the mirror of the sea-第37节

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He　seemed　to　choke；　tugged　at　the　throat　button　of　the　cloak；



jumped　up　open…mouthed　as　if　to　hurl　curses　and　denunciation；　but



instantly　mastered　himself；　and；　wrapping　up　the　cloak　closer　about



him；　sat　down　on　the　deck　again　as　quiet　as　ever。







〃Yes；　it　must　be　the　work　of　some　scoundrel　ashore；〃　I　observed。







He　pulled　the　edge　of　the　hood　well　forward　over　his　brow　before　he



muttered：







〃A　scoundrel。　。　。　。　Yes。　。　。　。　It's　evident。〃







〃Well；〃　I　said；　〃they　can't　get　us；　that's　clear。〃







〃No；〃　he　assented　quietly；　〃they　cannot。〃







We　shaved　the　Cape　very　close　to　avoid　an　adverse　current。　　On　the



other　side；　by　the　effect　of　the　land；　the　wind　failed　us　so



completely　for　a　moment　that　the　Tremolino's　two　great　lofty　sails



hung　idle　to　the　masts　in　the　thundering　uproar　of　the　seas



breaking　upon　the　shore　we　had　left　behind。　　And　when　the　returning



gust　filled　them　again；　we　saw　with　amazement　half　of　the　new



mainsail；　which　we　thought　fit　to　drive　the　boat　under　before



giving　way；　absolutely　fly　out　of　the　bolt…ropes。　　We　lowered　the



yard　at　once；　and　saved　it　all；　but　it　was　no　longer　a　sail；　it　was



only　a　heap　of　soaked　strips　of　canvas　cumbering　the　deck　and



weighting　the　craft。　　Dominic　gave　the　order　to　throw　the　whole　lot



overboard。







I　would　have　had　the　yard　thrown　overboard；　too；　he　said；　leading



me　aft　again；　〃if　it　had　not　been　for　the　trouble。　　Let　no　sign



escape　you；〃　he　continued；　lowering　his　voice；　〃but　I　am　going　to



tell　you　something　terrible。　　Listen：　　I　have　observed　that　the



roping　stitches　on　that　sail　have　been　cut！　　You　hear？　　Cut　with　a



knife　in　many　places。　　And　yet　it　stood　all　that　time。　　Not　enough



cut。　　That　flap　did　it　at　last。　　What　matters　it？　　But　look！



there's　treachery　seated　on　this　very　deck。　　By　the　horns　of　the



devil！　seated　here　at　our　very　backs。　　Do　not　turn；　signorine。〃







We　were　facing　aft　then。







〃What's　to　be　done？〃　I　asked；　appalled。







〃Nothing。　　Silence！　　Be　a　man；　signorine。〃







〃What　else？〃　I　said。







To　show　I　could　be　a　man；　I　resolved　to　utter　no　sound　as　long　as



Dominic　himself　had　the　force　to　keep　his　lips　closed。　　Nothing　but



silence　becomes　certain　situations。　　Moreover；　the　experience　of



treachery　seemed　to　spread　a　hopeless　drowsiness　over　my　thoughts



and　senses。　　For　an　hour　or　more　we　watched　our　pursuer　surging　out



nearer　and　nearer　from　amongst　the　squalls　that　sometimes　hid　her



altogether。　　But　even　when　not　seen；　we　felt　her　there　like　a　knife



at　our　throats。　　She　gained　on　us　frightfully。　　And　the　Tremolino；



in　a　fierce　breeze　and　in　much　smoother　water；　swung　on　easily



under　her　one　sail；　with　something　appallingly　careless　in　the



joyous　freedom　of　her　motion。　　Another　half…hour　went　by。　　I　could



not　stand　it　any　longer。







〃They　will　get　the　poor　barky；〃　I　stammered　out　suddenly；　almost　on



the　verge　of　tears。







Dominic　stirred　no　more　than　a　carving。　　A　sense　of　catastrophic



loneliness　overcame　my　inexperienced　soul。　　The　vision　of　my



companions　passed　before　me。　　The　whole　Royalist　gang　was　in　Monte



Carlo　now；　I　reckoned。　　And　they　appeared　to　me　clear…cut　and　very



small；　with　affected　voices　and　stiff　gestures；　like　a　procession



of　rigid　marionettes　upon　a　toy　stage。　　I　gave　a　start。　　What　was



this？　　A　mysterious；　remorseless　whisper　came　from　within　the



motionless　black　hood　at　my　side。







〃IL　FAUL　LA　TUER。〃







I　heard　it　very　well。







〃What　do　you　say；　Dominic？〃　I　asked；　moving　nothing　but　my　lips。







And　the　whisper　within　the　hood　repeated　mysteriously；　〃She　must　be



killed。〃







My　heart　began　to　beat　violently。







〃That's　it；〃　I　faltered　out。　　〃But　how？〃







〃You　love　her　well？〃







〃I　do。〃







〃Then　you　must　find　the　heart　for　that　work　too。　　You　must　steer



her　yourself；　and　I　shall　see　to　it　that　she　dies　quickly；　without



leaving　as　much　as　a　chip　behind。〃







〃Can　you？〃　I　murmured；　fascinated　by　the　black　hood　turned



immovably　over　the　stern；　as　if　in　unlawful　communion　with　that　old



sea　of　magicians；　slave…dealers；　exiles　and　warriors；　the　sea　of



legends　and　terrors；　where　the　mariners　of　remote　antiquity　used　to



hear　the　restless　shade　of　an　old　wanderer　weep　aloud　in　the　dark。







