little novels-第41章

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〃Is　there　really　nothing　known　of　the　poor　woman's　motives？〃　I　asked。

〃There　are　two　explanations　suggested；〃　the　doctor　informed　me。　〃One　of　them；　which　is　offered　by　your　female　servants；　seems　to　me　absurd。　They　declare　that　Mrs。　Mozeen；　at　her　mature　age；　was　in　love　with　the　young　man　who　is　your　footman！　It　is　even　asserted　that　she　tried　to　recommend　herself　to　him；　by　speaking　of　the　money　which　she　expected　to　bring　to　the　man　who　would　make　her　his　wife。　The　footman's　reply；　informing　her　that　he　was　already　engaged　to　be　married；　is　alleged　to　be　the　cause　which　has　driven　her　from　your　house。〃

I　begged　that　the　doctor　would　not　trouble　himself　to　repeat　more　of　what　my　women　servants　had　said。

〃If　the　other　explanation；〃　I　added；　〃is　equally　unworthy　of　notice〃

〃The　other　explanation；〃　the　doctor　interposed；　〃comes　from　Mr。　Rothsay；　and　is　of　a　very　serious　kind。〃

Rothsay's　opinion　demanded　my　respect。

〃What　view　does　he　take？〃　I　inquired。

〃A　view　that　startles　me；〃　the　doctor　said。　〃You　remember　my　telling　you　of　the　interest　he　took　in　your　symptoms；　and　in　the　remedies　I　had　employed？　Well！　Mr。　Rothsay　accounts　for　the　incomprehensible　recovery　of　your　health　by　asserting　that　poisonprobably　administered　in　small　quantities；　and　intermitted　at　intervals　in　fear　of　discoveryhas　been　mixed　with　your　medicine；　and　he　asserts　that　the　guilty　person　is　Mrs。　Mozeen。〃

It　was　impossible　that　I　could　openly　express　the　indignation　that　I　felt　on　hearing　this。　My　position　toward　Rothsay　forced　me　to　restrain　myself。

〃May　I　ask；〃　the　doctor　continued；　〃if　Mrs。　Mozeen　was　aware　that　she　had　a　legacy　to　expect　at　your　death？〃

〃Certainly。〃

〃Has　she　a　brother　who　is　one　of　the　dispensers　employed　by　your　chemists？〃

〃Yes。〃

〃Did　she　know　that　I　doubted　if　my　prescriptions　had　been　properly　prepared；　and　that　I　intended　to　make　inquiries？〃

〃I　wrote　to　her　myself　on　the　subject。〃

〃Do　you　think　her　brother　told　her　that　I　was　referred　to　_him_；　when　I　went　to　the　chemists？〃

〃I　have　no　means　of　knowing　what　her　brother　did。〃

〃Can　you　at　least　tell　me　when　she　received　your　letter？〃

〃She　must　have　received　it　on　the　day　when　she　left　my　house。〃

The　doctor　rose　with　a　grave　face。

〃These　are　rather　extraordinary　coincidences；〃　he　remarked。

I　merely　replied；　〃Mrs。　Mozeen　is　as　incapable　of　poisoning　as　I　am。〃

The　doctor　wished　me　good…morning。

I　repeat　here　my　conviction　of　my　housekeeper's　innocence。　I　protest　against　the　cruelty　which　accuses　her。　And；　whate　ver　may　have　been　her　motive　in　suddenly　leaving　my　service；　I　declare　that　she　still　possesses　my　sympathy　and　esteem；　and　I　invite　her　to　return　to　me　if　she　ever　sees　these　lines。

I　have　only　to　add；　by　way　of　postscript；　that　we　have　heard　of　the　safe　return　of　the　expedition　of　rescue。　Time；　as　my　wife　and　I　both　hope；　may　yet　convince　Rothsay　that　he　will　not　be　wrong　in　counting　on　Susan's　lovethe　love　of　a　sister。

In　the　meanwhile　we　possess　a　memorial　of　our　absent　friend。　We　have　bought　his　picture。


MR。　CAPTAIN　AND　THE　NYMPH。

I。

〃THE　Captain　is　still　in　the　prime　of　life；〃　the　widow　remarked。　〃He　has　given　up　his　ship；　he　possesses　a　sufficient　income；　and　he　has　nobody　to　live　with　him。　I　should　like　to　know　why　he　doesn't　marry。〃

〃The　Captain　was　excessively　rude　to　Me；〃　the　widow's　younger　sister　added；　on　her　side。　〃When　we　took　leave　of　him　in　London；　I　asked　if　there　was　any　chance　of　his　joining　us　at　Brighton　this　season。　He　turned　his　back　on　me　as　if　I　had　mortally　offended　him；　and　he　made　me　this　extraordinary　answer：　'Miss！　I　hate　the　sight　of　the　sea。'　The　man　has　been　a　sailor　all　his　life。　What　does　he　mean　by　saying　that　he　hates　the　sight　of　the　sea？〃

