benito cereno-第20节

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s　owing　to　the　generosity　and　piety　of　Amasa　Delano；　incapable　of　sounding　such　wickedness；。。。　that　Luys　Galgo；　a　sailor　about　sixty　years　of　age；　and　formerly　of　the　king's　navy；　was　one　of　those　who　sought　to　convey　tokens　to　Captain　Amasa　Delano；　but　his　intent；　though　undiscovered；　being　suspected；　he　was；　on　a　pretence；　made　to　retire　out　of　sight；　and　at　last　into　the　hold；　and　there　was　made　away　with。　This　the　Negroes　have　since　said；。。。　that　one　of　the　ship…boys　feeling；　from　Captain　Amasa　Delano's　presence；　some　hopes　of　release；　and　not　having　enough　prudence；　dropped　some　chance…word　respecting　his　expectations；　which　being　overheard　and　understood　by　a　slave…boy　with　whom　he　was　eating　at　the　time；　the　latter　struck　him　on　the　head　with　a　knife；　inflicting　a　bad　wound；　but　of　which　the　boy　is　now　healing；　that　likewise；　not　long　before　the　ship　was　brought　to　anchor；　one　of　the　seamen；　steering　at　the　time；　endangered　himself　by　letting　the　blacks　remark　a　certain　unconscious　hopeful　expression　in　his　countenance；　arising　from　some　cause　similar　to　the　above；　but　this　sailor；　by　his　heedful　after　conduct；　escaped；。。。　that　these　statements　are　made　to　show　the　court　that　from　the　beginning　to　the　end　of　the　revolt；　it　was　impossible　for　the　deponent　and　his　men　to　act　otherwise　than　they　did；。。。　…that　the　third　clerk；　Hermenegildo　Gandix；　who　before　had　been　forced　to　live　among　the　seamen；　wearing　a　seaman's　habit；　and　in　all　respects　appearing　to　be　one　for　the　time；　he；　Gandix；　was　killed　by　a　musket…ball　fired　through　a　mistake　from　the　American　boats　before　boarding；　having　in　his　fright　ran　up　the　mizzen…rigging；　calling　to　the　boats…　〃don't　board；〃　lest　upon　their　boarding　the　Negroes　should　kill　him；　that　this　inducing　the　Americans　to　believe　he　some　way　favoured　the　cause　of　the　Negroes；　they　fired　two　balls　at　him；　so　that　he　fell　wounded　from　the　rigging；　and　was　drowned　in　the　sea；。。。　…that　the　young　Don　Joaquin；　Marques　de　Aramboalaza；　like　Hermenegildo　Gandix；　the　third　clerk；　was　degraded　to　the　office　and　appearance　of　a　common　seaman；　that　upon　one　occasion；　when　Don　Joaquin　shrank；　the　Negro　Babo　commanded　the　Ashantee　Lecbe　to　take　tar　and　heat　it；　and　pour　it　upon　Don　Joaquin's　hands；。。。　…that　Don　Joaquin　was　killed　owing　to　another　mistake　of　the　Americans；　but　one　impossible　to　be　avoided；　as　upon　the　approach　of　the　boats；　Don　Joaquin；　with　a　hatchet　tied　edge　out　and　upright　to　his　hand；　was　made　by　the　Negroes　to　appear　on　the　bulwarks；　whereupon；　seen　with　arms　in　his　hands　and　in　a　questionable　attitude；　he　was　shot　for　a　renegade　seaman；。。。　…that　on　the　person　of　Don　Joaquin　was　found　secreted　a　jewel；　which；　by　papers　that　were　discovered；　proved　to　have　been　meant　for　the　shrine　of　our　Lady　of　Mercy　in　Lima；　a　votive　offering；　beforehand　prepared　and　guarded；　to　attest　his　gratitude；　when　he　should　have　landed　in　Peru；　his　last　destination；　for　the　safe　conclusion　of　his　entire　voyage　from　Spain；。。。　