〃I　know　a　rock；〃　whispered　the　initiated　voice　within　the　hood



secretly。　　〃But　…　caution！　　It　must　be　done　before　our　men　perceive



what　we　are　about。　　Whom　can　we　trust　now？　　A　knife　drawn　across



the　fore　halyards　would　bring　the　foresail　down；　and　put　an　end　to



our　liberty　in　twenty　minutes。　　And　the　best　of　our　men　may　be



afraid　of　drowning。　　There　is　our　little　boat；　but　in　an　affair



like　this　no　one　can　be　sure　of　being　saved。〃







The　voice　ceased。　　We　had　started　from　Barcelona　with　our　dinghy　in



tow；　afterwards　it　was　too　risky　to　try　to　get　her　in；　so　we　let



her　take　her　chance　of　the　seas　at　the　end　of　a　comfortable　scope



of　rope。　　Many　times　she　had　seemed　to　us　completely　overwhelmed；



but　soon　we　would　see　her　bob　up　again　on　a　wave；　apparently　as



buoyant　and　whole　as　ever。







〃I　understand；〃　I　said　softly。　　〃Very　well；　Dominic。　　When？〃







〃Not　yet。　　We　must　get　a　little　more　in　first；〃　answered　the　voice



from　the　hood　in　a　ghostly　murmur。















XLV。















It　was　settled。　　I　had　now　the　courage　to　turn　about。　　Our　men



crouched　about　the　decks　here　and　there　with　anxious；　crestfallen



faces；　all　turned　one　way　to　watch　the　chaser。　　For　the　first　time



that　morning　I　perceived　Cesar　stretched　out　full　length　on　the



deck　near　the　foremast　and　wondered　where　he　had　been　skulking　till



then。　　But　he　might　in　truth　have　been　at　my　elbow　all　the　time　for



all　I　knew。　　We　had　been　too　absorbed　in　watching　our　fate　to　pay



attention　to　each　other。　　Nobody　had　eaten　anything　that　morning；



but　the　men　had　been　coming　constantly　to　drink　at　the　water…butt。







I　ran　down　to　the　cabin。　　I　had　there；　put　away　in　a　locker；　ten



thousand　francs　in　gold　of　whose　presence　on　board；　so　far　as　I　was



aware；　not　a　soul；　except　Dominic　had　the　slightest　inkling。　　When



I　emerged　on　deck　again　Dominic　had　turned　about　and　was　peering



from　under　his　cowl　at　the　coast。　　Cape　Creux　closed　the　view



ahead。　　To　the　left　a　wide　bay；　its　waters　torn　and　swept　by　fierce



squalls；　seemed　full　of　smoke。　　Astern　the　sky　had　a　menacing　look。







Directly　he　saw　me；　Dominic；　in　a　placid　tone；　wanted　to　know　what



was　the　matter。　　I　came　close　to　him　and；　looking　as　unconcerned　as



I　could；　told　him　in　an　undertone　that　I　had　found　the　locker



broken　open　and　the　money…belt　gone。　　Last　evening　it　was　still



there。







〃What　did　you　want　to　do　with　it？〃　he　asked　me；　trembling



violently。







〃Put　it　round　my　waist；　of　course；〃　I　answered；　amazed　to　hear　his



teeth　chattering。







〃Cursed　gold！〃　he　muttered。　　〃The　weight　of　the　money　might　have



cost　you　your　life；　perhaps。〃　　He　shuddered。　　〃There　is　no　time　to



talk　about　that　now。〃







〃I　am　ready。〃







〃Not　yet。　　I　am　waiting　for　that　squall　to　come　over；〃　he　muttered。



And　a　few　leaden　minutes　passed。







The　squall　came　over　at　last。　　Our　pursuer；　overtaken　by　a　sort　of



murky　whirlwind；　disappeared　from　our　sight。　　The　Tremolino



quivered　and　bounded　forward。　　The　land　ahead　vanished；　too；　and　we



seemed　to　be　left　alone　in　a　world　of　water　and　wind。







〃PRENEZ　LA　BARRE；　MONSIEUR；〃　Dominic　broke　the　silence　suddenly　in



an　austere　voice。　　〃Take　hold　of　the　tiller。〃　　He　bent　his　hood　to



my　ear。　　〃The　balancelle　is　yours。　　Your　own　hands　must　deal　the



blow。　　I　…　I　have　yet　another　piece　of　work　to　do。〃　　He　spoke　up



loudly　to　the　man　who　steered。　　〃Let　the　signorino　take　the　tiller；



and　you　with　the　others　stand　by　to　haul　the　boat　alongside　quickly



at　the　word。〃







The　man　obeyed；　surprised；　but　silent。　　The　others　stirred；　and



pricked　up　their　ears　at　this。　　I　heard　their　murmurs。　　〃What　now？



Are　we　going　to　run　in　somewhere　and　take　to　our　heels？　　The



Padrone　knows　what　he　is　doing。〃







Dominic　went　forward。　　He　paused　to　look　down　at　Cesar；　who；　as　I



have　said　before；　was　lying　full　length　face　down　by　the　foremast；



then　stepped　over　him；　and　dived　out　of　my　sight　under　the



foresail。　　I　saw　nothing　ahead。　　It　was　impossible　for　me　to　see



anything　except　the　foresail　open　and　still；　like　a　great　shadowy



wing。　　But　Dominic　had　his　bearings。　　His　voice　came　to　me　from



forward；　in　a　just　audible　cry：







〃Now；　signorino！〃







I　bore　on　the　tiller；　as　instructed　before。　　Again　I　heard　him



faintly；　and　then　I　had　only　to　hold　her　straight。　　No　ship　ran　so



joyously　to　her　death　before。　　She　rose　and　fell；　as　if　f