masterman ready-第36节

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。　She　had　attended　my　mother　during　her　illness；　till　the　day　of　her　death；　and　she　told　me　all　I　wished　to　know。　It　was　some　little　relief　to　my　mind　to　hear　that　my　poor　mother　could　not　have　lived；　as　she　had　an　incurable　cancer；　but　at　the　same　time　the　woman　told　me　that　I　was　ever　in　her　thoughts；　and　that　my　name　was　the　last　word　on　her　lips。　She　also　said　that　Mr。　Masterman　had　been　very　kind　to　my　mother；　and　that　she　had　wanted　nothing。　I　then　asked　her　to　show　me　where　my　mother　had　been　buried。　She　put　on　her　bonnet；　and　led　me　to　the　grave；　and　then；　at　my　request；　she　left　me。　I　seated　myself　down　by　the　mound　of　turf　which　covered　her；　and　long　and　bitterly　did　I　weep　her　loss　and　pray　for　forgiveness。

〃It　was　quite　dark　when　I　left　the　spot　and　went　back　to　the　cottage　of　the　kind　woman　who　had　attended　my　mother。　I　conversed　with　her　and　her　husband　till　late；　and　then；　as　they　offered　me　a　bed；　I　remained　with　them　that　night。　Next　morning　I　went　to　keep　my　appointment　with　the　gentleman　whom　I　had　met　in　the　coach：　I　found　by　the　brass　plate　on　the　door　that　he　was　a　lawyer。　He　desired　me　to　sit　down；　and　then　he　closed　the　door　carefully；　and　having　asked　me　many　questions；　to　ascertain　if　I　was　really　Masterman　Ready；　he　said　he　was　the　person　employed　at　Mr。　Masterman's　death；　and　that　he　had　found　a　paper　which　was　of　great　consequence；　as　it　proved　that　the　insurance　of　the　vessel　which　had　belonged　to　my　father　and　Mr。　Masterman；　and　which　had　been　lost；　had　not　been　made　on　Mr。　Masterman's　share　only；　but　upon　my　father's　as　well；　and　that　Mr。　Masterman　had　defrauded　my　mother。　He　said　he　had　found　the　paper　in　a　secret　drawer　some　time　after　Mr。　Masterman's　death；　and　that　my　mother　being　dead；　and　I　being　supposed　to　be　dead；　he　did　not　see　any　use　in　making　known　so　disagreeable　a　circumstance；　but　that；　now　I　had　re…appeared；　it　was　his　duty　so　to　do；　and　that　he　would　arrange　the　matter　for　me；　if　I　pleased；　with　the　corporation　of　the　town；　to　whom　all　Mr。　Masterman's　property　had　been　left　in　trust　to　build　an　hospital　and　almshouses。　He　said　that　the　insurance　on　the　vessel　was　three　thousand　pounds；　and　that　one…third　of　the　vessel　belonged　to　my　father；　so　that　a　thousand　pounds　were　due　to　him；　which　the　interest　for　so　many　years　would　increase　to　above　two　thousand　pounds。　This　was　good　news　for　me；　and　you　may　suppose　I　readily　agreed　to　all　he　proposed。　He　set　to　work　at　once；　and　having　called　together　the　mayor　and　corporation　of　the　town；　and　proved　the　document；　they　immediately　agreed　that　I　was　entitled　to　the　money；　and　that　it　should　be　paid　to　me　without　any　contest。　Thus　you　see；　Master　William；　was　a　new　temptation　thrown　in　my　way。〃

〃How　do　you　mean　a　temptation？　It　surely　was　very　fortunate；　Ready；〃　said　William。

〃Yes；　William；　it　was；　as　people　say；　fortunate；　according　to　the　ideas　of　the　world；　every　one　congratulated　me；　and　I　was　myself　so　inflated　with　my　good　fortune；　that　I　forgot　all　the　promises　of　amendment；　all　the　vows　of　leading　a　good　life；　which　I　made　over　my　poor　mother's　grave。　Now　do　you　perceive　why　I　called　it　a　temptation；　Master　William？〃

