by shore and sedge(沙滩和苔草旁)-第14章
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been removed to make room for one of the partitions； the only way the
stranger could have reached it was by leaping to one of the rings。 To make
sure of this she let herself down holding on to the rings； and dropped a
couple of feet to the deck below。 She was in the narrow passage her father
had penetrated the previous night。 Before her was the door leading to de
Ferrieres's loft； always locked。 It was silent within； it was the hour when
the old Frenchman made his habitual promenade in the city。 But the light
from the newly…opened hatch allowed her to see more of the mysterious
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recesses of the forward bulkhead than she had known before； and she was
startled by observing another yawning hatch…way at her feet from which
the closely…fitting door had been lifted； and which the new lodger had
evidently forgotten to close again。 The young girl stooped down and
peered cautiously into the black abyss。 Nothing was to be seen； nothing
heard but the distant gurgle and click of water in some remoter depth。 She
replaced the hatch and returned by way of the passage to the cabin。
When her father came home that night she briefly recounted the
interview with the new lodger； and her discovery of his curiosity。 She did
this with a possible increase of her usual shyness and abstraction； and
apparently more as a duty than a colloquial recreation。 But it pleased Mr。
Nott also to give it more than his usual misconception。 〃Looking round the
ship； was heeh； Rosey？〃 he said with infinite archness。 〃In course； kinder
sweepin' round the galley； and offerin' to fetch you wood and water； eh？〃
Even when the young girl had picked up her book with the usual faint
smile of affectionate tolerance； and then drifted away in its pages； Mr。
Nott chuckled audibly。 〃I reckon old Frenchy didn't come by when the
young one was bedevlin' you there。〃
〃What； father？〃 said Rosey； lifting her abstracted eyes to his face。
At the moment it seemed impossible that any human intelligence could
have suspected deceit or duplicity in Rosey's clear gaze。 But Mr。 Nott's
intelligence was superhuman。 〃I was sayin' that Mr。 Ferrieres didn't
happen in while the young feller was thereeh？〃
〃No； father；〃 answered Rosey； with an effort to follow him out of the
pages of her book。 〃Why？〃
But Mr。 Nott did not reply。 Later in the evening he awkwardly waylaid
the new lodger before the cabin door as that gentleman would have passed
on to his room。
〃I'm afraid；〃 said the young man； glancing at Rosey； 〃that I intruded
upon your daughter to…day。 I was a little curious to see the old ship； and I
didn't know what part of it was private。〃
〃There ain't no private part to this yer shipthat ez； 'cepting the rooms
and lofts；〃 said Mr。 Nott； authoritatively。 Then； subjecting the anxious look
of his daughter to his usual faculty for misconception； he added； 〃Thar
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ain't no place whar you haven't as much right to go ez any other man； thar
ain't any man； furriner or Amerykan； young or old； dyed or undyed； ez hev
got any better rights。 You hear me； young fellow。 Mr。 Renshawmy darter。
My darterMr。 Renshaw。 Rosey； give the gentleman a chair。 She's only
jest come in from a promeynade； and hez jest taken off her bonnet；〃 he
added； with an arch look at Rosey； and a hurried look around the cabin； as
if he hoped to see the missing gift visible to the general eye。 〃So take a
seat a minit； won't ye？〃
But Mr。 Renshaw； after an observant glance at the young girl's
abstracted face； brusquely excused himself； 〃I've got a letter to write；〃 he
said； with a half bow to Rosey。 〃Good night。〃
He crossed the passage to the room that had been assigned to him； and
closing the door gave way to some irritability of temper in his efforts to
light the lamp and adjust his writing materials。 For his excuse to Mr。 Nott
was more truthful than most polite pretexts。 He had； indeed； a letter to
write； and one that； being yet young in duplicity； the near presence of his
host rendered difficult。 For it ran as follows：
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〃DEAR SLEIGHT；
I
〃As I found I couldn't get a chance to make any examination of the
ship except as occasion offered； I just went in to rent lodgings in her from
the God…forsaken old ass who owns her； and here I am a tenant for two
months。 I contracted for that time in case the old fool should sell out to
some one else before。 Except that she's cut up a little between decks by the
partitions for lofts that that Pike County idiot has put into her； she looks
