dream days-第11章

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side。　　I　was　through　the　town　by　this　time；　and　out　on　the　other

side　of　the　hill；　where　I　had　always　wanted　to　be；　and；　sure

enough；　there　was　the　harbour；　all　thick　with　curly　ships。　　Most

of　them　were　piled　high　with　wedding…presentsbales　of　silk；　and

gold　and　silver　plate；　and　comfortable…looking　bags　suggesting

bullion；　and　the　gayest　ship　of　all　lay　close　up　to　the　carpeted

landing…stage。　　Already　the　bride　was　stepping　daintily　down　the

gangway；　her　ladies　following　primly；　one　by　one；　a　few　minutes

more　and　we　should　all　be　aboard；　the　hawsers　would　splash

in　the　water；　the　sails　would　fill　and　strain。　　From　the　deck　I

should　see　the　little　walled　town　recede　and　sink　and　grow　dim；

while　every　plunge　of　our　bows　brought　us　nearer　to　the　happy

islandit　was　an　island　we　were　bound　for；　I　knew　well！　　Already

I　could　see　the　island…people　waving　hands　on　the　crowded　quay；

whence　the　little　houses　ran　up　the　hill　to　the　castle；　crowning

all　with　its　towers　and　battlements。　　Once　more　we　should　ride

together；　a　merry　procession；　clattering　up　the　steep　street　and

through　the　grim　gateway；　and　then　we　should　have　arrived；　then

we　should　all　dine　together；　then　we　should　have　reached　home！　

And　then



OW！　OW！　OW！



Bitter　it　is　to　stumble　out　of　an　opalescent　dream　into　the　cold

daylight；　cruel　to　lose　in　a　second　a　sea…voyage；　an　island；　and

a　castle　that　was　to　be　practically　your　own；　but　cruellest

and　bitterest　of　all　to　know；　in　addition　to　your　loss；　that　the

fingers　of　an　angry　aunt　have　you　tight　by　the　scruff　of　your

neck。　　My　beautiful　book　was　gone　tooravished　from　my　grasp　by

the　dressy　lady；　who　joined　in　the　outburst　of　denunciation　as

heartily　as　if　she　had　been　a　relativeand　naught　was　left　me

but　to　blubber　dismally；　awakened　of　a　sudden　to　the　harshness　of

real　things　and　the　unnumbered　hostilities　of　the　actual　world。　

I　cared　little　for　their　reproaches；　their　abuse；　but　I　sorrowed

heartily　for　my　lost　ship；　my　vanished　island；　my　uneaten　dinner；

and　for　the　knowledge　that；　if　I　wanted　any　angels　to　play　with；

I　must　henceforth　put　up　with　the　anaemic；　night…gowned

nonentities　that　hovered　over　the　bed　of　the　Sunday…school　child

in　the　pages　of　the　Sabbath　Improver。



I　was　led　ignominiously　out　of　the　house；　in　a　pulpy；　watery

state；　while　the　butler　handled　his　swing　doors　with　a

stony；　impassive　countenance；　intended　for　the　deception　of　the

very　elect；　though　it　did　not　deceive　me。　　I　knew　well　enough

that　next　time　he　was　off　duty；　and　strolled　around　our　way；　we

should　meet　in　our　kitchen　as　man　to　man；　and　I　would　punch　him

and　ask　him　riddles；　and　he　would　teach　me　tricks　with　corks　and

bits　of　string。　　So　his　unsympathetic　manner　did　not　add　to　my

depression。



I　maintained　a　diplomatic　blubber　long　after　we　had　been　packed

into　our　pony…carriage　and　the　lodge…gate　had　clicked　behind　us；

because　it　served　as　a　sort　of　armour…plating　against　heckling

and　argument　and　abuse；　and　I　was　thinking　hard　and　wanted　to　be

let　alone。　　And　the　thoughts　that　I　was　thinking　were　two。



First　I　thought；　〃I've　got　ahead　of　Charlotte　THIS　time！〃



And　next　I　thought；　〃When　I've　grown　up　big；　and　have　money

of　my　own；　and　a　full…sized　walking…stick；　I　will　set　out　early

one　morning；　and　never　stop　till　I　get　to　that　little　walled

town。〃　　There　ought　to　be　no　real　difficulty　in　the　task。　　It

only　meant　asking　here　and　asking　there；　and　people　were　very

obliging；　and　I　could　describe　every　stick　and　stone　of　it。



As　for　the　island　which　I　had　never　even　seen；　that　was　not　so

