within the tides-第28节

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discourse。　　〃You　say　he　has　got　a　mule？　　That's　queer！　　Why　did　he



refuse　to　let　me　have　it？〃







The　diminutive　Spaniard　muffled　himself　up　again　with　great



dignity。







〃QUIEN　SABE；〃　he　said　coldly；　with　a　shrug　of　his　draped　shoulders。



〃He　is　a　great　POLITICO　in　everything　he　does。　　But　one　thing　your



worship　may　be　certain　of　…　that　his　intentions　are　always



rascally。　　This　husband　of　my　DEFUNTA　sister　ought　to　have　been



married　a　long　time　ago　to　the　widow　with　the　wooden　legs。〃　（1）







〃I　see。　　But　remember　that；　whatever　your　motives；　your　worship



countenanced　him　in　this　lie。〃







The　bright　unhappy　eyes　on　each　side　of　a　predatory　nose　confronted



Byrne　without　wincing；　while　with　that　testiness　which　lurks　so



often　at　the　bottom　of　Spanish　dignity　…







〃No　doubt　the　senor　officer　would　not　lose　an　ounce　of　blood　if　I



were　stuck　under　the　fifth　rib；〃　he　retorted。　　〃But　what　of　this



poor　sinner　here？〃　　Then　changing　his　tone。　　〃Senor；　by　the



necessities　of　the　times　I　live　here　in　exile；　a　Castilian　and　an



old　Christian；　existing　miserably　in　the　midst　of　these　brute



Asturians；　and　dependent　on　the　worst　of　them　all；　who　has　less



conscience　and　scruples　than　a　wolf。　　And　being　a　man　of



intelligence　I　govern　myself　accordingly。　　Yet　I　can　hardly　contain



my　scorn。　　You　have　heard　the　way　I　spoke。　　A　caballero　of　parts



like　your　worship　might　have　guessed　that　there　was　a　cat　in



there。〃







〃What　cat？〃　said　Byrne　uneasily。　　〃Oh；　I　see。　　Something



suspicious。　　No；　senor。　　I　guessed　nothing。　　My　nation　are　not　good



guessers　at　that　sort　of　thing；　and；　therefore；　I　ask　you　plainly



whether　that　wine…seller　has　spoken　the　truth　in　other



particulars？〃







〃There　are　certainly　no　Frenchmen　anywhere　about；〃　said　the　little



man　with　a　return　to　his　indifferent　manner。







〃Or　robbers　…　LADRONES？〃







〃LADRONES　EN　GRANDE　…　no！　　Assuredly　not；〃　was　the　answer　in　a　cold



philosophical　tone。　　〃What　is　there　left　for　them　to　do　after　the



French？　　And　nobody　travels　in　these　times。　　But　who　can　say！



Opportunity　makes　the　robber。　　Still　that　mariner　of　yours　has　a



fierce　aspect；　and　with　the　son　of　a　cat　rats　will　have　no　play。



But　there　is　a　saying；　too；　that　where　honey　is　there　will　soon　be



flies。〃







This　oracular　discourse　exasperated　Byrne。　　〃In　the　name　of　God；〃



he　cried；　〃tell　me　plainly　if　you　think　my　man　is　reasonably　safe



on　his　journey。〃







The　homunculus；　undergoing　one　of　his　rapid　changes；　seized　the



officer's　arm。　　The　grip　of　his　little　hand　was　astonishing。







〃Senor！　　Bernardino　had　taken　notice　of　him。　　What　more　do　you



want？　　And　listen　…　men　have　disappeared　on　this　road　…　on　a



certain　portion　of　this　road；　when　Bernardino　kept　a　MESON；　an　inn；



and　I；　his　brother…in…law；　had　coaches　and　mules　for　hire。　　Now



there　are　no　travellers；　no　coaches。　　The　French　have　ruined　me。



Bernardino　has　retired　here　for　reasons　of　his　own　after　my　sister



died。　　They　were　three　to　torment　the　life　out　of　her；　he　and



Erminia　and　Lucilla；　two　aunts　of　his　…　all　affiliated　to　the



devil。　　And　now　he　has　robbed　me　of　my　last　mule。　　You　are　an　armed



man。　　Demand　the　MACHO　from　him；　with　a　pistol　to　his　head；　senor　…



it　is　not　his；　I　tell　you　…　and　ride　after　your　man　who　is　so



precious　to　you。　　And　then　you　shall　both　be　safe；　for　no　two



travellers　have　been　ever　known　to　disappear　together　in　those



days。　　As　to　the　beast；　I；　its　owner；　I　confide　it　to　your　honour。〃







They　were　staring　hard　at　each　other；　and　Byrne　nearly　burst　into　a



laugh　at　the　ingenuity　and　transparency　of　the　little　man's　plot　to



regain　possession　of　his　mule。　　But　he　had　no　difficulty　to　keep　a



straight　face　because　he　felt　deep　within　himself　a　strange



inclination　to　do　that　very　extraordinary　thing。　　He　did　not　laugh；



but　his　lip　quivered；　at　which　the　diminutive　Spaniard；　detaching



his　black　glittering　eyes　from　Byrne's　face；　turned　his　back　on　him



brusquely　with　a　gesture　and　a　fling　of　the　cloak　which　somehow



expressed　contempt；　bitterness；　and　discouragement　all　at　once。　　He



turned　away　and　stood　still；　his　hat　aslant；　muffled　up　to　the



ears。　　But　he　was　not　offended　to　the　point　of　refusing　the　silver



DURO　which　Byrne　offered　him　with　a　non…committal　speech　as　if



nothing　extraordinary　had　passed　between　them。







