN　THE　CAVE



Like　every　other　passage　in　this　old　fortress；　the　approach　to　the

cave　was　narrow　and　winding；　presumably　the　ancients　had　arranged　them

thus　to　facilitate　their　defence。　After　the　third　bend；　however；

Benita　saw　a　light　ahead　which　flowed　from　a　native　lamp　lit　in　the

arched　entrance。　At　the　side　of　this　arch　was　a　shell…shaped　hollow；

cut　in　the　rock　about　three　feet　above　the　floor。　Its　appearance

seemed　familiar　to　her；　why；　she　was　soon　to　learn；　although　at　the

moment　she　did　not　connect　it　with　anything　in　particular。　The　cave

beyond　was　large；　lofty；　and　not　altogether　natural；　for　its　walls　had

evidently　been　shaped；　or　at　any　rate　trimmed；　by　man。　Probably　here

the　old　Priests　had　established　their　oracle；　or　place　of　offering。



At　first　Benita　could　not　see　much；　since　in　that　great　cavern　two

lamps　of　hippopotamus　oil　gave　but　little　light。　Presently；　however；

her　eyes　became　accustomed　to　the　gloom；　and　as　they　advanced　up　its

length　she　perceived　that　save　for　a　skin　rug　upon　which　she　guessed

the　Molimo　sat　at　his　solitary　devotions；　and　some　gourds　and　platters

for　water　and　food；　all　the　front　part　of　the　place　appeared　to　be

empty。　Beyond；　in　its　centre；　stood　an　object　of　some　gleaming　metal；

that　from　its　double　handles　and　roller　borne　upon　supports　of　rock

she　took　to　be　some　kind　of　winch；　and　rightly；　for　beneath　it　was　the

mouth　of　a　great　well；　the　water　supply　of　the　topmost　fortification。



Beyond　the　well　was　a　stone　altar；　shaped　like　a　truncated　cone　or

pyramid；　and　at　some　distance　away　against　the　far　wall；　as　she　dimly

discovered　by　the　lamp　that　stood　upon　the　altar；　cut　in　relief　upon

that　wall　indeed；　a　colossal　cross　to　which；　vigorously　if　rudely

executed　in　white　stone；　hung　the　image　of　Christ　crucified；　the　crown

of　thorns　upon　His　drooping　head。　Now　she　understood。　Whatever　may

have　been　the　first　worship　to　which　this　place　was　dedicated；

Christians　had　usurped　it；　and　set　up　here　the　sacred　symbol　of　their

faith；　awful　enough　to　look　upon　in　such　surroundings。　Doubtless；

also；　the　shell…shaped　basin　at　the　entrance　had　served　the

worshippers　in　this　underground　chapel　as　a　stoup　for　holy　water。



The　Molimo　lifted　the　lamp　from　the　altar；　and　having　adjusted　its

wick；　held　it　up　in　front　of　the　rood　before　which；　although　she　was

no　Catholic；　Benita　bowed　her　head　and　crossed　herself；　while　he

watched　her　curiously。　Then　he　lowered　it；　and　she　perceived　that　on

the　cemented　floor　lay　great　numbers　of　shrouded　forms　that　at　first

looked　to　her　like　folk　asleep。　He　stepped　to　one　of　them　and　touched

it　with　his　foot；　whereon　the　cloth　which　with　it　was　covered　crumbled

into　dust；　revealing　beneath　a　white　skeleton。



All　those　sleepers　rested　well　indeed；　for　they　had　been　dead　at　least

two　hundred　years。　There　they　laymen；　women；　and　children；　though　of

the　last　but　few。　Some　of　them　had　ornaments　on　their　bones；　some　were

clad　in　armour；　and　by　all　the　men　were　swords；　or　spears；　or　knives；

and　here　and　there　what　she　took　to　be　primitive　fire…arms。　Certain　of

them　also　had　turned　into　mummies　in　that　dry　airgrotesque　and

dreadful　objects　from　which　she　gladly　averted　her　eyes。



