the secret sharer-第5章

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the　door　announced；　〃There's　a　ship's　boat　coming　our　way；　sir；〃

I　saw　him　give　a　startthe　first　movement　he　had　made　for　hours。

But　he　did　not　raise　his　bowed　head。



〃All　right。　　Get　the　ladder　over。〃



I　hesitated。　　Should　I　whisper　something　to　him？　　But　what？

His　immobility　seemed　to　have　been　never　disturbed。

What　could　I　tell　him　he　did　not　know　already？　。　。　。　Finally

I　went　on　deck。







II



The　skipper　of　the　Sephora　had　a　thin　red　whisker　all　round　his　face；

and　the　sort　of　complexion　that　goes　with　hair　of　that　color；

also　the　particular；　rather　smeary　shade　of　blue　in　the　eyes。

He　was　not　exactly　a　showy　figure；　his　shoulders　were　high；

his　stature　but　middlingone　leg　slightly　more　bandy

than　the　other。　　He　shook　hands；　looking　vaguely　around。

A　spiritless　tenacity　was　his　main　characteristic；　I　judged。

I　behaved　with　a　politeness　which　seemed　to　disconcert　him。

Perhaps　he　was　shy。　　He　mumbled　to　me　as　if　he　were　ashamed　of

what　he　was　saying；　gave　his　name　（it　was　something　like　Archbold

but　at　this　distance　of　years　I　hardly　am　sure）；　his　ship's　name；

and　a　few　other　particulars　of　that　sort；　in　the　manner

of　a　criminal　making　a　reluctant　and　doleful　confession。

He　had　had　terrible　weather　on　the　passage　outterribleterrible

wife　aboard；　too。



By　this　time　we　were　seated　in　the　cabin　and　the　steward　brought　in　a

tray　with　a　bottle　and　glasses。　　〃Thanks！　　No。〃　Never　took　liquor。

Would　have　some　water；　though。　　He　drank　two　tumblerfuls。

Terrible　thirsty　work。　　Ever　since　daylight　had　been　exploring

the　islands　round　his　ship。



〃What　was　that　forfun？〃　　I　asked；　with　an　appearance　of　polite　interest。



〃No！〃　　He　sighed。　　〃Painful　duty。〃



As　he　persisted　in　his　mumbling　and　I　wanted　my　double　to　hear　every　word；

I　hit　upon　the　notion　of　informing　him　that　I　regretted　to　say　I　was

hard　of　hearing。



〃Such　a　young　man；　too！〃　he　nodded；　keeping　his　smeary　blue；

unintelligent　eyes　fastened　upon　me。　　〃What　was　the　cause　of　it

some　disease？〃　he　inquired；　without　the　least　sympathy　and　as

if　he　thought　that；　if　so；　I'd　got　no　more　than　I　deserved。



〃Yes；　disease；〃　I　admitted　in　a　cheerful　tone　which　seemed　to　shock　him。

But　my　point　was　gained；　because　he　had　to　raise　his　voice　to　give

me　his　tale。　　It　is　not　worth　while　to　record　his　version。

It　was　just　over　two　months　since　all　this　had　happened；　and　he　had　thought

so　much　about　it　that　he　seemed　completely　muddled　as　to　its　bearings；

but　still　immensely　impressed。



〃What　would　you　think　of　such　a　thing　happening　on　board　your　own　ship？

I've　had　the　Sephora　for　these　fifteen　years。　　I　am　a　well…known　shipmaster。〃



He　was　densely　distressedand　perhaps　I　should　have　sympathized

with　him　if　I　had　been　able　to　detach　my　mental　vision

from　the　unsuspected　sharer　of　my　cabin　as　though　he　were　my

second　self。　　There　he　was　on　the　other　side　of　the　bulkhead；

four　or　five　feet　from　us；　no　more；　as　we　sat　in　the　saloon。

I　looked　politely　at　Captain　Archbold　（if　that　was　his　name）；

but　it　was　the　other　I　saw；　in　a　gray　sleeping　suit；　seated　on

a　low　stool；　his　bare　feet　close　together；　his　arms　folded；

and　every　word　said　between　us　falling　into　the　ears　of　his

dark　head　bowed　on　his　chest。



〃I　have　been　at　sea　now；　man　and　boy；　for　seven…and…thirty　years；

and　I've　never　heard　of　such　a　thing　happening　in　an　English　ship。

And　that　it　should　be　my　ship。　　Wife　on　board；　too。〃



I　was　hardly　listening　to　him。



〃Don't　you　think；〃　I　said；　〃that　the　heavy　sea　which；

you　told　me；　came　aboard　just　then　might　have　killed　the　man？

