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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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