the patagonia-第10节

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own　congruous　reply。



〃No；　he　ain'the's　right　down　scandalised。　　He　says　he　regards　us

all　as　a　real　family　and　wants　the　family　not　to　be　downright

coarse。〃　　I　felt　Mrs。　Peck　irritated　by　my　controversial　tone：　　she

challenged　me　with　considerable　spirit。　　〃How　can　you　say　I　don't

know　it　when　all　the　street　knows　it　and　has　known　it　for　yearsfor

years　and　years？〃　　She　spoke　as　if　the　girl　had　been　engaged　at　least

for　twenty。　　〃What's　she　going　out　for　if　not　to　marry　him？〃



〃Perhaps　she's　going　to　see　how　he　looks；〃　suggested　one　of　the

gentlemen。



〃He'd　look　queerif　he　knew。〃



〃Well；　I　guess　he'll　know；〃　said　Mrs。　Gotch。



〃She'd　tell　him　herselfshe　wouldn't　be　afraid；〃　the　gentleman　went

on。



〃Well　she　might　as　well　kill　him。　　He'll　jump　overboard；〃　Mrs。　Peck

could　foretell。



〃Jump　overboard？〃　cried　Mrs。　Gotch　as　if　she　hoped　then　that　Mr。

Porterfield　would　be　told。



〃He　has　just　been　waiting　for　thisfor　long；　long　years；〃　said　Mrs。

Peck。



〃Do　you　happen　to　know　him？〃　I　asked。



She　replied　at　her　convenience。　　〃No；　but　I　know　a　lady　who　does。

Are　you　going　up？〃



I　had　risen　from　my　placeI　had　not　ordered　supper。　　〃I'm　going　to

take　a　turn　before　going　to　bed。〃



〃Well　then　you'll　see！〃



Outside　the　saloon　I　hesitated；　for　Mrs。　Peck's　admonition　made　me

feel　for　a　moment　that　if　I　went　up　I　should　have　entered　in　a　manner

into　her　little　conspiracy。　　But　the　night　was　so　warm　and　splendid

that　I　had　been　intending　to　smoke　a　cigar　in　the　air　before　going

below；　and　I　didn't　see　why　I　should　deprive　myself　of　this　pleasure

in　order　to　seem　not　to　mind　Mrs。　Peck。　　I　mounted　accordingly　and

saw　a　few　figures　sitting　or　moving　about　in　the　darkness。　　The　ocean

looked　black　and　small；　as　it　is　apt　to　do　at　night；　and　the　long

mass　of　the　ship；　with　its　vague　dim　wings；　seemed　to　take　up　a　great

part　of　it。　　There　were　more　stars　than　one　saw　on　land　and　the

heavens　struck　one　more　than　ever　as　larger　than　the　earth。　　Grace

Mavis　and　her　companion　were　not；　so　far　as　I　perceived　at　first；

among　the　few　passengers　who　lingered　late；　and　I　was　glad；　because　I

hated　to　hear　her　talked　about　in　the　manner　of　the　gossips　I　had

left　at　supper。　　I　wished　there　had　been　some　way　to　prevent　it；　but

I　could　think　of　none　but　to　recommend　her　privately　to　reconsider

her　rule　of　discretion。　　That　would　be　a　very　delicate　business；　and

perhaps　it　would　be　better　to　begin　with　Jasper；　though　that　would　be

delicate　too。　　At　any　rate　one　might　let　him　know；　in　a　friendly

spirit；　to　how　much　remark　he　exposed　the　young　ladyleaving　this

revelation　to　work　its　way　upon　him。　　Unfortunately　I　couldn't

altogether　believe　that　the　pair　were　unconscious　of　the　observation

and　the　opinion　of　the　passengers。　　They　weren't　boy　and　girl；　they

had　a　certain　social　perspective　in　their　eye。　　I　was　meanwhile　at

any　rate　in　no　possession　of　the　details　of　that　behaviour　which　had

