benita-第3章

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to　Mr。　JacobI　forget　his　other　name。　He　struck　me　as　too　handy　with

his　rifle；　and　was；　I　gathered；　an　individual　with　a　mysterious　and

rather　lurid　past。　To　cut　a　long　story　short；　when　he　found　out　that

we　had　no　intention　of　poaching；　your　father；　for　it　was　he；　told　us

frankly　that　they　were　treasure…hunting；　having　got　hold　of　some　story

about　a　vast　store　of　gold　which　had　been　hidden　away　there　by

Portuguese　two　or　three　centuries　before。　Their　trouble　was；　however；

that　the　Makalanga；　who　lived　in　the　fortress；　which　was　called

Bambatse；　would　not　allow　them　to　dig；　because　they　said　the　place　was

haunted；　and　if　they　did　so　it　would　bring　bad　luck　to　their　tribe。〃



〃And　did　they　ever　get　in？〃　asked　Benita。



〃I　am　sure　I　don't　know；　for　we　went　next　day；　though　before　we　left

we　called　on　the　Makalanga；　who　admitted　us　all　readily　enough　so　long

as　we　brought　no　spades　with　us。　By　the　way；　the　gold　we　saw　your

father　and　his　friend　examining　was　found　in　some　ancient　graves

outside　the　walls；　but　had　nothing　to　do　with　the　big　and　mythical

treasure。〃



〃What　was　the　place　like？　I　love　old　ruins；〃　broke　in　Benita　again。



〃Oh！　wonderful。　A　gigantic；　circular　wall　built　by　heaven　knows　who；

then　half…way　up　the　hill　another　wall；　and　near　the　top　a　third　wall

which；　I　understood；　surrounded　a　sort　of　holy　of　holies；　and　above

everything；　on　the　brink　of　the　precipice；　a　great　cone　of　granite。〃



〃Artificial　or　natural？〃



〃I　don't　know。　They　would　not　let　us　up　there；　but　we　were　introduced

to　their　chief　and　high　priest；　Church　and　State　in　one；　and　a

wonderful　old　man　he　was；　very　wise　and　very　gentle。　I　remember　he

told　me　he　believed　we　should　meet　again；　which　seemed　an　odd　thing

for　him　to　say。　I　asked　him　about　the　treasure　and　why　he　would　not

let　the　other　white　men　look　for　it。　He　answered　that　it　would　never

be　found　by　any　man；　white　or　black；　that　only　a　woman　would　find　it

at　the　appointed　time；　when　it　pleased　the　Spirit　of　Bambatse；　under

whose　guardianship　it　was。〃



〃Who　was　the　Spirit　of　Bambatse；　Mr。　Seymour？〃



〃I　can't　tell　you；　couldn't　make　out　anything　definite　about　her；

except　that　she　was　said　to　be　white；　and　to　appear　sometimes　at

sunrise；　or　in　the　moonlight；　standing　upon　the　tall　point　of　rock　of

which　I　told　you。　I　remember　that　I　got　up　before　the　dawn　to　look　for

herlike　an　idiot；　for　of　course　I　saw　nothingand　that's　all　I　know

about　the　matter。〃



〃Did　you　have　any　talk　with　my　father；　Mr。　Seymouralone；　I　mean？〃



〃Yes；　a　little。　The　next　day　he　walked　back　to　our　waggon　with　us；

being　glad；　I　fancy；　of　a　change　from　the　perpetual　society　of　his

partner　Jacob。　That　wasn't　wonderful　in　a　man　who　had　been　brought　up

at　Eton　and　Oxford；　as　I　found　out　he　had；　like　myself；　and　whatever

his　failings　may　have　beenalthough　we　saw　no　sign　of　them；　for　he

would　not　touch　a　drop　of　spiritswas　a　gentleman；　which　Jacob

wasn't。　Still；　heJacobhad　read　a　lot；　especially　on　out…of…the…way

subjects；　and　could　talk　every　language　under　the　suna　clever　and

agreeable　scoundrel　in　short。〃



〃Did　my　father　say　anything　about　himself？〃



〃Yes；　he　told　me　that　he　had　been　an　unsuccessful　man　all　his　life；

and　had　much　to　reproach　himself　with；　for　we　got　quite　confidential

at　last。　He　added　that　he　had　a　family　in　Englandwhat　family　he

didn't　saywhom　he　was　anxious　to　make　wealthy　by　way　of　reparation

for　past　misdeeds；　and　that　was　why　he　was　treasure…hunting。　However；

from　what　you　tell　me；　I　fear　he　never　found　anything。〃



〃No；　Mr。　Seymour；　he　never　found　it　and　never　will；　but　all　the　same　I

am　glad　to　hear　that　he　was　thinking　of　us。　Also　I　should　like　to

explore　that　place；　Bambatse。〃



〃So　should　I；　Miss　Clifford；　in　your　company；　and　your　father's；　but

not　in　that　of　Jacob。　If　ever　you　should　go　there　with　him；　I　say：

'Beware　of　Jacob。'〃



〃Oh！　I　am　not　afraid　of　Jacob；〃　she　answered　with　a　laugh；　〃although　I