easy。　　Yet　I　felt　confident　that　somehow；　at　some　time；　sooner　or

later；　I　was　destined　to　arrive。







A　SAGA　OF　THE　SEAS



It　happened　one　day　that　some　ladies　came　to　call；　who　were　not

at　all　the　sort　I　was　used　to。　　They　suffered　from　a　grievance；

so　far　as　I　could　gather；　and　the　burden　of　their　plaint　was

ManMen　in　general　and　Man　in　particular。　　（Though　the　words

were　but　spoken；　I　could　clearly　discern　the　capital　M　in　their

acid　utterance。）



Of　course　I　was　not　present　officially；　so　to　speak。　　Down　below；

in　my　sub…world　of　chair…legs　and　hearthrugs　and　the　undersides

of　sofas；　I　was　working　out　my　own　floor…problems；　while　they

babbled　on　far　above　my　head；　considering　me　as　but　a　chair…leg；

or　even　something　lower　in　the　scale。　　Yet　I　was　listening　hard

all　the　time；　with　that　respectful　consideration　one　gives　to

all　grown…up　people's　remarks；　so　long　as　one　knows　no　better。



It　seemed　a　serious　indictment　enough；　as　they　rolled　it　out。　　In

tact；　considerateness；　and　right　appreciation；　as　well　as　in

taste　and　aesthetic　sensibilitieswe　failed　at　every　point；　we

breeched　and　bearded　prentice…jobs　of　Nature；　and　I　began　to　feel

like　collapsing　on　the　carpet　from　sheer　spiritual　anaemia。　　But

when　one　of　them；　with　a　swing　of　her　skirt；　prostrated　a　whole

regiment　of　my　brave　tin　soldiers；　and　never　apologized　nor　even

offered　her　aid　toward　revivifying　the　battle…line；　I　could　not

help　feeling　that　in　tactfulness　and　consideration　for　others　she

was　still　a　little　to　seek。　　And　I　said　as　much；　with　some

directness　of　language。



That　was　the　end　of　me；　from　a　society　point　of　view。　　Rudeness

to　visitors　was　the　unpardonable　sin；　and　in　two　seconds　I

had　my　marching　orders；　and　was　sullenly　wending　my　way　to　the

St。　Elelena　of　the　nursery。　　As　I　climbed　the　stair；　my　thoughts

reverted　somehow　to　a　game　we　had　been　playing　that　very　morning。



It　was　the　good　old　game　of　Rafts；a　game　that　will　be　played

till　all　the　oceans　are　dry　and　all　the　trees　in　the　world　are

felledand　after。　　And　we　were　all　crowded　together　on　the

precarious　little　platform；　and　Selina　occupied　every　bit　as　much

room　as　I　did；　and　Charlotte's　legs　didn't　dangle　over　any　more

than　Harold's。　　The　pitiless　sun　overhead　beat　on　us　all　with

tropic　impartiality；　and　the　hungry　sharks；　whose　fins　scored　the

limitless　Pacific　stretching　out　on　every　side；　were　impelled　by

an　appetite　that　made　no　exceptions　as　to　sex。　　When　we　shared

the　ultimate　biscuit　and　circulated　the　last　water…keg；　the　girls

got　an　absolute　fourth　apiece；　and　neither　more　nor　less；　and

the　only　partiality　shown　was　entirely　in　favour　of

Charlotte；　who　was　allowed　to　perceive　and　to　hail　the　saviour…

sail　on　the　horizon。　　And　this　was　only　because　it　was　her　turn

to　do　so；　not　because　she　happened　to　be　this　or　that。　　Surely；

the　rules　of　the　raft　were　the　rules　of　life；　and　in　what；　then；

did　these　visitor…ladies'　grievance　consist？



Puzzled　and　a　little　sulky；　I　pushed　open　the　door　of　the

deserted　nursery；　where　the　raft　that　had　rocked　beneath　so　many

hopes　and　fears　still　occupied　the　ocean…floor。　　To　the　dull　eye；

that　merely　tarries　upon　the　outsides　of　things；　it　might　have

appeared　unromantic　and　even　unraftlike；　consisting　only　as　it

did　of　a　round　sponge…bath　on　a　bald　deal　towel…horse　placed　flat

on　the　floor。　　Even　to　myself　much　of　the　recent　raft…glamour

seemed　to　have　departed　as　I　half…mechanically　stepped　inside　and

curled　myself　up　in　it　for　a　solitary　voyage。　　Once　I　was

in；　however；　the　old　magic　and　mystery　returned　in　full　flood；

when　I　discovered　that　the　inequalities　of　the　towel…horse　caused

