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benito cereno-第7节

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en a jewel? But how come sailors with jewels?… or with silk…trimmed undershirts either? Has he been robbing the trunks of the dead cabin passengers? But if so; he would hardly wear one of the stolen articles on board ship here。 Ah; ah… if now that was; indeed; a secret sign I saw passing between this suspicious fellow and his captain awhile since; if I could only be certain that in my uneasiness my senses did not deceive me; then…     Here; passing from one suspicious thing to another; his mind revolved the point of the strange questions put to him concerning his ship。     By a curious coincidence; as each point was recalled; the black wizards of Ashantee would strike up with their hatchets; as in ominous comment on the white stranger's thoughts。 Pressed by such enigmas and portents; it would have been almost against nature; had not; even into the least distrustful heart; some ugly misgivings obtruded。     Observing the ship now helplessly fallen into a current; with enchanted sails; drifting with increased rapidity seaward; and noting that; from a lately intercepted projection of the land; the sealer was hidden; the stout mariner began to quake at thoughts which he barely durst confess to himself。 Above all; he began to feel a ghostly dread of Don Benito。 And yet when he roused himself; dilated his chest; felt himself strong on his legs; and coolly considered it… what did all these phantoms amount to?     Had the Spaniard any sinister scheme; it must have reference not so much to him (Captain Delano) as to his ship (the Bachelor's Delight)。 Hence the present drifting away of the one ship from the other; instead of favouring any such possible scheme; was; for the time at least; opposed to it。 Clearly any suspicion; combining such contradictions; must need be delusive。 Beside; was it not absurd to think of a vessel in distress… a vessel by sickness almost dismanned of her crew… a vessel whose inmates were parched for water… was it not a thousand times absurd that such a craft should; at present; be of a piratical character; or her commander; either for himself or those under him; cherish any desire but for speedy relief and refreshment? But then; might not general distress; and thirst in particular; be affected? And might not that same undiminished Spanish crew; alleged to have perished off to a remnant; be at that very moment lurking in the hold? On heart…broken pretence of entreating a cup of cold water; fiends in human form had got into lonely dwellings; nor retired until a dark deed had been done。 And among the Malay pirates; it was no unusual thing to lure ships after them into their treacherous harbours; or entice boarders from a declared enemy at sea; by the spectacle of thinly manned or vacant decks; beneath which prowled a hundred spears with yellow arms ready to upthrust them through the mats。 Not that Captain Delano had entirely credited such things。 He had heard of them… and now; as stories; they recurred。 The present destination of the ship was the anchorage。 There she would be near his own vessel。 Upon gaining that vicinity; might not the San Dominick; like a slumbering volcano; suddenly let loose energies now hid?     He recalled the Spaniard's manner while telling his story。 There was a gloomy hesitancy and subterfuge about it。 It was just the manner of one making up his tale for evil purposes; as he goes。 But if that story was not true; what was the truth? That the ship had unlawfully come into the Spaniard's possession? But in many of its details; especially in reference to the more calamitous parts; such as the fatalities among the seamen; the consequent prolonged beating about; the past sufferings from obstinate calms; and still continued suffering from thirst; in all these points; as well as others; Don Benito's story had been corroborated not only by the wailing ejaculations of the indiscriminate multitude; white and black; but likewise… what seemed impossible to be counterfeit… by the very expression and play of every human feature; which Captain Delano saw。 If Don Benito's story was throughout an invention; then every soul on board; down to the youngest Negress; was his carefully drilled recruit in the plot: an incredible inference。 And yet; if there was ground for mistrusting the Spanish captain's veracity; that inference was a legitimate one。     In short; scarce an uneasiness entered the honest sailor's mind but; by a subsequent spontaneous act of good sense; it was ejected。 At last he began to laugh at these forebodings; and laugh at the strange ship for; in its aspect someway siding with them; as it were; and laugh; too; at the odd…looking blacks; particularly those old scissors…grinders; the Ashantees; and those bed…ridden old knitting…women; the oakum…pickers; and; in a human way; he almost began to laugh at the dark Spaniard himself; the central hobgoblin of all。     For the rest; whatever in a serious way seemed enigmatical; was now good…naturedly explained away by the thought that; for the most part; the poor invalid scarcely knew what he was about; either sulking in black vapours; or putting random questions without sense or object。 Evidently; for the present; the man was not fit to be entrusted with the ship。 On some benevolent plea withdrawing the command from him; Captain Delano would yet have to send her to Concepcion in charge of his second mate; a worthy person and good navigator… a plan which would prove no wiser for the San Dominick than for Don Benito; for… relieved from all anxiety; keeping wholly to his cabin… the sick man; under the good nursing of his servant; would probably; by the end of the passage; be in a measure restored to health and with that he should also be restored to authority。     Such were the American's thoughts。 They were tranquillizing。 There was a difference between the idea of Don Benito's darkly preordaining Captain Delano's fate; and Captain Delano's lightly arranging Don Benito's。 Nevertheless; it was not without something of relief that the good seaman presently perceived his whale…boat in the distance。 Its absence had been prolonged by unexpected detention at the sealer's side; as well as its returning trip lengthened by the continual recession of the goal。     The advancing speck was observed by the blacks。 Their shouts attracted the attention of Don Benito; who; with a return of courtesy; approaching Captain Delano; expressed satisfaction at the coming of some supplies; slight and temporary as they must necessarily prove。     Captain Delano responded; but while doing so; his attention was drawn to something passing on the deck below: among the crowd climbing the landward bulwarks; anxiously watching the coming boat; two blacks; to all appearances accidentally incommoded by one of the sailors; flew out against him with horrible curses; which the sailor someway resenting; the two blacks dashed him to the deck and jumped upon him; despite the earnest cries of the oakum…pickers。     〃Don Benito;〃 said Captain Delano quickly; 〃do you see what is going on there? Look!〃     But; seized by his cough; the Spaniard staggered; with both hands to his face; on the point of falling。 Captain Delano would have supported him; but the servant was more alert; who; with one hand sustaining his master; with the other applied the cordial。 Don Benito; restored; the black withdrew his support; slipping aside a little; but dutifully remaining within call of a whisper。 Such discretion was here evinced as quite wiped away; in the visitor's eyes; any blemish of impropriety which might have attached to the attendant; from the indecorous conferences before mentioned; showing; too; that if the servant were to blame; it might be more the master's fault than his own; since when left to himself he could conduct thus well。     His glance thus called away from the spectacle of disorder to the more pleasing one before him; Captain Delano could not avoid again congratulating Don Benito upon possessing such a servant; who; though perhaps a little too forward now and then; must upon the whole be invaluable to one in the invalid's situation。     〃Tell me; Don Benito;〃 he added; with a smile… 〃I should like to have your man here myself… what will you take for him? Would fifty doubloons be any object?〃     〃Master wouldn't part with Babo for a thousand doubloons;〃 murmured the black; overhearing the offer; and taking it in earnest; and; with the strange vanity of a faithful slave appreciated by his master; scorning to hear so paltry a valuation put upon him by a stranger。 But Don Benito; apparently hardly yet completely restored; and again interrupted by his cough; made but some broken reply。     Soon his physical distress became so great; affecting his mind; tool apparently; that; as if to screen the sad spectacle; the servant gently conducted his master below。     Left to himself; the American; to while away the time till his boat should arrive; would have pleasantly accosted some one of the few Spanish seamen he saw; but recalling something that Don Benito had said touching their ill conduct; he refrained; as a shipmaster indisposed to countenance cowardice or unfaithfulness in seamen。     While; with these thoughts; standing with eye directed forward toward that handful of sailors… suddenly he thought th

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