The covenant - James A. Michener [411]
But how to get possession of the two documents? The first was held by Rhodes, who would be further incriminated if its contents were revealed. The second was held by the Boers, who would not likely deliver it. There seemed no way to obtain the papers.
With no other recourse, and with the death of her fiance imminent, she took the bold step of going directly to the president of the Boers, and she found him sitting on his stoep, wearing a top hat and making himself available to any complaining citizen. At first he terrified her: that face of monumental ugliness, the deep voice that rumbled like a volcano, the flecked beard that rimmed his features, the tight-fitting black frock coat. But after he heard her out, he spoke to her, in English, with a warmth that surprised her.
'You want me to save the young man's life?'
'I do!' she cried.
'You sit down here. You say two documents are in existence?'
'They are! They are!'
'And if I could see them, they would exonerate him?'
'They would, sir.'
'Then why don't you produce them?'
She took a deep breath. 'Because Mr. Rhodes has one. And you have the other. And you are both very stubborn men.'
He halted his interrogation and called for his wife to fetch them coffee, and when Mevrou Kruger appeared on the stoep, a heavy, wheezing housewife, she seemed more like a kindly grandmother than the first lady of a republic. Her Coloured servant handed Maud a gaudy cup and saucer, with a second saucer to hold a helping of rusks. To her husband, Mevrou Kruger handed a double portion of rusks, then sat beside him with hands folded.
'You say you are Miss Maud Turner?' the president asked.
'Yes.'
'And you planned to marry this young man? Before he was caught as a spy?'
'He was never a spy, sir.'
'But you yourself told me that in his first report he informed Mr. Rhodes of our strength.'
'That he did, but if you remember, he also warned Mr. Rhodes against any military adventure.'
Mevrou Kruger broke in: 'Do you still want to marry him?'
Before Maud could respond, President Kruger astounded her by breaking into a hearty laugh. 'My dear young lady! Do you think we Boers want to give the English a motive for revenge, such as they gave us at Slagter's Nek?' He paused. 'Have you ever heard of Slagter's Nek?'
'I've been there, twice. Do you know the role played by Frank's ancestor? Reverend Saltwood the missionary? Who tried to halt the hangings?'
'We Boers do not cite missionaries as evidence,' Kruger said, and again he broke into laughter. 'Miss Turner, early this afternoon I commuted all the sentences.' He reached over and patted her knee as Mevrou Kruger offered fresh coffee to both her husband and his guest.
'Yes,' Kruger said as Maud daubed at her eyes. 'He's free, if he can pay his fine.'
'How much?'
'Twenty-five thousand pounds.'
She gasped. This was more money than she had ever visualized, a vast fortune really, but she firmed her chin and said, 'Somehow I'll get it.'
'No need. Mr. Rhodes has already informed us that he'll pay it.'
'Then Frank is free?'
'Yes.'
Her fortitude deserted her. With trembling hands she put the saucers aside and buried her face in her hands. After a few moments Mevrou Kruger came to her side and helped her to her feet. 'He was free when you arrived,' she said. 'My husband likes to talk with pretty women.'
When Mr. Rhodes learned that Frank was determined to marry Miss Turner, he was deeply distressed. The loss of any of his young gentlemen to matrimony was a calamity, but to have Frank leave when he was going to be so sorely needed was intolerable. Summoning Miss Turner to his offices in Kimberley, he put it boldly to her that she was ruining the young fellow's life by insisting upon marriage.
'Seems to me,' she snapped, 'it's you who've done the ruining.'
'Don't be pert, young woman,' he replied.
'I didn't land him in jail,' she retorted, and the debate was on.
Rhodes pointed out that if Frank stayed with him he would always have a fine job, at the center of things, helping to decide affairs of great moment,