the days of my life-第31部分

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ent；　one　kipper　for　that。
The　trouble　was　that　he　never　did　“taste　that　nice　green　fat。”
However；　things　righted　themselves　by　degrees；　as　somehow　they　generally　do　when　one　is　young　and　not　afraid　to　take　chances。　To　begin　with；　not　long　after　my　arrival　in　England　I　did　the　wisest　and　best　deed　of　my　life　and　engaged　myself　to　be　married。
The　young　lady　whom　I　met　thirty…two　years　ago；　and　who　is　today；　God　be　thanked；　living；　and　strong　enough　to　have　ent　last　week；　was　named　Louisa　Margitson；　the　only　surviving　child　of　Major　Margitson　of　the　19th　Regiment　and　of　Ditchingham　House　in　this　county；　where　we　now　live。　The　Margitsons　were　originally　yeomen　in　the　neighbourhood　of　North　Walsham；　crossed　with　Huguenot　blood　—　we　still　hold　their　property；　or　some　of　it。　They　intermarried　with　the　respected　Norwich　family　of　the　name　of　Beckwith；　and　also　with　a　descendant　of　Dr。　Robert　Hamilton　of　Lynn；　a　distinguished　man　in　his　day；　who　was　a　friend　of　Sir　Joshua　Reynolds。　There　still　hangs　in　this　house　a　portrait　of　Countess　Margaret　Georgiana　Spencer　and　child；　by　Reynolds；　which　is　said　to　have　been　given　by　him　to　Dr。　Robert　Hamilton；　my　wife’s　great…great…grandfather。　On　her　mother’s　side　she　is　also　directly　descended　from　the　great　Scottish　family　of　Hamilton；　thus　having　a　double　cross　of　that　blood　in　her　veins。　Her　parents　died　in　her　youth；　leaving　her　the　heiress　to　certain　landed　property　which　would　have　been　valuable　had　real　estate　in　Norfolk　retained　the　worth　which　it　had　at　the　time　of　their　death。　As　things　are　we　do　not　get　much　out　of　it；　indeed　I　believe　that　directly　and　indirectly　I　must　have　expended　nearly　as　much　upon　the　properties　as；　up　to　the　present；　we　have　received　during　our　tenure　of　them。　For　instance；　fifty　years　ago　the　estate　produced　sufficient　to　support　a　family　in　something　more　than　fort。　Now　its　　rentals；　although　it　is　totally　unencumbered；　about　pay　for　the　upkeep　of　the　house　and　gardens。　I　mention　these　facts　because　I　see　it　recorded　in　works　of　reference　that　I　married　an　“heiress；”　which　is　an　elastic　term。
My　dear　wife　was　a　schoolfellow　of　my　sister　Mary；　and　was　staying　with　her　at　Bradenham　when　we　met。　After　a　short　acquaintance　we　became　engaged；　and　at　first　all　went　well　enough；　subsequently；　however；　her　guardians　—　for　she　was　not　yet　of　age　—　after　consenting　to　her　engagement；　reconsidered　the　matter　and　wished　her　to　break　it　off。　I　do　not　altogether　blame　them；　since　at　the　moment　my　prospects　were　not　particularly　brilliant。　As　it　chanced；　however；　my　wife；　perhaps　the　most　upright　and　straightforward　woman　whom　I　ever　knew；　was　not　one　of　a　nature　to　play　fast　and　loose　in　such　matters。　She　declined；　whereupon　one　of　her　guardians；　who　was　a　lawyer；　made　her　a　ward　in　Chancery。　Well　do　I　remember　appearing　before　Vice…Chancellor　Malins；　a　kindly　old　gentleman　and　man　of　the　world；　upon　whose　gouty　toe　I　inadvertently　trod　when　shaking　hands　with　him。　He　soon　sifted　the　matter　out　and　approved　of　the　engagement；　making　certain　directions　as　to　settlements；　etc。　The　　result　of　the　whole　business　was　that；　including　the　cost　of　the　settlements；　a　very　moderate　estate　was　mulcted　in　law　expenses　of　a　sum　of　nearly　3000　pounds！
