within the tides-第10部分

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a　man　able　to　keep　his　balance　so　well　…







〃Aha！　　But　you　haven't　got　him　here　…　not　yet！〃　he　sneered。　　〃No！



You　haven't　got　him　yet。〃







This　outrageous　exhibition　was　to　the　Editor　like　the　lash　to　a



jaded　horse。　　He　positively　jumped。







〃What　of　that？　　What　do　you　mean？　　We　…　haven't　…　got　…　him　…　here。



Of　course　he　isn't　here！　　But　Geoffrey's　schooner　is　here。　　She　can



be　sent　at　once　to　fetch　him　here。　　No！　　Stay！　　There's　a　better



plan。　　Why　shouldn't　you　all　sail　over　to　Malata；　professor？　　Save



time！　　I　am　sure　Miss　Moorsom　would　prefer。　。　。〃







With　a　gallant　flourish　of　his　arm　he　looked　for　Miss　Moorsom。　　She



had　disappeared。　　He　was　taken　aback　somewhat。







〃Ah！　　H'm。　　Yes。　。　。　。　Why　not。　　A　pleasure　cruise；　delightful



ship；　delightful　season；　delightful　errand；　del　。　。　。　No！　　There



are　no　objections。　　Geoffrey；　I　understand；　has　indulged　in　a



bungalow　three　sizes　too　large　for　him。　　He　can　put　you　all　up。　　It



will　be　a　pleasure　for　him。　　It　will　be　the　greatest　privilege。



Any　man　would　be　proud　of　being　an　agent　of　this　happy　reunion。　　I



am　proud　of　the　little　part　I've　played。　　He　will　consider　it　the



greatest　honour。　　Geoff；　my　boy；　you　had　better　be　stirring　to…



morrow　bright　and　early　about　the　preparations　for　the　trip。　　It



would　be　criminal　to　lose　a　single　day。〃







He　was　as　flushed　as　Willie；　the　excitement　keeping　up　the　effect



of　the　festive　dinner。　　For　a　time　Renouard；　silent；　as　if　he　had



not　heard　a　word　of　all　that　babble；　did　not　stir。　　But　when　he　got



up　it　was　to　advance　towards　the　Editor　and　give　him　such　a　hearty



slap　on　the　back　that　the　plump　little　man　reeled　in　his　tracks　and



looked　quite　frightened　for　a　moment。







〃You　are　a　heaven…born　discoverer　and　a　first…rate　manager。　。　。



He's　right。　　It's　the　only　way。　　You　can't　resist　the　claim　of



sentiment；　and　you　must　even　risk　the　voyage　to　Malata。　。　。　〃



Renouard's　voice　sank。　　〃A　lonely　spot；〃　he　added；　and　fell　into



thought　under　all　these　eyes　converging　on　him　in　the　sudden



silence。　　His　slow　glance　passed　over　all　the　faces　in　succession；



remaining　arrested　on　Professor　Moorsom；　stony　eyed；　a　smouldering



cigar　in　his　fingers；　and　with　his　sister　standing　by　his　side。







〃I　shall　be　infinitely　gratified　if　you　consent　to　come。　　But；　of



course；　you　will。　　We　shall　sail　to…morrow　evening　then。　　And　now



let　me　leave　you　to　your　happiness。〃







He　bowed；　very　grave；　pointed　suddenly　his　finger　at　Willie　who　was



swaying　about　with　a　sleepy　frown。　。　。　。　〃Look　at　him。　　He's



overcome　with　happiness。　　You　had　better　put　him　to　bed　。　。　。　〃　and



disappeared　while　every　head　on　the　terrace　was　turned　to　Willie



with　varied　expressions。







Renouard　ran　through　the　house。　　Avoiding　the　carriage　road　he　fled



down　the　steep　short　cut　to　the　shore；　where　his　gig　was　waiting。



At　his　loud　shout　the　sleeping　Kanakas　jumped　up。　　He　leaped　in。



〃Shove　off。　　Give　way！〃　and　the　gig　darted　through　the　water。



〃Give　way！　　Give　way！〃　　She　flew　past　the　wool…clippers　sleeping　at



their　anchors　each　with　the　open　unwinking　eye　of　the　lamp　in　the



rigging；　she　flew　past　the　flagship　of　the　Pacific　squadron；　a



