Part 19 (1/2)
”'What is that?' asked my cousin
”'It will never happen that I shall marry you, Hernan,' I replied
”'Who knows, Marie, who knows?' he said
”'I do, Hernan,' I answered 'Even if Allan were to die to-morroould not lad that he has saved your life, but henceforth we are cousins, nothing irl tells us,' said ive up the business? What is the use of kicking against the pricks?'
”'If one wears stout boots and kicks hard enough, the pricks give way,'
said Hernan 'Sixtime, my uncle'
”'It may be so, cousin,' I said; 'but remember that neither six h to make me marry any man except Allan Quatermain, who has just rescued you from death Do you understand?'
”'Yes,' he replied, 'I understand that you will not marry me Only then I promise that you shall not marry either Allan Quatermain or any other man'
”'God will decide that,' I answered, and caether And now, Allan, tell me all that has happened since we parted”
So I told her everything, including the Vrouw Prinsloo's advice
”Of course, Allan, you were quite right,” she remarked when I had finished; ”but I aht in her own fashi+on I am afraid of my cousin Hernan, who holds my father in his hand--fast, fast Still, we have promised, and must keep our word”
CHAPTER XI THE SHOT IN THE KLOOF
I think it was about three weeks after these events that we began our southward trek On thesubsequent to our arrival at Marais's camp, Pereira casaved his life
Thenceforward, he declared, I should be dearer to him than a brother, for was there not a blood bond between us?
I answered I did not think any such bond existed; indeed, I was not sure what it meant I had donefurther to be said
It turned out, however, that there was a great deal further to be said, since Pereira desired to borrowto the prejudices of the vulgar Boers who remained alive in that caued Vrouw Prinsloo, both he and his uncle had come to the conclusion that it would be wise for him to remove himself as soon as possible Therefore he proposed to trek away alone
I answered that I should have thought he had done enough solitary travelling in this veld, seeing how his last expedition had ended He replied that he had, indeed, but everyone here was so bitter against him that no choice was left Then he added with an outburst of truth:
”Allemachte! Mynheer Quatermain, do you suppose that it is pleasant forlove all day to theback the love with her eyes? Yes, and doubtless with her lips, too, from all I hear”
”You could leave her whom you called your betrothed, but who never was betrothed to anyone but me with her oill, to starve in the veld, ry because I picked up that which you threay, that, too, which was always my own and not yours? Had it not been for me, there would now be no maid left for us to quarrel over, as, had it not been for me, there would be no man left for me to quarrel with about the lishman, that you dispose of the lives of men and women at your will? It was He Who saved us, not you”
”He h me I carried out the rescue of these poor people whom you deserted, and I nursed you back to life”