Вокруг света за 80 дней

Chapter 12

           "ThesesacrificesdonotoccurinthelargerportionofIndia,"repliedSirFrancis;"butwehavenopoweroverthesesavageterritories,andespeciallyhereinBundelcund. ThewholedistrictnorthoftheVindhiasisthetheatreofincessantmurdersandpillage." 

           "Thepoorwretch!"exclaimedPassepartout,"tobeburnedalive!" 

           "Yes,"returnedSirFrancis,"burnedalive.And,ifshewerenot,youcannotconceivewhattreatmentshewouldbeobligedtosubmittofromherrelatives.Theywouldshaveoffherhair,feedheronascantyallowanceofrice,treatherwithcontempt;shewouldbelookeduponasanuncleancreature,andwoulddieinsomecorner,likeascurvydog. Theprospectofsofrightfulanexistencedrivesthesepoorcreaturestothesacrificemuchmorethanloveorreligiousfanaticism. Sometimes,however,thesacrificeisreallyvoluntary,anditrequirestheactiveinterferenceoftheGovernmenttopreventit. Severalyearsago,whenIwaslivingatBombay,ayoungwidowaskedpermissionofthegovernortobeburnedalongwithherhusband’sbody;but,asyoumayimagine,herefused. Thewomanleftthetown,tookrefugewithanindependentrajah,andtherecarriedoutherself-devotedpurpose." 

           WhileSirFranciswasspeaking,theguideshookhisheadseveraltimes,andnowsaid: "Thesacrificewhichwilltakeplaceto-morrowatdawnisnotavoluntaryone." 

           "Howdoyouknow?" 

           "EverybodyknowsaboutthisaffairinBundelcund." 

           "Butthewretchedcreaturedidnotseemtobemakinganyresistance,"observedSirFrancis. 

Настройки
Фон страницы
Размер шрифта
Межстрочный интервал
Фразовые глаголы
Показать / Скрыть меню
Шрифт
Roboto Lora
Уведомления
Страница 70 из 249