made　themaccording　to　the　version　of　my　good　friends　in　the　saloon…

…a　scandal　to　the　ship；　for　though　I　had　taken　due　note　of　them；　as

will　already　have　been　gathered；　I　had　taken　really　no　such

ferocious；　or　at　least　such　competent；　note　as　Mrs。　Peck。

Nevertheless　the　probability　was　that　they　knew　what　was　thought　of

themwhat　naturally　would　beand　simply　didn't　care。　　That　made　our

heroine　out　rather　perverse　and　even　rather　shameless；　and　yet

somehow　if　these　were　her　leanings　I　didn't　dislike　her　for　them。　　I

don't　know　what　strange　secret　excuses　I　found　for　her。　　I　presently

indeed　encountered；　on　the　spot；　a　need　for　any　I　might　have　at　call；

since；　just　as　I　was　on　the　point　of　going　below　again；　after　several

restless　turns　andwithin　the　limit　where　smoking　was　allowedas

many　puffs　at　a　cigar　as　I　cared　for；　I　became　aware　of　a　couple　of

figures　settled　together　behind　one　of　the　lifeboats　that　rested　on

the　deck。　　They　were　so　placed　as　to　be　visible　only　to　a　person

going　close　to　the　rail　and　peering　a　little　sidewise。　　I　don't　think

I　peered；　but　as　I　stood　a　moment　beside　the　rail　my　eye　was

attracted　by　a　dusky　object　that　protruded　beyond　the　boat　and　that　I

saw　at　a　second　glance　to　be　the　tail　of　a　lady's　dress。　　I　bent

forward　an　instant；　but　even　then　I　saw　very　little　more；　that

scarcely　mattered　however；　as　I　easily　concluded　that　the　persons

tucked　away　in　so　snug　a　corner　were　Jasper　Nettlepoint　and　Mr。

Porterfield's　intended。　　Tucked　away　was　the　odious　right　expression；

and　I　deplored　the　fact　so　betrayed　for　the　pitiful　bad　taste　in　it。

I　immediately　turned　away；　and　the　next　moment　found　myself　face　to

face　with　our　vessel's　skipper。　　I　had　already　had　some　conversation

with　himhe　had　been　so　good　as　to　invite　me；　as　he　had　invited　Mrs。

Nettlepoint　and　her　son　and　the　young　lady　travelling　with　them；　and

also　Mrs。　Peck；　to　sit　at　his　tableand　had　observed　with　pleasure

that　his　seamanship　had　the　grace；　not　universal　on　the　Atlantic

liners；　of　a　fine…weather　manner。



〃They　don't　waste　much　timeyour　friends　in　there；〃　he　said；　nodding

in　the　direction　in　which　he　had　seen　me　looking。



〃Ah　well；　they　haven't　much　to　lose。〃



〃That's　what　I　mean。　　I'm　told　SHE　hasn't。〃



I　wanted　to　say　something　exculpatory；　but　scarcely　knew　what　note　to

strike。　　I　could　only　look　vaguely　about　me　at　the　starry　darkness

and　the　sea　that　seemed　to　sleep。　　〃Well；　with　these　splendid　nights

and　this　perfect　air　people　are　beguiled　into　late　hours。〃



〃Yes；　we　want　a　bit　of　a　blow；〃　the　Captain　said。



I　demurred。　　〃How　much　of　one？〃



〃Enough　to　clear　the　decks！〃



He　was　after　all　rather　dry　and　he　went　about　his　business。　　He　had

made　me　uneasy；　and　instead　of　going　below　I　took　a　few　turns　more。

The　other　walkers　dropped　off　pair　by　pairthey　were　all　mentill

at　last　I　was　alone。　　Then　after　a　little　I　quitted　the　field。

Jasper　and　his　companion　were　still　behind　their　lifeboat。

