villa rubein and other stories-第32节

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all　little；　wet；　shining　ridges。　　About　a　quarter　of　a　mile　out　lay　a

cutter；　with　her　tan　sail　half　down；　swinging　to　the　swell。　　The

sunlight　was　making　the　pink　cliffs　glow　in　the　most　wonderful　way；

and　shifting　in　bright　patches　over　the　sea　like　moving　shoals　of

goldfish。　　Pearse　perched　himself　on　his　dinghy；　and　looked　out　under

his　hand。　　He　seemed　lost　in　admiration。



〃If　we　could　only　net　some　of　those　spangles；〃　he　said；　〃an'　make

gold　of　'em！　　No　more　work　then。〃



〃It's　a　big　job　I've　got　on；〃　he　said　presently；　〃I'll　tell　you　about

it　on　Wednesday。　I　want　a　journalist。〃



〃But　I　don't　write　for　the　papers；〃　I　said；　〃I　do　other　sort　of　work。

My　game　is　archaeology。〃



〃It　doesn't　matter；〃　he　said；　〃the　more　imagination　the　better。　　It'd

be　a　thundering　good　thing　for　you。〃



His　assurance　was　amazing；　but　it　was　past　supper…time；　and　hunger

getting　the　better　of　my　curiosity；　I　bade　him　good…night。　When　I

looked　back；　he　was　still　there；　on　the　edge　of　his　boat；　gazing　at

the　sea。　　A　queer　sort　of　bird　altogether；　but　attractive　somehow。



Nobody　mentioned　him　that　evening；　but　once　old　Ford；　after　staring　a

long　time　at　Pasiance；　muttered　a　propos　of　nothing；　〃Undutiful

children！〃　　She　was　softer　than　usual；　listening　quietly　to　our　talk；

and　smiling　when　spoken　to。　　At　bedtime　she　went　up　to　her　grand…

father；　without　waiting　for　the　usual　command；　〃Come　and　kiss　me；

child。〃



Dan　did　not　stay　to　supper；　and　he　has　not　been　here　since。　　This

morning　I　asked　Mother　Hopgood　who　Zachary　Pearse　was。　　She's　a　true

Devonian；　if　there's　anything　she　hates；　it　is　to　be　committed　to　a

definite　statement。　　She　ambled　round　her　answer；　and　at　last　told　me

that　he　was　〃son　of　old　Cap'en　Jan　Pearse　to　Black　Mill。　　'Tes　an　old

family　to　Dartymouth　an'　Plymouth；〃　she　went　on　in　a　communicative

outburst。　　〃They　du　say　Francis　Drake　tuke　five　o'　they　Pearses　with

'en　to　fight　the　Spaniards。　　At　least　that's　what　I've　heard　Mr。

Zachary　zay；　but　Ha…apgood　can　tell　yu。〃　　Poor　Hopgood；　the　amount　of

information　she　saddles　him　with　in　the　course　of　the　day！　　Having

given　me　thus　to　understand　that　she　had　run　dry；　she　at　once　went

on：



〃Cap'en　Jan　Pearse　made　a　dale　of　ventures。　　He's　old　nowthey　du

say　nigh　an　'undred。　　Ha…apgood　can　tell　yu。〃



〃But　the　son；　Mrs。　Hopgood？〃



Her　eyes　twinkled　with　sudden　shrewdness：　She　hugged　herself

placidly。



〃An'　what　would　yu　take　for　dinner　to…day？　　There's　duck；　or　yu　might

like　'toad　in　the　hole；'　with　an　apple　tart；　or　then；　there'sWell！

we'll　see　what　we　can　du　like。〃　　And　off　she　went；　without　waiting

for　my　answer。



To…morrow　is　Wednesday。　　I　shan't　be　sorry　to　get　another　look　at

this　fellow　Pearse。。。。











III



〃Friday；　29th　July。



。。。。。。。Why　do　you　ask　me　so　many　questions；　and　egg　me　on　to　write

about　these　people　instead　of　minding　my　business？　　If　you　really

