benita-第42章

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fire。〃



A　quarter　of　an　hour　later　Benita　joined　him；　looking　pale　and　shaken；

but　otherwise　much　as　usual。　She　was　ravenously　hungry；　and　ate　of　the

biscuits　and　dried　meat　with　eagerness。



〃The　coffee　tastes　quite　different　from　that　which　I　drank　last

night；〃　she　said。　〃I　think　there　must　have　been　something　in　it　which

gave　me　those　bad　dreams。　Where　is　Mr。　Meyer？　Oh；　I　know！〃　and　again

she　put　her　hand　to　her　head。　〃He　is　still　asleep　by　the　wall。〃



〃Who　told　you　that？〃



〃I　can't　say；　but　it　is　so。　He　will　not　come　here　till　one　o'clock。

There；　I　feel　much　better　now。　What　shall　we　do；　father？〃



〃Sit　in　the　sun　and　rest；　I　think；　dear。〃



〃Yes；　let　us　do　that；　on　the　top　of　the　wall。　We　can　see　the　Makalanga

from　there；　and　it　will　be　a　comfort　to　be　sure　that　there　are　other

human　beings　left　in　the　world　besides　ourselves　and　Jacob　Meyer。〃



So　presently　they　went；　and　from　the　spot　whence　Meyer　used　to　shoot

at　the　Matabele　camp；　looked　down　upon　the　Makalanga　moving　about　the

first　enclosure　far　below。　By　the　aid　of　the　glasses　Benita　even

thought　that　she　recognised　Tamas；　although　of　this　it　was　difficult

to　be　sure；　for　they　were　all　very　much　alike。　Still；　the　discovery

quite　excited　her。



〃I　am　sure　it　is　Tamas；〃　she　said。　〃And　oh！　how　I　wish　that　we　were

down　there　with　him；　although　it　is　true　that　then　we　should　be　nearer

to　the　Matabele。　But　they　are　better　than　Mr。　Meyer；　much　better。〃



Now　for　a　while　they　were　silent；　till　at　length　she　said　suddenly：



〃Father；　you　are　keeping　something　back　from　me；　and　things　begin　to

come　back。　Tell　me；　did　I　go　anywhere　last　night　with　Mr。　Meyeryou

and　he　and　I　together？〃



He　hesitated　and　looked　guilty；　Mr。　Clifford　was　not　a　good　actor。



〃I　see　that　we　did；　I　am　sure　that　we　did。　Father；　tell　me。　I　must

know；　I　will　know。〃



Then　he　gave　way。



〃I　didn't　want　to　speak；　dear；　but　perhaps　it　is　best。　It　is　a　very

strange　story。　Will　you　promise　not　to　be　upset？〃



〃I　will　promise　not　to　be　more　upset　than　I　am　at　present；〃　she

answered；　with　a　sad　little　laugh。　〃Go　on。〃



〃You　remember　that　Jacob　Meyer　wanted　to　mesmerize　you？〃



〃I　am　not　likely　to　forget　it；〃　she　answered。



〃Well；　last　night　he　did　mesmerize　you。〃



〃What？〃　she　said。　〃/What？/　Oh！　how　dreadful！　Now　I　understand　it　all。

But　when？〃



〃When　you　were　sound　asleep；　I　suppose。　At　least；　the　first　I　knew　of

it　was　that　some　noise　woke　me；　and　I　came　out　of　the　hut　to　see　you

following　him　like　a　dead　woman；　with　a　lamp　in　your　hand。〃



Then　he　told　her　all　the　story；　while　she　listened　aghast。



〃How　dared　he！〃　she　gasped；　when　her　father　had　finished　the　long

tale。　〃I　hate　him；　I　almost　wish　that　you　had　killed　him；〃　and　she

clenched　her　little　hands　and　shook　them　in　the　air。



〃That　is　not　very　Christian　of　you；　Miss　Clifford；〃　said　a　voice

behind　her。　〃But　it　is　past　one　o'clock；　and　as　I　am　still　alive　I

have　come　to　tell　you　that　it　is　time　for　luncheon。〃



Benita　wheeled　round　upon　the　stone　on　which　she　sat；　and　there；

standing　amidst　the　bushes　a　little　way　from　the　foot　of　the　wall；　was

Jacob　Meyer。　Their　eyes　met；　hers　were　full　of　defiance；　and　his　of

conscious　power。



〃I　do　not　want　any　luncheon；　Mr。　Meyer；〃　she　said。



〃But　I　am　sure　that　you　do。　Please　come　down　and　have　some。　Please

come　down。〃



The　words　were　spoken　humbly；　almost　pleadingly；　yet　to　Benita　they

seemed　as　a　command。　At　any　rate；　with　slow　reluctance　she　climbed

down　the　shattered　wall；　followed　by　her　father；　and　without　speaking

they　went　back　to　their　camping　place；　all　three　of　them；　Jacob

leading　the　way。



When　they　had　eaten；　or　made　pretence　to　eat；　he　spoke。



〃I　see　that　your　father　has　told　you　everything；　Miss　Clifford；　and　of

that　I　am　glad。　As　for　me；　it　would　have　been　awkward；　who　must　ask

your　forgiveness　for　so　much。　But　what　could　I　do？　I　knew；　as　I　have