I　have　seen　the　sheer　weight　of　a　sea　kill　a　man　very　neatly；

by　simply　breaking　his　neck。〃



〃Good　God！〃　he　uttered；　impressively；　fixing　his　smeary　blue　eyes　on　me。

〃The　sea！　　No　man　killed　by　the　sea　ever　looked　like　that。〃

He　seemed　positively　scandalized　at　my　suggestion。　　And　as　I　gazed

at　him　certainly　not　prepared　for　anything　original　on　his　part；

he　advanced　his　head　close　to　mine　and　thrust　his　tongue　out　at　me

so　suddenly　that　I　couldn't　help　starting　back。



After　scoring　over　my　calmness　in　this　graphic　way　he　nodded　wisely。

If　I　had　seen　the　sight；　he　assured　me；　I　would　never　forget　it　as　long

as　I　lived。　　The　weather　was　too　bad　to　give　the　corpse　a　proper　sea　burial。

So　next　day　at　dawn　they　took　it　up　on　the　poop；　covering　its　face

with　a　bit　of　bunting；　he　read　a　short　prayer；　and　then；　just　as　it　was；

in　its　oilskins　and　long　boots；　they　launched　it　amongst　those　mountainous

seas　that　seemed　ready　every　moment　to　swallow　up　the　ship　herself

and　the　terrified　lives　on　board　of　her。



〃That　reefed　foresail　saved　you；〃　I　threw　in。



〃Under　Godit　did；〃　he　exclaimed　fervently。　　〃It　was　by　a　special　mercy；

I　firmly　believe；　that　it　stood　some　of　those　hurricane　squalls。〃



〃It　was　the　setting　of　that　sail　which〃　I　began。



〃God's　own　hand　in　it；〃　he　interrupted　me。　　〃Nothing　less　could　have　done　it。

I　don't　mind　telling　you　that　I　hardly　dared　give　the　order。

It　seemed　impossible　that　we　could　touch　anything　without　losing　it；

and　then　our　last　hope　would　have　been　gone。〃



The　terror　of　that　gale　was　on　him　yet。　　I　let　him　go　on　for　a　bit；

then　said；　casuallyas　if　returning　to　a　minor　subject：



〃You　were　very　anxious　to　give　up　your　mate　to　the　shore　people；　I　believe？〃



He　was。　　To　the　law。　　His　obscure　tenacity　on　that　point　had　in　it

something　incomprehensible　and　a　little　awful；　something；　as　it

were；　mystical；　quite　apart　from　his　anxiety　that　he　should

not　be　suspected　of　〃countenancing　any　doings　of　that　sort。〃

Seven…and…thirty　virtuous　years　at　sea；　of　which　over　twenty

of　immaculate　command；　and　the　last　fifteen　in　the　Sephora；

seemed　to　have　laid　him　under　some　pitiless　obligation。



〃And　you　know；〃　he　went　on；　groping　shame…facedly　amongst　his　feelings；

〃I　did　not　engage　that　young　fellow。　　His　people　had　some

interest　with　my　owners。　　I　was　in　a　way　forced　to　take　him　on。

He　looked　very　smart；　very　gentlemanly；　and　all　that。

But　do　you　knowI　never　liked　him；　somehow。　　I　am　a　plain　man。

You　see；　he　wasn't　exactly　the　sort　for　the　chief　mate　of　a　ship

like　the　Sephora。〃



I　had　become　so　connected　in　thoughts　and　impressions　with　the　secret

sharer　of　my　cabin　that　I　felt　as　if　I；　personally；　were　being

given　to　understand　that　I；　too；　was　not　the　sort　that　would

have　done　for　the　chief　mate　of　a　ship　like　the　Sephora。

I　had　no　doubt　of　it　in　my　mind。



〃Not　at　all　the　style　of　man。　　You　understand；〃　he　insisted；

superfluously；　looking　hard　at　me。



I　smiled　urbanely。　　He　seemed　at　a　loss　for　a　while。



〃I　suppose　I　must　report　a　suicide。〃



〃Beg　pardon？〃



〃Suicide！　　That's　what　I'll　have　to　write　to　my　owners　directly　I　get　in。〃



〃Unless　you　manage　to　recover　him　before　tomorrow；〃

I　assented；　dispassionately。　　。　。　。　〃I　mean；　alive。〃



He　mumbled　something　which　I　really　did　not　catch；　and　I　turned　my　ear

to　him　in　a　puzzled　manner。　　He　fairly　bawled：



〃The　landI　say；　the　mainland　is　at　least　seven　miles　off　my　anchorage。〃



〃About　that。〃



My　lack　of　excitement；　of　curiosity；　of　surprise；　of　any

sort　of　pronounced　interest；　began　to　arouse　his　distrust。