These　questions　were　addressed　to　a　third　person　presentand　the　person　was　a　man。　He　was　entirely　at　the　mercy　of　the　widow　and　the　widow's　sister。　The　other　ladies　of　the　familywho　might　have　taken　him　under　their　protectionhad　gone　to　an　evening　concert。　He　was　known　to　be　the　Captain's　friend；　and　to　be　well　acquainted　with　events　in　the　Captain's　life。　As　it　happened；　he　had　reasons　for　hesitating　to　revive　associations　connected　with　those　events。　But　what　polite　alternative　was　left　to　him？　He　must　either　inflict　disappointment；　and；　worse　still；　aggravate　curiosityor　he　must　resign　himself　to　circumstances；　and　tell　the　ladies　why　the　Captain　would　never　marry；　and　why　（sailor　as　he　was）　he　hated　the　sight　of　the　sea。　They　were　both　young　women　and　handsome　womenand　the　person　to　whom　they　had　appealed　（being　a　man）　followed　the　example　of　submission　to　the　sex；　first　set　in　the　garden　of　Eden。　He　enlightened　the　ladies；　in　the　terms　that　follow：

THE　British　merchantman；　_Fortuna_；　sailed　from　the　port　of　Liverpool　（at　a　date　which　it　is　not　necessary　to　specify）　with　the　morning　tide。　She　was　bound　for　certain　islands　in　the　Pacific　Ocean；　in　search　of　a　cargo　of　sandal…wooda　commodity　which；　in　those　days；　found　a　ready　and　profitable　market　in　the　Chinese　Empire。

A　large　discretion　was　reposed　in　the　Captain　by　the　owners；　who　knew　him　to　be　not　only　trustworthy；　but　a　man　of　rare　ability；　carefully　cultivated　during　the　leisure　hours　of　a　seafaring　life。　Devoted　heart　and　soul　to　his　professional　duties；　he　was　a　hard　reader　and　an　excellent　linguist　as　well。　Having　had　considerable　experience　among　the　inhabitants　of　the　Pacific　Islands；　he　had　attentively　studied　their　characters；　and　had　mastered　their　language　in　more　than　one　of　its　many　dialects。　Thanks　to　the　valuable　information　thus　obtained；　the　Captain　was　never　at　a　loss　to　conciliate　the　islanders。　He　had　more　than　once　succeeded　in　finding　a　cargo　under　circumstances　in　which　other　captains　had　failed。

Possessing　these　merits；　he　had　also　his　fair　share　of　human　defects。　For　instance；　he　was　a　little　too　conscious　of　his　own　good　looksof　his　bright　chestnut　hair　and　whiskers；　of　his　beautiful　blue　eyes；　of　his　fair　white　skin；　which　many　a　woman　had　looked　at　with　the　admiration　that　is　akin　to　envy。　His　shapely　hands　were　protected　by　gloves；　a　broad…brimmed　hat　sheltered　his　complexion　in　fine　weather　from　the　sun。　He　was　nice　in　the　choice　of　his　perfumes；　he　never　drank　spirits；　and　the　smell　of　tobacco　was　abhorrent　to　him。　New　men　among　his　officers　and　his　crew；　seeing　him　in　his　cabin；　perfectly　dressed；　washed；　and　brushed　until　he　was　an　object　speckless　to　look　upona　merchant…captain　soft　of　voice；　careful　in　his　choice　of　words；　devoted　to　study　in　his　leisure　hourswere　apt　to　conclude　that　they　had　trusted　themselves　at　sea　under　a　commander　who　was　an　anomalous　mixture　of　a　schoolmaster　and　a　dandy。　But　if　the　slightest　infraction　of　discipline　took　place；　or　if　the　storm　rose　and　the　vessel　proved　to　be　in　peril；　it　was　soon　discovered　that　the　gloved　hands　held　a　rod　of　iron；　that　the　soft　voice　could　make　itself　heard　through　wind　and　sea　from　one　end　of　the　deck　to　the　other；　and　that　it　issued　orders　which　the　greatest　fool　on　board　discovered　to　be　orders　that　had　saved　the　ship。　Throughout　his　professional　life；　the　general　impression　that　this　variously　gifted　man　produced　on　the　little　world　about　him　was　always　the　same。　Some　few　liked　him；　everybody　respected　him；　nobody　understood　him。　The　Captain　accepted　these　results。　He　persisted　in　reading　his　books　and　protecting　his　complexion；　with　this　result：　his　owners　shook　hands　with　him；　and　put　up　with　his　gloves。

