stories by modern american authors-第26节

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Captain　Hardy；　you　cannot；　you　will　not　refuse　me。　　Its　weight　will

be　but　a　trifleit　is　nothingmere　nothing。　　By　the　mother　who

bore　youfor　the　love　of　Heavenby　your　hope　of　salvation；　I

implore　you　to　put　back　for　the　box！〃



The　captain；　for　a　moment；　seemed　touched　by　the　earnest　appeal　of

the　artist；　but　he　regained　his　stern　composure；　and　merely　said：



〃Mr。　Wyatt；　you　are　mad。　　I　cannot　listen　to　you。　　Sit　down；　I　say；

or　you　will　swamp　the　boat。　　Stayhold　himseize　him！he　is

about　to　spring　overboard！　ThereI　knew　ithe　is　over！〃



As　the　captain　said　this；　Mr。　Wyatt；　in　fact；　sprang　from　the　boat；

and；　as　we　were　yet　in　the　lee　of　the　wreck；　succeeded；　by　almost

superhuman　exertion；　in　getting　hold　of　a　rope　which　hung　from　the

fore…chains。　　In　another　moment　he　was　on　board；　and　rushing

frantically　down　into　the　cabin。



In　the　meantime；　we　had　been　swept　astern　of　the　ship；　and　being

quite　out　of　her　lee；　were　at　the　mercy　of　the　tremendous　sea　which

was　still　running。　　We　made　a　determined　effort　to　put　back；　but

our　little　boat　was　like　a　feather　in　the　breath　of　the　tempest。

We　saw　at　a　glance　that　the　doom　of　the　unfortunate　artist　was

sealed。



As　our　distance　from　the　wreck　rapidly　increased；　the　madman　（for

as　such　only　could　we　regard　him）　was　seen　to　emerge　from　the

companionway；　up　which　by　dint　of　strength　that　appeared

gigantic；　he　dragged；　bodily；　the　oblong　box。　　While　we　gazed　in

the　extremity　of　astonishment；　he　passed；　rapidly；　several　turns　of

a　three…inch　rope；　first　around　the　box　and　then　around　his　body。

In　another　instant　both　body　and　box　were　in　the　seadisappearing

suddenly；　at　once　and　forever。



We　lingered　awhile　sadly　upon　our　oars；　with　our　eyes　riveted　upon

the　spot。　　At　length　we　pulled　away。　　The　silence　remained　unbroken

for　an　hour。　　Finally；　I　hazarded　a　remark。



〃Did　you　observe；　captain；　how　suddenly　they　sank？　　Was　not　that　an

exceedingly　singular　thing？　　I　confess　that　I　entertained　some

feeble　hope　of　his　final　deliverance；　when　I　saw　him　lash　himself

to　the　box；　and　commit　himself　to　the　sea。〃



〃They　sank　as　a　matter　of　course；〃　replied　the　captain；　〃and　that

like　a　shot。　　They　will　soon　rise　again；　howeverBUT　NOT　TILL　THE

SALT　MELTS。〃



〃The　salt！〃　I　ejaculated。



〃Hush！〃　said　the　captain；　pointing　to　the　wife　and　sisters　of　the

deceased。　　〃We　must　talk　of　these　things　at　some　more　appropriate

time。〃





We　suffered　much；　and　made　a　narrow　escape；　but　fortune　befriended

us；　as　well　as　our　mates　in　the　long…boat。　　We　landed；　in　fine；

more　dead　than　alive；　after　four　days　of　intense　distress；　upon　the

beach　opposite　Roanoke　Island。　　We　remained　here　a　week；　were　not

ill…treated　by　the　wreckers；　and　at　length　obtained　a　passage　to

New　York。



About　a　month　after　the　loss　of　the　〃Independence；〃　I　happened　to

meet　Captain　Hardy　in　Broadway。　　Our　conversation　turned；

naturally；　upon　the　disaster；　and　especially　upon　the　sad　fate　of

poor　Wyatt。　　I　thus　learned　the　following　particulars。



The　artist　had　engaged　passage　for　himself；　wife；　two　sisters　and　a

servant。　　His　wife　was；　indeed；　as　she　had　been　represented；　a　most

lovely；　and　most　accomplished　woman。　　On　the　morning　of　the

fourteenth　of　June　（the　day　in　which　I　first　visited　the　ship）；　the

lady　suddenly　sickened　and　died。　　The　young　husband　was　frantic

with　griefbut　circumstances　imperatively　forbade　the　deferring

his　voyage　to　New　York。　　It　was　necessary　to　take　to　her　mother　the

corpse　of　his　adored　wife；　and；　on　the　other　hand；　the　universal

prejudice　which　would　prevent　his　doing　so　openly　was　well　known。

Nine…tenths　of　the　passengers　would　have　abandoned　the　ship　rather

than　take　passage　with　a　dead　body。



In　this　dilemma；　Captain　Hardy　arranged　that　the　corpse；　being

first　partially　embalmed；　and　packed；　with　a　large　quantity　of

salt；　in　a　box　of　suitable　dimensions；　should　be　conveyed　on　board

as　merchandise。　　Nothing　was　to　be　said　of　the　lady's　decease；　and；

as　it　was　well　understood　that　Mr。　Wyatt　had　engaged　passage　for

his　wife；　it　became　necessary　that　some　person　should　personate　her

during　the　voyage。　　This　the　deceased　lady's…maid　was　easily

prevailed　on　to　do。　　The　extra　state…room；　originally　engaged　for

this　girl　during　her　mistress'　life；　was　now　merely　retained。　　In

this　state…room　the　pseudo…wife；　slept；　of　course；　every　night。　　In

the　daytime　she　performed；　to　the　best　of　her　ability；　the　part　of

her　mistresswhose　person；　it　had　been　carefully　ascertained；　was

unknown　to　any　of　the　passengers　on　board。



My　own　mistake　arose；　naturally　enough；　through　too　careless；　too

inquisitive；　and　too　impulsive　a　temperament。　　But　of　late；　it　is　a

rare　thing　that　I　sleep　soundly　at　night。　　There　is　a　countenance

which　haunts　me；　turn　as　I　will。　　There　is　an　hysterical　laugh

which　will　forever　ring　within　my　ears。







The　Gold…Bug





What　ho！　what　ho！　this　fellow　is　dancing　mad！

He　hath　been　bitten　by　the　Tarantula。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　All　in　the　Wrong。





