the red one-第20节

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fished　forth　a　second　one；　their　brains　were　well…mellowed　and　a…

glow；　although　they　had　not　got　around　to　telling　their　real　names。

But　their　English　had　improved。　　They　spoke　it　correctly；　while　the

argo　of　tramp…land　ceased　from　their　lips。



〃It's　my　constitution；〃　Whiskers　was　explaining。　　〃Very　few　men

could　go　through　what　I　have　and　live　to　tell　the　tale。　　And　I

never　took　any　care　of　myself。　　If　what　the　moralists　and　the

physiologists　say　were　true；　I'd　have　been　dead　long　ago。　　And　it's

the　same　with　you　two。　　Look　at　us；　at　our　advanced　years；

carousing　as　the　young　ones　don't　dare；　sleeping　out　in　the　open　on

the　ground；　never　sheltered　from　frost　nor　rain　nor　storm；　never

afraid　of　pneumonia　or　rheumatism　that　would　put　half　the　young

ones　on　their　backs　in　hospital。〃



He　broke　off　to　mix　another　drink；　and　Fatty　took　up　the　tale。



〃And　we've　had　our　fun；〃　he　boasted；　〃and　speaking　of　sweethearts

and　all；〃　he　cribbed　from　Kipling；　〃'We've　rogued　and　we've　ranged

…　'〃



〃'In　our　time；'〃　Slim　completed　the　crib　for　him。



〃I　should　say　so；　I　should　say　so；〃　Fatty　confirmed。　　〃And　been

loved　by　princesses　…　at　least　I　have。〃



〃Go　on　and　tell　us　about　it；〃　Whiskers　urged。　　〃The　night's　young；

and　why　shouldn't　we　remember　back　to　the　roofs　of　kings？〃



Nothing　loth；　Fatty　cleared　his　throat　for　the　recital　and　cast

about　in　his　mind　for　the　best　way　to　begin。



〃It　must　be　known　that　I　came　of　good　family。　　Percival　Delaney；

let　us　say；　yes；　let　us　say　Percival　Delaney；　was　not　unknown　at

Oxford　once　upon　a　time　…　not　for　scholarship；　I　am　frank　to　admit；

but　the　gay　young　dogs　of　that　day；　if　any　be　yet　alive；　would

remember　him　…　〃



〃My　people　came　over　with　the　Conqueror；〃　Whiskers　interrupted；

extending　his　hand　to　Fatty's　in　acknowledgment　of　the

introduction。



〃What　name？〃　Fatty　queried。　　〃I　did　not　seem　quite　to　catch　it。〃



〃Delarouse；　Chauncey　Delarouse。　　The　name　will　serve　as　well　as

any。〃



Both　completed　the　handshake　and　glanced　to　Slim。



〃Oh；　well；　while　we're　about　it　。　。　。　〃　　Fatty　urged。



〃Bruce　Cadogan　Cavendish；〃　Slim　growled　morosely。　　〃Go　on；

Percival；　with　your　princesses　and　the　roofs　of　kings。〃



〃Oh；　I　was　a　rare　young　devil；〃　Percival　obliged；　〃after　I　played

ducks　and　drakes　at　home　and　sported　out　over　the　world。　　And　I　was

some　figure　of　a　man　before　I　lost　my　shape　…　polo；　steeple…

chasing；　boxing。　　I　won　medals　at　buckjumping　in　Australia；　and　I

held　more　than　several　swimming　records　from　the　quarter　of　a　mile

up。　　Women　turned　their　heads　to　look　when　I　went　by。　　The　women！

God　bless　them！〃



And　Fatty；　alias　Percival　Delaney；　a　grotesque　of　manhood；　put　his

bulgy　hand　to　his　puffed　lips　and　kissed　audibly　into　the　starry

vault　of　the　sky。



〃And　the　Princess！〃　he　resumed；　with　another　kiss　to　the　stars。

〃She　was　as　fine　a　figure　of　a　woman　as　I　was　a　man；　as　high…

