the trumpet-major-第59节

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object　the　old　man's　glass　was　bent。

'What　do　you　see；　sailor？'　she　asked。

'Almost　nothing；'　he　answered。　　'My　sight　is　so　gone　off　lately　that
things；　one　and　all；　be　but　a　November　mist　to　me。　　And　yet　I　fain
would　see　to…day。　　I　am　looking　for　the　Victory。'

'Why；'　she　said　quickly。

'I　have　a　son　aboard　her。　　He's　one　of　three　from　these　parts。
There's　the　captain；　there's　my　son　Ned；　and　there's　young　Loveday
of　Overcombehe　that　lately　joined。'

'Shall　I　look　for　you？'　said　Anne；　after　a　pause。

'Certainly；　mis'ess；　if　so　be　you　please。'

Anne　took　the　glass；　and　he　supported　it　by　his　arm。　　'It　is　a　large
ship；'　she　said；　'with　three　masts；　three　rows　of　guns　along　the
side；　and　all　her　sails　set。'

'I　guessed　as　much。'

'There　is　a　little　flag　in　frontover　her　bowsprit。'

'The　jack。'

'And　there's　a　large　one　flying　at　her　stern。'

'The　ensign。'

'And　a　white　one　on　her　fore…topmast。'

'That's　the　admiral's　flag；　the　flag　of　my　Lord　Nelson。　　What　is　her
figure…head；　my　dear？'

'A　coat…of…arms；　supported　on　this　side　by　a　sailor。'

Her　companion　nodded　with　satisfaction。　　'On　the　other　side　of　that
figure…head　is　a　marine。'

'She　is　twisting　round　in　a　curious　way；　and　her　sails　sink　in　like
old　cheeks；　and　she　shivers　like　a　leaf　upon　a　tree。'

'She　is　in　stays；　for　the　larboard　tack。　　I　can　see　what　she's　been
doing。　　She's　been　re'ching　close　in　to　avoid　the　flood　tide；　as　the
wind　is　to　the　sou'…west；　and　she's　bound　down；　but　as　soon　as　the
ebb　made；　d'ye　see；　they　made　sail　to　the　west'ard。　　Captain　Hardy
may　be　depended　upon　for　that；　he　knows　every　current　about　here；
being　a　native。'

'And　now　I　can　see　the　other　side；　it　is　a　soldier　where　a　sailor
was　before。　　You　are　SURE　it　is　the　Victory？'

'I　am　sure。'

After　this　a　frigate　came　into　viewthe　Euryalussailing　in　the
same　direction。　　Anne　sat　down；　and　her　eyes　never　left　the　ships。
'Tell　me　more　about　the　Victory；'　she　said。

'She　is　the　best　sailer　in　the　service；　and　she　carries　a　hundred
guns。　　The　heaviest　be　on　the　lower　deck；　the　next　size　on　the
middle　deck；　the　next　on　the　main　and　upper　decks。　　My　son　Ned's
place　is　on　the　lower　deck；　because　he's　short；　and　they　put　the
short　men　below。'

Bob；　though　not　tall；　was　not　likely　to　be　specially　selected　for
shortness。　　She　pictured　him　on　the　upper　deck；　in　his　snow…white
trousers　and　jacket　of　navy　blue；　looking　perhaps　towards　the　very
point　of　land　where　she　then　was。

The　great　silent　ship；　with　her　population　of　blue…jackets；　marines；
officers；　captain；　and　the　admiral　who　was　not　to　return　alive；
passed　like　a　phantom　the　meridian　of　the　Bill。　　Sometimes　her
aspect　was　that　of　a　large　white　bat；　sometimes　that　of　a　grey　one。
In　the　course　of　time　the　watching　girl　saw　that　the　ship　had　passed
her　nearest　point；　the　breadth　of　her　sails　diminished　by
foreshortening；　till　she　assumed　the　form　of　an　egg　on　end。　　After
this　something　seemed　to　twinkle；　and　Anne；　who　had　previously
withdrawn　from　the　old　sailor；　went　back　to　him；　and　looked　again
through　the　glass。　　The　twinkling　was　the　light　falling　upon　the
cabin　windows　of　the　ship's　stern。　　She　explained　it　to　the　old　man。

