the pursuit of the house-boat-第16节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


；　and　in　the　minds　of　at　least　three　of　the　most　influential　ladies　on　board；　Portia；　Xanthippe；　and　Elizabeth；　he　had　become　a　creature　worthy　of　credence；　which　meant　that　he　had　nothing　more　to　fear。

〃I　am　prepared；　your　Majesty；〃　said　Elizabeth；　addressing　Cleopatra；　〃to　accept　from　this　time　on　the　gentleman's　word。　　The　little　that　he　has　already　told　us　is　hall…marked　with　truth。　　I　should　like　to　ask；　however；　one　more　question；　and　that　is　how　our　gentleman　friends　expected　to　embark　us　upon　this　voyage　without　letting　us　into　the　secret？〃

〃Oh；　as　for　that；〃　replied　Kidd；　with　a　deep…drawn　sigh　of　relief；　for　he　too　had　noticed　the　gradual　evaporation　of　his　arm　and　the　incipient　etherization　of　his　cranium〃as　for　that；　it　was　simple　enough。　　There　was　to　have　been　a　day　set　apart　for　ladies'　day　at　the　club；　and　when　you　were　all　on　board　we　were　quietly　to　weigh　anchor　and　start。　　The　fact　that　you　had　anticipated　the　day；　of　your　own　volition；　was　telephoned　by　my　scouts　to　me　at　my　headquarters；　and　that　news　was　by　me　transmitted　by　messenger　to　Sir　Walter　at　Charon's　Glen　Island；　where　the　long…talked…of　fight　between　Samson　and　Goliath　was　taking　place。　　Raleigh　immediately　replied；　'Good！　Start　at　once。　　Paris　first。　　Unlimited　credit。　　Love　to　Elizabeth。'　Wherefore；　ladies；〃　he　added；　rising　from　his　chair　and　walking　to　the　door〃wherefore　you　are　here　and　in　my　care。　　Make　yourselves　comfortable；　and　with　the　aid　of　the　fashion　papers　which　you　have　already　received　prepare　yourselves　for　the　joys　that　await　you。　With　the　aid　of　Madame　Recamier　and　Baedeker's　Paris；　which　you　will　find　in　the　library；　it　will　be　your　own　fault　if　when　you　arrive　there　you　resemble　a　great　many　less　fortunate　women　who　don't　know　what　they　want。〃

With　these　words　Kidd　disappeared　through　the　door；　and　fainted　in　the　arms　of　Sir　Henry　Morgan。　　The　strain　upon　him　had　been　too　great。

〃A　charming　fellow；〃　said　Portia；　as　the　pirate　disappeared。

〃Most　attractive；〃　said　Elizabeth。

〃Handsome；　too；　don't　you　think？〃　asked　Helen　of　Troy。

〃And　truthful　beyond　peradventure；〃　observed　Xanthippe；　as　she　reflected　upon　the　words　the　captain　had　attributed　to　Socrates。　　〃I　didn't　believe　him　at　first；　but　when　he　told　me　what　my　sweet…　tempered　philosopher　had　said；　I　was　convinced。〃

〃He's　a　sweet　child；〃　interposed　Mrs。　Noah；　fondly。　　〃One　of　my　favorite　grandchildren。〃

〃Which　makes　it　embarrassing　for　me　to　say；〃　cried　Cassandra；　starting　up　angrily；　〃that　he　is　a　base　caitiff！〃

Had　a　bomb　been　dropped　in　the　middle　of　the　room；　it　could　not　have　created　a　greater　sensation　than　the　words　of　Cassandra。

〃What？〃　cried　several　voices　at　once。　　〃A　caitiff？〃

〃A　caitiff　with　a　capital　K；〃　retorted　Cassandra。　　〃I　know　that；　because　while　he　was　telling　his　story　I　was　listening　to　it　with　one　ear　and　looking　forward　into　the　middle　of　next　week　with　the　other　I　mean　the　other　eyeand　I　saw〃

〃Yes；　you　saw？〃　cried　Cleopatra。

〃I　saw　that　he　was　deceiving　us。　　Mark　my　words；　ladies；　he　is　a　base　caitiff；〃　replied　Cassandra〃a　base　caitiff。〃

