the lion and the unicorn(狮子与独角兽)-第16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！
am thankful that some one can。 You'll forgive my stopping you； sir； but I
53
… Page 54…
THE LION AND THE UNICORN
wanted to thank you。 I feel it very much。〃
Senator Stanton's friends had already seated themselves in his carriage
and were looking out of the door and smiling with mock patience。 But
the senator made no move to follow them。 Though they were his
admirers they were sometimes skeptical； and he was not sorry that they
should hear this uninvited tribute。 So he made a pretence of buttoning
his long coat about him； and nodded encouragingly to Arkwright to
continue。 〃I'm glad you liked it； sir；〃 he said with the pleasant； gracious
smile that had won him a friend wherever it had won him a vote。 〃It is
very satisfactory to know from one who is well informed on the subject
that what I have said is correct。 The situation there is truly terrible。 You
have just returned； you say？ Where were youin Havana？〃
〃No； in the other provinces； sir；〃 Arkwright answered。 〃I have been
all over the island； I am a civil engineer。 The truth has not been half told
about Cuba； I assure you； sir。 It is massacre there； not war。 It is partly
so through ignorance； but nevertheless it is massacre。 And what makes it
worse is； that it is the massacre of the innocents。 That is what I liked best
of what you said in that great speech； the part about the women and
children。〃
He reached out his hands detainingly； and then drew back as though in
apology for having already kept the great man so long waiting in the cold。
〃I wish I could tell you some of the terrible things I have seen；〃 he began
again； eagerly as Stanton made no movement to depart。 〃They are much
worse than those you instanced to…night； and you could make so much
better use of them than any one else。 I have seen starving women
nursing dead babies； and sometimes starving babies sucking their dead
mother's breasts； I have seen men cut down in the open roads and while
digging in the fieldsand two hundred women imprisoned in one room
without food and eaten with small…pox； and huts burned while the people
in them slept〃
The young man had been speaking impetuously； but he stopped as
suddenly； for the senator was not listening to him。 He had lowered his
eyes and was looking with a glance of mingled fascination and disgust at
Arkwright's hands。 In his earnestness the young man had stretched them
54
… Page 55…
THE LION AND THE UNICORN
out； and as they showed behind the line of his ragged sleeves the others
could see； even in the blurred light and falling snow； that the wrists of each
hand were gashed and cut in dark…brown lines like the skin of a mulatto；
and in places were a raw red； where the fresh skin had but just closed over。
The young man paused and stood shivering； still holding his hands out
rigidly before him。
The senator raised his eyes slowly and drew away。
〃What is that？〃 he said in a low voice； pointing with a gloved finger at
the black lines on the wrists。
A sergeant in the group of policemen who had closed around the
speakers answered him promptly from his profound fund of professional
knowledge。
〃That's handcuffs； senator；〃 he said importantly； and glanced at Stanton
as though to signify that at a word from him he would take this suspicious
character into custody。 The young man pulled the frayed cuffs of his
shirt over his wrists and tucked his hands； which the cold had frozen into
an ashy blue； under his armpits to warm them。
〃No； they don't use handcuffs in the field；〃 he said in the same low；
eager tone； 〃they use ropes and leather thongs； they fastened me behind a
horse and when he stumbled going down the trail it jerked me forward and
the cords would tighten and tear the flesh。 But they have had a long time
to heal now。 I have been eight months in prison。〃
The young men at the carriage window had ceased smiling and were
listening intently。 One of them stepped out and stood beside the carriage
door looking down at the shivering figure before him with a close and
curious scrutiny。
〃Eight months in prison！〃 echoed the police sergeant with a note of
triumph； 〃what did I tell you？〃
〃Hold your tongue！〃 said the young man at the carriage door。 There
was silence for a moment； while the men looked at the senator； as though
waiting for him to speak。
〃Where were you in prison； Mr。 Arkwright？〃 he asked。
〃First in the calaboose at Santa Clara for two months； and then in
Cabanas。 The Cubans who were taken when I was； were shot by the
55
… Page 56…
THE LION AND THE UNICORN
fusillade on different days during this last month。 Two of them； the
Ezetas； were father and son； and the Volunteer band played all the time the
execution was going on； so that the other prisoners might not hear them
cry 'Cuba Libre' when the order came to fire。 But we heard them。〃
The senator shivered slightly and pulled his fur collar up farther
around his face。 〃I'd like to talk with you；〃 he said； 〃if you have nothing
to do to…morrow。 I'd like to go into this thing thoroughly。 Congress
must be made to take some action。〃
The young man clasped his hands eagerly。 〃Ah； Mr。 Stanton； if you
would；〃 he cried； 〃if you would only give me an hour！ I could tell you so
much that you could use。 And you can believe what I say； sirit is not
necessary to lieGod knows the truth is bad enough。 I can give you
names and dates for everything I say。 Or I can do better than that； sir。 I
can take you there yourselfin three months I can show you all you need
to see； without danger to you in any way。 And they would not know me；
now that I have grown a beard； and I am a skeleton to what I was。
I can speak the language well； and I know just what you should see；
and then you could come back as one speaking with authority and not
have to say； 'I have read；' or 'have been told；' but you can say； 'These are
the things I have seen'and you could free Cuba。〃
The senator coughed and put the question aside for the moment with a
wave of the hand that held his cigar。 〃We will talk of that to…morrow also。
Come to lunch with me at one。 My apartments are in the Berkeley on
Fifth Avenue。 But aren't you afraid to go back there？〃 he asked curiously。
〃I should think you'd had enough of it。 And you've got a touch of fever；
haven't you？〃 He leaned forward and peered into the other's eyes。
〃It is only the prison fever；〃 the young man answered； 〃food and this
cold will drive that out of me。 And I must go back。 There is so much to
do there；〃 he added。 〃Ah； if I could tell them； as you can tell them； what
I feel here。〃 He struck his chest sharply with his hand； and on the instant
fell into a fit of coughing so violent that the young man at the carriage
door caught him around the waist； and one of the policemen supported
him from the other side。
〃You need a doctor；〃 said the senator kindly。 〃I'll ask mine to have a
56
… Page 57…
THE LION AND THE UNICORN
look at you。 Don't forget； then； at one o'clock to… morrow。 We will go
into this thing thoroughly。〃 He shook Arkwright warmly by the hand and
stooping stepped into the carriage。 The young man who had stood at the
door followed him and crowded back luxuriously against the cushions。
The footman swung himself up beside the driver； and said 〃Uptown
Delmonico's；〃 as he wrapped the fur rug around his legs； and with a salute
from the policemen and a scraping
