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the story of an african farm-第20部分

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hand; threw it into the back of the oven。  It lay upon the heap of coals;

smoked; flared; and blazed; and the 〃Political Economy〃 was no moregone

out of existence; like many another poor heretic of flesh and blood。



Bonaparte grinned; and to watch the process brought his face so near the

oven door that the white hair on his eyebrows got singed。  He then inquired

if there were any more in the loft。



Learning that there were; he made signs indicative of taking up armfuls and

flinging them into the fire。  But Tant Sannie was dubious。  The deceased

Englishman had left all his personal effects specially to his child。  It

was all very well for Bonaparte to talk of burning the books。  He had had

his hair spiritually pulled; and she had no wish to repeat his experience。



She shook her head。  Bonaparte was displeased。  But then a happy thought

occurred to him。  He suggested that the key of the loft should henceforth

be put into his own safe care and keepingno one gaining possession of it

without his permission。  To this Tant Sannie readily assented; and the two

walked lovingly to the house to look for it。





Chapter 1。XII。  He Bites。



Bonaparte Blenkins was riding home on the grey mare。  He had ridden out

that afternoon; partly for the benefit of his health; partly to maintain

his character as overseer of the farm。  As he rode on slowly; he

thoughtfully touched the ears of the grey mare with his whip。



〃No; Bon; my boy;〃 he addressed himself; 〃don't propose!  You can't marry

for four years; on account of the will; then why propose?  Wheedle her;

tweedle her; teedle her; but don't let her make sure of you。  When a

woman;〃 said Bonaparte; sagely resting his finger against the side of his

nose; 〃When a woman is sure of you she does what she likes with you; but

when she isn't; you do what you like with her。  And I〃 said Bonaparte。



Here he drew the horse up suddenly and looked。  He was now close to the

house; and leaning over the pigsty wall; in company with Em; who was

showing her the pigs; was a strange female figure。  It was the first

visitor that had appeared on the farm since his arrival; and he looked at

her with interest。  She was a tall; pudgy girl of fifteen; weighing a

hundred and fifty pounds; with baggy pendulous cheeks and up…turned nose。 

She strikingly resembled Tant Sannie; in form and feature; but her sleepy

good eyes lacked that twinkle that dwelt in the Boer…woman's small orbs。 

She was attired in a bright green print; wore brass rings in her ears and

glass beads round her neck; and was sucking the tip of her large finger as

she looked at the pigs。



〃Who is it that has come?〃 asked Bonaparte; when he stood drinking his

coffee in the front room。



〃Why; my niece; to be sure;〃 said Tant Sannie; the Hottentot maid

translating。  〃She's the only daughter of my only brother Paul; and she's

come to visit me。  She'll be a nice mouthful to the man that can get her;〃

added Tant Sannie。  〃Her father's got two thousand pounds in the green

wagon box under his bed; and a farm; and five thousand sheep; and God

Almighty knows how many goats and horses。  They milk ten cows in mid…

winter; and the young men are after her like flies about a bowl of milk。 

She says she means to get married in four months; but she doesn't yet know

to whom。  It was so with me when I was young;〃 said Tant Sannie。  〃I've sat

up with the young men four and five nights a week。  And they will come

riding again; as soon as ever they know that the time's up that the

Englishman made me agree not to marry in。〃



The Boer…woman smirked complacently。



〃Where are you going to?〃 asked Tant Sannie presently; seeing that

Bonaparte rose。



〃Ha!  I'm just going to the kraals; I'll be in to supper;〃 said Bonaparte。



Nevertheless; when he reached his own door he stopped and turned in there。

Soon after he stood before the little glass; arrayed in his best white

shirt with the little tucks; and shaving himself。  He had on his very best

trousers; and had heavily oiled the little fringe at the back of his head;

