the uncommercial traveller-第82节

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stand　upon　his　head！　or　our　coat　upon　its　peg；　imitating　us　as　we

appeared　in　our　gymnastic　days　by　sustaining　itself　horizontally

from　the　wall；　in　emulation　of　the　lighter　and　more　facile　towels！

Then　would　the　voice　especially　claim　us　for　its　prey；　and　rend　us

all　to　pieces。



Lights　out；　we　in　our　berths；　and　the　wind　rising；　the　voice　grows

angrier　and　deeper。　　Under　the　mattress　and　under　the　pillow；　under

the　sofa　and　under　the　washing…stand；　under　the　ship　and　under　the

sea；　seeming　to　rise　from　the　foundations　under　the　earth　with

every　scoop　of　the　great　Atlantic　（and　oh！　why　scoop　so？）；　always

the　voice。　　Vain　to　deny　its　existence　in　the　night　season；

impossible　to　be　hard　of　hearing；　screw；　screw；　screw！　　Sometimes

it　lifts　out　of　the　water；　and　revolves　with　a　whirr；　like　a

ferocious　firework；　…　except　that　it　never　expends　itself；　but　is

always　ready　to　go　off　again；　sometimes　it　seems　to　be　in　anguish；

and　shivers；　sometimes　it　seems　to　be　terrified　by　its　last　plunge；

and　has　a　fit　which　causes　it　to　struggle；　quiver；　and　for　an

instant　stop。　　And　now　the　ship　sets　in　rolling；　as　only　ships　so

fiercely　screwed　through　time　and　space；　day　and　night；　fair

weather　and　foul；　CAN　roll。



Did　she　ever　take　a　roll　before　like　that　last？　　Did　she　ever　take

a　roll　before　like　this　worse　one　that　is　coming　now？　　Here　is　the

partition　at　my　ear　down　in　the　deep　on　the　lee　side。　　Are　we　ever

coming　up　again　together？　　I　think　not；　the　partition　and　I　are　so

long　about　it　that　I　really　do　believe　we　have　overdone　it　this

time。　　Heavens；　what　a　scoop！　　What　a　deep　scoop；　what　a　hollow

scoop；　what　a　long　scoop！　　Will　it　ever　end；　and　can　we　bear　the

heavy　mass　of　water　we　have　taken　on　board；　and　which　has　let　loose

all　the　table　furniture　in　the　officers'　mess；　and　has　beaten　open

the　door　of　the　little　passage　between　the　purser　and　me；　and　is

swashing　about；　even　there　and　even　here？　　The　purser　snores

reassuringly；　and　the　ship's　bells　striking；　I　hear　the　cheerful

'All's　well！'　of　the　watch　musically　given　back　the　length　of　the

deck；　as　the　lately　diving　partition；　now　high　in　air；　tries

（unsoftened　by　what　we　have　gone　through　together）　to　force　me　out

of　bed　and　berth。



'All's　well！'　　Comforting　to　know；　though　surely　all　might　be

better。　　Put　aside　the　rolling　and　the　rush　of　water；　and　think　of

darting　through　such　darkness　with　such　velocity。　　Think　of　any

other　similar　object　coming　in　the　opposite　direction！



Whether　there　may　be　an　attraction　in　two　such　moving　bodies　out　at

sea；　which　may　help　accident　to　bring　them　into　collision？

Thoughts；　too；　arise　（the　voice　never　silent　all　the　while；　but

marvellously　suggestive）　of　the　gulf　below；　of　the　strange；

unfruitful　mountain　ranges　and　deep　valleys　over　which　we　are

passing；　of　monstrous　fish　midway；　of　the　ship's　suddenly　altering

her　course　on　her　own　account；　and　with　a　wild　plunge　settling

down；　and　making　THAT　voyage　with　a　crew　of　dead　discoverers。　　Now；

too；　one　recalls　an　almost　universal　tendency　on　the　part　of

passengers　to　stumble；　at　some　time　or　other　in　the　day；　on　the

topic　of　a　certain　large　steamer　making　this　same　run；　which　was

lost　at　sea；　and　never　heard　of　more。　　Everybody　has　seemed　under　a

spell；　compelling　approach　to　the　threshold　of　the　grim　subject；

stoppage；　discomfiture；　and　pretence　of　never　having　been　near　it。

The　boatswain's　whistle　sounds！　　A　change　in　the　wind；　hoarse

orders　issuing；　and　the　watch　very　busy。　　Sails　come　crashing　home

overhead；　ropes　（that　seem　all　knot）　ditto；　every　man　engaged

appears　to　have　twenty　feet；　with　twenty　times　the　average　amount

of　stamping　power　in　each。　　Gradually　the　noise　slackens；　the

hoarse　cries　die　away；　the　boatswain's　whistle　softens　into　the

soothing　and　contented　notes；　which　rather　reluctantly　admit　that

the　job　is　done　for　the　time；　and　the　voice　sets　in　again。



Thus　come　unintelligible　dreams　of　up　hill　and　down；　and　swinging

and　swaying；　until　consciousness　revives　of　atmospherical　Windsor

soap　and　bilge…water；　and　the　voice　announces　that　the　giant　has

come　for　the　water…cure　again。



Such　were　my　fanciful　reminiscences　as　I　lay；　part　of　that　day；　in

the　Bay　of　New　York；　O！　　Also　as　we　passed　clear　of　the　Narrows；

and　got　out　to　sea；　also　in　many　an　idle　hour　at　sea　in　sunny

weather！　　At　length　the　observations　and　computations　showed　that