Many　years　ago；　I　contracted　an　intimacy　with　a　Mr。　William

Legrand。　　He　was　of　an　ancient　Huguenot　family；　and　had　once　been

wealthy：　but　a　series　of　misfortunes　had　reduced　him　to　want。　　To

avoid　the　mortification　consequent　upon　his　disasters；　he　left　New

Orleans；　the　city　of　his　forefathers；　and　took　up　his　residence　at

Sullivan's　Island；　near　Charleston；　South　Carolina。



This　island　is　a　very　singular　one。　　It　consists　of　little　else

than　the　sea　sand；　and　is　about　three　miles　long。　　Its　breadth　at

no　point　exceeds　a　quarter　of　a　mile。　　It　is　separated　from　the

mainland　by　a　scarcely　perceptible　creek；　oozing　its　way　through　a

wilderness　of　reeds　and　slime；　a　favorite　resort　of　the　marsh　hen。

The　vegetation；　as　might　be　supposed；　is　scant；　or　at　least

dwarfish。　　No　trees　of　any　magnitude　are　to　be　seen。　　Near　the

western　extremity；　where　Fort　Moultrie　stands；　and　where　are　some

miserable　frame　buildings；　tenanted；　during　summer；　by　the

fugitives　from　Charleston　dust　and　fever；　may　be　found；　indeed；　the

bristly　palmetto；　but　the　whole　island；　with　the　exception　of　this

western　point；　and　a　line　of　hard；　white　beach　on　the　seacoast；　is

covered　with　a　dense　undergrowth　of　the　sweet　myrtle　so　much　prized

by　the　horticulturists　of　England。　　The　shrub　here　often　attains

the　height　of　fifteen　or　twenty　feet；　and　forms　an　almost

impenetrable　coppice；　burdening　the　air　with　its　fragrance。



In　the　inmost　recesses　of　this　coppice；　not　far　from　the　eastern　or

more　remote　end　of　the　island；　Legrand　had　built　himself　a　small

hut；　which　he　occupied　when　I　first；　by　mere　accident；　made　his

acquaintance。　　This　soon　ripened　into　friendshipfor　there　was

much　in　the　recluse　to　excite　interest　and　esteem。　　I　found　him

well　educated；　with　unusual　powers　of　mind；　but　infected　with

misanthropy；　and　subject　to　perverse　moods　of　alternate　enthusiasm

and　melancholy。　　He　had　with　him　many　books；　but　rarely　employed

them。　　His　chief　amusements　were　gunning　and　fishing；　or　sauntering

along　the　beach　and　through　the　myrtles；　in　quest　of　shells　or

entomological　specimenshis　collection　of　the　latter　might　have

been　envied　by　a　Swammerdamm。　　In　these　excursions　he　was　usually

accompanied　by　an　old　negro；　called　Jupiter；　who　had　been

manumitted　before　the　reverses　of　the　family；　but　who　could　be

induced；　neither　by　threats　nor　by　promises；　to　abandon　what　he

considered　his　right　of　attendance　upon　the　footsteps　of　his　young

〃Massa　Will。〃　　It　is　not　improbable　that　the　relatives　of　Legrand；

conceiving　him　to　be　somewhat　unsettled　in　intellect；　had　contrived

to　instill　this　obstinacy　into　Jupiter；　with　a　view　to　the

supervision　and　guardianship　of　the　wanderer。



The　winters　in　the　latitude　of　Sullivan's　Island　are　seldom　very

severe；　and　in　the　fall　of　the　year　it　is　a　rare　event　indeed　when

a　fire　is　considered　necessary。　　About　the　middle　of　October；　18；

there　occurred；　however；　a　day　of　remarkable　chilliness。　　Just

before　sunset　I　scrambled　my　way　through　the　evergreens　to　the　hut

of　my　friend；　whom　I　had　not　visited　for　several　weeksmy

residence　being；　at　that　time；　in　Charleston；　a　distance　of　nine

miles　from　the　island；　while　the　facilities　of　passage　and

repassage　were　very　far　behind　those　of　the　present　day。　　Upon

reaching　the　hut　I　rapped；　as　was　my　custom；　and　getting　no　reply；

sought　for　the　key　where　I　knew　it　was　secreted；　unlocked　the　door；

and　went　in。　　A　fine　fire　was　blazing　upon　the　hearth。　　It　was　a

novelty；　and　by　no　means　an　ungrateful　one。　　I　threw　off　an

overcoat；　took　an　armchair　by　the　crackling　logs；　and　awaited

patiently　the　arrival　of　my　hosts。



Soon　after　dark　they　arrived；　and　gave　me　a　most　cordial　welcome。

Jupiter；　grinning　from　ear　to　ear；　bustled　about　to　prepare　some

marsh　hens　for　supper。　　Legrand　was　in　one　of　his　fitshow　else

shall　I　term　them？of　enthusiasm。　　He