〃What　did　you　see？〃　cried　Elizabeth；　excitedly。

〃This；〃　said　Cassandra；　and　she　began　a　narration　of　future　events　which　I　must　defer　to　the　next　chapter。　　Meanwhile　his　associates　were　endeavoring　to　restore　the　evaporated　portions　of　the　prostrated　Kidd's　spirit　anatomy　by　the　use　of　a　steam…atomizer；　but　with　indifferent　success。　　Kidd's　training　had　not　fitted　him　for　an　intellectual　combat　with　superior　women；　and　he　suffered　accordingly。



CHAPTER　X：　　A　WARNING　ACCEPTED



〃It　is　with　no　desire　to　interrupt　my　friend　Cassandra　unnecessarily；〃　said　Mrs。　Noah；　as　the　prophetess　was　about　to　narrate　her　story；　〃that　I　rise　to　beg　her　to　remember　that；　as　an　ancestress　of　Captain　Kidd；　I　hope　she　will　spare　a　grandmother's　feelings；　if　anything　in　the　story　she　is　about　to　tell　is　improper　to　be　placed　before　the　young。　　I　have　been　so　shocked　by　the　stories　of　perfidy　and　baseness　generally　that　have　been　published　of　late　years；　that　I　would　interpose　a　protest　while　there　is　yet　time　if　there　is　a　line　in　Cassandra's　story　which　ought　to　be　withheld　from　the　public；　a　protest　based　upon　my　affection　for　posterity；　and　in　the　interests　of　morality　everywhere。〃

〃You　may　rest　easy　upon　that　score；　my　dear　Mrs。　Noah；〃　said　the　prophetess。　　〃What　I　have　to　say　would　commend　itself；　I　am　sure；　even　to　the　ears　of　a　British　matron；　and　while　it　is　as　complete　a　demonstration　of　man's　perfidy　as　ever　was；　it　is　none　the　less　as　harmless　a　little　tale　as　the　Dottie　Dimple　books　or　any　other　more　recent　study　of　New　England　character。〃

〃Thank　you　for　the　load　your　words　have　lifted　from　my　mind；〃　said　Mrs。　Noah；　settling　back　in　her　chair；　a　satisfied　expression　upon　her　gentle　countenance。　　〃I　hope　you　will　understand　why　I　spoke；　and　withal　why　modern　literature　generally　has　been　so　distressful　to　me。　When　you　reflect　that　the　world　is　satisfied　that　most　of　man's　criminal　instincts　are　the　result　of　heredity；　and　that　Mr。　Noah　and　I　are　unable　to　shift　the　responsibility　for　posterity　to　other　shoulders　than　our　own；　you　will　understand　my　position。　　We　were　about　the　most　domestic　old　couple　that　ever　lived；　and　when　we　see　the　long　and　varied　assortment　of　crimes　that　are　cropping　out　everywhere　in　our　descendants　it　is　painful　to　us　to　realize　what　a　pair　of　unconsciously　wicked　old　fogies　we　must　have　been。〃

〃We　all　understand　that；〃　said　Cleopatra；　kindly；　〃and　we　are　all　prepared　to　acquit　you　of　any　responsibility　for　the　advanced　condition　of　wickedness　to…day。　　Man　has　progressed　since　your　time；　my　dear　grandma；　and　the　modern　improvements　in　the　science　of　crime　are　no　more　attributable　to　you　than　the　invention　of　the　telephone　or　the　oyster　cocktail　is　attributable　to　your　husband。〃

〃Thank　you　kindly；〃　murmured　the　old　lady；　and　she　resumed　her　knitting　upon　a　phantom　tam…o'…shanter；　which　she　was　making　as　a　Christmas　surprise　for　her　husband。

