benita-第43章

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

waking　state　you　do　not　know　that　secret。　In　fact；　she　did　not　pass　it

on　because　she　had　no　existence。　But　in　your　sub…conscious　state　you

will　know。　Therefore　I　must　mesmerize　you　again。　Not　at　once；　but　in　a

few　days'　time；　when　you　have　quite　recovered。　Let　us　say　next

Wednesday；　three　days　hence。〃



〃You　shall　never　mesmerize　me　again；　Mr。　Meyer。〃



〃No；　not　while　I　live；〃　broke　in　her　father；　who　had　been　listening　to

this　discussion　in　silence。



Jacob　bowed　his　head　meekly。



〃You　think　so　now；　but　I　think　otherwise。　What　I　did　last　night　I　did

against　your　will；　and　that　I　can　do　again；　only　much　more　easily。　But

I　had　rather　do　it　with　your　will；　who　work　not　for　my　own　sake　only；

but　for　the　sake　of　all　of　us。　And　now　let　us　talk　no　more　of　the

matter；　lest　we　should　grow　angry。〃　Then　he　rose　and　went　away。



The　next　three　days　were　passed　by　Benita　in　a　state　of　constant

dread。　She　knew　in　herself　that　Jacob　Meyer　had　acquired　a　certain

command　over　her；　that　an　invincible　intimacy　had　sprung　up　between

them。　She　was　acquainted　with　his　thoughts；　thus；　before　he　asked　for

it；　she　would　find　herself　passing　him　some　article　at　table　or

elsewhere；　or　answering　a　question　that　he　was　only　about　to　ask。

Moreover；　he　could　bring　her　to　him　from　a　little　distance。　Thus；　on

two　or　three　occasions　when　she　was　wandering　about　their　prison

enclosure；　as　she　was　wont　to　do　for　the　sake　of　exercise；　she　found

her　feet　draw　to　some　spotnow　one　place　and　now　anotherand　when

she　reached　it　there　before　her　was　Jacob　Meyer。



〃Forgive　me　for　bringing　you　here；〃　he　would　say；　smiling　after　his

crooked　fashion；　and　lifting　his　hat　politely；　〃but　I　wish　to　ask　you

if　you　have　not　changed　your　mind　as　to　being　mesmerized？〃



Then　for　a　while　he　would　hold　her　with　his　eyes；　so　that　her　feet

seemed　rooted　to　the　ground；　till　at　length　it　was　as　though　he　cut　a

rope　by　some　action　of　his　will　and　set　her　free；　and；　choked　with

wrath　and　blind　with　tears；　Benita　would　turn　and　run　from　him　as　from

a　wild　beast。



But　if　her　days　were　evil；　oh！　what　were　her　nights？　She　lived　in

constant　terror　lest　he　should　again　drug　her　food　or　drink；　and；

while　she　slept；　throw　his　magic　spell　upon　her。　To　protect　herself

from　the　first　danger　she　would　swallow　nothing　that　had　been　near

him。　Now　also　she　slept　in　the　hut　with　her　father；　who　lay　near　its

door；　a　loaded　rifle　at　his　side；　for　he　had　told　Jacob　outright　that

if　he　caught　him　at　his　practices　he　would　shoot　him；　a　threat　at

which　the　younger　man　laughed　aloud；　for　he　had　no　fear　of　Mr。

Clifford。



Throughout　the　long　hours　of　darkness　they　kept　watch　alternately；　one

of　them　lying　down　to　rest　while　the　other　peered　and　listened。　Nor

did　Benita　always　listen　in　vain；　for　twice　at　least　she　heard

stealthy　footsteps　creeping　about　the　hut；　and　felt　that　soft　and

dreadful　influence　flowing　in　upon　her。　Then　she　would　wake　her

father；　whispering；　〃He　is　there；　I　can　feel　that　he　is　there。〃　But　by

the　time　that　the　old　man　had　painfully　dragged　himself　to　his　feet

for　now　he　was　becoming　very　feeble　and　acute　rheumatism　or　some　such

illness　had　got　hold　of　himand　crept　from　the　hut；　there　was　no　one

to　be　seen。　Only　through　the　darkness　he　would　hear　the　sound　of　a

retreating　step；　and　of　low；　mocking　laughter。



Thus　those　miserable　days　went　by；　and　the　third　morning　came；　that

dreaded　Wednesday。　Before　it　was　dawn　Benita　and　her　father；　neither

of　whom　had　closed　their　eyes　that　night；　talked　over　their　strait

long　and　earnestly；　and　they　knew　that　its　crisis　was　approaching。



〃I　think　that　I　had　better　try　to　kill　him；　Benita；〃　he　said。　〃I　am

growing　dreadfully　weak；　and　if　I　put　it　off　I　may　find　no　strength；

and　you　will　be　at　his　mercy。　I　can　easily　shoot　him　when　his　back　is

turned；　and　though　I　hate　the　thought　of　such　a　deed；　surely　I　shall