The　_Fortuna_　touched　at　Rio　for　water；　and　for　supplies　of　food　which　might　prove　useful　in　case　of　scurvy。　In　due　time　the　ship　rounded　Cape　Horn；　favored　by　the　finest　weather　ever　known　in　those　latitudes　by　the　oldest　hand　on　board。　The　mateone　Mr。　Duncalfa　boozing；　wheezing；　self…confident　old　sea…dog；　with　a　flaming　face　and　a　vast　vocabulary　of　oaths；　swore　that　he　didn't　like　it。　〃The　foul　weather's　coming；　my　lads；〃　said　Mr。　Duncalf。　〃Mark　my　words；　there'll　be　wind　enough　to　take　the　curl　out　of　the　Captain's　whiskers　before　we　are　many　days　older！〃

For　one　uneventful　week；　the　ship　cruised　in　search　of　the　islands　to　which　the　owners　had　directed　her。　At　the　end　of　that　time　the　wind　took　the　predicted　liberties　with　the　Captain's　whiskers；　and　Mr。　Duncalf　stood　revealed　to　an　admiring　crew　in　the　character　of　a　true　prophet。

For　three　days　and　three　nights　the　_Fortuna_　ran　before　the　storm；　at　the　mercy　of　wind　and　sea。　On　the　fourth　morning　the　gale　blew　itself　out；　the　sun　appeared　again　toward　noon；　and　the　Captain　was　able　to　take　an　observation。　The　result　informed　him　that　he　was　in　a　part　of　the　Pacific　Ocean　with　which　he　was　entirely　unacquainted。　Thereupon；　the　officers　were　called　to　a　council　in　the　cabin。

Mr。　Duncalf；　as　became　his　rank；　was　consulted　first。　His　opinion　possessed　the　merit　of　brevity。　〃My　lads；　this　ship's　bewitched。　Take　my　word　for　it；　we　shall　wish　ourselves　back　in　our　own　latitudes　before　we　are　many　days　older。〃　Which；　being　interpreted；　meant　that　Mr。　Duncalf　was　lost；　like　his　superior　officer；　in　a　part　of　the　ocean　of　which　he　knew　nothing。

The　remaining　members　of　the　council　having　no　suggestions　to　offer；　left　the　Captain　to　take　his　own　way。　He　decided　（the　weather　being　fine　again）　to　stand　on　under　an　easy　press　of　sail　for　four…and…twenty　hours　more；　and　to　see　if　anything　came　of　it。

Soon　after　nightfall；　something　did　come　of　it。　The　lookout　forward　hailed　the　quarter…deck　with　the　dread　cry；　〃Breakers　ahead！〃　In　less　than　a　minute　more；　everybody　heard　the　crash　of　the　broken　water。　The　_Fortuna_　was　put　about；　and　came　round　slowly　in　the　light　wind。　Thanks　to　the　timely　alarm　and　the　fine　weather；　the　safety　of　the　vessel　was　easily　provided　for。　They　kept　her　under　a　short　sail；　and　they　waited　for　the　morning。

The　dawn　showed　them　in　the　distance　a　glorious　green　island；　not　marked　in　the　ship's　chartsan　island　girt　about　by　a　coral…reef；　and　having　in　its　midst　a　high…peaked　mountain　which　looked；　through　the　telescope；　like　a　mountain　of　volcanic　origin。　Mr。　Duncalf；　taking　his　morning　draught　of　rum　and　water；　shook　his　groggy　old　head　and　said　（and　swore）：　〃My　lads；　I　don't　like　the　look　of　that　island。〃　The　Captain　was　of　a　different　opinion。　He　had　one　of　the　ship's　boats　put　into　the　water；　he　armed　himself　and　four　of　his　crew　who　accompanied　him；　and　away　he　went　in　the　morning　sunlight　to　visit　the　island。

Skirting　round　the　coral　reef；　they　found　a　natural　breach；　which　proved　to　be　broad　enough　and　deep　enough　not　only　for　the　passage　of　the　boat；　but　of　the　ship　herself　if　needful。　Crossing　the　broad　inner　belt　of　smooth　water；　they　approached　the　golden　sands　of　the　island；　strew　ed　with　magnificent　shells；　and　crowded　by　the　dusky　islandersmen；　women；　and　children；　all　waiting　in　breathless　astonishment　to　see　the　strangers　land。

The　Captain　kept　the　boat　off；　and　examined　the　islanders　carefully。　The　innocent；　simple　people　danced；　and　sang；　and　ran　into　the　water；　imploring　their　wonderful　white　visitors　by　gestures　to　come　on　shore。　Not　a　creature　among　them　carried　arms　of　any　sort；　a　hospitable　curiosity　animated　the　entire　population。　The　men　cried　out；　in　their　smooth　musical　language；　〃Come　and　eat！〃　and　the　plump　black…eyed　women；　all　laughing　togeth