we　should　make　the　coast　of　Ireland　to…night。　　So　I　stood　watch　on

deck　all　night　to…night；　to　see　how　we　made　the　coast　of　Ireland。



Very　dark；　and　the　sea　most　brilliantly　phosphorescent。　　Great　way

on　the　ship；　and　double　look…out　kept。　　Vigilant　captain　on　the

bridge；　vigilant　first　officer　looking　over　the　port　side；　vigilant

second　officer　standing　by　the　quarter…master　at　the　compass；

vigilant　third　officer　posted　at　the　stern　rail　with　a　lantern。　　No

passengers　on　the　quiet　decks；　but　expectation　everywhere

nevertheless。　　The　two　men　at　the　wheel　very　steady；　very　serious；

and　very　prompt　to　answer　orders。　　An　order　issued　sharply　now　and

then；　and　echoed　back；　otherwise　the　night　drags　slowly；　silently；

with　no　change。



All　of　a　sudden；　at　the　blank　hour　of　two　in　the　morning；　a　vague

movement　of　relief　from　a　long　strain　expresses　itself　in　all

hands；　the　third　officer's　lantern　tinkles；　and　he　fires　a　rocket；

and　another　rocket。　　A　sullen　solitary　light　is　pointed　out　to　me

in　the　black　sky　yonder。　　A　change　is　expected　in　the　light；　but

none　takes　place。　　'Give　them　two　more　rockets；　Mr。　Vigilant。'　　Two

more；　and　a　blue…light　burnt。　　All　eyes　watch　the　light　again。　　At

last　a　little　toy　sky…rocket　is　flashed　up　from　it；　and；　even　as

that　small　streak　in　the　darkness　dies　away；　we　are　telegraphed　to

Queenstown；　Liverpool；　and　London；　and　back　again　under　the　ocean

to　America。



Then　up　come　the　half…dozen　passengers　who　are　going　ashore　at

Queenstown　and　up　comes　the　mail…agent　in　charge　of　the　bags；　and

up　come　the　men　who　are　to　carry　the　bags　into　the　mail…tender　that

will　come　off　for　them　out　of　the　harbour。　　Lamps　and　lanterns

gleam　here　and　there　about　the　decks；　and　impeding　bulks　are

knocked　away　with　handspikes；　and　the　port…side　bulwark；　barren　but

a　moment　ago；　bursts　into　a　crop　of　heads　of　seamen；　stewards；　and

engineers。



The　light　begins　to　be　gained　upon；　begins　to　be　alongside；　begins

to　be　left　astern。　　More　rockets；　and；　between　us　and　the　land；

steams　beautifully　the　Inman　steamship　City　of　Paris；　for　New　York；

outward　bound。　　We　observe　with　complacency　that　the　wind　is　dead

against　her　（it　being　WITH　us）；　and　that　she　rolls　and　pitches。

（The　sickest　passenger　on　board　is　the　most　delighted　by　this

circumstance。）　　Time　rushes　by　as　we　rush　on；　and　now　we　see　the

light　in　Queenstown　Harbour；　and　now　the　lights　of　the　mail…tender

coming　out　to　us。　　What　vagaries　the　mail…tender　performs　on　the

way；　in　every　point　of　the　compass；　especially　in　those　where　she

has　no　business；　and　why　she　performs　them；　Heaven　only　knows！　　At

length　she　is　seen　plunging　within　a　cable's　length　of　our　port

broadside；　and　is　being　roared　at　through　our　speaking…trumpets　to

do　this　thing；　and　not　to　do　that；　and　to　stand　by　the　other；　as　if

she　were　a　very　demented　tender　indeed。　　Then；　we　slackening　amidst

a　deafening　roar　of　steam；　this　much…abused　tender　is　made　fast　to

us　by　hawsers；　and　the　men　in　readiness　carry　the　bags　aboard；　and

return　for　more；　bending　under　their　burdens；　and　looking　just　like

the　pasteboard　figures　of　the　miller　and　his　men　in　the　theatre　of

our　boyhood；　and　comporting　themselves　almost　as　unsteadily。　　All

the　while　the　unfortunate　tender　plunges　high　and　low；　and　is

roared　at。　　Then　the　Queenstown　passengers　are　put　on　board　of　her；

with　infinite　plunging　and　roaring；　and　the　tender　gets　heaved　up

on　the　sea　to　that　surprising　extent　that　she　looks　within　an　ace

of　washing　aboard　of　us；　high　and　dry。　　Roared　at　with　contumely　to

the　last；　this　wretched　tender　is　at　length　let　go；　with　a　final

plunge　of　great　ignominy；　and　falls　spinning　into　our　wake。



The　voice　of　conscience　resumed　its　dominion　as　the　day　climbed　up

the　sky；　and　kept　by　all　of　us　passengers　into　port；　kept　by　us　as


we　passed　other　lighthouses；　and　dangerous　islands　off　the　coast；

where　some　of　the　officers；　with　whom　I　stood　my　watch；　had　gone

ashore　in　sailing…ships　in　fogs　（and　of　which　by　that　token　they

seemed　to　have　quite　an　affectionate　remembrance）；　and　past　the

Welsh　coast；　and　past　the　Cheshire　coast；　and　past　everything　and

everywhere　lying　between　our　ship　and　her　own　special　dock　in　the

Mersey。　　Off　which；　at　last；　at　nine　of　the　clock；　on　a　fair

evening　early　in　May；　we　stopped；　and　the　voice　ceased。　　A　very

curious　sensation；　not　unlike　having　my　own　ears　stopped；　ensued

upon　that　silence；　and　it　was　with　a　no　less　curious　sensation　that

I　went　over　the　side　of　the　good　Cunard　ship　'Russi