第 55 节
作者:管他三七二十一      更新:2021-12-07 09:25      字数:9322
  joy and love unspeakable。
  〃NATURE!〃 said Christopher dogmatically; recognizing an old
  acquaintance; and booking it as one more conquest gained over the
  past。  But there was too much excitement over the cherub to attend
  to him。  So he watched the woman gravely; and began to moralize
  with all his might。  〃This;〃 said he; 〃is what we used to call
  maternal love; and all animals had it; and that is why the noble
  savage went for him。  It was very good of you; Miss Savage;〃 said
  the poor soul sententiously。
  〃Good of her!〃 cried Phoebe。  〃She is all goodness。  Savage; find
  me a Dutchwoman like her!  I'll give her a good cuddle for it;〃 and
  she took the Kafir round the neck; and gave her a hearty kiss; and
  made the little boy kiss her too。
  At this moment out came a collie dog; hunting Ucatella by scent
  alone; which process landed him headlong in the group; he gave loud
  barks of recognition; fawned on Phoebe and Dick; smelt poor
  Christopher; gave a growl of suspicion; and lurked about squinting;
  dissatisfied; and lowering his tail。
  〃Thou art wrong; lad; for once;〃 said Dick; 〃for he's an old
  friend; and a good one。〃
  〃After the dog; perhaps some Christian will come to welcome us;〃
  said poor Phoebe。
  Obedient to the wish; out walked Sophy; the English nurse; a
  scraggy woman; with a very cocked nose and thin; pinched lips; and
  an air of respectability and pertness mingled。  She dropped a short
  courtesy; shot the glance of a basilisk at Ucatella; and said
  stiffly; 〃You are welcome home; ma'am。〃  Then she took the little
  boy as one having authority。  Not that Phoebe would have
  surrendered him; but just then Mr。 Falcon strolled out; with a
  cigar in his mouth; and Phoebe; with her heart in HER mouth; flew
  to meet him。  There was a rapturous conjugal embrace; followed by
  mutual inquiries; and the wagon drew up at the door。  Then; for the
  first time; Falcon observed Staines; saw at once he was a
  gentleman; and touched his hat to him; to which Christopher
  responded in kind; and remembered he had done so in the locked…up
  past。
  Phoebe instantly drew her husband apart by the sleeve。  〃Who do you
  think that is?  You'll never guess。  'Tis the great doctor that
  saved Dick's life in England with cutting of his throat。  But; oh;
  my dear; he is not the man he was。  He is afflicted。  Out of his
  mind partly。  Well; we must cure him; and square the account for
  Dick。  I'm a proud woman at finding him; and bringing him here to
  make him all right again; I can tell you。  Oh; I am happy; I am
  happy。  Little did I think to be so happy as I am。  And; my dear; I
  have brought you a whole sackful of newspapers; old and new。〃
  〃That is a good girl。  But tell me a little more about him。  What
  is his name?〃
  〃Christie。〃
  〃Dr。 Christie?〃
  〃No doubt。  He wasn't an apothecary; or a chemist; you may be sure;
  but a high doctor; and the cleverest ever was or ever will be: and
  isn't it sad; love; to see him brought down so?  My heart yearns
  for the poor man: and then his wifethe sweetest; loveliest
  creature you everoh!〃  Phoebe stopped very short; for she
  remembered something all of a sudden; nor did she ever again give
  Falcon a chance of knowing that the woman; whose presence had so
  disturbed him; was this very Dr。 Christie's wife。  〃Curious!〃
  thought she to herself; 〃the world to be so large; and yet so
  small:〃 then aloud; 〃They are unpacking the wagon; come; dear。  I
  don't think I have forgotten anything of yours。  There's cigars;
  and tobacco; and powder; and shot; and bullets; and everything to
  make you comfortable; as my duty 'tis; andoh; but I'm a happy
  woman。〃
  Hottentots; big and little; clustered about the wagon。  Treasure
  after treasure was delivered with cries of delight; the dogs found
  out it was a joyful time; and barked about the wheeled treasury;
  and the place did not quiet down till sunset。
  A plain but tidy little room was given to Christopher; and he slept
  there like a top。  Next morning his nurse called him up to help her
  water the grass。  She led the way with a tub on her head and two
  buckets in it。  She took him to the dam; when she got there she
  took out the buckets; left one on the bank; and gave the other to
  Christie。  She then went down the steps till the water was up to
  her neck; and bade Christie fill the tub。  He poured eight
  bucketsful in。  Then she came slowly out; straight as an arrow;
  balancing this tub full on her head。  Then she held out her hands
  for the two buckets。  Christie filled them; wondering; and gave
  them to her。  She took them like toy buckets; and glided slowly