'Then　we　see　now　what　the　enemy　have　seen　but　once。　　That　was　in
seventy…nine；　when　she　sighted　the　French　and　Spanish　fleet　off
Scilly；　and　she　retreated　because　she　feared　a　landing。　　Well；　'tis
a　brave　ship　and　she　carries　brave　men！'

Anne's　tender　bosom　heaved；　but　she　said　nothing；　and　again　became
absorbed　in　contemplation。

The　Victory　was　fast　dropping　away。　　She　was　on　the　horizon；　and
soon　appeared　hull　down。　　That　seemed　to　be　like　the　beginning　of　a
greater　end　than　her　present　vanishing。　　Anne　Garland　could　not　stay
by　the　sailor　any　longer；　and　went　about　a　stone's…throw　off；　where
she　was　hidden　by　the　inequality　of　the　cliff　from　his　view。　　The
vessel　was　now　exactly　end　on；　and　stood　out　in　the　direction　of　the
Start；　her　width　having　contracted　to　the　proportion　of　a　feather。
She　sat　down　again；　and　mechanically　took　out　some　biscuits　that　she
had　brought；　foreseeing　that　her　waiting　might　be　long。　　But　she
could　not　eat　one　of　them；　eating　seemed　to　jar　with　the　mental
tenseness　of　the　moment；　and　her　undeviating　gaze　continued　to
follow　the　lessened　ship　with　the　fidelity　of　a　balanced　needle　to　a
magnetic　stone；　all　else　in　her　being　motionless。

The　courses　of　the　Victory　were　absorbed　into　the　main；　then　her
topsails　went；　and　then　her　top…gallants。　　She　was　now　no　more　than
a　dead　fly's　wing　on　a　sheet　of　spider's　web；　and　even　this　fragment
diminished。　　Anne　could　hardly　bear　to　see　the　end；　and　yet　she
resolved　not　to　flinch。　　The　admiral's　flag　sank　behind　the　watery
line；　and　in　a　minute　the　very　truck　of　the　last　topmast　stole　away。
The　Victory　was　gone。

Anne's　lip　quivered　as　she　murmured；　without　removing　her　wet　eyes
from　the　vacant　and　solemn　horizon；　'〃They　that　go　down　to　the　sea
in　ships；　that　do　business　in　great　waters〃'

'〃These　see　the　works　of　the　Lord；　and　His　wonders　in　the　deep；〃'
was　returned　by　a　man's　voice　from　behind　her。

Looking　round　quickly；　she　saw　a　soldier　standing　there；　and　the
grave　eyes　of　John　Loveday　bent　on　her。

''Tis　what　I　was　thinking；'　she　said；　trying　to　be　composed。

'You　were　saying　it；'　he　answered　gently。

'Was　I？I　did　not　know　it。　。　。　。　　How　came　you　here？'　she　presently
added。

'I　have　been　behind　you　a　good　while；　but　you　never　turned　round。'

'I　was　deeply　occupied；'　she　said　in　an　undertone。

'YesI　too　came　to　see　him　pass。　　I　heard　this　morning　that　Lord
Nelson　had　embarked；　and　I　knew　at　once　that　they　would　sail
immediately。　　The　Victory　and　Euryalus　are　to　join　the　rest　of　the
fleet　at　Plymouth。　　There　was　a　great　crowd　of　people　assembled　to
see　the　admiral　off；　they　cheered　him　and　the　ship　as　she　dropped
down。　　He　took　his　coffin　on　board　with　him；　they　say。'

'His　coffin！'　said　Anne；　turning　deadly　pale。　　'Something　terrible；
then；　is　meant　by　that！　　O；　why　would　Bob　go　in　that　ship？　doomed　to
destruction　from　the　very　beginning　like　this！'

