the days of my life-第51章

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。”　＇Of　course　all　this　was　Shepstone’s　playful　satire。　—　H。　R。　H。＇
I　quite　agree　with　you　about　Sir　Hercules　Robinson；　from　the　little　I　saw　of　him　I　thought　him　straightforward；　I　fancy；　however；　that　he　did　not　like　his　job。
There　is　nothing　to　be　said　about　the　Transvaal　that　would　have　the　slightest　effect　just　now；　the　humiliation　is　determined　upon　and　must　be　endured：　natural　causes　and　natural　processes　are　all　that　can　now　be　looked　for　to　bring　about　amelioration。　The　next　thing　to　look　forward　to　is　the　effect　that　this　humiliation　of　the　British　flag　will　produce　at　the　Cape。　The　Transvaal　rebellion　was　not　a　Transvaal　question；　at　the　next　general　election　in　the　Cape　Colony　the　Dutch　element　will　predominate　in　their　Parliament；　they　will　adopt　the　Dutch　as　the　official　language；　and　they　will　ask　England　to　withdraw；　and　threaten　vaguely　if　she　does　not。　I　can　see　no　escape　from　the　logic　of　facts　which　she　has　created；　she　must　withdraw；　and　if　from　the　Cape　why　not　from　Ireland　or　Canada　or　anywhere　else？
I　am　glad　to　hear　that　your　farm　is　going　well。　I　hope　you　will　make　hay　while　the　sun　shines；　for　I　suspect　that　the　troops　or　the　greater　portion　of　them　will　soon　be　withdrawn。　。　。　。　Believe　me；　my　dear　Haggard；
Yours　always　sincerely；
T。　Shepstone。
The　following　extract　from　a　letter　written　by　my　late　brother　John　to　my　father；　which　has　e　into　my　hands　with　the　others；　shows　the　date　of　the　departure　of　the　Royal　mission；　and　what　we　thought　of　that　body　individually。　It　is　headed　Hilldrop；　Newcastle；　June　3；　1881：
My　dear　Father；　—　You　will　have　heard　from　Rider　ere　you　receive　this　of　the　birth　of　his　boy；　so　I　will　not　enlarge　on　that　subject。
The　Royal　mission　left　this　house　for　the　Transvaal　yesterday；　so　we　left　the　tents　in　the　garden　and　took　repossession　of　the　building。　I　think　most　of　them　were　sorry　to　go；　and　for　many　things　we　were　sorry　to　lose　them；　they　were　a　remarkably　nice　set　of　men；　from　Sir　Hercules　Robinson　downwards。　。　。　。　I　next　tackled　Sir　Hercules　Robinson　＇as　to　an　appointment　he　desired　at　the　time。　—　H。　R。　H。＇；　and　was　asked　to　dinner　at　Hilldrop　with　Rider　and　Louisa。　The　latter　did　not　attend。　Among　the　guests　at　the　table　were　Sir　Henry　de　Villiers　and　President　Brand　of　the　Free　State。
Enclosed　in　this　letter　is　one　from　Sir　Evelyn　Wood　to　my　brother；　in　which　he　states　that　“I　do　not　myself　anticipate　remaining　Governor　of　Natal。”　His　dissent　from　the　report　of　the　Royal　mission　will　suggest　a　reason　why。
I　do　not　remember　much　of　President　Brand；　for　some　reason　he　made　no　great　impression　on　my　mind；　but　Sir　Henry　de　Villiers　I　recall　very　well　indeed；　for　we　rode　together　and　talked　a　good　deal。　He　an；　pleasant　and　able；　but　of　course　Dutch　by　blood；　and　therefore；　although　he　may　not　have　known　it　himself；　naturally　in　sympathy　with　Dutch　aims　and　ambitions。　In　him　the　Boers　had　an　advocate　of　the　best　class。　Sir　Hercules　Robinson　was　a　most　agreeable　Irish　gentleman。　Also　he　was　an　official；　and　not　of　the　strongest　sort。　As　a　Royal　missioner　theoretically　he　was　in　an　independent　position；　but　he　had　a　notable　example　before　his　eyes　in　the　instance　of　Sir　Bartle　Frere　of　what　happened　to　Colonial　Governors　who　dared　to　take　a　line　of　their　own。　Of　this　mission　Sir　Evelyn　Wood　was　the　only　really　independent　member；　and　he　dissented　from　its　most　important　findings。