but little changed； and her FORE…HOLD； as far as I can judge； is intact。 It
seems that Nott bought her just as she stands； with her cargo half out； but
he wasn't here when she broke cargo。 If anybody else had bought her but
this cursed Missourian； who hasn't got the hayseed out of his hair； I might
have found out something from him； and saved myself this kind of fooling；
which isn't in my line。 If I could get possession of a loft on the main deck；
well forward； just over the fore…hold； I could satisfy myself in a few hours；
but the loft is rented by that crazy Frenchman who parades Montgomery
Street every afternoon； and though old Pike County wants to turn him out；
I'm afraid I can't get it for a week to come。
II
〃If anything should happen to me； just you waltz down here and corral
my things at once； for this old frontier pirate has a way of confiscating his
lodgers' trunks。
〃Yours；
DICK。〃
III
If Mr。 Renshaw indulged in any further curiosity regarding the
interior of the Pontiac； he did not make his active researches manifest to
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Rosey。 Nor； in spite of her father's invitation； did he again approach the
galleya fact which gave her her first vague impression in his favor。 He
seemed also to avoid the various advances which Mr。 Nott appeared
impelled to make； whenever they met in the passage； but did so without
seemingly avoiding HER； and marked his half contemptuous indifference
to the elder Nott by an increase of respect to the young girl。 She would
have liked to ask him something about ships； and was sure his
conversation would have been more interesting than that of old Captain
Bower； to whose cabin he had succeeded； who had once told her a ship
was the 〃devil's hen…coop。〃 She would have liked also to explain to him
that she was not in the habit of wearing a purple bonnet。 But her thoughts
were presently engrossed by an experience which interrupted the even
tenor of her young life。
She had been； as she afterwards remembered； impressed with a
nervous restlessness one afternoon； which made it impossible for her to
perform her ordinary household duties； or even to indulge her favorite
recreation of reading or castle building。 She wandered over the ship； and；
impelled by the same vague feeling of unrest； descended to the lower deck
and the forward bulkhead where she had discovered the open hatch。 It had
not been again disturbed； nor was there any trace of further exploration。 A
little ashamed； she knew not why； of revisiting the scene of Mr。 Renshaw's
researches； she was turning back when she noticed that the door which
communicated with de Ferrieres's loft was partly open。 The circumstance
was so unusual that she stopped before it in surprise。 There was no sound
from within； it was the hour when its queer occupant was always absent；
he must have forgotten to lock the door or it had been unfastened by other
hands。 After a moment of hesitation she pushed it further open and stepped
into the room。
By the dim light of two port…holes she could see that the floor was
strewn and piled with the contents of a broken bale of curled horse hair； of
which a few untouched bales still remained against the wall。 A heap of
morocco skins； some already cut in the form of chair cushion covers； and a
few cushions unfinished and unstuffed lay in the light of the ports； and
gave the apartment the appearance of a cheap workshop。 A rude
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instrument for combing the horse hair； awls； buttons； and thread heaped on
a small bench showed that active work had been but recently interrupted。
A cheap earthenware ewer and basin on the floor； and a pallet made of an
open bale of horse hair； on which a ragged quilt and blanket were flung；
indicated that the solitary worker dwelt and slept beside his work。
The truth flashed upon the young girl's active brain； quickened by
seclusion and fed by solitary books。 She read with keen eyes the miserable
secret of her father's strange guest in the poverty… stricken walls； in the
mute evidences of menial handicraft performed in loneliness and privation；
in this piteous adaptation of an accident to save the conscious shame of
premeditated toil。 She knew now why he had stammeringly refused to
receive her father's offer to buy back the goods he had given him； she
knew now how hardly gained was the pittance that paid his rent and
supported his childish vanity and grotesque pride。 From a peg in the
corner hung the familiar masquerade that hid his povertythe pearl…gray
trousers； the black frock coat； the tall shining hatin hideous contrast to
the penury of his surroundings。 But
