a question of latitude-第4节

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it　from　him；　and　locked　him　in　his　cabin。　　In　the　morning；　when　he
tried　to　recall　what　had　occurred；　he　could　remember　only　that；　for
some　excellent　reason；　he　had　hated　some　one　with　a　hatred　that
could　be　served　only　with　death。　　He　knew　it　could　not　have　been
drink；　as　each　day　the　State　allowed　him　but　one　half…bottle　of
claret。　　That　but　for　the　interference　of　strangers　he　might　have
shot　a　man；　did　not　interest　him。　　In　the　outcome　of　what　he
regarded　merely　as　an　incident；　he　saw　cause　neither　for
congratulation　or　self…reproach。　　For　his　conduct　he　laid　the　blame
upon　the　sun；　and　doubled　his　dose　of　fruit　salts。

Everett　was　again　at　Matadi；　waiting　for　the　Nigeria　to　take　on
cargo　before　returning　to　Liverpool。　　During　the　few　days　that　must
intervene　before　she　sailed；　he　lived　on　board。　　Although　now
actually　bound　north；　the　thought　afforded　him　no　satisfaction。
His　spirits　were　depressed；　his　mind　gloomy；　a　feeling　of
rebellion；　of　outlawry；　filled　him　with　unrest。

While　the　ship　lay　at　the　wharf；　Hardy；　her　English　captain；
Cuthbert；　the　purser；　and　Everett　ate　on　deck　under　the　awning；
assailed　by　electric　fans。　　Each　was　clad　in　nothing　more　intricate
than　pajamas。

〃To…night；〃　announced　Hardy；　with　a　sigh；　〃we　got　to　dress　ship。
Mr。　Ducret　and　his　wife　are　coming　on　board。　　We　carry　his　trade
goods；　and　I　got　to　stand　him　a　dinner　and　champagne。　　You　boys；〃
he　commanded；　〃must　wear　'whites；'　and　talk　French。〃

〃I'll　dine　on　shore；〃　growled　Everett。

〃Better　meet　them；〃　advised　Cuthbert。　　The　purser　was　a　pink…
cheeked；　clear…eyed　young　man；　who　spoke　the　many　languages　of　the
coast　glibly；　and　his　own　in　the　soft；　detached　voice　of　a　well…
bred　Englishman。　　He　was　in　training　to　enter　the　consular　service。
Something　in　his　poise；　in　the　assured　manner　in　which　he　handled
his　white　stewards　and　the　black　Kroo　boys；　seemed　to　Everett　a
constant　reproach；　and　he　resented　him。

〃They're　a　picturesque　couple；〃　explained　Cuthbert。　　〃Ducret　was
originally　a　wrestler。　　Used　to　challenge　all　comers　from　the　front
of　a　booth。　　He　served　his　time　in　the　army　in　Senegal；　and　when　he
was　mustered　out　moved　to　the　French　Congo　and　began　to　trade；　in　a
small　way；　in　ivory。　　Now　he's　the　biggest　merchant；　physically　and
every　other　way；　from　Stanley　Pool　to　Lake　Chad。　　He　has　a　house　at
Brazzaville　built　of　mahogany；　and　a　grand　piano；　and　his　own　ice…
plant。　　His　wife　was　a　supper…girl　at　Maxim's。　　He　brought　her　down
here　and　married　her。　　Every　rainy　season　they　go　back　to　Paris　and
run　race…horses；　and　they　say　the　best　table　in　every　all…night
restaurant　is　reserved　for　him。　　In　Paris　they　call　her　the　Ivory
Queen。　　She's　killed　seventeen　elephants　with　her　own　rifle。〃

In　the　Upper　Congo；　Everett　had　seen　four　white　women。　　They　were
pallid；　washed…out；　bloodless；　even　the　youngest　looked　past
middle…age。　　For　him　women　of　any　other　type　had　ceased　to　exist。
He　had　come　to　think　of　every　white　woman　as　past　middle…age；　with
a　face　wrinkled　by　the　sun；　with　hair　bleached　white　by　the　sun；
with　eyes　from　which；　through　gazing　at　the　sun；　all　light　and
lustre　had　departed。　　He　thought　of　them　as　always　wearing　boots　to
protect　their　ankles　from　mosquitoes；　and　army　helmets。