want　to　hear；　I'll　tell　you　of　Wednesday's　doings。



It　was　a　splendid　morning；　and　Dan　turned　up；　to　my　surprisethough

I　might　have　known　that　when　he　says　a　thing；　he　does　it。　　John　Ford

came　out　to　shake　hands　with　him；　then；　remembering　why　he　had　come；

breathed　loudly；　said　nothing；　and　went　in　again。　　Nothing　was　to　be

seen　of　Pasiance；　and　we　went　down　to　the　beach　together。



〃I　don't　like　this　fellow　Pearse；　George；〃　Dan　said　to　me　on　the　way；

〃I　was　fool　enough　to　say　I'd　go；　and　so　I　must；　but　what's　he　after？

Not　the　man　to　do　things　without　a　reason；　mind　you。



I　remarked　that　we　should　soon　know。



〃I'm　not　so　surequeer　beggar；　I　never　look　at　him　without　thinking

of　a　pirate。〃



The　cutter　lay　in　the　cove　as　if　she　had　never　moved。　　There　too　was

Zachary　Pearse　seated　on　the　edge　of　his　dinghy。



〃A　five…knot　breeze；〃　he　said；　〃I'll　run　you　down　in　a　couple　of

hours。〃　　He　made　no　inquiry　about　Pasiance；　but　put　us　into　his

cockleshell　and　pulled　for　the　cutter。　　A　lantern…Jawed　fellow；　named

Prawle；　with　a　spiky；　prominent　beard；　long；　clean…shaven　upper　lip；

and　tanned　complexiona　regular　hard…weather　birdreceived　us。



The　cutter　was　beautifully　clean；　built　for　a　Brixham　trawler；　she

still　had　her　numberDH　113uneffaced。　　We　dived　into　a　sort　of

cabin；　airy；　but　dark；　fitted　with　two　bunks　and　a　small　table；　on

which　stood　some　bottles　of　stout；　there　were　lockers；　too；　and　pegs

for　clothes。　　Prawle；　who　showed　us　round；　seemed　very　proud　of　a

steam　contrivance　for　hoisting　sails。　　It　was　some　minutes　before　we

came　on　deck　again；　and　there；　in　the　dinghy；　being　pulled　towards

the　cutter；　sat　Pasiance。



〃If　I'd　known　this；〃　stammered　Dan；　getting　red；　〃I　wouldn't　have

come。〃　　She　had　outwitted　us；　and　there　was　nothing　to　be　done。



It　was　a　very　pleasant　sail。　　The　breeze　was　light　from　the　south…

east；　the　sun　warm；　the　air　soft。　　Presently　Pasiance　began　singing：



〃Columbus　is　dead　and　laid　in　his　grave；

Oh！　heigh…ho！　and　laid　in　his　grave；

Over　his　head　the　apple…trees　wave

Oh！　heigh…ho！　the　apple…trees　wave。。。。



The　apples　are　ripe　and　ready　to　fall；

Oh！　heigh…ho！　and　ready　to　fall；

There　came　an　old　woman　and　gathered　them　all；

Oh！　heigh…ho！　and　gathered　them　all。。。。



The　apples　are　gathered；　and　laid　on　the　shelf；

Oh！　heigh…ho！　and　laid　on　the　shelf；

If　you　want　any　more；　you　must　sing　for　yourself；


Oh！　heigh…ho！　and　sing　for　yourself。〃





Her　small；　high　voice　came　to　us　in　trills　and　spurts；　as　the　wind

let　it；　like　the　singing　of　a　skylark　lost　in　the　sky。　　Pearse　went

up　to　her　and　whispered　something。　　I　caught　a　glimpse　of　her　face

like　a　startled　wild　creature's；　shrinking；　tossing　her　hair；

laughing；　all　in　the　same　breath。　　She　wouldn't　sing　again；　but

crouched　in　the　bows　with　her　chin　on　her　hands；　and　the　sun

falling　on　one　cheek；　round；　velvety；　red　as　a　peach。。。。



We　passed　Dartmouth；　and　half　an　hour　later　put　into　a　little　wooded

