Marie: An Episode in the Life of the Late Allan QuatermainHaggard, H. Rider (Henry Rider)
General
Marie: An Episode in the Life of the Late Allan Quatermain
Haggard, H. Rider (Henry Rider)
Quatermain, Allan (Fictitious character) -- Fiction
“Then, Mynheer Pereira,” said Retief, “as Allan Quatermain here has won
the maiden who is now his wife, it would seem that his cause of enmity
must have ceased, whereas yours may well have remained. However, I have
no time to try cases of the sort now. But I warn you that this one will
be looked into later on when we get back to Natal, whither I shall take
you with me, and that meanwhile an eye is kept on you and what you do.
Also I warn you that I have evidence for all that I say. Now be so good
as to go, and to keep out of my sight as much as possible, for I do not
like a man whom these Kaffirs name ‘Two-faces.’ As for you, friend
Henri Marais, I tell you that you would do well to associate yourself
less with one whose name is under so dark a cloud, although he may be
your own nephew, whom all know you love blindly.”
So far as I recollect neither of them made any answer to this direct
speech. They simply turned and went away. But on the next morning, that
of the fatal 6th of February, when I chanced to meet the Commandant
Retief as he was riding through the camp making arrangements for our
departure to Natal, he pulled up his horse and said:
“Allan, Hernan Pereira has gone, and Henri Marais with him, and for my
part I am not sorry, for doubtless we shall meet again, in this world
or the next, and find out all the truth. Here, read this, and give it
back to me afterwards”; and he threw me a paper and rode on.
I opened the folded sheet and read as follows:
“To the Commandant Retief, Governor of the Emigrant Boers,
“Mynheer Commandant,
“I will not stay here, where such foul accusations are laid on me by
black Kaffirs and the Englishman, Allan Quatermain, who, like all his
race, is an enemy of us Boers, and, although you do not know it, a
traitor who is plotting great harm against you with the Zulus.
Therefore I leave you, but am ready to meet every charge at the right
time before a proper Court. My uncle, Henri Marais, comes with me, as
he feels that his honour is also touched. Moreover, he has heard that
his daughter, Marie, is in danger from the Zulus, and returns to
protect her, which he who is called her husband neglects to do. Allan
Quatermain, the Englishman, who is the friend of Dingaan, can explain
what I mean, for he knows more about the Zulu plans than I do, as you
will find out before the end.”
Then followed the signatures of Hernan Pereira and Henri Marais.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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