Never　shall　I　forget　the　scene　on　the　market　square　of　Newcastle　—　it　must　have　been　about　the　21st　or　22nd　of　March　—　when　it　became　known　that　peace　had　been　declared　as　a　corollary　of　our　defeats；　and　that　the　restoration　of　the　Transvaal　was　practically　guaranteed　within　six　months。　Some　thousands　of　people　were　gathered　there；　many　of　them　refugees；　among　whom　were　a　number　of　loyal　Boers；　and　with　these　soldiers；　townsfolk；　and　natives。　I　saw　strong　men　weeping　like　children；　and　heard　English…born　people　crying　aloud　that　they　were　“b　——　y　Englishmen”　no　more。　Soldiers　were　raging　and　cursing；　and　no　one　tried　to　stop　them；　natives　stood　stupefied；　staring　before　them；　their　arms　folded　on　their　breasts；　women　wrung　their　hands。
Then　an　idea　struck　the　crowd；　they　made　a　rude　effigy　of　Mr。　Gladstone　and；　as　was　done　in　most　of　the　other　loyal　parts　of　South　Africa；　burnt　it　with　contempt　and　curses。　It　was　a　futile　and　perhaps　a　foolish　act；　but　excuses　must　be　made　for　the　ruined　and　the　shamed。　They　could　not　believe　their　ears；　in　which　still　echoed　the　vehement　declaration　of　Sir　Gar　Wolseley　that　no　Government　would　dare　under　any　circumstances　to　give　back　the　Transvaal；　and　the　statements；　in　the　House　of　Lords；　by　telegram；　and　in　other　ways　of　various　members　of　the　Administration　to　the　same　effect。
And　now　I　have　done　and　am　glad　to　have　done　with　the　matter　of　this　great　betrayal；　the　bitterness　of　which　no　lapse　of　time　ever　can　solace　or　even　alleviate；　and　will　return　to　its　results　upon　my　own　life。
On　July　30；　1881；　I　sent　to　my　father　what　I　suppose　was　the　last　letter　that　I　wrote　to　him　from　South　Africa。　It　was　in　answer　to　one　from　him　enclosing　a　munication　from　the　late　Mr。　Blake；　who　was　at　that　time　my　lawyer；　in　which　for　various　reasons；　both　personal　and　connected　with　our　property；　they　remended　our　return　to　England。
My　dear　Father；　—　I　have　delayed　replying　to　your　kind　letter　of　June　22nd　in　order　that　I　might　have　time　to　give　it　full　consideration；　and　also　to　enable　me　to　try　to　arrive　at　some　satisfactory　conclusion　as　regards　the　probable　course　of　events　in　this　country。　I　must　now　tell　you　that　after　thoroughly　thinking　the　matter　over　I　have　made　up　my　mind　to　return　to　England　next　month。　This　will　probably　seem　a　somewhat　eccentric　announcement；　but　my　reasons　are　briefly　as　follows。　First　I　have　given　due　weight　to　what　you　and　Mr。　Blake　write　to　me；　and　admit　that　there　is　a　great　deal　in　what　you　say。　What　brings　me　back　in　such　a　hurry　however　is　the　state　of　the　country。
I　can　only　trust　that　I　have　arrived　at　a　wise　decision。　Of　course　you　will　understand　that；　under　the　circumstances；　if　we　are　to　go；　the　sooner　we　go　the　better。
Cochrane　is　ing　home　with　us　on　a　trip。　I　am　sorry　to　say　that　he　is　suffering　from　a　prolonged　attack　of　dysentery；　and　I　think　that　a　rest　and　a　change　of　air　is　the　only　thing　that　will　pull　him　together　again。　The　farm　will　be　left　in　charge　of　George　and　Mr。　North　（our　engineer）；　a　very　respectable　man　who　has　the　advantage　of　experience　of　the　country。　。　。　。
I　must　add　a　few　words　about　our　farming　life。　Our　estate；　Rooipoint；　covered　something　over　three　thousand　acres。　At　any　rate　it　was　a　large　property　lying　between　the　Newcastle　town　lands　and　the　Ingagaan　River；　in　the　centre　of　which　rose　a　great　flat…topped　hill；　the　Rooi　or　Red　Point；　that　gave　it　its　name。　From　the　very　crest　of　this　hill　flowed；　and　doubtless　still　flows；　a　strong　and　beautiful　spring　of　water；　though　why　water　should　appear　at　the　top　of　a　mountain　instead　of　the　bottom　is　more　than　I　can　say。　At　the　foot　of　this　mount　we　erected　the　steam…driven　grinding　mill　which　I　had　bought　in　England；　our　idea　being　that　we　should　make　our　fortunes　or　at　any　rate　do　very　well　as　millers。　Whether　this　anticipation　wou