Personally　I　greatly　preferred　our　actual　conditions；　but　as　I　went

down　I　found　myself　vaguely　wishing；　in　the　interest　of　I　scarcely

knew　what；　unless　it　had　been　a　mere　superstitious　delicacy；　that　we

might　have　half　a　gale。



Miss　Mavis　turned　out；　in　sea…phrase；　early；　for　the　next　morning　I

saw　her　come　up　only　a　short　time　after　I　had　finished　my　breakfast；

a　ceremony　over　which　I　contrived　not　to　dawdle。　　She　was　alone　and

Jasper　Nettlepoint；　by　a　rare　accident；　was　not　on　deck　to　help　her。

I　went　to　meet　hershe　was　encumbered　as　usual　with　her　shawl；　her

sun…umbrella　and　a　bookand　laid　my　hands　on　her　chair；　placing　it

near　the　stern　of　the　ship；　where　she　liked　best　to　be。　　But　I

proposed　to　her　to　walk　a　little　before　she　sat　down；　and　she　took　my

arm　after　I　had　put　her　accessories　into　the　chair。　　The　deck　was

clear　at　that　hour　and　the　morning　light　gay；　one　had　an　extravagant

sense　of　good　omens　and　propitious　airs。　　I　forget　what　we　spoke　of

first；　but　it　was　because　I　felt　these　things　pleasantly；　and　not　to

torment　my　companion　nor　to　test　her；　that　I　couldn't　help　exclaiming

cheerfully　after　a　moment；　as　I　have　mentioned　having　done　the　first

day：　　〃Well；　we're　getting　on；　we're　getting　on！〃



〃Oh　yes；　I　count　every　hour。〃



〃The　last　days　always　go　quicker；〃　I　said；　〃and　the　last　hours！〃



〃Well；　the　last　hours？〃　she　asked；　for　I　had　instinctively　checked

myself。



〃Oh　one's　so　glad　then　that　it's　almost　the　same　as　if　one　had

arrived。　　Yet　we　ought　to　be　grateful　when　the　elements　have　been　so

kind　to　us；〃　I　added。　　〃I　hope　you'll　have　enjoyed　the　voyage。〃



She　hesitated　ever　so　little。　　〃Yes；　much　more　than　I　expected。〃



〃Did　you　think　it　would　be　very　bad？〃



〃Horrible；　horrible！〃



The　tone　of　these　words　was　strange；　but　I　hadn't　much　time　to

reflect　upon　it；　for　turning　round　at　that　moment　I　saw　Jasper

Nettlepoint　come　toward　us。　　He　was　still　distant　by　the　expanse　of

the　white　deck；　and　I　couldn't　help　taking　him　in　from　head　to　foot

as　he　drew　nearer。　　I　don't　know　what　rendered　me　on　this　occasion

particularly　sensitive　to　the　impression；　but　it　struck　me　that　I　saw

him　as　I　had　never　seen　him　before；　saw　him；　thanks　to　the　intense

sea…light；　inside　and　out；　in　his　personal；　his　moral　totality。　　It

was　a　quick；　a　vivid　revelation；　if　it　only　lasted　a　moment　it　had　a

simplifying　certifying　effect。　　He　was　intrinsically　a　pleasing

apparition；　with　his　handsome　young　face　and　that　marked　absence　of

any　drop　in　his　personal　arrangements　which；　more　than　any　one　I've

ever　seen；　he　managed　to　exhibit　on　shipboard。　　He　had　none　of　the

appearance　of　wearing　out　old　clothes　that　usually　prevails　there；

but　dressed　quite　straight；　as　I　heard　some　one　say。　　This　gave　him

an　assured；　almost　a　triumphant　air；　as　of　a　young　man　who　would　come

best　out　of　any　awkwardness。　　I　expected　to　feel　my　companion's　hand

loosen　itself　on　my　arm；　as　an　indication　that　now　she　must　go　to

him；　and　I　was　alm