When　he　came　on　deck　for　dinner；　he　saw　a　woman　who　looked　as
though　she　was　posing　for　a　photograph　by　Reutlinger。　　She　appeared
to　have　stepped　to　the　deck　directly　from　her　electric　victoria；
and　the　Rue　de　la　Paix。　　She　was　tall；　lithe；　gracefully　erect；
with　eyes　of　great　loveliness；　and　her　hair　brilliantly　black；
drawn；　a　la　Merode；　across　a　broad；　fair　forehead。　　She　wore　a　gown
and　long　coat　of　white　lace；　as　delicate　as　a　bridal　veil；　and　a
hat　with　a　flapping　brim　from　which；　in　a　curtain；　hung　more　lace。
When　she　was　pleased；　she　lifted　her　head　and　the　curtain　rose；
unmasking　her　lovely　eyes。　　Around　the　white；　bare　throat　was　a
string　of　pearls。　　They　had　cost　the　lives　of　many　elephants。

Cuthbert；　only　a　month　from　home；　saw　Madame　Ducret　just　as　she
wasa　Parisienne；　elegant；　smart；　soigne。　　He　knew　that　on　any
night　at　Madrid　or　d'Armenonville　he　might　look　upon　twenty　women
of　the　same　charming　type。　　They　might　lack　that　something　this
girl　from　Maxim's　possessedthe　spirit　that　had　caused　her　to
follow　her　husband　into　the　depths　of　darkness。　　But　outwardly；　for
show　purposes；　they　were　even　as　she。

But　to　Everett　she　was　no　messenger　from　another　world。　　She　was
unique。　　To　his　famished　eyes；　starved　senses；　and　fever…driven
brain；　she　was　her　entire　sex　personified。　　She　was　the　one　woman
for　whom　he　had　always　sought；　alluring；　soothing；　maddening；　if
need　be；　to　be　fought　for；　the　one　thing　to　be　desired。　　Opposite；
across　the　table；　her　husband；　the　ex…wrestler；　chasseur　d'Afrique；
elephant　poacher；　bulked　large　as　an　ox。　　Men　felt　as　well　as　saw
his　bigness。　　Captain　Hardy　deferred　to　him　on　matters　of　trade。
The　purser　deferred　to　him　on　questions　of　administration。　　He
answered　them　in　his　big　way；　with　big　thoughts；　in　big　figures。
He　was　fifty　years　ahead　of　his　time。　　He　beheld　the　Congo　open　to
the　world；　in　the　forests　where　he　had　hunted　elephants　he　foresaw
great　〃factories；〃　mining　camps；　railroads；　feeding　gold　and　copper
ore　to　the　trunk　line；　from　the　Cape　to　Cairo。　　His　ideas　were　the
ideas　of　an　empire…builder。　　But；　while　the　others　listened；
fascinated；　hypnotized；　Everett　saw　only　the　woman；　her　eyes　fixed
on　her　husband；　her　fingers　turning　and　twisting　her　diamond　rings。
Every　now　and　again　she　raised　her　eyes　to　Everett　almost
reproachfully；　as　though　to　say；　〃Why　do　you　not　listen　to　him？　　It
is　much　better　for　you　than　to　look　at　me。〃

