the secret sharer-第6部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！



〃I　did　not　engage　that　young　fellow。　　His　people　had　some

interest　with　my　owners。　　I　was　in　a　way　forced　to　take　him　on。

He　looked　very　smart；　very　gentlemanly；　and　all　that。

But　do　you　knowI　never　liked　him；　somehow。　　I　am　a　plain　man。

You　see；　he　wasn't　exactly　the　sort　for　the　chief　mate　of　a　ship

like　the　Sephora。〃



I　had　become　so　connected　in　thoughts　and　impressions　with　the　secret

sharer　of　my　cabin　that　I　felt　as　if　I；　personally；　were　being

given　to　understand　that　I；　too；　was　not　the　sort　that　would

have　done　for　the　chief　mate　of　a　ship　like　the　Sephora。

I　had　no　doubt　of　it　in　my　mind。



〃Not　at　all　the　style　of　man。　　You　understand；〃　he　insisted；

superfluously；　looking　hard　at　me。



I　smiled　urbanely。　　He　seemed　at　a　loss　for　a　while。



〃I　suppose　I　must　report　a　suicide。〃



〃Beg　pardon？〃



〃Suicide！　　That's　what　I'll　have　to　write　to　my　owners　directly　I　get　in。〃



〃Unless　you　manage　to　recover　him　before　tomorrow；〃

I　assented；　dispassionately。　　。　。　。　〃I　mean；　alive。〃



He　mumbled　something　which　I　really　did　not　catch；　and　I　turned　my　ear

to　him　in　a　puzzled　manner。　　He　fairly　bawled：



〃The　landI　say；　the　mainland　is　at　least　seven　miles　off　my　anchorage。〃



〃About　that。〃



My　lack　of　excitement；　of　curiosity；　of　surprise；　of　any

sort　of　pronounced　interest；　began　to　arouse　his　distrust。

But　except　for　the　felicitous　pretense　of　deafness　I　had　not　tried

to　pretend　anything。　　I　had　felt　utterly　incapable　of　playing

the　part　of　ignorance　properly；　and　therefore　was　afraid　to　try。

It　is　also　certain　that　he　had　brought　some　ready…made　suspicions

with　him；　and　that　he　viewed　my　politeness　as　a　strange　and

unnatural　phenomenon。　　And　yet　how　else　could　I　have　received　him？

Not　heartily！　　That　was　impossible　for　psychological　reasons；

which　I　need　not　state　here。　　My　only　object　was　to　keep　off

his　inquiries。　　Surlily？　　Yes；　but　surliness　might　have　provoked

a　point…blank　question。　　From　its　novelty　to　him　and　from　its　nature；

punctilious　courtesy　was　the　manner　best　calculated　to　restrain　the　man。

But　there　was　the　danger　of　his　breaking　through　my　defense　bluntly。

I　could　not；　I　think；　have　met　him　by　a　direct　lie；　also　for　psychological

（not　moral）　reasons。　　If　he　had　only　known　how　afraid　I　was　of

his　putting　my　feeling　of　identity　with　the　other　to　the　test！

But；　strangely　enough（I　thought　of　it　only　afterwards）

I　believe　that　he　was　not　a　little　disconcerted　by　the　reverse

side　of　that　weird　situation；　by　something　in　me　that　reminded

him　of　the　man　he　was　seekingsuggested　a　mysterious　similitude

to　the　young　fellow　he　had　distrusted　and　disliked　from　the　first。



However　that　might　have　been；　the　silence　was　not　very　prolonged。

He　took　another　oblique　step。



〃I　reckon　I　had　no　more　than　a　two…mile　pull　to　your　ship。

Not　a　bit　more。〃



〃And　quite　enough；　too；　in　this　awful　heat；〃　I　said。



Another　pause　full　of　mistrust　followed。　　Necessity；　they　say；　is　mother

of　invention；　but　fear；　too；　is　not　barren　of　ingenious　suggestions。

And　I　was　afraid　he　would　ask　me　point…blank　for　news　of　my　other　self。



〃Nice　little　saloon；　isn't　it？〃　　I　remarked；　as　if　noticing　for　the　first

time　the　way　his　eyes　roamed　from　one　closed　door　to　the　other。

