The Witch’s Head
.pdfH. RIDER
HAGGARD
THE WITCH’S
HEAD
Москва, 2018
УДК 82 ББК 84
H.Rider Haggard
The Witch’s Head / H. R. Haggard. – М. : T8RUGRAM /
Original, 2018. – 506 с.
ISBN 978-5-521-06597-4
The Witch’s Head is the second novel by H Rider Haggard, which he wrote just prior to King Solomon’s Mines. Zulu magic comes to the British Fenlands, as the severed head of a sorcerer casts a spell from beyond the grave. The story sweeps from England to the South African setting Haggard knew well from his years with Britain’s colonial service.
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УДК 82 |
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ББК 84 |
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BISAC FIC000000 |
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© T8RUGRAM, оформление, 2018 |
ISBN 978-5-521-06597-4 |
© Original, 2018 |
Swell out, sad harmonies,
From the slow cadence of the gathering years; For Life is bitter-sweet, yet bounds the flood Of human fears
A death-crowned queen, from her hid throne she scatters Smiles and tears
Until Time turn aside,
And we slip past him towards the wide increase Of all things beautiful, then finding there
Our rest and peace;
The mournful strain is ended. Sorrow and song Together cease.
A. M. Barber.
CONTENTS
BOOK I
Chapter I. ERNEST’S APPEARANCE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Chapter II. REGINALD CARDUS,
ESQ., MISANTHROPE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Chapter III. OLD DUM’S NESS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Chapter IV. BOYS TOGETHER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Chapter V. EVA’S PROMISE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Chapter VI. JEREMY FALLS IN LOVE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Chapter VII. ERNEST IS INDISCREET . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Chapter VIII. A GARDEN IDYL. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Chapter IX. EVA FINDS SOMETHING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
Chapter X. WHAT EVA FOUND . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
Chapter XI. DEEP WATERS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .104
Chapter XII. DEEPER YET . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .115
Chapter XIII. MR. CARDUS UNFOLDS HIS PLANS . . . . . .123
Chapter XIV. GOOD-BYE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .133
Chapter XV. ERNEST GETS INTO TROUBLE. . . . . . . . . . . . . .143
Chapter XVI. MADAME’S WORK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .154
BOOK II
Chapter I. MY POOR EVA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .167 Chapter II. THE LOCUM TENENS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .177 Chapter III. EVA TAKES A DISTRICT. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .185 Chapter IV. JEREMY’S IDEA OF A SHAKING . . . . . . . . . . . . .194
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Chapter V. FLORENCE ON MARRIAGE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .206 Chapter VI. MR. PLOWDEN GOES A-WOOING . . . . . . . . . .215 Chapter VII. OVER THE WATER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .223 Chapter VIII. A HOMERIC COMBAT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .237 Chapter IX. ERNEST’S LOVE-LETTER. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .253 Chapter X. A WAY OF ESCAPE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .269 Chapter XI. FOUND WANTING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .277 Chapter XII. ERNEST RUNS AWAY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .293 Chapter XIII. MR. PLOWDEN ASSERTS HIS RIGHTS . . . .303 Chapter XIV. THE VIRGIN MARTYR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .313 Chapter XV. HANS’S CITY OF REST . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .326 Chapter XVI. ERNEST ACCEPTS A COMMISSION . . . . . . .341 Chapter XVII. HANS PROPHESIES EVIL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .352 Chapter XVIII. MR. ALSTON’S VIEWS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .365 Chapter XIX. ISANDHLWANA. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .376 Chapter XX. THE END OF ALSTON’S HORSE . . . . . . . . . . . . .382
BOOK III
Chapter I. THE CLIFFS OF OLD ENGLAND . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .399
Chapter II. ERNEST’S EVIL DESTINY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .412
Chapter III. INTROSPECTIVE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .428
Chapter IV. AFTER MANY DAYS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .436
Chapter V. HOME AGAIN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .445
Chapter VI. HOW IT ALL CAME ABOUT. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .452
Chapter VII. MAZOOKU’S FAREWELL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .463
Chapter VIII. MR. CARDUS ACCOMPLISHES
HIS REVENGE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .476
Chapter IX. MAD ATTERLEIGH’S LAST RIDE . . . . . . . . . . . .488
Chapter X. DOROTHY’S TRIUMPH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .501
BOOK I
CHAPTER I
ERNEST’S APPEARANCE
“Come here, boy, let me look at you.”
Ernest advanced a step or two and looked his uncle in the face. He was a noble-looking lad of about thirteen, with large dark eyes, black hair that curled over his head, and the unmistakable air of breeding that marks Englishmen of good race.
His uncle let his wandering glance stray round him, but, wandering as it was, it seemed to take him in from top to toe. Presently he spoke again:
“I like you, boy.” Ernest said nothing.
“Let me see – your second name is Beyton. I am glad they called you Beyton; it was your grandmother’s maiden name, and a good old name too. Ernest Beyton Kershaw. By the way, have you ever seen anything of your other uncle, Sir Hugh Kershaw?”
The boy’s cheek flushed.
“No, I have not; and I never wish to,” he answered. “Why not?”
“Because when my mother wrote to him before she died” – here the lad’s voice choked – “just after the bank broke and
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she lost all her money, he wrote back and said that because his brother – I mean my father – had made a low marriage, that was no reason why he should support his child and widow; but he sent her five pounds to go on with. She sent it back.”
“That was like your mother, she always had a high spirit. He must be a cur, and he does not speak the truth. Your mother comes of a better stock than the Kershaws. The Carduses are one of the oldest families in the Eastern counties. Why, boy, our family lived down in the Fens by Lynn there for centuries, until your grandfather, poor weak man, got involved in his great lawsuit and ruined us all. There, there, it has gone into the law, but it is coming back, it is coming back fast. This Sir Hugh has only one son, by the way. Do you know that if anything happened to him you would be next in the entail? At any rate you would get the baronetcy.”
“I don’t want his baronetcy,” said Ernest, sulkily; “I will have nothing of his.”
“A title, boy, is an incorporeal hereditament, for which the holder is indebted to nobody. It does not descend to him, it vests in him. But tell me, how long was this before your mother died – that he sent the five pounds, I mean?”
“About three months.”
Mr. Cardus hesitated a little before he spoke again, tapping his white fingers nervously on the table.
“I hope my sister was not in want, Ernest?” he said, jerkily. “For a fortnight before she died we had scarcely enough to
eat,” was the blunt reply.
Mr. Cardus turned himself to the window, and for a minute the light of the dull December day shone and glistened upon
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