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It was not a love letter in the true sense of the word, but pages of the minutest directions of how"my sweetest Phina"was to elude her father's vigilance, creep down to the drift at night and there meet Jantje with a horse which would take her to Smitsdorp. There she was to go to "my true friend, Henry Wilson",who would give her money and make arrangements for her to follow her lover to Cape Town and from there to England ," where, my love, we can he be married at once. But if, my dearest, you are not sure that you can face lift with me in a land strange to you, then do not take this important step, for I love you too much to wish you the smallest unhappiness. If you do not come, and if I do not hear from you, then I shall know that you could never be happy so far from the people and the country which you love. If, however, you feel you can keep your promise to me, but are of too timid and modest a journey to England unaccompanied, then write to me, and I will, by some means, return to fetch my bride."
严格说来，它算不上是一封情书，实际是只是几页内容详尽的行动指南。信里称"我最亲爱的菲娜"该怎么摆脱她父亲的监视，夜里逃出家门，詹杰会在浅滩上牵马等着她，然后将她驮到史密斯多普，到了那里再去找理查德的"知心朋友亨利·威尔逊"，他会给她钱为她作好安排，使她能跟随她的情人到开普敦，随后转道英国。"亲爱的，这样我们就可以在英国结婚了。但是我的至爱，如果你不能保证你能在一个陌生的地方和我一块生活，你就不必采取这个重大行动，因为我太爱你了，不能让你感到丝毫不快。如果你不来，如果我听不到你的回信，我就会知道，如果你离开你挚爱的亲人和乡土，你是不会幸福的。但如果你能实践你对我的许诺而由于你生性持重胆怯不愿单身前往英国，就来信告诉我，那我就会设法回南非来迎接我的新娘。"
I read no further.
我没有再念下去。
"But Aunt Phina!"I gasped. "Why…why…?"
"可是，菲娜老姑，"我气喘吁吁地说，"为什么……？为什么……"
The old lady was watching me with trembling eagerness, her face flushed and her eyes bright with expectation."Read it aloud, my dear,"she said."I want to hear every word of it. There was never anyone I could trust…Uitlanders were hated in my young days…I could not ask anyone."
老太太的身子由于渴望知道信的内容而颤抖，她的眼睛炯炯有神地凝视着我，脸庞因急切的期待一片绯红。"亲爱的，大声念吧！"她说，"信里的一字一句，我都要听！当时我找不到可靠的人给我念……我年轻时，'洋人'是被人深恶痛绝的……我找不到人给我念啊！"