spirited　and　courageous；　as　reckless　and　dare…devilish。　　Lord；

Lord；　in　the　water　she　was　a　mermaid；　a　sea…goddess。　　And　when　it

came　to　blood；　beside　her　I　was　parvenu。　　Her　royal　line　traced

back　into　the　mists　of　antiquity。



〃She　was　not　a　daughter　of　a　fair…skinned　folk。　　Tawny　golden　was

she；　with　golden…brown　eyes；　and　her　hair　that　fell　to　her　knees

was　blue…black　and　straight；　with　just　the　curly　tendrilly　tendency

that　gives　to　woman's　hair　its　charm。　　Oh；　there　were　no　kinks　in

it；　any　more　than　were　there　kinks　in　the　hair　of　her　entire

genealogy。　　For　she　was　Polynesian；　glowing；　golden；　lovely　and

lovable；　royal　Polynesian。〃



Again　he　paused　to　kiss　his　hand　to　the　memory　of　her；　and　Slim；

alias　Bruce　Cadogan　Cavendish；　took　advantage　to　interject：



〃Huh！　　Maybe　you　didn't　shine　in　scholarship；　but　at　least　you

gleaned　a　vocabulary　out　of　Oxford。〃



〃And　in　the　South　Seas　garnered　a　better　vocabulary　from　the

lexicon　of　Love；〃　Percival　was　quick　on　the　uptake。



〃It　was　the　island　of　Talofa；〃　he　went　on；　〃meaning　love；　the　Isle

of　Love；　and　it　was　her　island。　　Her　father；　the　king；　an　old　man；

sat　on　his　mats　with　paralysed　knees　and　drank　squareface　gin　all

day　and　most　of　the　night；　out　of　grief；　sheer　grief。　　She；　my

princess；　was　the　only　issue；　her　brother　having　been　lost　in　their

double　canoe　in　a　hurricane　while　coming　up　from　a　voyage　to　Samoa。

And　among　the　Polynesians　the　royal　women　have　equal　right　with　the

men　to　rule。　　In　fact；　they　trace　their　genealogies　always　by　the

female　line。〃



To　this　both　Chauncey　Delarouse　and　Bruce　Cadogan　Cavendish　nodded

prompt　affirmation。



〃Ah；〃　said　Percival；　〃I　perceive　you　both　know　the　South　Seas；

wherefore；　without　undue　expenditure　of　verbiage　on　my　part；　I　am

assured　that　you　will　appreciate　the　charm　of　my　princess；　the

Princess　Tui…nui　of　Talofa；　the　Princess　of　the　Isle　of　Love。〃



He　kissed　his　hand　to　her；　sipped　from　his　condensed　milk　can　a

man…size　drink　of　druggist's　alcohol；　and　to　her　again　kissed　her

hand。



〃But　she　was　coy；　and　ever　she　fluttered　near　to　me　but　never　near

enough。　　When　my　arm　went　out　to　her　to　girdle　her；　presto；　she　was

not　there。　　I　knew；　as　never　before；　nor　since；　the　thousand　dear

and　delightful　anguishes　of　love　frustrated　but　ever　resilient　and

beckoned　on　by　the　very　goddess　of　love。〃



〃Some　vocabulary；〃　Bruce　Cadogan　Cavendish　muttered　in　aside　to

Chauncey　Delarouse。　　But　Percival　Delaney　was　not　to　be　deterred。

He　kissed　his　pudgy　hand　aloft　into　the　night　and　held　warmly　on。



〃No　fond　agonies　of　rapture　deferred　that　were　not　lavished　upon　me

by　my　dear　Princess；　herself　ever　a　luring　delight　of　promise

flitting　just　beyond　my　reach。　　Every　sweet　lover's　inferno

unguessed　of　by　Dante　she　led　me　through。　　Ah！　　Those　swooning

tropic　nights；　under　our　palm　trees；　the　distant　surf　a　langourous

murmur　as　from　some　vast　sea　shell　of　mystery；　when　she；　my

Princess；　all　but　melted　to　my　yearning；　and　with　her　laughter；