…that　the　jewel；　with　the　other　effects　of　the　late　Don　Joaquin；　is　in　the　custody　of　the　brethren　of　the　Hospital　de　Sacerdotes；　awaiting　the　decision　of　the　honourable　court；。。。　…that；　owing　to　the　condition　of　the　deponent；　as　well　as　the　haste　in　which　the　boats　departed　for　the　attack；　the　Americans　were　not　forewarned　that　there　were；　among　the　apparent　crew；　a　passenger　and　one　of　the　clerks　disguised　by　the　Negro　Babo；。。。　…that；　beside　the　Negroes　killed　in　the　action；　some　were　killed　after　the　capture　and　re…anchoring　at　night；　when　shackled　to　the　ring…bolts　on　deck；　that　these　deaths　were　committed　by　the　sailors；　ere　they　could　be　prevented。　That　so　soon　as　informed　of　it；　Captain　Amasa　Delano　used　all　his　authority；　and；　in　particular　with　his　own　hand；　struck　down　Martinez　Gola；　who；　having　found　a　razor　in　the　pocket　of　an　old　jacket　of　his；　which　one　of　the　shackled　Negroes　had　on；　was　aiming　it　at　the　Negro's　throat；　that　the　noble　Captain　Amasa　Delano　also　wrenched　from　the　hand　of　Bartholomew　Barlo；　a　dagger　secreted　at　the　time　of　the　massacre　of　the　whites；　with　which　he　was　in　the　act　of　stabbing　a　shackled　Negro；　who；　the　same　day；　with　another　Negro；　had　thrown　him　down　and　jumped　upon　him；。。。　that；　for　all　the　events；　befalling　through　so　long　a　time；　during　which　the　ship　was　in　the　hands　of　the　Negro　Babo；　he　cannot　here　give　account；　but　that；　what　he　has　said　is　the　most　substantial　of　what　occurs　to　him　at　present；　and　is　the　truth　under　the　oath　which　he　has　taken；　which　declaration　he　affirmed　and　ratified；　after　hearing　it　read　to　him。　　　　　He　said　that　he　is　twenty…nine　years　of　age；　and　broken　in　body　and　mind；　that　when　finally　dismissed　by　the　court；　he　shall　not　return　home　to　Chili；　but　betake　himself　to　the　monastery　on　Mount　Agonia　without；　and　signed　with　his　honour；　and　crossed　himself；　and；　for　the　time；　departed　as　he　came；　in　his　litter；　with　the　monk　Infelez；　to　the　Hospital　de　Sacerdotes。　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　BENITO　CERENO。　　　　　DOCTOR　ROZAS。

　　　　If　the　deposition　of　Benito　Cereno　has　served　as　the　key　to　fit　into　the　lock　of　the　complications　which　preceded　it；　then；　as　a　vault　whose　door　has　been　flung　back；　the　San　Dominick's　hull　lies　open　to…day。　　　　　Hitherto　the　nature　of　this　narrative；　besides　rendering　the　intricacies　in　the　beginning　unavoidable；　has　more　or　less　required　that　many　things；　instead　of　being　set　down　in　the　order　of　occurrence；　should　be　retrospectively；　or　irregularly　given；　this　last　is　the　case　with　the　following　passages；　which　will　conclude　the　account：　　　　　During　the　long；　mild　voyage　to　Lima；　there　was；　as　before　hinted；　a　period　during　which　Don　Benito　a　little　recovered　his　health；　or；　at　least　in　some　degree；　his　tranquillity。　Ere　the　decided　relapse　which　came；　the　two　captains　had　many　cordial　conversations…　their　fraternal　unreserve　in　singular　contrast　with　former　withdrawments。　　　　　Again　and　again；　it　was　repeated；　how　hard　it　had　been　to　enact　the　part　forced　on　the　Spaniard　by　Babo。　　　　　