benita-第37章

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and　ladies　must　be　allowed　their　fancies。　Also　you　have　come　back；　so

why　talk　of　the　matter？　But　listen：　on　one　point　I　have　made　up　my

mind；　for　your　own　sake　you　shall　not　go　away　any　more　until　we　leave

this　together。　When　I　had　finished　carrying　up　the　food　I　made　sure　of

that。　If　you　go　to　look　to…morrow　morning　you　will　find　that　no　one

can　come　up　that　walland；　what　is　more；　no　one　can　go　down　it。

Moreover；　that　I　may　be　quite　certain；　in　future　I　shall　sleep　near

the　stair　myself。〃



Benita　and　her　father　stared　at　each　other。



〃The　Molimo　has　a　right　to　come；〃　she　said；　〃it　is　his　sanctuary。〃



〃Then　he　must　celebrate　his　worship　down　below　for　a　little　while。　The

old　fool　pretends　to　know　everything；　but　he　never　guessed　what　I　was

going　to　do。　Besides；　we　don't　want　him　breaking　in　upon　our　privacy；

do　we？　He　might　see　the　gold　when　we　find　it；　and　rob　us　of　it　afterwards。〃







XVII



THE　FIRST　EXPERIMENT



Again　Benita　and　her　father　stared　at　each　other　blankly；　almost　with

despair。　They　were　trapped；　cut　off　from　all　help；　in　the　power　of　a

man　who　was　going　mad。　Mr。　Clifford　said　nothing。　He　was　old　and

growing　feeble；　for　years；　although　he　did　not　know　it；　Meyer　had

dominated　him；　and　never　more　so　than　in　this　hour　of　stress　and

bewilderment。　Moreover；　the　man　had　threatened　to　murder　him；　and　he

was　afraid；　not　so　much　for　himself　as　for　his　daughter。　If　he　were　to

die　now；　what　would　happen　to　her；　left　alone　with　Jacob　Meyer？　The

knowledge　of　his　own　folly；　understood　too　late；　filled　him　with

shame。　How　could　he　have　been　so　wicked　as　to　bring　a　girl　upon　such　a

quest　in　the　company　of　an　unprincipled　Jew；　of　whose　past　he　knew

nothing　except　that　it　was　murky　and　dubious？　He　had　committed　a　great

crime；　led　on　by　a　love　of　lucre；　and　the　weight　of　it　pressed　upon

his　tongue　and　closed　his　lips；　he　knew　not　what　to　say。



For　a　little　while　Benita　was　silent　also；　hope　died　within　her。　But

she　was　a　bold…spirited　woman；　and　by　degrees　her　courage　re…asserted

itself。　Indignation　filled　her　breast　and　shone　through　her　dark　eyes。

Suddenly　she　turned　upon　Jacob；　who　sat　before　them　smoking　his　pipe

and　enjoying　their　discomfiture。



〃How　dare　you？〃　she　asked　in　a　low；　concentrated　voice。　〃How　dare　you；

you　coward？〃



He　shrank　a　little　beneath　her　scorn　and　anger；　then　seemed　to　recover

and　brace　himself；　as　one　does　who　feels　that　a　great　struggle　is　at

hand；　upon　the　issue　of　which　everything　depends。



〃Do　not　be　angry　with　me；〃　he　answered。　〃I　cannot　bear　it。　It　hurts

ah！　you　don't　know　how　it　hurts。　Well；　I　will　tell　you；　and　before

your　father；　for　that　is　more　honourable。　I　darefor　your　sake。〃



〃For　my　sake？　How　can　it　benefit　me　to　be　cooped　up　in　this　horrible

place　with　you？　I　would　rather　trust　myself　with　the　Makalanga；　or

even；〃　she　added　with　bitter　scorn；　〃even　with　those　bloody…minded

Matabele。〃



〃You　ran　away　from　them　very　fast　a　little　while　ago；　Miss　Clifford。

But　you　do　not　understand　me。　When　I　said　for　your　sake；　I　meant　for

my　own。　See；　now。　You　tried　to　leave　me　the　other　day　and　did　not

succeed。　Another　time　you　might　succeed；　and　thenwhat　would　happen

to　me？〃



〃I　do　not　know；　Mr。　Meyer；〃　and　her　eyes　added〃I　do　not　care。〃



〃Ah！　but　I　know。　Last　time　it　drove　me　nearly　mad；　next　time　I　should

go　quite　mad。〃



〃Because　you　believe　that　through　me　you　will　find　this　treasure　of

which　you　dream　day　and　night；　Mr。　Meyer〃



〃Yes；〃　he　interrupted　quickly。　〃Because　I　believe　that　in　you　I　shall

find　the　treasure　of　which　I　dream　day　and　night；　and　because　that

treasure　has　become　necessary　to　my　life。〃



Benita　turned　quickly　towards　her　father；　who　was　puzzling　over　the

words；　but　before　either　of　them　could　speak　Jacob　passed　his　hand

across　his　brow　in　a　bewildered　way　and　said：



〃What　was　I　talking　of？　The　treasure；　yes；　the　uncountable　treasure　of

