the patagonia-第9节

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〃Tired　of　me；　I'm　afraid。〃



〃No；　not　yet。〃



〃I'm　like　you；〃　I　confessed。　　〃I　should　like　it　to　go　on　and　on。〃



She　had　begun　to　walk　along　the　deck　to　the　companionway　and　I　went

with　her。　　〃Well；　I　guess　_I_　wouldn't；　after　all！〃



I　had　taken　her　shawl　from　her　to　carry　it；　but　at　the　top　of　the

steps　that　led　down　to　the　cabins　I　had　to　give　it　back。　　〃Your

mother　would　be　glad　if　she　could　know；〃　I　observed　as　we　parted。



But　she　was　proof　against　my　graces。　　〃If　she　could　know　what？〃



〃How　well　you're　getting　on。〃　　I　refused　to　be　discouraged。　　〃And

that　good　Mrs。　Allen。〃



〃Oh　mother；　mother！　　She　made　me　come；　she　pushed　me　off。〃　　And

almost　as　if　not　to　say　more　she　went　quickly　below。



I　paid　Mrs。　Nettlepoint　a　morning　visit　after　luncheon　and　another　in

the　evening；　before　she　〃turned　in。〃　　That　same　day；　in　the　evening；

she　said　to　me　suddenly：　　〃Do　you　know　what　I've　done？　　I've　asked

Jasper。〃



〃Asked　him　what？〃



〃Why；　if　SHE　asked　him；　you　understand。〃



I　wondered。　　〃DO　I　understand？〃



〃If　you　don't　it's　because　you　'regular'　won't；　as　she　says。　　If　that

girl　really　asked　himon　the　balconyto　sail　with　us。〃



〃My　dear　lady；　do　you　suppose　that　if　she　did　he'd　tell　you？〃



She　had　to　recognise　my　acuteness。　　〃That's　just　what　he　says。　　But

he　says　she　didn't。〃



〃And　do　you　consider　the　statement　valuable？〃　I　asked；　laughing　out。

〃You　had　better　ask　your　young　friend　herself。〃



Mrs。　Nettlepoint　stared。　　〃I　couldn't　do　that。〃



On　which　I　was　the　more　amused　that　I　had　to　explain　I　was　only

amused。　　〃What　does　it　signify　now？〃



〃I　thought　you　thought　everything　signified。　　You　were　so　full；〃　she

cried；　〃of　signification！〃



〃Yes；　but　we're　further　out　now；　and　somehow　in　mid…ocean　everything

becomes　absolute。〃



〃What　else　CAN　he　do　with　decency？〃　Mrs。　Nettlepoint　went　on。　　〃If；

as　my　son；　he　were　never　to　speak　to　her　it　would　be　very　rude　and

you'd　think　that　stranger　still。　　Then　YOU　would　do　what　he　does；　and

where　would　be　the　difference？〃



〃How　do　you　know　what　he　does？　　I　haven't　mentioned　him　for　twenty…

four　hours。〃



〃Why；　she　told　me　herself。　　She　came　in　this　afternoon。〃



〃What　an　odd　thing　to　tell　you！〃　I　commented。



〃Not　as　she　says　it。　　She　says　he's　full　of　attention；　perfectly

devotedlooks　after　her　all　the　time。　　She　seems　to　want　me　to　know

it；　so　that　I　may　approve　him　for　it。〃



〃That's　charming；　it　shows　her　good　conscience。〃



〃Yes；　or　her　great　cleverness。〃



Something　in　the　tone　in　which　Mrs。　Nettlepoint　said　this　caused　me

to　return　in　real　surprise：　　〃Why　what　do　you　suppose　she　has　in　her

mind？〃



〃To　get　hold　of　him；　to　make　him　go　so　far　he　can't　retreat。　　To

marry　him　perhaps。〃



〃To　marry　him？　　And　what　will　she　do　with　Mr。　Porterfield？〃



〃She'll　ask　me　just　to　make　it　all　right　to　himor　perhaps　you。〃



〃Yes；　as　an　old　friend〃and　for　a　moment　I　felt　it　awkwardly

