the crusade of the excelsior-第7节

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contribution。　　Our　kind　friend　Mr。　Brooks　has　had　the　lower　deck

cleared；　so　that　you　may　gain　your　state…room　without　alarming　the

passengers　or　fatiguing　yourself。〃



He　pressed　Hurlstone's　hand　as　the　latter　resigned　himself　to　the

steward；　and　was　half　led；　half　supported；　through　the　gloom　of　the

lower　deck。　　Senor　Perkins　remained　for　an　instant　gazing　after　him

with　even　more　than　his　usual　benevolence。　　Suddenly　his　arm　was

touched　almost　rudely。　　He　turned；　and　encountered　the　lowering

eyes　of　the　Peruvian　sailor。



〃And　what　is　to　be　done　for　me？〃　said　the　man　roughly；　in　Spanish。



〃You？〃



〃Yes。　　Who's　to　pay　for　this？〃　he　pointed　to　his　bandaged　head。



Without　changing　his　bland　expression；　Senor　Perkins　apparently

allowed　his　soft　black　eyes　to　rest；　as　if　fondly；　on　the　angry

pupils　of　the　Peruvian。　　The　eyes　of　the　latter　presently　sought

the　ground。



〃My　dear　Yoto；〃　said　Senor　Perkins　softly；　〃I　scarcely　think　that

this　question　of　personal　damage　can　be　referred　to　the　State。　　I

will；　however；　look　into　it。　　Meantime；　let　me　advise　you　to

control　your　enthusiasm。　　Too　much　zeal　in　a　subordinate　is　even

more　fatal　than　laxity。　　For　the　rest；　son；　be　vigilantand

peaceful。　　Thou　hast　meant　well；　much　shall　beforgiven　thee。　　For

the　present；　vamos！〃



He　turned　on　his　heel；　and　ascended　to　the　upper　deck。　　Here　he

found　the　passengers　thrilling　with　a　vague　excitement。　　A　few

brief　orders；　a　few　briefer　explanations；　dropped　by　the　officers；

had　already　whetted　curiosity　to　the　keenest　point。　　The　Senor　was

instantly　beset　with　interrogations。　　Gentle；　compassionate；　with

well…rounded　periods；　he　related　the　singular　accident　that　had

befallen　Mr。　Hurlstone；　and　his　providential　escape　from　almost

certain　death。　　〃At　the　most；　he　has　now　only　the　exhaustion　of　the

shock；　from　which　a　day　of　perfect　rest　will　recover　him；　but；〃　he

added　deprecatingly；　〃at　present　he　ought　not　to　be　disturbed　or

excited。〃



The　story　was　received　by　those　fellow…passengers　who　had　been

strongest　in　their　suspicions　of　Hurlstone's　suicide　or　flight；

with　a　keen　sense　of　discomfiture；　only　mitigated　by　a　humorous

perception　of　the　cause　of　the　accident。　　It　was　agreed　that　a　man

whose　ludicrous　infirmity　had　been　the　cause　of　putting　the　ship

out　of　her　course；　and　the　passengers　out　of　their　comfortable

security；　could　not　be　wronged　by　attributing　to　him　manlier　and

more　criminal　motives。　　A　somnambulist　on　shipboard　was　clearly　a

humorous　object；　who　might；　however；　become　a　bore。　　〃It　all

accounts　for　his　being　so　deuced　quiet　and　reserved　in　the

daytime；〃　said　Crosby　facetiously；　〃he　couldn't　keep　it　up　the

whole　twenty…four　hours。　　If　he'd　only　given　us　a　little　more　of

his　company　when　he　was　awake；　he　wouldn't　have　gallivanted　round

at　night；　and　we'd　have　been　thirty　miles　nearer　port。〃　　Equal

amusement　was　created　by　the　humorous　suggestion　that　the

unfortunate　man　had　never　been　entirely　awake　during　the　voyage；

and　that　he　would　now；　probably　for　the　first　time；　really　make　the

acquaintance　of　his　fellow…voyagers。　　Listening　to　this　badinage

with　bland　tolerance；　Senor　Perkins　no　doubt　felt　that；　for　the

maintenance　of　that　perfect　amity　he　so　ardently　apostrophized；　it

was　just　as　well　that　Hurlstone　was　in　his　state…room；　and　out　of

hearing。



He　would　have　been　more　satisfied；　however；　had　he　been　permitted

to　hear　the　feminine　comments　on　this　incident。　　In　the　eyes　of　the

lady　passengers　Mr。　Hurlstone　was　more　a　hero　than　ever；　his

mysterious　malady　invested　him　with　a　vague　and　spiritual　interest；

his　escape　from　the　awful　fate　reserved　to　him；　in　their　excited

fancy；　gave　him　the　eclat　of　having　ACTUALLY　survived　it；　while　the

supposed　real　incident　of　his　fall　through　the　hatchway　lent　him

the　additional　lustre　of　a　wounded　and　crippled　man。　　That

prostrate　condition　of　active　humanity；　which　so　irresistibly

appeals　to　the　feminine　imagination　as　segregating　their　victim

from　the　distractions　of　his　own　sex；　and；　as　it　were；　delivering

him　helpless　into　their　hands；　was　at　once　their　opportunity；　and

his。　　All　the　ladies　volunteered　to　nurse　him；　it　was　with

difficulty　that　Mrs。　Brimmer　and　Mrs。　Markham；　reinforced　with

bandages；　flannels；　and　liniments；　and　supported　by　different

theories；　could　be　kept　from　the　door　of　his　state…room。　　Jellies；