that　was　as　silver　strings　by　buds　and　blossoms　smitten；　all　but

made　lunacy　of　my　lover's　ardency。



〃It　was　by　my　wrestling　with　the　champions　of　Talofa　that　I　first

interested　her。　　It　was　by　my　prowess　at　swimming　that　I　awoke　her。

And　it　was　by　a　certain　swimming　deed　that　I　won　from　her　more　than

coquettish　smiles　and　shy　timidities　of　feigned　retreat。



〃We　were　squidding　that　day；　out　on　the　reef　…　you　know　how；

undoubtedly；　diving　down　the　face　of　the　wall　of　the　reef；　five

fathoms；　ten　fathoms；　any　depth　within　reason；　and　shoving　our

squid…sticks　into　the　likely　holes　and　crannies　of　the　coral　where

squid　might　be　lairing。　　With　the　squid…stick；　bluntly　sharp　at

both　ends；　perhaps　a　foot　long；　and　held　crosswise　in　the　hand；　the

trick　was　to　gouge　any　lazying　squid　until　he　closed　his　tentacles

around　fist；　stick　and　arm。　…　Then　you　had　him；　and　came　to　the

surface　with　him；　and　hit　him　in　the　head　which　is　in　the　centre　of

him；　and　peeled　him　off　into　the　waiting　canoe。　。　。　。　And　to　think

I　used　to　do　that！〃



Percival　Delaney　paused　a　moment；　a　glimmer　of　awe　on　his　rotund

face；　as　he　contemplated　the　mighty　picture　of　his　youth。



〃Why；　I've　pulled　out　a　squid　with　tentacles　eight　feet　long；　and

done　it　under　fifty　feet　of　water。　　I　could　stay　down　four　minutes。

I've　gone　down；　with　a　coral…rock　to　sink　me；　in　a　hundred　and　ten

feet　to　clear　a　fouled　anchor。　　And　I　could　back…dive　with　a　once…

over　and　go　in　feet…first　from　eighty　feet　above　the　surface　…　〃



〃Quit　it；　delete　it；　cease　it；〃　Chauncey　Delarouse　admonished

testily。　　〃Tell　of　the　Princess。　　That's　what　makes　old　blood　leap

again。　　Almost　can　I　see　her。　　Was　she　wonderful？〃



Percival　Delaney　kissed　unutterable　affirmation。



〃I　have　said　she　was　a　mermaid。　　She　was。　　I　know　she　swam　thirty…

six　hours　before　being　rescued；　after　her　schooner　was　capsized　in

a　double…squall。　　I　have　seen　her　do　ninety　feet　and　bring　up　pearl

shell　in　each　hand。　　She　was　wonderful。　　As　a　woman　she　was

ravishing；　sublime。　　I　have　said　she　was　a　sea…goddess。　　She　was。

Oh；　for　a　Phidias　or　a　Praxiteles　to　have　made　the　wonder　of　her

body　immortal！



〃And　that　day；　out　for　squid　on　the　reef；　I　was　almost　sick　for

her。　　Mad　…　I　know　I　was　mad　for　her。　　We　would　step　over　the　side

from　the　big　canoe；　and　swim　down；　side　by　side；　into　the　delicious

depths　of　cool　and　colour；　and　she　would　look　at　me；　as　we　swam；

and　with　her　eyes　tantalize　me　to　further　madness。　　And　at　last；

down；　far　down；　I　lost　myself　and　reached　for　her。　　She　eluded　me

like　the　mermaid　she　was；　and　I　saw　the　laughter　on　her　face　as　she

fled。　　She　fled　deeper；　and　I　knew　I　had　her　for　I　was　between　her

and　the　surface；　but　in　the　muck　coral　sand　of　the　bottom　she　made

a　churning　with　her　squid　stick。　　It　was　the　old　trick　to　escape　a

shark。　　And　she　worked　it　on　me；　rolling　the　water　so　that　I　could

not　see　her。　　And　when　I　came　up；　she　was　there　ahead　of　me；

clinging　to　the　s