〃My　dear　child；〃　said　Mr。　Seagrave；　〃riches　and　prosperity　in　this　world　prove　often　the　greatest　of　temptations；　it　is　adversity　that　chastens　and　amends　us；　and　which　draws　us　to　God。〃

〃As　soon　as　the　money　was　in　my　own　hands；〃　continued　Ready；　〃I　began　to　squander　it　away　in　all　manner　of　folly。　Fortunately；　I　had　not　received　it　more　than　ten　days；　when　the　Scotch　second　mate　came　like　a　guardian　angel　to　save　me。　As　soon　as　I　had　made　known　to　him　what　had　taken　place；　he　reasoned　with　me；　pointed　out　to　me　that　I　had　an　opportunity　of　establishing　myself　for　life；　and　proposed　that　I　should　purchase　a　part　of　a　vessel；　on　condition　that　I　was　captain　of　her。　I　liked　this　idea　very　much；　and　being　convinced　that　I　had　been　making　a　fool　of　myself；　I　resolved　to　take　his　advice；　but　one　thing　only　restrained　me：　I　was　still　very　young；　not　more　than　twenty　years　old；　and　although　I　could　navigate　at　one　time；　I　had　latterly　paid　no　attention。　I　told　Sanders　this；　and　he　replied；　that　if　I　would　take　him　as　my　first　mate；　that　difficulty　would　be　got　over；　as　he　could　navigate　well；　and　that　I　could　learn　to　do　so　in　the　first　voyage；　so　all　was　arranged。

〃Fortunately；　I　had　not　spent　above　one　hundred　pounds　of　the　money。　I　set　off　for　Glasgow　in　company　with　Sanders；　and　he　busied　himself　very　hard　in　looking　about　for　a　vessel　that　would　suit。　At　last；　he　found　that　there　was　one　ready　for　launching；　which；　in　consequence　of　the　failure　of　the　house　for　which　it　was　built；　was　to　be　sold。　He　made　inquiries；　and　having　found　who　was　likely　to　purchase　her　…　that　it　was　a　very　safe　and　respectable　firm　…　he　made　a　proposal　for　me　that　I　should　take　one…fourth　share　of　her；　and　command　her。　As　Sanders　was　very　respectable；　and　well　known　to　be　a　steady　man；　his　recommendation　was　attended　to　so　far　that　the　parties　wished　to　see　and　speak　to　me。　They　were　satisfied　with　me；　young　as　I　was；　and　the　bargain　was　made。　I　paid　down　my　two　thousand　pounds　for　my　share；　and　as　soon　as　the　vessel　was　launched；　was　very　busy　with　Sanders；　whom　I　had　chosen　as　first　mate；　in　fitting　her　out。　The　house　which　had　purchased　her　with　me　was　a　West　India　firm；　and　the　ship　was　of　course　intended　for　the　West　India　trade。　I　had　two　or　three　hundred　pounds　left；　after　I　had　paid　my　share　of　the　vessel；　and　this　I　employed　in　purchasing　a　venture　on　my　own　account；　and　providing　nautical　instruments；　&c。　I　also　fitted　myself　out；　for　you　see；　William；　although　Sanders　had　persuaded　me　to　be　rational；　I　was　still　puffed　up　with　pride　at　the　idea　of　being　captain　of　my　own　ship；　it　was　too　great　a　rise　for　one　who　had　just　before　been　a　lad　in　the　mizen…top　of　a　man…of…war。　I　dressed　myself　very　smart　…　wore　white　shirts；　and　rings　on　my　fingers。　Indeed；　as　captain　and　part　owner　of　a　fine　vessel；　I　was　considered　as　somebody；　and　was　often　invited　to　the　table　of　the　other　owners　of　the　vessel。　I　was　well　off；　for　my　pay　was　ten　pounds　a　month；　independent　of　what　my　own　venture　might　produce；　and　my　quarter…share　of　the　profits　of　the　vessel。　This　may　be　considered　as　the　most　prosperous　portion　of　my　life；　and　so；　if　you　please；　we　will　leave　off　here　for　to…night；　for　I　may　as　well　tell　you　at　once　that　it　did　not　last　very　long。〃