always　known；　that　it　was　only　possible　to　find　this　treasure　by　your

help。　So　I　gave　you　something　to　make　you　sleep；　and　then　in　your

sleep　I　hypnotized　you；　andyou　know　the　rest。　I　have　great

experience　in　this　art；　but　I　have　never　seen　or　heard　of　anything

like　what　happened；　and　I　hope　I　never　shall　again。〃



Hitherto　Benita　had　sat　silent；　but　now　her　burning　indignation　and

curiosity　overcame　her　shame　and　hatred。



〃Mr。　Meyer；〃　she　said；　〃you　have　done　a　shameful　and　a　wicked　thing；

and　I　tell　you　at　once　that　I　can　never　forgive　you。〃



〃Don't　say　that。　Please　don't　say　that；〃　he　interrupted　in　tones　of

real　grief。　〃Make　allowances　for　me。　I　had　to　learn；　and　there　was　no

other　way。　You　are　a　born　clairvoyante；　one　among　ten　thousand；　my　art

told　me　so；　and　you　know　all　that　is　at　stake。〃



〃By　which　you　mean　so　many　ounces　of　gold；　Mr。　Meyer。〃



〃By　which　I　mean　the　greatness　that　gold　can　give；　Miss　Clifford。〃



〃Such　greatness；　Mr。　Meyer；　as　a　week　of　fever；　or　a　Matabele　spear；

or　God's　will　can　rob　you　of。　But　the　thing　is　done；　and　soon　or　late

the　sin　must　be　paid　for。　Now　I　want　to　ask　you　a　question。　You

believe　in　nothing；　you　have　told　me　so　several　times。　You　say　that

there　is　no　such　thing　as　a　spirit；　that　when　we　die；　we　die；　and

there's　an　end。　Do　you　not？〃



〃Yes；　I　do。〃



〃Then　tell　me；　what　was　it　that　spoke　out　of　my　lips　last　night；　and

how　came　it　that　I；　who　know　no　Portuguese；　talked　to　you　in　that

tongue？〃



He　shrugged　his　shoulders。



〃You　have　put　a　difficult　question；　but　one　I　think　that　can　be

answered。　There　is　no　such　thing　as　a　spirit；　an　identity　that

survives　death。　But　there　is　such　a　thing　as　the　subconscious　self；

which　is　part　of　the　animating　principle　of　the　universe；　and；　if　only

its　knowledge　can　be　unsealed；　knows　all　that　has　passed　and　all　that

is　passing　in　that　universe。　One　day　perhaps　you　will　read　the　works

of　my　compatriot；　Hegel；　and　there　you　will　find　it　spoken　of。〃



〃You　explain　nothing。〃



〃I　am　about　to　explain；　Miss　Clifford。　Last　night　I　gave　to　your　sub…

conscious　selfthat　which　knows　allthe　strength　of　liberty；　so　that

it　saw　the　past　as　it　happened　in　this　place。　Already　you　knew　the

story　of　the　dead　girl；　Benita　da　Ferreira；　and　that　story　you

re…enacted；　talking　the　tongue　she　used　as　you　would　have　talked　Greek

or　any　other　tongue；　had　it　been　hers。　It　was　not　her　spirit　that

animated　you；　although　at　the　time　I　called　it　so　for　shortness；　but

your　own　buried　knowledge；　tricked　out　and　furnished　by　the　effort　of

your　human　imagination。　That　her　name；　Benita；　should　have　been　yours

also　is　no　doubt　a　strange　coincidence；　but　no　more。　Also　we　have　no

proof　that　it　was　so；　only　what　you　said　in　your　trance。〃



〃Perhaps；〃　said　Benita；　who　was　in　no　mood　for　philosophical　argument。

〃Perhaps　also　one　day　you　will　see　a　spirit；　Mr。　Meyer；　and　think

otherwise。〃



〃When　I　see　a　spirit　and　know　that　it　is　a　spirit；　then　doubtless　I

shall　believe　in　spirits。　But　what　is　the　good　of　talking　of　such

things？　I　do　not　seek　spirits；　I　seek　Portuguese　gold。　Now；　I　am　sure

you　can　tell　where　that　gold　lies。　You　would　have　told　us　last　night；

had　not　your　nervous　strength　failed　you；　who　are　unaccustomed　to　the

state　of　trance。　Speaking　as　Benita　da　Ferreira；　you　said　that　you　saw

it　and　described　its　condition。　Then　you　could；　or　would；　say　no　more；

and　it　became　necessary　to　waken　you。　Miss　Clifford；　you　must　let　me

mesmerize　you　once　again　for　a　few　minutes　only；　for　then　we　will

waste　no　time　on　past　histories；　and　we　shall　find　the　gold。　Unless；

indeed；〃　he　added　by　an　afterthought；　and　looking　at　her　sharply；　〃you

know　already　where　it　is；　in　which　case　I　need　not　trouble　you。〃



〃I　do　not　know；　Mr。　Meyer。　I　remember　nothing　about　the　gold。〃



〃Which　proves　my　theory。　What　purported　to　be　the　spirit　of　Benita　da

Ferreira　said　that　it　had　passed　the　secret　on　to　you；　but　in　your

waking　state　you　do　not　know　that　secr