by shore and sedge(沙滩和苔草旁)-第18章
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when you first kem here you asked me if you could hev that 'er loft that
the Frenchman had down stairs。〃
〃No； I don't remember it；〃 said Renshaw almost rudely。 〃But；〃 he
added； after a pause； with an air of a man obliged to revive a stale and
unpleasant memory； 〃if I didwhat about it？〃
〃Nuthin'； only that you kin hev it to…morrow； ez that 'ere Frenchman is
movin' out；〃 responded Nott。 〃I thought you was sorter keen about it when
you first kem。〃
〃Umph！ we'll talk about it to…morrow。〃 Something in the look of
wearied perplexity with which Mr。 Nott was beginning to regard his own
mal a propos presence； arrested the young man's attention。 〃What's the
reason you didn't sell this old ship long ago； take a decent house in the
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town； and bring up your daughter like a lady？〃 he asked with a sudden
blunt good humor。 But even this implied blasphemy against the habitation
he worshiped did not prevent Mr。 Nott from his usual misconstruction of
the question。
〃I reckon； now； Rosey's got high…flown ideas of livin' in a castle with
ruins； eh？〃 he said cunningly。
〃Haven't heard her say；〃 returned Renshaw abruptly。 〃Good…night。〃
Firmly convinced that Rosey had been unable to conceal from Mr。
Renshaw the influence of her dreams of a castellated future with de
Ferrieres； he regained the cabin。 Satisfying himself that his daughter had
retired； he sought his own couch。 But not to sleep。 The figure of de
Ferrieres； standing in the ship side and melting into the outer darkness；
haunted him； and compelled him in dreams to rise and follow him through
the alleys and by…ways of the crowded city。 Again； it was a part of his
morbid suspicion that he now invested the absent man with a potential
significance and an unknown power。 What deep…laid plans might he not
form to possess himself of Rosey； of which he； Abner Nott； would be
ignorant？ Unchecked by the restraint of a father's roof he would now give
full license to his power。 〃Said he'd take his Honor with him；〃 muttered
Abner to himself in the dim watches of the night； 〃lookin' at that sayin' in
its right light； it looks bad。〃
V
The elaborately untruthful account which Mr。 Nott gave his daughter
of de Ferrieres's sudden departure was more fortunate than his usual
equivocations。 While it disappointed and slightly mortified her； it did not
seem to her inconsistent with what she already knew of him。 〃Said his
doctor had ordered him to quit town under an hour； owing to a comin'
attack of hay fever； and he had a friend from furrin parts waitin' him at the
Springs； Rosey；〃 explained Nott； hesitating between his desire to avoid his
daughter's eyes and his wish to observe her countenance。
〃Was he worse？I mean did he look badly； father？〃 inquired Rosey
thoughtfully。
〃I reckon not exackly bad。 Kinder looked ez if he mout be worse soon
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ef he didn't hump hisself。〃
〃Did you see him？in his room？〃 asked Rosey anxiously。 Upon the
answer to this simple question depended the future confidential relations
of father and daughter。 If her father had himself detected the means by
which his lodger existed； she felt that her own obligations to secrecy had
been removed。 But Mr。 Nott's answer disposed of this vain hope。 It was a
response after his usual fashion to the question he IMAGINED she artfully
wished to ask； i。 e。 if he had discovered their rendezvous of the previous
night。 This it was part of his peculiar delicacy to ignore。 Yet his reply
showed that he had been unconscious of the one miserable secret that he
might have read easily。
〃I was there an hour or sohim and me alonediscussin' trade。 I
reckon he's got a good thing outer that curled horse hair； for I see he's got
in an invoice o' cushions。 I've stored 'em all in the forrard bulkhead until
he sends for 'em； ez Mr。 Renshaw hez taken the loft。〃
But although Mr。 Renshaw had taken the loft； he did not seem in haste
to occupy it。 He spent part of the morning in uneasily pacing his room； in
occasional sallies into the street from which he purposelessly returned； and
once or twice in distant and furtive contemplation of Rosey at work in the
galley。 This last observation was not unnoticed by the astute Nott； who at
once conceiving that he was nourishing a secret and hopeless passion for
Rosey； began to consider whether it was not his duty to warn the young
man of her preoccupied affections。 But Mr。 Renshaw's final disappearance
obliged him to withhold his confidence till morning。
This time Mr。 Renshaw left the ship with the evident determination of