possible。　　But　I　put　to　her　seriously：　　〃DO　you　see　Jasper　caught

like　that？〃



〃Well；　he's　only　a　boyhe's　younger　at　least　than　she。〃



〃Precisely；　she　regards　him　as　a　child。　　She　remarked　to　me　herself

today；　that　is；　that　he's　so　much　younger。〃



Mrs。　Nettlepoint　took　this　in。　〃Does　she　talk　of　it　with　you？　　That

shows　she　has　a　plan；　that　she　has　thought　it　over！〃



I've　sufficiently　expressedfor　the　interest　of　my　anecdotethat　I

found　an　oddity　in　one　of　our　young　companions；　but　I　was　far　from

judging　her　capable　of　laying　a　trap　for　the　other。　　Moreover　my

reading　of　Jasper　wasn't　in　the　least　that　he　was　catchablecould　be

made　to　do　a　thing　if　he　didn't　want　to　do　it。　　Of　course　it　wasn't

impossible　that　he　might　be　inclined；　that　he　might　take　itor

already　have　taken　itinto　his　head　to　go　further　with　his　mother's

charge；　but　to　believe　this　I　should　require　still　more　proof　than

his　always　being　with　her。　　He　wanted　at　most　to　〃take　up　with　her〃

for　the　voyage。　〃If　you've　questioned　him　perhaps　you've　tried　to

make　him　feel　responsible；〃　I　said　to　my　fellow　critic。



〃A　little；　but　it's　very　difficult。　　Interference　makes　him　perverse。

One　has　to　go　gently。　　Besides；　it's　too　absurdthink　of　her　age。

If　she　can't　take　care　of　herself！〃　cried　Mrs。　Nettlepoint。



〃Yes；　let　us　keep　thinking　of　her　age；　though　it's　not　so　prodigious。

And　if　things　get　very　bad　you've　one　resource　left；〃　I　added。



She　wondered。　　〃To　lock　her　up　in　her　cabin？〃



〃Noto　come　out　of　yours。〃



〃Ah　never；　never！　　If　it　takes　that　to　save　her　she　must　be　lost。

Besides；　what　good　would　it　do？　　If　I　were　to　go　above　she　could　come

below。〃



〃Yes；　but　you　could　keep　Jasper　with　you。〃



〃COULD　I？〃　Mrs。　Nettlepoint　demanded　in　the　manner　of　a　woman　who

knew　her　son。



In　the　saloon　the　next　day；　after　dinner；　over　the　red　cloth　of　the

tables；　beneath　the　swinging　lamps　and　the　racks　of　tumblers；

decanters　and　wine…glasses；　we　sat　down　to　whist；　Mrs。　Peck；　to

oblige；　taking　a　hand　in　the　game。　　She　played　very　badly　and　talked

too　much；　and　when　the　rubber　was　over　assuaged　her　discomfiture

（though　not　minewe　had　been　partners）　with　a　Welsh　rabbit　and　a

tumbler　of　something　hot。　　We　had　done　with　the　cards；　but　while　she

waited　for　this　refreshment　she　sat　with　her　elbows　on　the　table

shuffling　a　pack。



〃She　hasn't　spoken　to　me　yetshe　won't　do　it；〃　she　remarked　in　a

moment。



〃Is　it　possible　there's　any　one　on　the　ship　who　hasn't　spoken　to

you？〃



〃Not　that　girlshe　knows　too　well！〃　Mrs。　Peck　looked　round　our

little　circle　with　a　smile　of　intelligenceshe　had　familiar

communicative　eyes。　　Several　of　our　company　had　assembled；　according

to　the　wont；　the　last　thing　in　the　evening；　of　those　who　are　cheerful

at　sea；　for　the　consumption　of　grilled　sardines　and　devilled　bones。



〃What　then　does　she　know？〃



〃Oh　she　knows　_I_　know。〃



〃Well；　we　know　what　Mrs。　Peck　knows；〃　one　of　the　ladies　of　the　group