bay。　　On　a　low　reddish　cliff　was　a　house　hedged　round　by　pine…trees。

A　bit　of　broken　jetty　ran　out　from　the　bottom　of　the　cliff。　　We

hooked　on　to　this；　and　landed。　　An　ancient；　fish…like　man　came

slouching　down　and　took　charge　of　the　cutter。　　Pearse　led　us　towards

the　house；　Pasiance　following　mortally　shy　all　of　a　sudden。



The　house　had　a　dark；　overhanging　thatch　of　the　rush　reeds　that　grow

in　the　marshes　hereabouts；　I　remember　nothing　else　remarkable。　　It

was　neither　old；　nor　new；　neither　beautiful；　nor　exactly　ugly；

neither　clean；　nor　entirely　squalid；　it　perched　there　with　all　its

windows　over　the　sea；　turning　its　back　contemptuously　on　the　land。



Seated　in　a　kind　of　porch；　beside　an　immense　telescope；　was　a　very

old　man　in　a　panama　hat；　with　a　rattan　cane。　　His　pure…white　beard

and　moustache；　and　almost　black　eyebrows；　gave　a　very　singular；

piercing　look　to　his　little；　restless；　dark…grey　eyes；　all　over　his

mahogany　cheeks　and　neck　was　a　network　of　fine　wrinkles。　　He　sat

quite　upright；　in　the　full　sun；　hardly　blinking。



〃Dad！〃　said　Zachary；　〃this　is　Pasiance　Voisey。〃　　The　old　man　turned

his　eyes　on　her　and　muttered；　〃How　do　you　do；　ma'am？〃　then　took　no

further　notice。　　And　Pasiance；　who　seemed　to　resent　this；　soon

slipped　away　and　went　wandering　about　amongst　the　pines。　　An　old

woman　brought　some　plates　and　bottles　and　laid　them　casually　on　a

table；　and　we　sat　round　the　figure　of　old　Captain　Pearse　without　a

word；　as　if　we　were　all　under　a　spell。



Before　lunch　there　was　a　little　scene　between　Zachary　Pearse　and　Dan；

as　to　which　of　them　should　summon　Pasiance。　　It　ended　in　both　going；

and　coming　back　without　her。　　She　did　not　want　any　lunch；　would　stay

where　she　was　amongst　the　pines。



For　lunch　we　had　chops；　wood…pigeons；　mushrooms；　and　mulberry

preserve；　and　drank　wonderful　Madeira　out　of　common　wine…glasses。　　I

asked　the　old　man　where　he　got　it；　he　gave　me　a　queer　look；　and

answered　with　a　little　bow：



〃Stood　me　in　tu　shillin'　the　bottle；　an'　the　country　got　nothing　out

of　it；　sir。　　In　the　early　Thirties；　tu　shillin'　the　bottle；　there's

no　such　wine　nowadays　and；〃　he　added；　looking　at　Zachary；　〃no　such

men。〃



Zachary　smiled　and　said：　〃You　did　nothing　so　big；　dad；　as　what　I'm

after；　now！〃



The　old　man's　eyes　had　a　sort　of　disdain　in　them。



〃You're　going　far；　then；　in　the　Pied　Witch；　Zack？〃



〃I　am；〃　said　Zachary。



〃And　where　might　yu　be　goin'　in　that　old　trampin'　smut　factory？〃



〃Morocco。〃



〃Heu！〃　said　the　old　man；　〃there's　nothing　there；　I　know　that　coast；

as　I　know　the　back　o'　my　hand。〃　　He　stretched　out　a　hand　covered　with

veins　and　hair。



Zachary　began　suddenly　to　pour　out　a　flood　of　words：



〃Below　Mogadora　fellow　therefriend　of　minetwo　years　ago　now。

Concessionstrade…gunpowdercruisersfeudsmoneychiefsGatling

gunsSultanriflesrebelliongold。〃　　He　detailed　a　reckless；

sordid；　bold　scheme；　which；　on　the　pivot　of　a　trading　venture；　was

intended　to　spin　a　whole　wheel　of　political　convulsion