友情提示:如果本网页打开太慢或显示不完整,请尝试鼠标右键“刷新”本网页!阅读过程发现任何错误请告诉我们,谢谢!! 报告错误
热门书库 返回本书目录 我的书架 我的书签 TXT全本下载 进入书吧 加入书签

marie-第3章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页,按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页,按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部!
————未阅读完?加入书签已便下次继续阅读!




his Christian and surname; his origin was Huguenot; his forefather; who

was also named Henri Maraisthough I think the Marais was spelt rather

differently thenhaving been one of the first of that faith who

emigrated to South Africa to escape the cruelties of Louis XIV。 at the

time of the revocation of the Edict of Nantes。



Unlike most Boers of similar descent; these particular Maraisfor; of

course; there are many other families so callednever forgot their

origin。  Indeed; from father to son; they kept up some knowledge of the

French tongue; and among themselves often spoke it after a fashion。  At

any rate; it was the habit of Henri Marais; who was excessively

religious; to read his chapter of the Bible (which it is; or was; the

custom of the Boers to spell out every morning; should their learning

allow them to do so); not in the 〃taal〃 or patois Dutch; but in good old

French。  I have the very book from which he used to read now; for;

curiously enough; in after years; when all these events had long been

gathered to the past; I chanced to buy it among a parcel of other works

at the weekly auction of odds and ends on the market square of

Maritzburg。  I remember that when I opened the great tome; bound over

the original leather boards in buckskin; and discovered to whom it had

belonged; I burst into tears。  There was no doubt about it; for; as was

customary in old days; this Bible had sundry fly…leaves sewn up with it

for the purpose of the recording of events important to its owner。



The first entries were made by the original Henri Marais; and record how

he and his compatriots were driven from France; his father having lost

his life in the religious persecutions。  After this comes a long list of

births; marriages and deaths continued from generation to generation;

and amongst them a few notes telling of such matters as the change of

the dwelling…places of the family; always in French。  Towards the end of

the list appears the entry of the birth of the Henri Marais whom I knew;

alas! too well; and of his only sister。  Then is written his marriage to

Marie Labuschagne; also; be it noted; of the Huguenot stock。  In the

next year follows the birth of Marie Marais; my Marie; and; after a long

interval; for no other children were born; the death of her mother。 

Immediately below appears the following curious passage:



〃Le 3 Janvier; 1836。  Je quitte ce pays voulant me sauver du maudit

gouvernement Britannique comme mes ancetres se sont sauves de ce

diableLouis XIV。



〃A bas les rois et les ministres tyrannique!  Vive la liberte!〃



Which indicates very clearly the character and the opinions of Henri

Marais; and the feeling among the trek…Boers at that time。



Thus the record closes and the story of the Marais endsthat is; so far

as the writings in the Bible go; for that branch of the family is now

extinct。



Their last chapter I will tell in due course。





There was nothing remarkable about my introduction to Marie Marais。  I

did not rescue her from any attack of a wild beast or pull her out of a

raging river in a fashion suited to romance。  Indeed; we interchanged

our young ideas across a small and extremely massive table; which; in

fact; had once done duty as a block for the chopping up of meat。  To

this hour I can see the hundreds of lines running criss…cross upon its

surface; especially those opposite to where I used to sit。



One day; several years after my father had emigrated to the Cape; the

Heer Marais arrived at our house in search; I think; of some lost oxen。 

He was a thin; bearded man with rather wild; dark eyes set close

together; and a quick nervous manner; not in the least like that of a

Dutch Boeror so I recall him。  My father received him courteously and

asked him to stop to dine; which he did。



They talked together in French; a tongue that my father knew well;

although he had not used it for years; Dutch he could not; or; rather;

would not; speak if he could help it; and Mr。 Marais preferred not to

talk English。  To meet someone who could converse in French delighted

him; and although his version of the language was that of two centuries

before and my father's was largely derived from reading; they got on

very well together; if not too fast。



At length; after a pause; Mr。 Marais; pointing to myself; a small and

stubbly…haired youth with a sharp nose; asked my father whether he would

like me to be instructed in the French tongue。  The answer was that

nothing would please him better。



〃Although;〃 he added severely; 〃to judge by my own experience where

Latin and Greek are concerned; I doubt his capacity to learn anything。〃



So an arrangement was made that I should go over for two days in each

week to Maraisfontein; sleeping there on the intervening night; and

acquire a knowledge of the French tongue from a tutor whom Mr。 Marais

had hired to instruct his daughter in that language and other subjects。 

I remember that my father agreed to pay a certain proportion of this

tutor's salary; a plan which suited the thrifty Boer very well indeed。



Thither; accordingly; I went in due course; nothing loth; for on the

veld between our station and Maraisfontein many pauw and koranthat is;

big and small bustardswere to be found; to say nothing of occasional

buck; and I was allowed to carry a gun; which even in those days I could

use fairly well。  So to Maraisfontein I rode on the appointed day;

attended by a Hottentot after…rider; a certain Hans; of whom I shall

have a good deal to tell。  I enjoyed very goof sport on the road;

arriving at the stead laden with one pauw; two koran; and a little

klipspringer buck which I had been lucky enough to shoot as it bounded

out of some rocks in front of me。



There was a peach orchard planted round Maraisfontein; which just then

was a mass of lovely pink blossom; and as I rode through it slowly; not

being sure of my way to the house; a lanky child appeared in front of

me; clad in a frock which exactly matched the colour of the peach bloom。

 I can see her now; her dark hair hanging down her back; and her big;

shy eyes staring at me from the shadow of the Dutch 〃kappie〃 which she

wore。  Indeed; she seemed to be all eyes; like a 〃dikkop〃 or

thick…headed plover; at any rate; I noted little else about her。



I pulled up my pony and stared at her; feeling very shy and not knowing

what to say。  For a while she stared back at me; being afflicted;

presumably; with the same complaint; then spoke with an effort; in a

voice that was very soft and pleasant。



〃Are you the little Allan Quatermain who is coming to learn French with

me?〃 she asked in Dutch。



〃Of course;〃 I answered in the same tongue; which I knew well; 〃but why

do you call me little; missie? I am taller than you;〃 I added

indignantly; for when I was young my lack of height was always a sore

point with me。



〃I think not;〃 she replied。  〃But get off that horse; and we will

measure here agai
返回目录 上一页 下一页 回到顶部 0 0
未阅读完?加入书签已便下次继续阅读!
温馨提示: 温看小说的同时发表评论,说出自己的看法和其它小伙伴们分享也不错哦!发表书评还可以获得积分和经验奖励,认真写原创书评 被采纳为精评可以获得大量金币、积分和经验奖励哦!