observed　to　me　with　an　air　of　privilege。



〃Well；　you　wouldn't　know　if　I　hadn't　told　youfrom　the　way　she

acts；〃　said　our　friend　with　a　laugh　of　small　charm。



〃She's　going　out　to　a　gentleman　who　lives　over　therehe's　waiting

there　to　marry　her；〃　the　other　lady　went　on；　in　the　tone　of　authentic

information。　　I　remember　that　her　name　was　Mrs。　Gotch　and　that　her

mouth　looked　always　as　if　she　were　whistling。



〃Oh　he　knowsI've　told　him；〃　said　Mrs。　Peck。



〃Well；　I　presume　every　one　knows；〃　Mrs。　Gotch　contributed。



〃Dear　madam；　is　it　every　one's　business？〃　I　asked。



〃Why；　don't　you　think　it's　a　peculiar　way　to　act？〃and　Mrs。　Gotch

was　evidently　surprised　at　my　little　protest。



〃Why　it's　right　therestraight　in　front　of　you；　like　a　play　at　the

theatreas　if　you　had　paid　to　see　it；〃　said　Mrs。　Peck。　　〃If　you

don't　call　it　public！〃



〃Aren't　you　mixing　things　up？　　What　do　you　call　public？〃



〃Why　the　way　they　go　on。　　They're　up　there　now。〃



〃They　cuddle　up　there　half　the　night；〃　said　Mrs。　Gotch。　　〃I　don't

know　when　they　come　down。　　Any　hour　they　like。　　When　all　the　lights

are　out　they're　up　there　still。〃



〃Oh　you　can't　tire　them　out。　　They　don't　want　relieflike　the　ship's

watch！〃　laughed　one　of　the　gentlemen。



〃Well；　if　they　enjoy　each　other's　society　what's　the　harm？〃　another

asked。　　〃They'd　do　just　the　same　on　land。〃




〃They　wouldn't　do　it　on　the　public　streets；　I　presume；〃　said　Mrs。

Peck。　　〃And　they　wouldn't　do　it　if　Mr。　Porterfield　was　round！〃



〃Isn't　that　just　where　your　confusion　comes　in？〃　I　made　answer。

〃It's　public　enough　that　Miss　Mavis　and　Mr。　Nettlepoint　are　always

together；　but　it　isn't　in　the　least　public　that　she's　going　to　be

married。〃



〃Why　how　can　you　saywhen　the　very　sailors　know　it！　　The　Captain

knows　it　and　all　the　officers　know　it。　　They　see　them　there；

especially　at　night；　when　they're　sailing　the　ship。〃



〃I　thought　there　was　some　rule！〃　submitted　Mrs。　Gotch。



〃Well；　there　isthat　you've　got　to　behave　yourself；〃　Mrs。　Peck

explained。　　〃So　the　Captain　told　mehe　said　they　have　some　rule。　　He

said　they　have　to　have；　when　people　are　too　undignified。〃



〃Is　that　the　term　he　used？〃　I　inquired。



〃Well；　he　may　have　said　when　they　attract　too　much　attention。〃



I　ventured　to　discriminate。　　〃It's　we　who　attract　the　attentionby

talking　about　what　doesn't　concern　us　and　about　what　we　really　don't

know。〃




〃She　said　the　Captain　said　he'd　tell　on　her　as　soon　as　ever　we

arrive；〃　Mrs。　Gotch　none　the　less　serenely　pursued。



〃SHE　said？〃　I　repeated；　bewildered。



〃Well；　he　did　say　so；　that　he'd　think　it　his　duty　to　inform　Mr。

Porterfield　when　he　comes　on　to　meet　herif　they　keep　it　up　in　the

same　way；〃　said　Mrs。　Peck。



〃Oh　they'll　keep　it　up；　don't　you　fear！〃　one　of　the　gentlemen

exclaimed。



〃Dear　madam；　the　Captain's　having　his　joke　on　you；〃　was；　however；　my

own　congruous　reply。



〃No；　he　ain'the's　right　down　scandalised。　　He　sa