In　after　days　I　and　my　wife’s　relations；　with　most　of　whom；　by　the　way；　I　never　had　any　difference　at　all；　as　they　were　no　parties　to　these　proceedings；　became　and　remained　the　best　of　friends。　So　I　wish　to　say　no　more　of　the　matter　except　that　I　regret　those　moneys　which　went　in　quite　useless　law　costs。　The　end　of　the　business　was　that　after　about　a　year　of　these　excursions　and　alarums　we　were　duly　married　on　August　11；　1880；　I　being　twenty…four　and　my　wife　within　a　few　months　of　twenty…one；　and　departed　from　this　house　to　Norwich　in　a　carriage　drawn　by　four　grey　horses　with　postilions。　This　is　interesting；　as　I　believe　it　must　have　been　one　of　the　last　occasions　upon　which　postilions　were　used　for　such　a　purpose　in　England；　except　of　course　in　the　case　of　royal　personages。　At　any　rate　I　have　never　seen　or　heard　of　them　since　in　this　connection；　and　how　we　came　to　have　them　I　do　not　quite　know。　I　can　see　them　now　in　their　gay　dress　and　velvet　caps　touching　up　the　grey　steeds　with　their　short　whips。　We　made　quite　a　sensation　on　our　thirteen…mile　journey　to　and　through　Norwich；　but　oh！　were　we　not　glad　when　it　was　all　over。
In　a　letter　recently　found　at　Bradenham；　headed　Ditchingham　House；　Bungay；　December　21；　1879；　and　addressed　to　my　brother　William；　who　was　then　attached　to　the　British　Embassy　at　Teheran；　I　find　the　following　estimate　of　my　future　wife’s　character；　and　expression　of　my　feelings　towards　her。
Next；　my　dear　Will　—　je　vais　me　marier　—　to　such　a　brick　of　a　girl；　Louie　Margitson。　They　are　certain　to　have　told　you　all　about　her　in　their　letters　from　home；　so　I　will　only　say　that　I　love　her　sincerely；　as　I　think　she　does　me；　and　that；　unless　something　untoward　occurs　to　dash　the　cup　from　my　lips；　I　think　we　have　as　good　a　prospect　of　happiness　as　most　people。　She　is　good　and　sensible　and　true…hearted；　and　every　day　I　see　her　I　love　and　respect　her　more。　She　is　a　woman　who　can　be　a　man’s　friend　as　well　as　his　lover；　and　whom　I　would　trust　as　I　would　very　few。　She　is　willing　to　e　to　Africa；　so　we　propose　returning　there　shortly；　i。e。　as　soon　as　we　can　get　satisfactorily　married。　There　is　property　concerned；　and　trustees；　who；　as　I　dare　say　you　know；　are　gentry　difficult　to　deal　with。　They　want　us　to　postpone　the　marriage　till　she　es　of　age　next　October；　but　we　don’t　see　the　force　of　it　in　any　way。　I　want　to　get　married　next　April　—　whether　I　shall　manage　or　not　is　another　matter　。　。　。　。
Good…bye；　old　fellow。　God　bless　you。
Your　loving　brother；
H。　Rider　Haggard。
In　fact；　as　I　have　said；　we　did　not　succeed　in　marrying　until　August　11；　1880。
The　circumstance　of　my　marriage　gave　me　pause　as　to　my　plan　of　leading　a　farmer’s　life　in　South　Africa；　and　as　my　father　and　family　were　very　anxious　that　I　should　re…enter　the　Colonial　Service；　I　made　some　attempt　to　do　so。　It　is；　however；　one　thing　to　give　up　a　billet　and　quite　another　to　get　it　back　again。　Had　Sir　Theophilus　Shepstone　or　even　Sir　Owen　Lanyon　still　been　in　power　in　the　Transvaal；　doubtless　there　would　have　been　little　difficulty。　But　a　new　Pharaoh　had　arisen　in　the　shape　of　Sir　Gar　Wolseley　who　knew　not　Joseph；　and　probably　wished　to　keep　any　available　patronage　in　his　own　hands。　At　any　rate；　on　the　matter　being　referred　to　him；　he　replied　“that　arrangements　are　in　contemplation　which　prevent　your　reinstatement　in　the　office　of　Master　of　the　High　Court　in　the　Transvaal。”