pure　gold；　that　lies　hid　so　deep；　that　is　so　hard　to　discover　and　to

possess；　the　useless；　buried　treasure　that　would　bring　such　joy　and

glory　to　us　both；　if　only　it　could　be　come　at　and　reckoned　out；　piece

by　piece；　coin　by　coin；　through　the　long；　long　years　of　life。〃



Again　he　paused；　then　went　on。



〃Well；　Miss　Clifford；　you　are　quite　right；　that　is　why　I　have　dared　to

make　you　a　prisoner；　because；　as　the　old　Molimo　said；　the　treasure　is

yours　and　I　wish　to　share　it。　Now；　about　this　treasure；　it　seems　that

it　can't　be　found；　can　it；　although　I　have　worked　so　hard？〃　and　he

looked　at　his　delicate；　scarred　hands。



〃Quite　so；　Mr。　Meyer；　it　can't　be　found；　so　you　had　better　let　us　go

down　to　the　Makalanga。〃



〃But　there　is　a　way；　Miss　Clifford；　there　is　a　way。　You　know　where　it

lies；　and　you　can　show　me。〃



〃If　I　knew　I　would　show　you　soon　enough；　Mr。　Meyer；　for　then　you　could

take　the　stuff　and　our　partnership　would　be　at　an　end。〃



〃Not　until　it　is　divided　ounce　by　ounce　and　coin　by　coin。　But　first

first　you　must　show　me；　as　you　say　you　will；　and　as　you　can。〃



〃How；　Mr。　Meyer？　I　am　not　a　magician。〃



〃Ah！　but　you　are。　I　will　tell　you　how；　having　your　promise。　Listen

now；　both　of　you。　I　have　studied。　I　know　a　great　many　secret　things；

and　I　read　in　your　face　that　you　have　the　giftlet　me　look　in　your

eyes　a　while；　Miss　Clifford；　and　you　will　go　to　sleep　quite　gently；

and　then　in　your　sleep；　which　shall　not　harm　you　at　all；　you　will　see

where　that　gold　lies　hidden；　and　you　will　tell　us。〃



〃What　do　you　mean？〃　asked　Benita；　bewildered。



〃I　know　what　he　means；〃　broke　in　Mr。　Clifford。　〃You　mean　that　you　want

to　mesmerize　her　as　you　did　the　Zulu　chief。〃



Benita　opened　her　lips　to　speak；　but　Meyer　said　quickly：



〃No；　no；　hear　me　first　before　you　refuse。　You　have　the　gift；　the

precious　gift　of　clairvoyance；　that　is　so　rare。〃



〃How　do　you　know　that；　Mr。　Meyer？　I　have　never　been　mesmerized　in　my

life。〃



〃It　does　not　matter　how。　I　do　know　it；　I　have　been　sure　of　it　from　the

moment　when　first　we　met；　that　night　by　the　kloof。　Although；　perhaps；

you　felt　nothing　then；　it　was　that　gift　of　yours　working　upon　a　mind

in　tune；　my　mind；　which　led　me　there　in　time　to　save　you；　as　it　was

that　gift　of　yours　which　warned　you　of　the　disaster　about　to　happen　to

the　shipoh！　I　have　heard　the　story　from　your　own　lips。　Your　spirit

can　loose　itself　from　the　body：　it　can　see　the　past　and　the　future；　it

can　discover　the　hidden　things。〃



〃I　do　not　believe　it；〃　answered　Benita；　〃but　at　least　it　shall　not　be

loosed　by　you。〃



〃It　shall；　it　shall；〃　he　cried　with　passion；　his　eyes　blazing　on　her

as　he　spoke。　〃Oh！　I　foresaw　all　this；　and　that　is　why　I　was　determined

you　should　come　with　us；　so　that；　should　other　means　fail；　we　might

have　your　power　to　fall　back　upon。　Well；　they　have　failed；　I　have　been

patient；　I　have　said　nothing；　but　now　there　is　no　other　way。　Will　you

be　so　selfish；　so　cruel；　as　to　deny　me；　you　who　can　make　us　all　rich

in　an　hour；　and　take　no　hurt　at　all；　no　more　than　if　you　had　slept

awhile？〃



〃Yes；〃　answered　Benita。　〃I　refuse　to　deliver　my　will　into　the　keeping

of　any　living　man；　and　least　of　all　into　yours；　Mr。　Meyer。〃



He　turned　to　her　father　with　a　gesture　of　despair。



〃Cannot　you　persuade　her；　Clifford？　She　is　your　daughter；　she　will

obey　you。〃



〃Not　in　that；〃　said　Benita。



〃No；〃　answered　Mr。　Clifford。　〃I　cannot；　and　I　wouldn't　if　I　could。　My

daughter　is　quite　right。　Moreover；　I　hate　this　supernatural　kind　of

thing。　If　we　can't　find　this　gold　without　it；　then　we　must　let　it

alone；　that　is　all。〃



Meyer　turned　aside　to　hide　his　face；　and　presently　looked　up　again；

and　spoke　quite　softly。



〃I　suppose　that　I　must　accept　my　answer；　but　when　you　talked　of　any

living　man　just　now；　Miss　Clifford；　did　you　include　your　father？〃



She　shook　her　head。



〃Then　will　you　allow　him　to　try　to　mesmerize　you？〃



Benita　laughed。



〃Oh；　yes；　if　he　likes；〃　she　said。　〃But　I　do　n