be　forgiven。　Or　if　not；　I　cannot　help　it。　I　must　think　of　my　duty　to

you；　not　of　myself。〃



〃No；　no；〃　she　answered。　〃I　will　not　have　it。　It　would　be　murder；

although　he　has　threatened　you。　After　all；　father；　I　believe　that　the

man　is　half　mad；　and　not　responsible。　We　must　take　our　chance　and

trust　to　God　to　save　us。　If　He　does　not；〃　she　added；　〃at　the　worst　I

can　always　save　myself；〃　and　she　touched　the　pistol　which　now　she　wore

day　and　night。



〃So　be　it；〃　said　Mr。　Clifford；　with　a　groan。　〃Let　us　pray　for

deliverance　from　this　hell　and　keep　our　hands　clean　of　blood。〃







XX



JACOB　MEYER　SEES　A　SPIRIT



For　a　while　they　were　silent；　then　Benita　said：



〃Father；　is　it　not　possible　that　we　might　escape；　after　all？　Perhaps

that　stair　on　the　rampart　is　not　so　completely　blocked　that　we　could

not　climb　over　it。〃



Mr。　Clifford；　thinking　of　his　stiff　limbs　and　aching　back；　shook　his

head　and　answered：



〃I　don't　know；　Meyer　has　never　let　me　near　enough　to　see。〃



〃Well；　why　do　you　not　go　to　look？　You　know　he　sleeps　till　late　now；

because　he　is　up　all　night。　Take　the　glasses　and　examine　the　top　of

the　wall　from　inside　that　old　house　near　by。　He　will　not　see　or　hear

you；　but　if　I　came　near；　he　would　know　and　wake　up。〃



〃If　you　like；　love；　I　can　try；　but　what　are　you　going　to　do　while　I　am

away？〃



〃I　shall　climb　the　pillar。〃



〃You　don't　mean〃　and　he　stopped。



〃No；　no；　nothing　of　that　sort。　I　shall　not　follow　the　example　of

Benita　da　Ferreira　unless　I　am　driven　to　it；　I　want　to　look；　that　is

all。　One　can　see　far　from　that　place；　if　there　is　anything　to　see。

Perhaps　the　Matabele　are　gone　now；　we　have　heard　nothing　of　them

lately。〃



So　they　dressed　themselves；　and　as　soon　as　the　light　was　sufficiently

strong；　came　out　of　the　hut　and　parted；　Mr。　Clifford；　rifle　in　hand；

limping　off　towards　the　wall；　and　Benita　going　towards　the　great　cone。

She　climbed　it　easily　enough；　and　stood　in　the　little　cup…like

depression　on　its　dizzy　peak；　waiting　for　the　sun　to　rise　and　disperse

the　mists　which　hung　over　the　river　and　its　banks。



Now　whatever　may　have　been　the　exact　ceremonial　use　to　which　the

ancients　put　this　pinnacle；　without　doubt　it　had　something　to　do　with

sun…worship。　This；　indeed；　was　proved　by　the　fact　that；　at　any　rate　at

this　season　of　the　year；　the　first　rays　of　the　risen　orb　struck　full

upon　its　point。　Thus　it　came　about　that；　as　she　stood　there　waiting；

Benita　of　a　sudden　found　herself　suffused　in　light　so　vivid　and

intense　that；　clothed　as　she　was　in　a　dress　which　had　once　been　white；

it　must　have　caused　her　to　shine　like　a　silver　image。　For　several

minutes；　indeed；　this　golden　spear　of　fire　blinded　her　so　that　she

could　see　nothing；　but　stood　quite　still；　afraid　to　move；　and　waiting

until；　as　the　sun　grew　higher；　its　level　rays　passed　over　her。　This

they　did　presently；　and　plunging　into　the　valley；　began　to　drive　away

the　fog。　Now　she　looked　down；　along　the　line　of　the　river。



The　Matabele　camp　was　invisible；　for　it　lay　in　a　hollow　almost　at　the

foot　of　the　fortress。　Beyond　it；　however；　was　a　rising　swell　of

ground；　it　may　have　been　half　a　mile　from　where　she　stood；　and　on　the

crest　of　it　she　perceived　what　looked　like　a　waggon　tent　with　figures

moving　round　it。　They　were　shouting　also；　for　through　the　silence　of

the　African　morn　the　sound　of　their　voices　floated　up　to　her。



As　the　mist　cleared　off　Benita　saw　that　without　doubt　it　was　a　waggon；

for　there　stood　the　long　row　of　oxen；　also　it　had　just　been　captured

by　the　Matabele；　for　these　were　about　it　in　numbers。　At　the　moment；

however；　they　appeared　to　be　otherwise　occupied；　for　they　were

pointing　with　their　spears　to　the　pillar　on　Bambatse。



Then　it　occurred　to　Benita　that；　placed　as　she　was　in　that　fierce

light　with　only　the　sky　for　background；　she　must　be　perfectly　visible

from　the　plain　below；　and　that　it　might　be　her　figure　perched　like　an

eagle　between　heaven　and　earth　which　excited