第35部分(第3/7 頁)

ason　to　know；　although　these　have　not　always　acknowledged　the　source　of　their　information　and　judgments。

So　it　es　about　that　my　only　effort　as　an　historian　was　not　made　in　vain；　although　at　first　it　seemed　futile　and　fruitless　enough。　I　may　add　that　certain　prophecies　set　down　in　its　pages　in　1882　have　since　that　time　been　remarkably　fulfilled。

If　they　＇i。e。　those　who　direct　the　destinies　of　the　Empire＇　do　not　＇take　certain　steps　alluded　to　above＇　it　is　now　quite　within　the　bounds　of　possibility　that　they　may　one　day　have　to　face　a　fresh　Transvaal　rebellion；　only　on　a　ten　times　larger　scale。

And　again：

Unless　they　＇i。e。　South　African　problems＇　are　treated　with　more　honest　intelligence；　and　on　a　more　settled　plan　than　it　has　hitherto　been　thought　necessary　to　apply　to　them；　the　British　taxpayer　will　find　that　he　has　by　no　means　heard　the　last　of　that　country　and　its　wars。

Some　twenty　years　after　I　wrote　these　words　England　did　have　to　face　a　Transvaal　war　on　a　ten　times　larger　scale；　and　the　British　taxpayer　did　hear　that　he　was　called　upon　to　pay　a　bill　of　some　three　hundred　millions　sterling。　Also　about　twenty　thousand　of　our　countrymen；　among　them　a　young　nephew　of　my　own；　were　summoned　to　lay　down　their　lives　on　the　African　veld。　Such　was　the　cost　to　the　Empire　of　the　reversal　of　Sir　Theophilus　Shepstone’s　policy　in　the　interests　of　an　English　political　party。

Whilst　we　were　at　Norwood　a　little　incident　occurred　which　resulted　in　my　being　a　writer　of　fiction。　At　the　church　which　my　wife　and　I　attended　we　saw　sitting　near　us　one　Sunday　a　singularly　beautiful　and　pure…faced　young　lady。　Afterwards　we　agreed　that　this　semi…divine　creature　—　on　whom　to　the　best　of　my　knowledge　I　have　never　set　eyes　again　from　that　day　to　this　—　ou