great　mass　all　dark　and　silent；　heavy　with　the　slumbers　of　five



hundred　men；　and　where　the　invisible　sentries　heard　his　urgent



〃Give　way！　　Give　way！〃　in　the　night。　　The　Kanakas；　panting；　rose



off　the　thwarts　at　every　stroke。　　Nothing　could　be　fast　enough　for



him！　　And　he　ran　up　the　side　of　his　schooner　shaking　the　ladder



noisily　with　his　rush。







On　deck　he　stumbled　and　stood　still。







Wherefore　this　haste？　　To　what　end；　since　he　knew　well　before　he



started　that　he　had　a　pursuer　from　whom　there　was　no　escape。







As　his　foot　touched　the　deck　his　will；　his　purpose　he　had　been



hurrying　to　save；　died　out　within。　　It　had　been　nothing　less　than



getting　the　schooner　under…way；　letting　her　vanish　silently　in　the



night　from　amongst　these　sleeping　ships。　　And　now　he　was　certain　he



could　not　do　it。　　It　was　impossible！　　And　he　reflected　that　whether



he　lived　or　died　such　an　act　would　lay　him　under　a　dark　suspicion



from　which　he　shrank。　　No；　there　was　nothing　to　be　done。







He　went　down　into　the　cabin　and；　before　even　unbuttoning　his



overcoat；　took　out　of　the　drawer　the　letter　addressed　to　his



assistant；　that　letter　which　he　had　found　in　the　pigeon…hole



labelled　〃Malata〃　in　young　Dunster's　outer　office；　where　it　had



been　waiting　for　three　months　some　occasion　for　being　forwarded。



From　the　moment　of　dropping　it　in　the　drawer　he　had　utterly



forgotten　its　existence　…　till　now；　when　the　man's　name　had　come



out　so　clamorously。　　He　glanced　at　the　common　envelope；　noted　the



shaky　and　laborious　handwriting：　　H。　Walter；　Esqre。　　Undoubtedly



the　very　last　letter　the　old　butler　had　posted　before　his　illness；



and　in　answer　clearly　to　one　from　〃Master　Arthur〃　instructing　him



to　address　in　the　future：　　〃Care　of　Messrs。　W。　Dunster　and　Co。〃



Renouard　made　as　if　to　open　the　envelope；　but　paused；　and；　instead；



tore　the　letter　deliberately　in　two；　in　four；　in　eight。　　With　his



hand　full　of　pieces　of　paper　he　returned　on　deck　and　scattered　them



overboard　on　the　dark　water；　in　which　they　vanished　instantly。







He　did　it　slowly；　without　hesitation　or　remorse。　　H。　Walter；　Esqre；



in　Malata。　　The　innocent　Arthur　…　What　was　his　name？　　The　man



sought　for　by　that　woman　who　as　she　went　by　seemed　to　draw　all　the



passion　of　the　earth　to　her；　without　effort；　not　deigning　to



notice；　naturally；　as　other　women　breathed　the　air。　　But　Renouard



was　no　longer　jealous　of　her　very　existence。　　Whatever　its　meaning



it　was　not　for　that　man　he　had　picked　up　casually　on　obscure



impulse；　to　get　rid　of　the　tiresome　expostulations　of　a　so…called



friend；　a　man　of　whom　he　really　knew　nothing　…　and　now　a　dead　man。



In　Malata。　　Oh；　yes！　　He　was　there　secure　enough；　untroubled　in　his



grave。　　In　Malata。　　To　bury　him　was　the　last　service　Renouard　had



rendered　to　his　assistant　before　leaving　the　island　on　this　trip　to



town。







Like　many　men　ready　enough　for　arduous　enterprises　Renouard　was



inclined　to　evade　the　small　complications　of　existence。　　This　trait



of　his　character　was　composed　of　a　little　indolence；　some　disdain；



and　a　shrinking　from　contests　with　certain　forms　of　vulgarity　…



like　a　man　who　would　face　a　lion　and　go　out　of　his　way　to　avoid　a



toad。　　His　intercourse　with　the　meddlesome　journalist　was　that