The　Molimo　led　her　forward　to　the　foot　of　the　crucifix；　where；　upon

its　lowest　step　and　upon　the　cemented　floor　immediately　beneath　it

respectively；　lay　two　shapes　decorously　covered　with　shawls　of　some

heavy　material　interwoven　with　gold　wire；　for　the　manufacture　of　which

the　Makalanga　were　famous　when　first　the　Portuguese　came　into　contact

with　them。　The　Molimo　took　hold　of　the　cloths　that　seemed　almost　as

good　now　as　on　the　day　when　they　were　woven；　and　lifted　them；

revealing　beneath　the　figures　of　a　man　and　woman。　The　features　were

unrecognizable；　although　the　hair；　white　in　the　man's　case　and　raven

black　in　that　of　the　woman；　remained　perfect。　They　had　been　great

people；　for　orders　glittered　upon　the　man's　breast；　and　his　sword　was

gold　hilted；　whilst　the　woman's　bones　were　adorned　with　costly

necklaces　and　jewels；　and　in　her　hand　was　still　a　book　bound　in　sheets

of　silver。　Benita　took　it　up　and　looked　at　it。　It　was　a　missal

beautifully　illuminated；　which　doubtless　the　poor　lady　had　been

reading　when　at　length　she　sank　exhausted　into　the　sleep　of　death。



〃See　the　Lord　Ferreira　and　his　wife；〃　said　the　Molimo；　〃whom　their

daughter　laid　thus　before　she　went　to　join　them。〃　Then；　at　a　motion

from　Benita；　he　covered　them　up　again　with　their　golden　cloths。



〃Here　they　sleep；〃　he　went　on　in　his　chanting　voice；　〃a　hundred　and

fifty　and　three　of　thema　hundred　and　fifty　and　three；　and　when　I

dream　in　this　place　at　night；　I　have　seen　the　ghosts　of　every　one　of

them　arise　from　beside　their　forms　and　come　gliding　down　the　cavethe

husband　with　the　wife；　the　child　with　the　motherto　look　at　me；　and

ask　when　the　maiden　returns　again　to　take　her　heritage　and　give　them

burial。〃



Benita　shuddered；　the　solemn　awfulness　of　the　place　and　scene

oppressed　her。　She　began　to　think　that　she；　too；　saw　those　ghosts。



〃It　is　enough；〃　she　said。　〃Let　us　be　going。〃



So　they　went；　and　the　pitiful；　agonized　Christ　upon　the　cross；　at

which　she　glanced　from　time　to　time　over　her　shoulder；　faded　to　a

white　blot；　then　vanished　away　in　the　darkness；　through　which；　from

generation　to　generation；　it　kept　its　watch　above　the　dead；　those　dead

that　in　their　despair　once　had　cried　to　it　for　mercy；　and　bedewed　its

feet　with　tears。



Glad；　oh！　glad　was　she　when　she　had　left　that　haunted　place　behind

her；　and　saw　the　wholesome　light　again。



〃What　have　you　seen？〃　asked　her　father　and　Meyer；　in　one　breath；　as

they　noted　her　white　and　frightened　face。



She　sank　upon　a　stone　seat　at　the　entrance　of　the　cave；　and　before　she

could　open　her　lips　the　Molimo　answered　for　her：



〃The　maiden　has　seen　the　dead。　The　Spirit　who　goes　with　her　has　given

greeting　to　its　dead　that　it　left　so　long　ago。　The　maiden　has　done

reverence　to　the　White　One　who　hangs　upon　the　cross；　and　asked　a

blessing　and　a　pardon　of　Him；　as　she　whose　Spirit　goes　with　her　did

reverence　before　the　eyes　of　my　forefathers；　and　asked　a　blessing　and

a　pardon　ere　she　cast　herself　away。〃　And　he　pointed　to　the　little

golden　crucifix　which　hung　upon　Benita's　bosom；　attached　to　the

necklace　which　Tamas；　the　messenger；　had　given　her　at　Rooi　Krantz。



〃Now；〃　he　went　on；　〃now　the　spell　is　broken；　and　the　sleepers　must

depart　to　sleep　elsewhere。　Enter；　white　men；　ente