When　they　had　gone；　all　through　the　sultry　night；　until　the　sun
drove　him　to　his　cabin；　like　a　caged　animal　Everett　paced　and
repaced　the　deck。　　The　woman　possessed　his　mind　and　he　could　not
drive　her　out。　　He　did　not　wish　to　drive　her　out。　　What　the
consequences　might　be　he　did　not　care。　　So　long　as　he　might　see　her
again；　he　jeered　at　the　consequences。　　Of　one　thing　he　was
positive。　　He　could　not　now　leave　the　Congo。　　He　would　follow　her
to　Brazzaville。　　If　he　were　discreet；　Ducret　might　invite　him　to
make　himself　their　guest。　　Once　established　in　her　home；　she　MUST
listen　to　him。　　No　man　ever　before　had　felt　for　any　woman　the　need
he　felt　for　her。　　It　was　too　big　for　him　to　conquer。　　It　would　be
too　big　for　her　to　resist。

In　the　morning　a　note　from　Ducret　invited　Everett　and　Cuthbert　to
join　him　in　an　all…day　excursion　to　the　water…fall　beyond　Matadi。
Everett　answered　the　note　in　person。　　The　thought　of　seeing　the
woman　calmed　and　steadied　him　like　a　dose　of　morphine。　　So　much
more　violent　than　the　fever　in　his　veins　was　the　fever　in　his　brain
that；　when　again　he　was　with　her；　he　laughed　happily；　and　was
grandly　at　peace。　　So　different　was　he　from　the　man　they　had　met
the　night　before；　that　the　Frenchman　and　his　wife　glanced　at　each
other　in　surprise　and　approval。　　They　found　him　witty；　eager；　a
most　charming　companion；　and　when　he　announced　his　intention　of
visiting　Brazzaville；　they　insisted　he　should　make　their　home　his
own。

His　admiration；　as　outwardly　it　appeared　to　be；　for　Madame　Ducret；
was　evident　to　the　others；　but　her　husband　accepted　it。　　It　was　her
due。　　And；　on　the　Congo；　to　grudge　to　another　man　the　sight　of　a
pretty　woman　was　as　cruel　as　to　withhold　the　few　grains　of　quinine
that　might　save　his　reason。　　But　before　the　day　passed；　Madame
Ducret　was　aware　that　the　American　could　not　be　lightly　dismissed
as　an　admirer。　　The　fact　neither　flattered　nor　offended。　　For　her
it　was　no　novel　or　disturbing　experience。　　Other　men；　whipped　on　by
loneliness；　by　fever；　by　primitive　savage　instincts；　had　told　her
what　she　meant　to　them。　　She　did　not　hold　them　responsible。　　Some；
worth　curing；　she　had　nursed　through　the　illness。　　Others；　who
refused　to　be　cured；　she　had　turned　over；　with　a　shrug；　to　her
husband。　　This　one　was　more　difficult。　　Of　men　of　Everett's
traditions　and　education　she　had　known　but　few；　but　she　recognized
the　type。　　This　young　man　was　no　failure　in　life；　no　derelict；　no
outcast　flying　the　law；　or　a　scandal；　to　hide　in　the　jungle。　　He
was　what；　in　her　Maxim　days；　she　had　laughed　at　as　an　aristocrat。
He　knew　her　Paris　as　she　did　not　know　it：　its　history；　its　art。
Even　her　language　he　spoke　more　correctly　than　her　husband　or
herself。　　She　knew　that　at　his　home　there　must　be　many　women
infinitely　more　attractive；　more　suited　to　him；　than　herself：　women
of　birth；　of　position；　young　girls　and　great　ladies　of　the　other
world。　　And　she　knew；　also；　that；　in　his　present　state；　at　a　nod
from　her　he　would　cast　these　behind　him　and　carry　her　into　the
wilderness。　　More　quickly　than　she　anticipated；　Everett　proved　she
did　not　overrate　the　forces　that　compelled　him。

The　excursion　to　the　rapids　was　followed　by　a　second　dinner　on
board　the　Nigeria。　　But　now；　as　on　the　previous　night；　Everett　fell
into　sullen　silence。　　He　ate　nothing；　drank　continually；　and　with
his　eyes　devoured　the　woman。　　When　coffee　had　been　served；　he　left
the　others　at　table；　and　with　Madame　Ducret　slowly　paced　the　deck。
As　they　passed　out　of　t