the house of pride(傲慢之家)-第21节
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wind； faintly balmy； fragrant and spicy； and cool； deliciously cool； a
silken coolness； a wine…like coolnesscool as only the mountain wind of
Kona can be cool。
〃Do you wonder that I lost my heart to Kona eighteen years ago？〃 he
demanded。 〃I could never leave it now。 I think I should die。 It
would be terrible。 There was another man who loved it； even as I。 I
think he loved it more； for he was born here on the Kona coast。 He was
a great man； my best friend； my more than brother。 But he left it； and
he did not die。〃
〃Love？〃 I queried。 〃A woman？〃
Cudworth shook his head。
〃Nor will he ever come back； though his heart will be here until he
dies。〃
He paused and gazed down upon the beachlights of Kailua。 I smoked
silently and waited。
〃He was already in love 。 。 。 with his wife。 Also； he had three
children； and he loved them。 They are in Honolulu now。 The boy is
going to college。〃
〃Some rash act？〃 I questioned； after a time； impatiently。
He shook his head。 〃Neither guilty of anything criminal； nor
charged with anything criminal。 He was the Sheriff of Kona。〃
〃You choose to be paradoxical；〃 I said。
〃I suppose it does sound that way；〃 he admitted； 〃and that is the
perfect hell of it。〃
He looked at me searchingly for a moment； and then abruptly took up
the tale。
〃He was a leper。 No； he was not born with itno one is born with it；
it came upon him。 This manwhat does it matter？ Lyte Gregory was
his name。 Every kamaina knows the story。 He was straight American
stock； but he was built like the chieftains of old Hawaii。 He stood six
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feet three。 His stripped weight was two hundred and twenty pounds；
not an ounce of which was not clean muscle or bone。 He was the
strongest man I have ever seen。 He was an athlete and a giant。 He
was a god。 He was my friend。 And his heart and his soul were as big
and as fine as his body。
〃I wonder what you would do if you saw your friend； your brother； on
the slippery lip of a precipice； slipping； slipping； and you were able to do
nothing。 That was just it。 I could do nothing。 I saw it coming； and I
could do nothing。 My God； man； what could I do？ There it was；
malignant and incontestable； the mark of the thing on his brow。 No one
else saw it。 It was because I loved him so； I do believe； that I alone
saw it。 I could not credit the testimony of my senses。 It was too
incredibly horrible。 Yet there it was； on his brow； on his ears。 I had
seen it； the slight puff of the earlobesoh； so imperceptibly slight。 I
watched it for months。 Then； next； hoping against hope； the darkening
of the skin above both eyebrowsoh； so faint； just like the dimmest
touch of sunburn。 I should have thought it sunburn but that there was a
shine to it； such an invisible shine； like a little highlight seen for a
moment and gone the next。 I tried to believe it was sunburn； only I
could not。 I knew better。 No one noticed it but me。 No one ever
noticed it except Stephen Kaluna； and I did not know that till afterward。
But I saw it coming； the whole damnable； unnamable awfulness of it；
but I refused to think about the future。 I was afraid。 I could not。
And of nights I cried over it。
〃He was my friend。 We fished sharks on Niihau together。 We
hunted wild cattle on Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa。 We broke horses
and branded steers on the Carter Ranch。 We hunted goats through
Haleakala。 He taught me diving and surfing until I was nearly as clever
as he； and he was cleverer than the average Kanaka。 I have seen him
dive in fifteen fathoms； and he could stay down two minutes。 He was
an amphibian and a mountaineer。 He could climb wherever a goat
dared climb。 He was afraid of nothing。 He was on the wrecked Luga；
and he swam thirty miles in thirty…six hours in a heavy sea。 He could
fight his way out through breaking combers that would batter you and
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me to a jelly。 He was a great； glorious man…god。 We went through the
Revolution together。 We were both romantic loyalists。 He was shot
twice and sentenced to death。 But he was too great a man for the
republicans to kill。 He laughed at them。 Later； they gave him honour
and made him Sheriff of Kona。 He was a simple man； a boy that never
grew up。 His was no intricate brain pattern。 He had no twists nor
quirks in his mental processes。 He went straight to the point； and his
points were always simple。
〃And he was sanguine。 Never have I known so confident a man； nor
a man so satisfied and happy。 He did not ask anything from life。
There was nothing left to be desired。 For him life had no arrears。 He
had been paid in full； cash down； and in advance。 What more could he
possibly desire than that magnificent body； that iron constitution； that
immunity from all ordinary ills； and that lowly wholesomeness of soul？
Physically he was perfect。 He had never been sick in his life。 He did
not know what a headache was。 When I was so afflicted he used to
look at me in wonder； and make me laugh with his clumsy attempts at
sympathy。 He did not understand such a thing as a headache。 He
could not understand。 Sanguine？ No wonder。 How could he be
otherwise with that tremendous vitality and incredible health？
〃Just to show you what faith he had in his glorious star； and； also；
what sanction he had for that faith。 He was a youngster at the timeI
had just met himwhen he went into a poker game at Wailuku。 There
was a big German in it； Schultz his name was； and he played a brutal；
domineering game。 He had had a run of luck as well； and he was quite
insufferable； when Lyte Gregory dropped in and took a hand。 The very
first hand it was Schultz's blind。 Lyte came in； as well as the others；
and Schultz raised them outall except Lyte。 He did not like the
German's tone； and he raised him back。 Schultz raised in turn； and in
turn Lyte raised Schultz。 So they went； back and forth。 The stakes
were big。 And do you know what Lyte held？ A pair of kings and
three little clubs。 It wasn't poker。 Lyte wasn't playing poker。 He
was playing his optimism。 He didn't know what Schultz held； but he
raised and raised until he made Schultz squeal； and Schultz held three
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aces all the time。 Think of it！ A man with a pair of kings compelling
three aces to see before the draw！
〃Well； Schultz called for two cards。 Another German was dealing；
Schultz's friend at that。 Lyte knew then that he was up against three of
a kind。 Now what did he do？ What would you have done？ Drawn
three cards and held up the kings； of course。 Not