believe　that　my　father　still　has　something　to　do　with　himat　least　in

one　of　his　letters　he　mentioned　his　partner；　who　was　a　German。〃



〃A　German！　I　think　that　he　must　have　meant　a　German　Jew。〃



After　this　there　was　silence　between　them　for　a　time；　then　he　said

suddenly；　〃You　have　told　me　your　story；　would　you　like　to　hear　mine？〃



〃Yes；〃　she　answered。



〃Well；　it　won't　take　you　long　to　listen　to　it；　for；　Miss　Clifford；

like　Canning's　needy　knife…grinder；　I　have　really　none　to　tell。　You

see　before　you　one　of　the　most　useless　persons　in　the　world；　an

undistinguished　member　of　what　is　called　in　England　the　'leisured

class；'　who　can　do　absolutely　nothing　that　is　worth　doing；　except

shoot　straight。〃



〃Indeed；〃　said　Benita。



〃You　do　not　seem　impressed　with　that　accomplishment；〃　he　went　on；　〃yet

it　is　an　honest　fact　that　for　the　last　fifteen　yearsI　was　thirty…two

this　monthpractically　my　whole　time　has　been　given　up　to　it；　with　a

little　fishing　thrown　in　in　the　spring。　As　I　want　to　make　the　most　of

myself；　I　will　add　that　I　am　supposed　to　be　among　the　six　best　shots

in　England；　and　that　my　ambitionyes；　great　Heavens！　my　ambitionwas

to　become　better　than　the　other　five。　By　that　sin　fell　the　poor　man

who　speaks　to　you。　I　was　supposed　to　have　abilities；　but　I　neglected

them　all　to　pursue　this　form　of　idleness。　I　entered　no　profession；　I

did　no　work；　with　the　result　that　at　thirty…two　I　am　ruined　and　almost

hopeless。〃



〃Why　ruined　and　hopeless？〃　she　asked　anxiously；　for　the　way　in　which

they　were　spoken　grieved　her　more　than　the　words　themselves。



〃Ruined　because　my　old　uncle；　the　Honourable　John　Seymour　Seymour；

whose　heir　I　was；　committed　the　indiscretion　of　marrying　a　young　lady

who　has　presented　him　with　thriving　twins。　With　the　appearance　of

those　twins　my　prospects　disappeared；　as　did　the　allowance　of　￡1；500　a

year　that　he　was　good　enough　to　make　me　on　which　to　keep　up　a　position

as　his　next…of…kin。　I　had　something　of　my　own；　but　also　I　had　debts；

and　at　the　present　moment　a　draft　in　my　pocket　for　￡2；163　14s。　5d。；

and　a　little　loose　cash；　represents　the　total　of　my　worldly　goods；

just　about　the　sum　I　have　been　accustomed　to　spend　per　annum。〃



〃I　don't　call　that　ruin；　I　call　that　riches；〃　said　Benita；　relieved。

〃With　￡2；000　to　begin　on　you　may　make　a　fortune　in　Africa。　But　how

about　the　hopelessness？〃



〃I　am　hopeless　because　I　have　absolutely　nothing　to　which　to　look

forward。　Really；　when　that　￡2；000　is　gone　I　do　not　know　how　to　earn　a

sixpence。　In　this　dilemma　it　occurred　to　me　that　the　only　thing　I

could　do　was　to　turn　my　shooting　to　practical　account；　and　become　a

hunter　of　big　game。　Therefore　I　propose　to　kill　elephants　until　an

elephant　kills　me。　At　least；〃　he　added　in　a　changed　voice；　〃I　did　so

propose　until　half　an　hour　ago。〃







II



THE　END　OF　THE　〃ZANZIBAR。〃



〃Until　half　an　hour　ago？　Then　why〃　and　Benita　stopped。



〃Have　I　changed　my　very　modest　scheme　of　life？　Miss　Clifford；　as　you

are　so　good　as　to　be　sufficiently　interested；　I　will　tell　you。　It　is

because　a　temptation　which　hitherto　I　have　been　able　to　resist；　has

during　the　last　thirty　minutes　become　too　strong　for　me。　You　know

everything　has　its　breaking　strain。〃　He　puffed　nervously　at　his　cigar；

threw　it　into　the　sea；　paused；　then　went　on：　〃Miss　Clifford；　I　have

dared　to　fall　in　love　with　you。　No；　hear　me　out。　When　I　have　done　it

will　be　quite　time　enough　to　give　me　the　answer　that　I　expect。

Meanwhile；　for　the　first　time　in　my　life；　allow　me　the　luxury　of　being

in　earnest。　To　me　it　is　a　new　sensation；　and　therefore　very　priceless。

May　I　go　on？〃



Benita　made　no　answer。　He　rose　with　a　certain　deliberateness　which

characterized　all　his　movementsfor　Robert　Seymour　never　seemed　to　be

in　a　hurryand　stood　in　front　of　her　so　that　the　moonlight　shone　upon

her　face；　while　his　own　remained　in　shadow。



〃Beyond　that　￡2；000　of　which　I　have　spoken；　and　incidentally　its

owner；　I　have　nothing　whatso