some settled purpose。 He walked rapidly until he reached the counting…
house of Mr。 Sleight； when he was at once shown into a private office。 In a
few moments Mr。 Sleight； a brusque but passionless man； joined him。
〃Well；〃 said Sleight； closing the door carefully。 〃What news？〃
〃None；〃 said Renshaw bluntly。 〃Look here； Sleight；〃 he added； turning
to him suddenly。 〃Let me out of this game。 I don't like it。〃
〃Does that mean you've found nothing？〃 asked Sleight； sarcastically。
〃It means that I haven't looked for anything； and that I don't intend to
without the full knowledge of that dd fool who owns the ship。〃
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〃You've changed your mind since you wrote that letter；〃 said Sleight
coolly； producing from a drawer the note already known to the reader。
Renshaw mechanically extended his hand to take it。 Mr。 Sleight dropped
the letter back into the drawer； which he quietly locked。 The apparently
simple act dyed Mr。 Renshaw's cheek with color； but it vanished quickly；
and with it any token of his previous embarrassment。 He looked at Sleight
with the convinced air of a resolute man who had at last taken a
disagreeable step but was willing to stand by the consequences。
〃I HAVE changed my mind；〃 he said coolly。 〃I found out that it was
one thing to go down there as a skilled prospector might go to examine a
mine that was to be valued according to his report of the indications； but
that it was entirely another thing to go and play the spy in a poor devil's
house in order to buy something he didn't know he was selling and
wouldn't sell if he did。〃
〃And something that the man HE bought of didn't think of selling；
something HE himself never paid for； and never expected to buy；〃 sneered
Sleight。
〃But something that WE expect to buy from our knowledge of all this；
and it is that which makes all the difference。〃
〃But you knew all this before。〃
〃I never saw it in this light before！ I never thought of it until I was
living there face to face with the old fool I was intending to overreach。 I
never was SURE of it until this morning； when he actually turned out one
of his lodgers that I might have the very room I required to play off our
little game in comfortably。 When he did that； I made up my mind to drop
the whole thing； and I'm here to do it。〃
〃And let somebody else take the responsibilitywith the percentage
unless you've also felt it your duty to warn Nott too；〃 said Sleight with a
sneer。
〃You only dare say that to me； Sleight；〃 said Renshaw quietly；
〃because you have in that drawer an equal evidence of my folly and my
confidence； but if you are wise you will not presume too far on either。 Let
us see how we stand。 Through the yarn of a drunken captain and a
mutinous sailor you became aware of an unclaimed shipment of treasure；
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concealed in an unknown ship that entered this harbor。 You are enabled；
through me； to corroborate some facts and identify the ship。 You proposed
to me； as a speculation； to identify the treasure if possible before you
purchased the ship。 I accepted the offer without consideration； on
consideration I now decline it； but without prejudice or loss to any one but
myself。 As to your insinuation I need not remind you that my presence
here to…day refutes it。 I would not require your permission to make a much
better bargain with a good natured fool like Nott than I could with you。 Or
if I did not care for the business I could have warned the girl〃
〃The girlwhat girl？〃
Renshaw bit his lip but answered boldly； 〃The old man's daughtera
poor girlwhom this act would rob as well as her father。〃
Sleight looked at his companion attentively。 〃You might have said so
at first； and let up on this camp…meetin' exhortation。 Well thenadmitting
you've got the old man and the young girl on the same string； and that
you've played it pretty low down in the short time you've been thereI
suppose； Dick Renshaw； I've got to see your bluff。 Well； how much is it！
What's the figure you and she have settled on？〃
For an instant Mr。 Sleight was in physical danger。 But before he had
finished speaking Renshaw's quick sense of the ludicrous had so far
overcome his first indignation as to enable him even to admire the perfect
moral insensibility of his companion。 As he rose and walked towards the
door； he half wondered that he had ever treated the affair seriously。 With a
smile he replied：
〃Far from bluffing； Sleight； I am throwing my cards on the table。
Consider that I've passed out。 Let some other man take my hand。 Rake
down the pot if you like； old man； I leave for Sacramento to… night。
Adios。〃
When the door had closed behind him Mr。 Sle
