the frozen deep(冰渊)-第11节
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！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
went on again。
40
… Page 41…
THE FROZEN DEEP
He cut out another plank。
He stopped； and looked at it suspiciously。
There was carving again； on this plank。 The letters F。 and A。 appeared
on it。
He put down the ax。 There were vague misgivings in him which he
was not able to realize。 The state of his own mind was fast becoming a
puzzle to him。
〃More carving；〃 he said to himself。 〃That's the way these young idlers
employ their long hours。 F。 A。？ Those must be _his_ initialsFrank
Aldersley。 Who c arved the letters on the other plank？ Frank Aldersley；
too？〃
He turned the piece of wood in his hand nearer to the light； and looked
lower down it。 More carving again； lower down！ Under the initials F。 A。
were two more lettersC。 B。
〃C。 B。？〃 he repeated to himself。 〃His sweet heart's initials； I suppose？
Of courseat his agehis sweetheart's initials。〃
He paused once more。 A spasm of inner pain showed the shadow of its
mysterious passage； outwardly on his face。
〃_Her_ cipher is C。 B。；〃 he said； in low； broken tones。 〃C。 B。Clara
Burnham。〃
He waited； with the plank in his hand； repeating the name over and
over again； as if it was a question he was putting to himself。
〃Clara Burnham？ Clara Burnham？〃
He dropped the plank； and turned deadly pale in a moment。 His eyes
wandered furtively backward and forward between the strip of wood on
the floor and the half…demolished berth。 〃Oh； God！ what has come to me
now？〃 he said to himself； in a whisper。 He snatched up the ax； with a
strange crysomething between rage and terror。 He triedfiercely；
desperately triedto go on with his work。 No！ strong as he was； he could
not use the ax。 His hands were helpless； they trembled incessantly。 He
went to the fire； he held his hands over it。 They still trembled incessantly；
they infected the rest of him。 He shuddered all over。 He knew fear。 His
own thoughts terrified him。
41
… Page 42…
THE FROZEN DEEP
〃Crayford！〃 he cried out。 〃Crayford！ come here； and let's go hunting。〃
No friendly voice answered him。 No friendly face showed itself at the
door。
An interval passed； and there came over him another change。 He
recovered his self…possession almost as suddenly as he had lost it。 A smile…
…a horrid； deforming； unnatural smilespread slowly； stealthily； devilishly
over his face。 He left the fire； he put the ax away softly in a corner； he sat
down in his old place； deliberately self…abandoned to a frenzy of vindictive
joy。 He had found the man！ There； at the end of the worldthere； at the
last fight of the Arctic voyagers against starvation and death； he had found
the man！
The minutes passed。
He became conscious； on a sudden； of a freezing stream of air pouring
into the room。
He turned； and saw Crayford opening the door of the hut。 A man was
behind him。 Wardour rose eagerly； and looked over Crayford's shoulder。
Was itcould it bethe man who had carved the letters on the plank？
Yes！ Frank Aldersley！
Chapter 11。
〃Still at work！〃 Crayford exclaimed； looking at the half…demolished
bed…place。 〃Give yourself a little rest； Richard。 The exploring party is
ready to start。 If you wish to take leave of your brother officers before they
go； you have no time to lose。〃
He checked himself there； looking Wardour full in the face。
〃Good Heavens！〃 he cried； 〃how pale you are！ Has anything
happened？〃
Franksearching in his locker for articles of clothing which he might
require on the journeylooked round。 He was startled； as Crayford had
been startled； by the sudden change in Wardour since they had last seen
him。
42
… Page 43…
THE FROZEN DEEP
〃Are you ill？〃 he asked。 〃I hear you have been doing Bateson's work
for him。 Have you hurt yourself？〃
Wardour suddenly moved his head； so as to hide his face from both
Crayford and Frank。 He took out his handkerchief； and wound it clumsily
round his left hand。
〃Yes；〃 he said； 〃I hurt myself with the ax。 It's nothing。 Never mind。
Pain always has a curious effect on me。 I tell you it's nothing！ Don't notice
it！〃
He turned his face toward them again as suddenly as he had turned it
away。 He advanced a few steps； and addressed himself with an uneasy
familiarity to Frank。
〃I didn't answer you civilly when you spoke to me some little time
since。 I mean when I first came in here along with the rest of them。 I
apologize。 Shake hands！ How are you？ Ready for the march？〃
Frank met the oddly abrupt advance which had been made to him with
perfect good humor。
〃I am glad to be friends with you； Mr。 Wardour。 I wish I was as well
seasoned to fatigue as you are。〃
Wardour burst into a hard； joyless； unnatural laugh。
〃Not strong； eh？ You don't look it。 The dice had better have sent me
away； and kept you here。 I never felt in better condition in my life。〃 He
paused and added； with his eye on Frank and with a strong emphasis on
the words： 〃We men of Kent are made of tough material。〃
Frank advanced a step on his side； with a new interest in Richard
Wardour。
〃You come from Kent？〃 he said。
〃Yes。 From East Kent。〃 He waited a little once more； and looked hard
at Frank。 〃Do you know that part of the country？〃 he asked。
〃I ought to know something about East Kent；〃 Frank answered。 〃Some
dear friends of mine once lived there。〃
〃Friends of yours？〃 Wardour repeated。 〃One of the county families； I
suppose？〃
As he put the question； he abruptly looked over his shoulder。 He was
43
… Page 44…
THE FROZEN DEEP
standing between Crayford and Frank。 Crayford； taking no part in the
conversation； had been watching him； and listening to him more and more
attentively as that conversation went on。 Within the last moment or two
Wardour had become instinctively conscious of this。 He resented
Crayford's conduct with needless irritability。
〃Why are you staring at me？〃 he asked。
〃Why are you looking unlike yourself？〃 Crayford answered； quietly。
Wardour made no reply。 He renewed the conversation with Frank。
〃One of the county families？〃 he resumed。 〃The Winterbys of Yew
Grange； I dare say？〃
〃No；〃 said Frank； 〃but friends of the Witherbys； very likely。 The
Burnhams。〃
Desperately as he struggled to maintain it； Wardour's self…control
failed him。 He started violently。 The clumsily…wound handkerchief fell off
his hand。 Still looking at him attentively； Crayford picked it up。
〃There is your handkerchief； Richard；〃 he said。 〃Strange！〃
〃What is strange？〃
〃You told us you had hurt yourself with the ax〃
〃Well？〃
〃There is no blood on your handkerchief。〃
Wardour snatched the handkerchief out of Crayford's hand； and；
turning away； approached the outer door of the hut。 〃No blood on the
handkerchief；〃 he said to himself。 〃There may be a stain or two when
Crayford sees it again。〃 He stopped within a few paces of the door； and
spoke to Crayford。 〃You recommended me to take leave of my brother
officers before it was too late；〃 he said。 〃I am going to follow your
advice。〃
The door was opened from the outer side as he laid his hand on the
lock。
One of the quartermasters of the _Wanderer_ entered the hut。
〃Is Captain Helding here； sir？〃 he asked； addressing himself to
Wardour。
Wardour pointed to Crayford。
44
… Page 45…
THE FROZEN DEEP
〃The lieutenant will tell you；〃 he said。
Crayford advanced and questioned the quartermaster。 〃What do you
want with Captain Helding？〃 he asked。