merely　outward　intimacy　without　sympathy　some　young　men　get　drawn



into　easily。　　It　had　amused　him　rather　to　keep　that　〃friend〃　in　the



dark　about　the　fate　of　his　assistant。　　Renouard　had　never　needed



other　company　than　his　own；　for　there　was　in　him　something　of　the



sensitiveness　of　a　dreamer　who　is　easily　jarred。　　He　had　said　to



himself　that　the　all…knowing　one　would　only　preach　again　about　the



evils　of　solitude　and　worry　his　head　off　in　favour　of　some



forlornly　useless　protege　of　his。　　Also　the　inquisitiveness　of　the



Editor　had　irritated　him　and　had　closed　his　lips　in　sheer　disgust。







And　now　he　contemplated　the　noose　of　consequences　drawing　tight



around　him。







It　was　the　memory　of　that　diplomatic　reticence　which　on　the　terrace



had　stiffled　his　first　cry　which　would　have　told　them　all　that　the



man　sought　for　was　not　to　be　met　on　earth　any　more。　　He　shrank　from



the　absurdity　of　hearing　the　all…knowing　one；　and　not　very　sober　at



that；　turning　on　him　with　righteous　reproaches　…







〃You　never　told　me。　　You　gave　me　to　understand　that　your　assistant



was　alive；　and　now　you　say　he's　dead。　　Which　is　it？　　Were　you　lying



then　or　are　you　lying　now？〃　　No！　the　thought　of　such　a　scene　was



not　to　be　borne。　　He　had　sat　down　appalled；　thinking：　　〃What　shall



I　do　now？〃







His　courage　had　oozed　out　of　him。　　Speaking　the　truth　meant　the



Moorsoms　going　away　at　once　…　while　it　seemed　to　him　that　he　would



give　the　last　shred　of　his　rectitude　to　secure　a　day　more　of　her



company。　　He　sat　on　…　silent。　　Slowly；　from　confused　sensations；



from　his　talk　with　the　professor；　the　manner　of　the　girl　herself；



the　intoxicating　familiarity　of　her　sudden　hand…clasp；　there　had



come　to　him　a　half　glimmer　of　hope。　　The　other　man　was　dead。　　Then！



。　。　。　Madness；　of　course　…　but　he　could　not　give　it　up。　　He　had



listened　to　that　confounded　busybody　arranging　everything　…　while



all　these　people　stood　around　assenting；　under　the　spell　of　that



dead　romance。　　He　had　listened　scornful　and　silent。　　The　glimmers



of　hope；　of　opportunity；　passed　before　his　eyes。　　He　had　only　to



sit　still　and　say　nothing。　　That　and　no　more。　　And　what　was　truth



to　him　in　the　face　of　that　great　passion　which　had　flung　him



prostrate　in　spirit　at　her　adored　feet！







And　now　it　was　done！　　Fatality　had　willed　it！　　With　the　eyes　of　a



mortal　struck　by　the　maddening　thunderbolt　of　the　gods；　Renouard



looked　up　to　the　sky；　an　immense　black　pall　dusted　over　with　gold；



on　which　great　shudders　seemed　to　pass　from　the　breath　of　life



affirming　its　sway。















CHAPTER　VIII















At　last；　one　morning；　in　a　clear　spot　of　a　glassy　horizon　charged



with　heraldic　masses　of　black　vapours；　the　island　grew　out　from　the



sea；　showing　here　and　there　its　naked　members　of　basaltic　rock



through　the　rents　of　heavy　foliage。　　Later；　in　the　great　spilling



of　all　the　riches　of　sunset；　Malata　stood　out　green　and　rosy　before



turning　into　a　violet　shadow　in　the　autumnal　light　of　the　expiring



day。　　Then　came　the　night。　　In　the　faint　airs　the　schooner　crept　on



past　a　sturdy　squat　headland；　and　it　was　pitch　dark　when　her



headsails　ran　down；　she　turned　short　on　her　heel；　and　her　anchor



bit　into　the　sandy　bottom　on　the　edge