〃I　must　make　haste　on　board　now；〃　said　Byrne；　then。







〃VAYA　USTED　CON　DIOS；〃　muttered　the　gnome。　　And　this　interview



ended　with　a　sarcastic　low　sweep　of　the　hat　which　was　replaced　at



the　same　perilous　angle　as　before。







Directly　the　boat　had　been　hoisted　the　ship's　sails　were　filled　on



the　off…shore　tack；　and　Byrne　imparted　the　whole　story　to　his



captain；　who　was　but　a　very　few　years　older　than　himself。　　There



was　some　amused　indignation　at　it　…　but　while　they　laughed　they



looked　gravely　at　each　other。　　A　Spanish　dwarf　trying　to　beguile　an



officer　of　his　majesty's　navy　into　stealing　a　mule　for　him　…　that



was　too　funny；　too　ridiculous；　too　incredible。　　Those　were　the



exclamations　of　the　captain。　　He　couldn't　get　over　the



grotesqueness　of　it。







〃Incredible。　　That's　just　it；〃　murmured　Byrne　at　last　in　a



significant　tone。







They　exchanged　a　long　stare。　　〃It's　as　clear　as　daylight；〃　affirmed



the　captain　impatiently；　because　in　his　heart　he　was　not　certain。



And　Tom　the　best　seaman　in　the　ship　for　one；　the　good…humouredly



deferential　friend　of　his　boyhood　for　the　other；　was　becoming



endowed　with　a　compelling　fascination；　like　a　symbolic　figure　of



loyalty　appealing　to　their　feelings　and　their　conscience；　so　that



they　could　not　detach　their　thoughts　from　his　safety。　　Several



times　they　went　up　on　deck；　only　to　look　at　the　coast；　as　if　it



could　tell　them　something　of　his　fate。　　It　stretched　away；



lengthening　in　the　distance；　mute；　naked；　and　savage；　veiled　now



and　then　by　the　slanting　cold　shafts　of　rain。　　The　westerly　swell



rolled　its　interminable　angry　lines　of　foam　and　big　dark　clouds



flew　over　the　ship　in　a　sinister　procession。







〃I　wish　to　goodness　you　had　done　what　your　little　friend　in　the



yellow　hat　wanted　you　to　do；〃　said　the　commander　of　the　sloop　late



in　the　afternoon　with　visible　exasperation。







〃Do　you；　sir？〃　answered　Byrne；　bitter　with　positive　anguish。　　〃I



wonder　what　you　would　have　said　afterwards？　　Why！　　I　might　have



been　kicked　out　of　the　service　for　looting　a　mule　from　a　nation　in



alliance　with　His　Majesty。　　Or　I　might　have　been　battered　to　a　pulp



with　flails　and　pitch…forks　…　a　pretty　tale　to　get　abroad　about　one



of　your　officers　…　while　trying　to　steal　a　mule。　　Or　chased



ignominiously　to　the　boat　…　for　you　would　not　have　expected　me　to



shoot　down　unoffending　people　for　the　sake　of　a　mangy　mule。　。　。　And



yet；〃　he　added　in　a　low　voice；　〃I　almost　wish　myself　I　had　done



it。〃







Before　dark　those　two　young　men　had　worked　themselves　up　into　a



highly　complex　psychological　state　of　scornful　scepticism　and



alarmed　credulity。　　It　tormented　them　exceedingly；　and　the　thought



that　it　would　have　to　last　for　six　days　at　least；　and　possibly　be



prolonged　further　for　an　indefinite　time；　was　not　to　be　borne。　　The



ship　was　therefore　put　on　the　inshore　tack　at　dark。　　All　through



the　gusty　dark　night　she　went　towards　the　land　to　look　for　her　man；



at　times　lying　over　in　the　heavy　puffs；　at　others　rolling　idle　in



the　swell；　nearly　stationary；　as　if　she　too　had　a　mind　of　her　own



to　swing　perplexed　between　cool　reason　and　warm　impulse。







Then　just　at　daybreak　a　boat　put　off　from　her　and　went　on　tossed　by



the　seas　towards　the　shallow　cove　where；　with　considerable



difficulty；　an　officer　in　a　thick　coat　and　a　round　hat　managed　to



land　on　a　strip　of　shingle。







〃It　was　my　wish；〃　writes　Mr。　Byrne；　〃a　wish　of　which　my　captain



approved；　to　land　secretly　if　possible。　　I　did　not　want　to　be　seen



either　by　my　aggrieved　friend　in　the　yellow　hat；　whose　motives　were



not　clear；　or　by　the　one…eyed　wine…seller；　who　may　or　may　not　have



been　affiliated　to　the　devil；　or　indeed　by　any　other　dweller　in



that　primitive　village。　　But　unfortunately　the　cove　was　the　only



possible　landing　place　for　miles；　and　from　the　steepness　of　the



ravine　I　couldn't　make　a　circuit　to　avoid　the　houses。〃







〃Fortunately；〃　he　goes　on；　〃all　the　people　were　yet　in　their　beds。



It　was　barely　daylight　when　I　found　myself　walking　on　the　thick



layer　of　sodden　leaves　filling　the　only　street。　　No　soul　was



stirring　abroad；　no　dog　barked。　　The　silence　was　profound；　and　I



had　concluded　with　some　wonder　that　apparently　no　dogs　were　kept　in



the　hamlet；　when　I　heard　a　low　snarl；　and　from　a　noisome　alley



between　two　hovels　emerged　a　vile　cur　with　its　tail　between　its



legs