'It　was　his　determination　to　sail　under　Captain　Hardy；　and　under　no
one　else；'　said　John。　　'There　may　be　hot　work；　but　we　must　hope　for
the　best。'　　And　observing　how　wretched　she　looked；　he　added；　'But
won't　you　let　me　help　you　back？　　If　you　can　walk　as　far　as　Hope　Cove
it　will　be　enough。　　A　lerret　is　going　from　there　across　the　bay
homeward　to　the　harbour　in　the　course　of　an　hour；　it　belongs　to　a
man　I　know；　and　they　can　take　one　passenger；　I　am　sure。'

She　turned　her　back　upon　the　Channel；　and　by　his　help　soon　reached
the　place　indicated。　　The　boat　was　lying　there　as　he　had　said。　　She
found　it　to　belong　to　the　old　man　who　had　been　with　her　at　the　Bill；
and　was　in　charge　of　his　two　younger　sons。　　The　trumpet…major　helped
her　into　it　over　the　slippery　blocks　of　stone；　one　of　the　young　men
spread　his　jacket　for　her　to　sit　on；　and　as　soon　as　they　pulled　from
shore　John　climbed　up　the　blue…grey　cliff；　and　disappeared　over　the
top；　to　return　to　the　mainland　by　road。

Anne　was　in　the　town　by　three　o'clock。　　The　trip　in　the　stern　of　the
lerret　had　quite　refreshed　her；　with　the　help　of　the　biscuits；　which
she　had　at　last　been　able　to　eat。　　The　van　from　the　port　to
Overcombe　did　not　start　till　four　o'clock；　and　feeling　no　further
interest　in　the　gaieties　of　the　place；　she　strolled　on　past　the
King's　house　to　the　outskirts；　her　mind　settling　down　again　upon　the
possibly　sad　fate　of　the　Victory　when　she　found　herself　alone。　　She
did　not　hurry　on；　and　finding　that　even　now　there　wanted　another
half…hour　to　the　carrier's　time；　she　turned　into　a　little　lane　to
escape　the　inspection　of　the　numerous　passers…by。　　Here　all　was
quite　lonely　and　still；　and　she　sat　down　under　a　willow…tree；
absently　regarding　the　landscape；　which　had　begun　to　put　on　the　rich
tones　of　declining　summer；　but　which　to　her　was　as　hollow　and　faded
as　a　theatre　by　day。　　She　could　hold　out　no　longer；　burying　her　face
in　her　hands；　she　wept　without　restraint。

Some　yards　behind　her　was　a　little　spring　of　water；　having　a　stone
margin　round　it　to　prevent　the　cattle　from　treading　in　the　sides　and
filling　it　up　with　dirt。　　While　she　wept；　two　elderly　gentlemen
entered　unperceived　upon　the　scene；　and　walked　on　to　the　spring's
brink。　　Here　they　paused　and　looked　in；　afterwards　moving　round　it；
and　then　stooping　as　if　to　smell　or　taste　its　waters。　　The　spring
was；　in　fact；　a　sulphurous　one；　then　recently　discovered　by　a
physician　who　lived　in　the　neighbourhood；　and　it　was　beginning　to
attract　some　attention；　having　by　common　report　contributed　to
effect　such　wonderful　cures　as　almost　passed　belief。　　After　a
considerable　discussion；　apparently　on　how　the　pool　might　be
improved　for　better　use；　one　of　the　two　elderly　gentlemen　turned
away；　leaving　the　other　still　probing　the　spring　with　his　cane。　　The
first　stranger；　who　wore　a　blue　coat　with　gilt　buttons；　came　on　in
the　direction　of　Anne　Garland；　and　seeing　her　sad　posture　went
quickly　up　to　her；　and　said　abruptly；　'What　is　the　matter？'

Anne；　who　in　her　grief　had　observed　nothing　of　the　gentlemen's
presence；　withdrew　her　h