第34部分(第2/7 頁)

s　no　longer　speechless。　Indeed　the　offenders　fled　before　her。

Of　course　these　Zulus　gave　everybody　a　native　name。　My　wife　they　called　by　a　word　which　meant　“a　pretty　white　bead　with　a　pink　eye；”　while　Gibbs　was　designated　by　a　descriptive　title；　anglice　“a　worn…out　old　cow　who　would　have　no　more　calves。”　I　cannot　recollect　whether　anyone；　even　Stephen；　dared　to　give　to　her　an　unBowdlerised　rendering　of　this　not　too　plimentary　appellation。　Certainly　I　avoided　doing　so。　Poor　Gibbs！　Her　trials　in　that　strange　land　were　many。　Still　we　brought　her　safe　home　to　England；　where　she　remained　in　our　service　for　a　year　or　two；　then　left　and　vanished　away　as　modern　domestics　do。　I　wonder　whether　she　still　lives；　and　if　so；　where　she　is　spending　her　old　age！

Before　we　left　Hilldrop　we　had　a　great　sale　of　our　imported　furniture；　of　which　the　catalogue　survives　to　this　day。　It　was　a　highly　successful　sale；　since　such　articles　were　then　rare　at　Newcastle。　Thus　I　think　a　grand　piano；　which　I　had　bought　second…hand　for　40　pounds　in　England；　fetched　200　pounds；　and　the　other　things　went　at　proportionately　good　prices。　Only　the　“pany”　got　hold　of　all　the　stock　of　wine　which　was　exposed　upon　the　verandah　and　therein　drank　our　healths；　whereon　the　watchful　auctioneers　knocked　it　down　to　the　drinkers　at　a　high　price　per　dozen。

So　at　last　we　bade　farewell　to　Hilldrop；　which　neither　of　us　ever　has；　nor　I　suppose　ever　will；　see　again　except　in　dreams。　I　remember　feeling　quite　sad　as　we　drove　down　the　dusty　track　to　Newcastle；　and　the　familiar　house；　surrounded　by　its　orange　trees；　grew　dim　and　vanished　from　our　sight。

There　my　son　had　been　born；　there　I　had　undergone　many　emotions　of　a　kind　that　help　to　make　a　man；　there　I　had　suffered　the　highest　sort　of　shame；　shame