which; however; refused to become darker。  But what distressed him most was

his noseit was very red。  He rubbed his finger and thumb on the wall; and

put a little whitewash on it; but; finding it rather made matters worse; he

rubbed it off again。  Then he looked carefully into his own eyes。  They

certainly were a little pulled down at the outer corners; which gave them

the appearance of looking crosswise; but then they were a nice blue。  So he

put on his best coat; took up his stick; and went out to supper; feeling on

the whole well satisfied。



〃Aunt;〃 said Trana to Tant Sannie when that night they lay together in the

great wooden bed; 〃why does the Englishman sigh so when he looks at me?〃



〃Ha!〃 said Tant Sannie; who was half asleep; but suddenly started; wide

awake。  〃It's because he thinks you look like me。  I tell you; Trana;〃 said

Tant Sannie; 〃the man is mad with love of me。  I told him the other night I

couldn't marry till Em was sixteen; or I'd lose all the sheep her father

left me。  And he talked about Jacob working seven years and seven years

again for his wife。  And of course he meant me;〃 said Tant Sannie

pompously。  〃But he won't get me so easily as he thinks; he'll have to ask

more than once。〃



〃Oh!〃 said Trana; who was a lumpish girl and not much given to talking; but

presently she added; 〃Aunt; why does the Englishman always knock against a

person when he passes them?〃



〃That's because you are always in the way;〃 said Tant Sannie。



〃But; aunt; said Trana; presently; 〃I think he is very ugly。〃



〃Phugh!〃 said Tant Sannie。  It's only because we're not accustomed to such

noses in this country。  In his country he says all the people have such

noses; and the redder your nose is the higher you are。  He's of the family

of the Queen Victoria; you know;〃 said Tant Sannie; wakening up with her

subject; 〃and he doesn't think anything of governors and church elders and

such people; they are nothing to him。  When his aunt with the dropsy dies

he'll have money enough to buy all the farms in this district。〃



〃Oh!〃 said Trana。  That certainly made a difference。



〃Yes;〃 said Tant Sannie; 〃and he's only forty…one; though you'd take him to

be sixty。  And he told me last night the real reason of his baldness。〃



Tant Sannie then proceeded to relate how; at eighteen years of age;

Bonaparte had courted a fair young lady。  How a deadly rival; jealous of

his verdant locks; his golden flowing hair; had; with a damnable and

insinuating deception; made him a present of a pot of pomatum。  How;

applying it in the evening; on rising in the morning he found his pillow

strewn with the golden locks; and; looking into the glass; beheld the

shining and smooth expanse which henceforth he must bear。  The few

remaining hairs were turned to a silvery whiteness; and the young lady

married his rival。



〃And;〃 said Tant Sannie solemnly; 〃if it had not been for the grace of God;

and reading of the psalms; he says he would have killed himself。  He says

he could kill himself quite easily if he wants to marry a woman and she

won't。〃



〃Alle wereld!〃 said Trana:  and then they went to sleep。



Every one was lost in sleep soon; but from the window of the cabin the

light streamed forth。  It came from a dung fire; over which Waldo sat

brooding。  Hour after hour he sat there; now and again throwing a fresh

lump of fuel on to the fire; which burnt up bravely; and then sank into a

great bed of red coals; which reflected themselves in the boy's eyes as he

sat there brooding; brooding; brooding。  At last; when the fire was blazing

at its brightest; he rose suddenly and walked slowly to a beam from which

an ox riem hung。  Loosening it; he ran a noose in one end and then doubled

it round his arm。



〃Mine; mine!  I have a right;〃 he muttered; and then something louder; 〃if

I fall and am killed; so much the better!〃



He opened the door and went out into the starlight。



He walked with his eyes bent upon the ground; but overhead it was one of

those brilliant southern nights when every space so small that your hand

might cover it shows fifty cold white points; and the Milky…Way is a belt

of sharp frosted silver。  He passed the door where Bonaparte lay dreaming

of Trana and her wealth; and he mounted the ladder steps。  From those he

clambered with some difficulty on to the roof of the house。  It was of old

rotten thatch with a ridge of white plaster; and it crumbled away under his

feet at every step。  He trod as heavily as he could。  So much the better if

he fell。



He knelt down when he got to the far gable; and began to fasten his riem to

the crumbling bricks。  Below was the little window of the loft。  With one

end of the riem tied round the gable; the other end round his waist; how

easy to slide down to it; and to open it; through one of the broken panes;

and to
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