Chapter　XLI

For　several　days　after；　they　were　employed　in　clearing　away　the　stumps　of　the　cocoa…nut　trees　in　the　winding　path　to　the　storehouse；　and　as　soon　as　that　work　was　finished；　Ready　put　up　a　lightning…conductor　at　the　side　of　the　storehouse；　like　the　one　which　he　had　put　up　near　to　the　cottage。　They　had　now　got　through　all　the　work　that　they　had　arranged　to　do　during　the　rainy　season。　The　ewes　had　lambed；　but　both　the　sheep　and　the　goats　began　to　suffer　for　want　of　pasture。　For　a　week　they　had　no　rain；　and　the　sun　burst　out　very　powerfully；　and　Ready　was　of　opinion　that　the　rainy　season　was　now　over。　William　had　become　quite　strong　again；　and　he　was　very　impatient　that　they　should　commence　the　survey　of　the　island。　After　a　great　deal　of　consultation；　it　was　at　last　settled；　that　Ready　and　William　should　make　the　first　survey　to　the　southward；　and　then　return　and　report　what　they　had　discovered。　This　was　decided　upon　on　the　Saturday　evening；　and　on　the　Monday　morning　they　were　to　start。　The　knapsacks　were　got　ready；　and　well　filled　with　boiled　salt　pork；　and　flat　cakes　of　bread。　They　were　each　to　have　a　musket　and　ammunition；　and　a　blanket　was　folded　up　to　carry　on　the　shoulders；　that　they　might　sleep　on　it　at　night。　Ready　did　not　forget　his　compass；　or　the　small　axes；　for　them　to　blaze　the　trees　as　they　went　through　the　wood。

The　whole　of　Saturday　was　occupied　in　making　their　preparations。　After　supper；　Ready　said；　〃Now；　William；　before　we　start　on　our　travels；　I　think　I　may　as　well　wind　up　my　history。　I　haven't　a　great　deal　more　to　tell；　as　my　good　fortune　did　not　last　long；　and　after　my　remaining　so　long　in　a　French　prison；　my　life　was　one　continued　chapter　of　from　bad　to　worse。　Our　ship　was　soon　ready；　and　we　sailed　with　convoy　for　Barbadoes。　Sanders　proved　a　good　navigator；　and　from　him；　before　we　arrived　at　Barbadoes；　I　gained　all　the　knowledge　which　I　required　to　enable　me　to　command　and　navigate　my　vessel。　Sanders　attempted　to　renew　our　serious　conversation；　but　my　property　had　made　me　vain；　and　now　that　I　felt　I　could　do　without　his　assistance；　I　not　only　kept　him　at　a　distance；　but　assumed　the　superior。　This　was　a　very　ungrateful　return　for　his　kindness　to　me；　but　it　is　too　often　the　case　in　this　world。　Sanders　was　very　much　annoyed；　and　on　our　arrival　at　Barbadoes；　he　told　me　that　it　was　his　intention　to　quit　the　vessel。　I　replied　very　haughtily；　that　he　might　do　as　he　pleased；　the　fact　is；　I　was　anxious　to　get　rid　of　him；　merely　because　I　was　under　obligations　to　him。　Well；　sir；　Sanders　left　me；　and　I　felt　quite　happy　at　his　departure。　My　ship　was　soon　with　a　full　cargo　of　sugar　on　board　of　her；　and　we　waited　for　convoy　to　England。　When　at　Barbadoes；　I　had　an　opportunity　to　buy　four　brass　guns；　which　I　mounted　on　deck；　and　had　a　good　supply　of　ammunition　on　board