〃Ah；　my　dear　Don　Amasa；〃　Don　Benito　once　said；　〃at　those　very　times　when　you　thought　me　so　morose　and　ungrateful…　nay　when；　as　you　now　admit；　you　half　thought　me　plotting　your　murder…　at　those　very　times　my　heart　was　frozen；　I　could　not　look　at　you；　thinking　of　what；　both　on　board　this　ship　and　your　own；　hung；　from　other　hands；　over　my　kind　benefactor。　And　as　God　lives；　Don　Amasa；　I　know　not　whether　desire　for　my　own　safety　alone　could　have　nerved　me　to　that　leap　into　your　boat；　had　it　not　been　for　the　thought　that；　did　you；　unenlightened；　return　to　your　ship；　you；　my　best　friend；　with　all　who　might　be　with　you；　stolen　upon；　that　night；　in　your　hammocks；　would　never　in　this　world　have　wakened　again。　Do　but　think　how　you　walked　this　deck；　how　you　sat　in　this　cabin；　every　inch　of　ground　mined　into　honey…combs　under　you。　Had　I　dropped　the　least　hint；　made　the　least　advance　toward　an　understanding　between　us；　death；　explosive　death…　yours　as　mine…　would　have　ended　the　scene。〃　　　　　〃True；　true；〃　cried　Captain　Delano；　starting；　〃you　saved　my　life；　Don　Benito；　more　than　I　yours；　saved　it；　too；　against　my　knowledge　and　will。〃　　　　　〃Nay；　my　friend；〃　rejoined　the　Spaniard；　courteous　even　to　the　point　of　religion；　〃God　charmed　your　life；　but　you　saved　mine。　To　think　of　some　things　you　did…　those　smilings　and　chattings；　rash　pointings　and　gesturings。　For　less　than　these；　they　slew　my　mate；　Raneds；　but　you　had　the　Prince　of　Heaven's　safe　conduct　through　all　ambuscades。〃　　　　　〃Yes；　all　is　owing　to　Providence；　I　know；　but　the　temper　of　my　mind　that　morning　was　more　than　commonly　pleasant；　while　the　sight　of　so　much　suffering…　more　apparent　than　real…　added　to　my　good　nature；　compassion；　and　charity；　happily　interweaving　the　three。　Had　it　been　otherwise；　doubtless；　as　you　hint；　some　of　my　interferences　with　the　blacks　might　have　ended　unhappily　enough。　Besides　that；　those　feelings　I　spoke　of　enabled　me　to　get　the　better　of　momentary　distrust；　at　times　when　acuteness　might　have　cost　me　my　life；　without　saving　another's。　Only　at　the　end　did　my　suspicions　get　the　better　of　me；　and　you　know　how　wide　of　the　mark　they　then　proved。〃　　　　　〃Wide；　indeed；〃　said　Don　Benito；　sadly；　〃you　were　with　me　all　day；　stood　with　me；　sat　with　me；　talked　with　me；　looked　at　me；　ate　with　me；　drank　with　me；　and　yet；　your　last　act　was　to　clutch　for　a　villain；　not　only　an　innocent　man；　but　the　most　pitiable　of　all　men。　To　such　degree　may　malign　machinations　and　deceptions　impose。　So　far　may　even　the　best　men　err；　in　judging　the　conduct　of　one　with　the　recesses　of　whose　condition　he　is　not　acquainted。　But　you　were　forced　to　it；　and　you　were　in　time　undeceived。　Would　that；　in　both　respects；　it　was　so　ever；　and　with　all　men。〃　　　　　〃I　think　I　understand　you；　you　generalize；　Don　Benito；　and　mournfully　enough。　But　the　past　is　passed；　why　moralize　upon　it？　Forget　it。　See；　yon　bright　sun　has　forgotten　it　all；　and　the　blue　sea；　and　the　blue　sky；　these　have　turned　over　new　leaves。〃　　　　　〃Because　they　have　no　memory；〃　he　dejectedly　replied；　〃because　they　are　not　human。〃　　　　　〃But　these　mild　trades　that　now　fan　your　cheek；　Don　Benito；　do　they　not　come　with　a　human…like　healing　to　you？　Warm　friends；　steadfast　friends　are　the　trades。〃　　　　　〃With　their　steadfastness　they　b