〃And　very　well　fitted　out；　too。　　Here；　for　instance；〃　I　continued；

reaching　over　the　back　of　my　seat　negligently　and　flinging　the　door　open；

〃is　my　bathroom。〃



He　made　an　eager　movement；　but　hardly　gave　it　a　glance。

I　got　up；　shut　the　door　of　the　bathroom；　and　invited　him　to　have

a　look　round；　as　if　I　were　very　proud　of　my　accomodation。

He　had　to　rise　and　be　shown　round；　but　he　went　through　the　business

without　any　raptures　whatever。



〃And　now　we'll　have　a　look　at　my　stateroom；〃　I　declared；

in　a　voice　as　loud　as　I　dared　to　make　it；　crossing　the　cabin

to　the　starboard　side　with　purposely　heavy　steps。



He　followed　me　in　and　gazed　around。　　My　intelligent　double　had　vanished。

I　played　my　part。



〃Very　convenientisn't　it？〃



Very　nice。　　Very　comf　。　。　。〃　He　didn't　finish　and　went　out

brusquely　as　if　to　escape　from　some　unrighteous　wiles　of　mine。

But　it　was　not　to　be。　　I　had　been　too　frightened　not　to　feel　vengeful；

I　felt　I　had　him　on　the　run；　and　I　meant　to　keep　him　on　the　run。

My　polite　insistence　must　have　had　something　menacing　in　it；

because　he　gave　in　suddenly。　　And　I　did　not　let　him　off　a　single　item；

mate's　room；　pantry；　storerooms；　the　very　sail　locker　which　was

also　under　the　poophe　had　to　look　into　them　all。　　When　at　last　I

showed　him　out　on　the　quarter…deck　he　drew　a　long；　spiritless　sigh；

and　mumbled　dismally　that　he　must　really　be　going　back　to　his　ship　now。

I　desired　my　mate；　who　had　joined　us；　to　see　to　the　captain's　boat。



The　man　of　whiskers　gave　a　blast　on　the　whistle　which　he　used

to　wear　hanging　round　his　neck；　and　yelled；　〃Sephora's　away！〃

My　double　down　there　in　my　cabin　must　have　heard；　and　certainly

could　not　feel　more　relieved　than　I。　Four　fellows　came　running

out　from　somewhere　forward　and　went　over　the　side；　while　my

own　men；　appearing　on　deck　too；　lined　the　rail。　　I　escorted

my　visitor　to　the　gangway　ceremoniously；　and　nearly　overdid　it。

He　was　a　tenacious　beast。　　On　the　very　ladder　he　lingered；

and　in　that　unique；　guiltily　conscientious　manner　of　sticking

to　the　point：



〃I　say　。　。　。　you　。　。　。　you　don't　think　that〃



I　covered　his　voice　loudly：



〃Certainly　not。　　。　。　。　I　am　delighted。　　Good…by。〃



I　had　an　idea　of　what　he　meant　to　say；　and　just　saved　myself

by　the　privilege　of　defective　hearing。　　He　was　too　shaken

generally　to　insist；　but　my　mate；　close　witness　of　that　parting；

looked　mystified　and　his　face　took　on　a　thoughtful　cast。

As　I　did　not　want　to　appear　as　if　I　wished　to　avoid　all

communication　with　my　officers；　he　had　the　opportunity

to　address　me。



〃Seems　a　very　nice　man。　　His　boat's　crew　told　our　chaps　a　very

extraordinary　story；　if　what　I　am　told　by　the　steward　is　true。

I　suppose　you　had　it　from　the　captain；　sir？〃



〃Yes。　　I　had　a　story　from　the　captain。〃



〃A　very　horrible　affairisn't　it；　sir？〃



〃It　is。〃



〃Beats　all　these　tales　we　hear　about　murders　in　Yankee　ships。〃



〃I　don't　think　it　beats　them。　　I　don't　think　it　resembles　them

in　the　least。〃



〃Bless　my　soulyou　don't　say　so！　　But　of　course　I've　no

acquaintance　whatever　with　American　ships；　not　I　so　I　couldn't

go　against　your　knowledge。　　It's　horrible　enough　for　me。

。　。　。　But　the　queerest　part　is　that　those　fellows　seemed　to　have

some　idea　the　man　was　hidden　aboard　here。　　They　had　really。