Those　“arrangements”　were　indeed　a　blessing　in　disguise；　since；　had　I　been　reinstated；　we　should　have　had　the　pleasure；　as　I　have　shown；　of　going　through　the　siege　of　Pretoria；　and　on　the　Retrocession　I　should　have　been　dismissed　from　my　office　without　pensation；　as　I　believe　happened　to　the　gentleman　who　succeeded　me。　It　was　one　of　the　peculiar　cruelties　of　that　act　that　Englishmen　who　had　taken　service　under　the　British　Government　in　the　Transvaal　were　treated　thus；　since；　of　course；　even　if　the　opportunity　had　been　given；　they　could　scarcely　transfer　their　allegiance　from　the　Queen　to　a　Boer　Republic。　But；　after　all；　they　suffered　no　worse　things　than　scores　of　British　subjects　whose　farms　were　looted；　and　who　in　practice　were　left　to　send　in　their　bill　to　their　new　Dutch　masters　—　with　results　that　may　be　imagined。
When　I　went　home　in　1879　Mr。　（or；　as　he　afterwards　became；　Sir　Melmoth）　Obsorn　entrusted　me　with　the　guardianship　of　his　son　Jack；　a　boy　of　about　sixteen；　whom　he　asked　me　to　send　to　whatever　school　I　might　select　in　England。　So　it　es　about　that　he　wrote　me　a　good　many　letters；　a　few　of　which　survive　and　contain　items　of　interest　as　to　public　affairs　in　Africa　at　this　period。
Poor　Jack　Osborn　after　a　course　of　education　in　England　returned　to　South　Africa　and　was　appointed　to　some　office　in　Zululand。　There；　a　few　years　later；　he　died　of　abscess　of　the　liver。
In　a　letter　dated　Pretoria；　October　10；　1879；　Osborn　says：
I　have　your　letter　23rd　August　in　which　you　give　account　of　your　stewardship　regarding　Jack。　Accept　my　sincere　thanks　for　all　you　have　done　and　the　care　you　took　of　the　boy；　who　I　fear　must　have　been　a　great　bother　to　you。　Your　father’s　kind　note　to　me　I　need　not　tell　you　how　greatly　I　appreciate；　and　I　will　write　to　him　by　this　mail。　Jack　wrote　me　several　letters　since　his　arrival　in　England。　He　is　loud　about　all　the　kindness　shown　him　by　you　and　your　people；　your　father　especially；　whom　he　seems　to　swear　by。　。　。　。　Sir　Gar　Wolseley　is　here。　He　would　not　take　up　his　abode　in　Government　House；　but　had　a　house　hired　for　his　occupation；　and　is　now　in　Koch’s　new　residence　near　Melville’s；　together　with　his　staff。　I　have　a　very　hard　time　of　it　just　now；　having　to　serve　two　masters　who；　between　us；　do　not　seem　to　pull　together　very　well。　Sir　Gar　seems　to　disapprove　entirely　of　Sir　Bartle　Frere’s　policy　with　Kaffirs　and　Boers　。　。　。　。
With　regard　to　your　returning　to　the　Colonial　Service　your　father　is　quite　right；　and　I　think　you　should　return。　The　business　between　you　and　Cochrane　could　be　easily　arranged；　although　I　dare　say　to　you　there　seems　a　difficulty　about　it。　If　you　start　again　fairly　in　any　other　colony　but　this　you　are　sure　to　succeed；　and　I　strongly　advise　you　to　do　so　—　it　would　simply　be　following　a　pursuit　for　which　you　are　eminently　suited　and　abandoning　one　for　which　you　are　not。　I　think　I　told　you　that　I　did　the　same　thing　some　years　ago：　resigned　my　appointment　in　the　Service　and　invested　in　a　sugar　estate；　but　soon　found　that　trying　to　do　that　which　I　did　not　understand　involved　nothing　but　loss；　and　by　advice　of　a　friend　I　re…entered　the　Service；　tho’　in　a　low　grade。　Well；　by　steady　perseverance　and　without　one…half　the　advantages　you　have；　here　I　am　today。　Perhaps　you　will　say　it　is　not　much　after　all；　but　if　you　had　to　encounter　all　the　uphill　work　that　fell　to　my　lot　of　which　you　have　no　conception；　and　when　you　are　a　little　older；　you　will　be　able　to　appreciate　matters　as　I　do。
I　have　but　little　news　to　send　you　this　time。　Two　regiments　are　expected　here　in　a　few　days　I　believe；　so　that　we　will　have　a　lot　of　troops　at　hand　to　cope　with