potted　meats；　and　delicacies　from　their　private　stores　appeared　on

trays　at　his　bedside；　to　be　courteously　declined　by　the　Senor

Perkins；　in　his　new　functions　of　a　benevolent　type　of　Sancho　Panza

physician。　　To　say　that　this　pleased　the　gentle　optimism　of　the

Senor　is　unnecessary。　　Even　while　his　companion　writhed　under　the

sting　of　this　enforced　compassion；　the　good　man　beamed　philosophically

upon　him。



〃Take　care；　or　I　shall　end　this　cursed　farce　in　my　own　way；〃　said

Hurlstone　ominously；　his　eyes　again　filming　with　a　vague

desperation。



〃My　dear　boy；〃　returned　the　Senor　gently；　〃reflect　upon　the

situation。　　Your　suffering；　real　or　implied；　produces　in　the　hearts

of　these　gentle　creatures　a　sympathy　which　not　only　exalts　and

sustains　their　higher　natures；　but；　I　conscientiously　believe；

gratifies　and　pleases　their　lower　ones。　　Why　should　you　deny　them

this　opportunity　of　indulging　their　twofold　organisms；　and

beguiling　the　tedium　of　the　voyage；　merely　because　of　some

erroneous　exhibition　of　fact？〃



Later；　Senor　Perkins　might　have　added　to　this　exposition　the

singularly　stimulating　effect　which　Hurlstone's　supposed　peculiarity

had　upon　the　feminine　imagination。　　But　there　were　some　secrets

which　were　not　imparted　even　to　him；　and　it　was　only　to　each　other

that　the　ladies　confided　certain　details　and　reminiscences。　　For　it

now　appeared　that　they　had　all　heard　strange　noises　and　stealthy

steps　at　night；　and　Mrs。　Brimmer　was　quite　sure　that　on　one　occasion

the　handle　of　her　state…room　door　was　softly　turned。　　Mrs。　Markham

also　remembered　distinctly　that　only　a　week　before；　being　unable　to

sleep；　she　had　ventured　out　into　the　saloon　in　a　dressing…gown　to

get　her　diary；　which　she　had　left　with　a　portfolio　on　a　chair；　that

she　had　a　sudden　consciousness　of　another　presence　in　the　saloon；

although　she　could　distinguish　nothing　by　the　dim　light　of　the

swinging　lantern；　and　that；　after　quickly　returning　to　her　room；　she

was　quite　positive　she　heard　a　door　close。　　But　the　most　surprising

reminiscence　developed　by　the　late　incident　was　from　Mrs。　Brimmer's

nurse；　Susan。　　As　it；　apparently；　demonstrated　the　fact　that　Mr。

Hurlstone　not　only　walked　but　TALKED　in　his　sleep；　it　possessed　a

more　mysterious　significance。　　It　seemed　that　Susan　was　awakened　one

night　by　the　sound　of　voices；　and；　opening　her　door　softly；　saw　a

figure　which　she　at　first　supposed　to　be　the　Senor　Perkins；　but

which　she　now　was　satisfied　was　poor　Mr。　Hurlstone。　　As　there　was　no

one　else　to　be　seen；　the　voices　must　have　proceeded　from　that　single

figure；　and　being　in　a　strange　and　unknown　tongue；　were

inexpressibly　weird　and　awful。　　When　pressed　to　remember　what　was

said；　she　could　only　distinguish　one　worda　woman's　nameVirgil

Vigilno：　Virginescia！



〃It　must　have　been　one　of　those　creatures　at　Callao；　whose　pictures

you　can　buy　for　ten　cents；〃　said　Mrs。　Brimmer。



〃If　it　is　one　of　them；　Susan　must　have　made　a　mistake　in　the　first

two　syllables　of　the　name；〃　said　Mrs。　Markham　grimly。



〃But　surely；　Miss　Keene；〃　said　Miss　Chubb；　turning　to　that　young

lady；　who　had　taken　only　the　part　of　a　passive　listener　to　this

colloquy；　and　was　gazing　over　the　railing　at　the　sinking　sun；

〃surely　YOU　can　tell　us　something　about　this　poor　young　man。　　If　I

don't　mistake；　you　are　the　only　person　he　ever　honored　with　his

conversation。〃



〃And　only　once；　I　think；〃　said　the　young　girl；　slightly　coloring。

〃He　happened　to　be　sitting　next　to　me　on　deck；　and　I　believe　he

spoke　only　out　of　politeness。　　At　least；　he　seemed　very　quiet　and

reserved；　and　talked　on　general　topics；　and　I　thought　very

intelligently。　　Ishould　have　thoughtI　mean；〃　she　continued

hesitatingly〃I　thought　he　was　an　educated　gentleman。〃



〃That　isn't　at　all　inconsistent　with　photographs　or　sleep…walking；〃

said　Mrs。　Brimmer；　with　one　of　her　vague　simplicities。　　〃Uncle

Quincey　brought　home　a　whole　sheaf　of　those　women　whom　he　said　he'd

met；　and　one　of　my　cousins；　who　was　educated　at　Heidelberg；　used　to

walk　in　his　sleep；　as　it　were；　all　over　Europe。〃



〃Did　you　notice　anything　queer　in　his　eyes；　Miss　Keene？〃　asked　Miss

Chubb　vivaciously。



Miss　Keene　had　noticed　that　his　eyes　were　his　best　feature；　albeit

somewhat　abstracted　and　melancholy；　but；　for　some　vague　reason　she

could　not　explain　herself；　she　answered　hurriedly　that　she　had　seen

nothing　very　particular　in　them。



〃Well；〃　said　Mrs。　Markham　positively；　〃when　he's　able　to　be　out

again；　I　shall　consider　it　my　duty　to　look　him　up；　and　try　to　keep

him　suffic