  home with this enormous weight; and never spilled a drop。  Indeed;
  the walk was more smooth and noble than ever; if possible。
  When she reached the house; she hailed a Hottentot; and it cost the
  man and Christopher a great effort of strength to lower her tub
  between them。
  〃What a vertebral column you must have!〃 said Christopher。
  〃You must not speak bad words; my child;〃 said she。  〃Now; you
  water the grass and the flowers。〃  She gave him a watering…pot; and
  watched him maternally; but did not put a hand to it。  She
  evidently considered this part of the business as child's play; and
  not a fit exercise of her powers。
  It was only by drowning that little oasis twice a day that the
  grass was kept green and the flowers alive。
  She found him other jobs in course of the day; and indeed he was
  always helping somebody or other; and became quite ruddy; bronzed;
  and plump of cheek; and wore a strange look of happiness; except at
  times when he got apart; and tried to recall the distant past。
  Then he would knit his brow; and looked perplexed and sad。
  They were getting quite used to him; and he to them; when one day
  he did not come in to dinner。  Phoebe sent out for him; but they
  could not find him。
  The sun set。  Phoebe became greatly alarmed; and even Dick was
  anxious。
  They all turned out; with guns and dogs; and hunted for him beneath
  the stars。
  Just before daybreak Dick Dale saw a fire sparkle by the side of a
  distant thicket。  He went to it; and there was Ucatella seated;
  calm and grand as antique statue; and Christopher lying by her
  side; with a shawl thrown over him。  As Dale came hurriedly up; she
  put her finger to her lips; and said; 〃My child sleeps。  Do not
  wake him。  When he sleeps; he hunts the past; as Collie hunts the
  springbok。〃
  〃Here's a go;〃 said Dick。  Then; hearing a chuckle; he looked up;
  and was aware of a comical appendage to the scene。  There hung;
  head downwards; from a branch; a Kafir boy; who was; in fact; the
  brother of the stately Ucatella; only went further into antiquity
  for his models of deportment; for; as she imitated the antique
  marbles; he reproduced the habits of that epoch when man roosted;
  and was arboreal。  Wheel somersaults; and; above all; swinging head
  downwards from a branch; were the sweeteners of his existence。
  〃Oh! YOU are there; are you?〃 said Dick。
  〃Iss;〃 said Ucatella。  〃Tim good boy。  Tim found my child。〃
  〃Well;〃 said Dick; 〃he has chosen a nice place。  This is the clump
  the last lion came out of; at least they say so。  For my part; I
  never saw an African lion; Falcon says they've all took ship; and
  gone to England。  However; I shall stay here with my rifle till
  daybreak。  'Tis tempting Providence to lie down on the skirt of a
  wood for Lord knows what to jump out on ye unawares。〃
  Tim was sent home for Hottentots; and Christopher was carried home;
  still sleeping; and laid on his own bed。
  He slept twenty…four hours more; and; when he was fairly awake; a
  sort of mist seemed to clear away in places; and he remembered
  things at random。  He remembered being at sea on the raft with the
  dead body; that picture was quite vivid to him。  He remembered;
  too; being in the hospital; and meeting Phoebe; and every
  succeeding incident; but as respected the more distant past; he
  could not recall it by any effort of his will。  His mind could only
  go into that remoter past by material stepping…stones; and what
  stepping…stones he had about him here led him back to general
  knowledge; but not to his private history。
  In this condition he puzzled them all strangely at the farm; his
  mind was alternately so clear and so obscure。  He would chat with
  Phoebe; and sometimes give her a good practical hint; but the next
  moment; helpless for want of memory; that great faculty without
  which judgment cannot act; having no material。
  After some days of this; he had another great sleep。  It brought
  him back the distant past in chapters。  His wedding…day。  His
  wife's face and dress upon that day。  His parting with her: his
  whole voyage out: but; strange to say; it swept away one…half of
  that which he had recovered at his last sleep; and he no longer
  remembered clearly how he came to be at Dale's Kloof。
  Thus his mind might be compared to one climbing a slippery place;
  who gains a foot or two; then slips back; but on the whole gains
  more than he loses。
  He took a great liking to Falcon。  That gentleman had the art of
  pleasing; and the tact never to offend。
  Falcon affected to treat the poor soul's want of memory as a common
  infirmity; pretended he was himself very often troubled in the s