the　bath　to　rock；　slightly；　indeed；　but　easily　and　incessantly。　

A　few　minutes　of　this　delightful　motion；　and　one　was　fairly

launched。　　So　those　women　below　didn't　want　us？　　Well；　there　were

other　women；　and　other　places；　that　did。　　And　this　was　going　to

be　no　scrambling　raft…affair；　but　a　full…blooded　voyage　of　the

Man；　equipped　and　purposeful；　in　search　of　what　was　his　rightful

own。



Whither　should　I　shape　my　course；　and　what　sort　of　vessel　should

I　charter　for　the　voyage？　　The　shipping　of　all　England　was　mine

to　pick　from；　and　the　far　corners　of　the　globe　were　my　rightful

inheritance。　　A　frigate；　of　course；　seemed　the　natural　vehicle

for　a　boy　of　spirit　to　set　out　in。　　And　yet　there　was　something

rather　〃uppish〃　in　commanding　a　frigate　at　the　very　first

set…off；　and　little　spread　was　left　for　the　ambition。　　Frigates；

too；　could　always　be　acquired　later　by　sheer　adventure；　and　your

real　hero　generally　saved　up　a　square…rigged　ship　for　the　final

achievement　and　the　rapt　return。　　No；　it　was　a　schooner　that　I

was　aboard　ofa　schooner　whose　masts　raked　devilishly　as　the

leaping　seas　hissed　along　her　low　black　gunwale。　　Many

hairbrained　youths　started　out　on　a　mere　cutter；　but　I　was

prudent；　and　besides　I　had　some　inkling　of　the　serious　affairs

that　were　ahead。



I　have　said　I　was　already　on　board；　and；　indeed；　on　this　occasion

I　was　too　hungry　for　adventure　to　linger　over　what　would　have

been　a　special　delight　at　a　period　of　more　leisurethe　dangling

about　the　harbour；　the　choosing　your　craft；　selecting　your

shipmates；　stowing　your　cargo；　and　fitting　up　your　private　cabin

with　everything　you　might　want　to　put　your　hand　on　in　any

emergency　whatever。　　I　could　not　wait　for　that。　　Out　beyond

soundings　the　big　seas　were　racing　westward　and　calling　me；

albatrosses　hovered　motionless；　expectant　of　a　comrade；　and　a

thousand　islands　held　each　of　them　a　fresh　adventure；　stored　up；

hidden　away；　awaiting　production；　expressly　saved　for　me。　　We

were　humming；　close…hauled；　down　the　Channel；　spray　in　the　eyes

and　the　shrouds　thrilling　musically；　in　much　less　time　than　the

average　man　would　have　taken　to　transfer　his　Gladstone　bag　and

his　rugs　from　the　train　to　a　sheltered　place　on　the　promenade…

deck　of　the　tame　daily　steamer。



So　long　as　we　were　in　pilotage　I　stuck　manfully　to　the　wheel。　

The　undertaking　was　mine；　and　with　it　all　its　responsibilities；

and　there　was　some　tricky　steering　to　be　done　as　we　sped　by

headland　and　bay；　ere　we　breasted　the　great　seas　outside　and

the　land　fell　away　behind　us。　　But　as　soon　as　the　Atlantic

had　opened　out　I　began　to　feel　that　it　would　be　rather　nice　to

take　tea　by　myself　in　my　own　cabin；　and　it　therefore　became

necessary　to　invent　a　comrade　or　two；　to　take　their　turn　at　the

wheel。



This　was　easy　enough。　　A　friend　or　two　of　my　own　age；　from　among

the　boys　I　knew；　a　friend　or　two　from　characters　in　the　books　I

knew；　and　a　friend　or　two　from　No…man's…land；　where　every

fellow's　a　born　sailor；　and　the　crew　was　complete。　　I　addressed

them　on　the　poop；　divided　them　into　watches；　gave　instructions　I

should　be　summoned　on　the　first　sign　of　pirates；　whales；　or

Frenchmen；　and　retired　below　to　a　well…earned　spell　of

relaxation。



That　was　the　right　sort　of　cabin　that　I　stepped　into；　shutting

the　door　behind　me　with　a　click。　　Of　course；　fire…arms　were　the

first　thing　I　looked　for；　and　there　they　were；　sure　enough；

in　their　racks；　dozens　of　'emdouble…barrelled　guns；　and

repeating…rifles；　and　long　pistols；　and　shiny　plated　revolvers。　

I　rang　up　the　steward　and　ordered　tea；　with　scones；　and　jam　in

its　native　potsnone　of