〃When　Captain　Kidd　began　his　story；〃　said　Cassandra；　〃he　made　one　very　bad　mistake；　and　yet　one　which　was　prompted　by　that　courtesy　which　all　men　instinctively　adopt　when　addressing　women。　　When　he　entered　the　room　he　removed　his　hat；　and　therein　lay　his　fatal　error；　if　he　wished　to　convince　me　of　the　truth　of　his　story；　for　with　his　hat　removed　I　could　see　the　workings　of　his　mind。　　While　you　ladies　were　watching　his　lips　or　his　eyes；　some　of　you　taking　in　the　gorgeous　details　of　his　dress；　all　of　you　hanging　upon　his　every　word；　I　kept　my　eye　fixed　firmly　upon　his　imagination；　and　I　saw；　what　you　did　not；　THAT　HE　WAS　DRAWING　WHOLLY　UPON　THAT！〃

〃How　extraordinary！〃　cried　Elizabeth。

〃Yesand　fortunate；〃　said　Cassandra。　　〃Had　I　not　done　so；　a　week　hence　we　should；　every　one　of　us；　have　been　lost　in　the　surging　wickedness　of　the　city　of　Paris。〃

〃But；　Cassandra；〃　said　Trilby；　who　was　anxious　to　return　once　more　to　the　beautiful　city　by　the　Seine；　〃he　told　us　we　were　going　to　Paris。〃

〃Of　course　he　did；〃　said　Madame　Recamier；　〃and　in　so　many　words。　Certainly　he　was　not　drawing　upon　his　imagination　there。〃

〃And　one　might　be　lost　in　a　very　much　worse　place；〃　put　in　Marguerite　de　Valois；　〃if；　indeed；　it　were　possible　to　lose　us　in　Paris　at　all。　I　fancy　that　I　know　enough　about　Paris　to　find　my　way　about。〃

〃Humph！〃　ejaculated　Cassandra。　　〃What　a　foolish　little　thing　you　are！　You　don't　imagine　that　the　Paris　of　to…day　is　the　Paris　of　your　time；　or　even　the　Paris　of　that　sweet　child　Trilby's　time；　do　you？　　If　you　do　you　are　very　much　mistaken。　　I　almost　wish　I　had　not　warned　you　of　your　danger　and　had　let　you　go；　just　to　see　those　eyes　of　yours　open　with　amazement　at　the　change。　　You'd　find　your　Louvre　a　very　different　sort　of　a　place　from　what　it　used　to　be；　my　dear　lady。　Those　pleasing　little　windows　through　which　your　relations　were　wont　in　olden　times　to　indulge　in　target　practice　at　people　who　didn't　go　to　their　church　are　now　kept　closed；　the　galleries　which　used　to　swarm　with　people；　many　of　whom　ought　to　have　been　hanged；　now　swarm　with　pictures；　many　of　which　ought　not　to　have　been　hung；　the　romance　which　clung　about　its　walls　is　as　much　a　part　of　the　dead　past　as　yourselves；　and　were　you　to　materialize　suddenly　therein　you　would　find　yourselves　jostled　and　hustled　and　trodden　upon　by　the　curious　from　other　lands；　with　Argus　eyes　taking　in　five　hundred　pictures　a　minute；　and　traversing　those　halls　at　a　rate　of　speed　at　which　Mercury　himself　would　stand　aghast。〃

〃But　my　beloved　Tuileries？〃　cried　Marie　Antoinette。

〃Has　been　swallowed　up　by　a　play…ground　for　the　people；　my　dear；〃　said　Cassandra；　gently。　　〃Paris　is　no　place　for　us；　and　it　is　the　intention　of　these　men；　in　whose　hands　we　are；　to　take　us　there　and　then　desert　us。　　Can　you　imagine　anything　worse　than　ourselves；　the　phantoms　of　a　glorious　romantic　past；　basely　deserted　in　the　streets　of　a　wholly　strange；　superficial；　material　city　of　to…day？　　What　do　you　think；　Elizabeth；　would　be　your　fate　if；　faint　and　famished；　you　begged　for　sustenance　at　an　English　door　to…day；　and　when　asked　your　name　and　profession　were　to　reply；　'Elizabeth；　Queen　of　England'？〃

〃Insane　asylum；〃　said　Elizabeth；　shortly。

〃Precisely。　　So　in　Paris