Did　you　ever　hear　of　such　a　thing？〃



〃Preposterousisn't　it？〃



We　were　walking　to　and　fro　athwart　the　quarter…deck。　No　one　of　the　crew

forward　could　be　seen　（the　day　was　Sunday）；　and　the　mate　pursued：



〃There　was　some　little　dispute　about　it。　　Our　chaps　took　offense。

‘As　if　we　would　harbor　a　thing　like　that；'　they　said。

‘Wouldn't　you　like　to　look　for　him　in　our　coal…hole？'　Quite　a　tiff。

But　they　made　it　up　in　the　end。　　I　suppose　he　did　drown　himself。

Don't　you；　sir？〃



〃I　don't　suppose　anything。〃



〃You　have　no　doubt　in　the　matter；　sir？〃



〃None　whatever。〃



I　left　him　suddenly。　　I　felt　I　was　producing　a　bad　impression；

but　with　my　double　down　there　it　was　most　trying　to　be　on　deck。　　And　it

was　almost　as　trying　to　be　below。　　Altogether　a　nerve…trying　situation。

But　on　the　whole　I　felt　less　torn　in　two　when　I　was　with　him。

There　was　no　one　in　the　whole　ship　whom　I　dared　take　into

my　confidence。　　Since　the　hands　had　got　to　know　his　story；

it　would　have　been　impossible　to　pass　him　off　for　anyone　else；

and　an　accidental　discovery　was　to　be　dreaded　now　more　than　ever。

。　。　。



The　steward　being　engaged　in　laying　the　table　for　dinner；

we　could　talk　only　with　our　eyes　when　I　first　went　down。

Later　in　the　afternoon　we　had　a　cautious　try　at　whispering。

The　Sunday　quietness　of　the　ship　was　against　us；　the　stillness

of　air　and　water　around　her　was　against　us；　the　elements；

the　men　were　against　useverything　was　against　us　in　our

secret　partnership；　time　itselffor　this　could　not　go　on　forever。

The　very　trust　in　Providence　was；　I　suppose；　denied　to　his　guilt。

Shall　I　confess　that　this　thought　cast　me　down　very　much？

And　as　to　the　chapter　of　accidents　which　counts　for　so　much

in　the　book　of　success；　I　could　only　hope　that　it　was　closed。

For　what　favorable　accident　could　be　expected？



〃Did　you　hear　everything？〃　were　my　first　words　as　soon　as　we　took

up　our　position　side　by　side；　leaning　over　my　bed　place。



He　had。　　And　the　proof　of　it　was　his　earnest　whisper；　〃The　man　told　you

he　hardly　dared　to　give　the　order。〃



I　understood　the　reference　to　be　to　that　saving　foresail。



〃Yes。　　He　was　afraid　of　it　being　lost　in　the　setting。〃



〃I　assure　you　he　never　gave　the　order。　　He　may　think　he　did；

but　he　never　gave　it。　　He　stood　there　with　me　on　the　break　of　the　poop

after　the　main　topsail　blew　away；　and　whimpered　about　our　last　hope

positively　whimpered　about　it　and　nothing　elseand　the　night　coming　on！

To　hear　one's　skipper　go　on　like　that　in　such　weather　was　enough

to　drive　any　fellow　out　of　his　mind。　　It　worked　me　up　into　a　sort

of　desperation。　　I　just　took　it　into　my　own　hands　and　went

away　from　him；　boiling；　andBut　what's　the　use　telling　you？

YOU　know！　。　。　。　Do　you　think　that　if　I　had　not　been　pretty　fierce

with　them　I　should　have　got　the　men　to　do　anything？　　Not　It！

The　bo's'n　perhaps？　　Perhaps！　　It　wasn't　a　heavy　seait　was　a　sea

gone　mad！　　I　suppose　the　end　of　the　world　will　be　something　like　that；

and　a　man　may　have　the　heart　to　see　it　coming　once　and　be　done　with　it

but　to　have　to　face　it　day　after　dayI　don't　blame　anybody。

I　was　precious　little　better　than　the　rest。　　OnlyI　was　an　officer

of　that　old　coal　wagon；　anyhow〃



〃I　quite　understand；〃　I　conveyed　that　sincere　assurance　into　his　ear。

He　was　out　of　breath　with　whispering；　I