But　except　for　the　felicitous　pretense　of　deafness　I　had　not　tried

to　pretend　anything。　　I　had　felt　utterly　incapable　of　playing

the　part　of　ignorance　properly；　and　therefore　was　afraid　to　try。

It　is　also　certain　that　he　had　brought　some　ready…made　suspicions

with　him；　and　that　he　viewed　my　politeness　as　a　strange　and

unnatural　phenomenon。　　And　yet　how　else　could　I　have　received　him？

Not　heartily！　　That　was　impossible　for　psychological　reasons；

which　I　need　not　state　here。　　My　only　object　was　to　keep　off

his　inquiries。　　Surlily？　　Yes；　but　surliness　might　have　provoked

a　point…blank　question。　　From　its　novelty　to　him　and　from　its　nature；

punctilious　courtesy　was　the　manner　best　calculated　to　restrain　the　man。

But　there　was　the　danger　of　his　breaking　through　my　defense　bluntly。

I　could　not；　I　think；　have　met　him　by　a　direct　lie；　also　for　psychological

（not　moral）　reasons。　　If　he　had　only　known　how　afraid　I　was　of

his　putting　my　feeling　of　identity　with　the　other　to　the　test！

But；　strangely　enough（I　thought　of　it　only　afterwards）

I　believe　that　he　was　not　a　little　disconcerted　by　the　reverse

side　of　that　weird　situation；　by　something　in　me　that　reminded

him　of　the　man　he　was　seekingsuggested　a　mysterious　similitude

to　the　young　fellow　he　had　distrusted　and　disliked　from　the　first。



However　that　might　have　been；　the　silence　was　not　very　prolonged。

He　took　another　oblique　step。



〃I　reckon　I　had　no　more　than　a　two…mile　pull　to　your　ship。

Not　a　bit　more。〃



〃And　quite　enough；　too；　in　this　awful　heat；〃　I　said。



Another　pause　full　of　mistrust　followed。　　Necessity；　they　say；　is　mother

of　invention；　but　fear；　too；　is　not　barren　of　ingenious　suggestions。

And　I　was　afraid　he　would　ask　me　point…blank　for　news　of　my　other　self。



〃Nice　little　saloon；　isn't　it？〃　　I　remarked；　as　if　noticing　for　the　first

time　the　way　his　eyes　roamed　from　one　closed　door　to　the　other。

〃And　very　well　fitted　out；　too。　　Here；　for　instance；〃　I　continued；

reaching　over　the　back　of　my　seat　negligently　and　flinging　the　door　open；

〃is　my　bathroom。〃



He　made　an　eager　movement；　but　hardly　gave　it　a　glance。

I　got　up；　shut　the　door　of　the　bathroom；　and　invited　him　to　have

a　look　round；　as　if　I　were　very　proud　of　my　accomodation。

He　had　to　rise　and　be　shown　round；　but　he　went　through　the　business

without　any　raptures　whatever。



〃And　now　we'll　have　a　look　at　my　stateroom；〃　I　declared；

in　a　voice　as　loud　as　I　dared　to　make　it；　crossing　the　cabin

to　the　starboard　side　with　purposely　heavy　steps。



He　followed　me　in　and　gazed　around。　　My　intelligent　double　had　vanished。

I　played　my　part。



〃Very　convenientisn't　it？〃



Very　nice。　　Very　comf　。　。　。〃　He　didn't　finish　and　went　out

brusquely　as　if　to　escape　from　some　unrighteous　wiles　of　mine。

But　it　was　not　to　be。　　I　had　been　too　frightened　not　to　feel　vengeful；

I　felt　I　had　him　on　the　run；　and　I　meant　to　keep　him　on　the　run。

My　polite　insistence　must　have　had　something　menacing　in　it；

because　he　gave　in　suddenly。　　And　I　did　not　let　him　off　a　single　item；

mate's　room；　pantry；　storerooms；　the　very　sail　locker　which　was

also　under　the　poophe　had　to　look　into　them　all。　　When　at　last　I

showed　him　out　on　the　quarter…deck　he　drew　a　long；　spiritless　sigh；

and　mumbled　dismally　that　he　must　really　be　going　back　to　his　ship　now。

I　desired　my　mate；　who　had　joined　us；　to　see　to　the　captain's　boat。



The　man　of　whiskers　gave　a　blast　on　the　whistle　which　he　used

to　wear　hanging　round　his　neck；　and　yelled；　〃Sephora's　away！〃

My　double　down　there　in　my　cabin　must　have　heard；　and　certainly

could　not　feel　more　relieved　than　I。　Four　fellows　came　running

out　from　somewhere　forward　and　wen