novel notes-第23节

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The　dog；　who　ought；　you'd　think；　to　know　a　durned　sight　more　about　'em　than　she　does；　is　sure　they　will　if　you　only　bark　loud　enough。

〃'Then　again；　have　you　ever　been　made　mad　by　cats　screeching　in　the　night；　and　jumped　out　of　bed　and　opened　the　window　and　yelled　at　them？　　Did　they　ever　budge　an　inch　for　that；　though　you　shrieked　loud　enough　to　skeer　the　dead；　and　waved　your　arms　about　like　a　man　in　a　play？　　Not　they。　　They've　turned　and　looked　at　you；　that's　all。　〃Yell　away；　old　man；〃　they've　said；　〃we　like　to　hear　you：　　the　more　the　merrier。〃　　Then　what　have　you　done？　　Why；　you've　snatched　up　a　hair…brush；　or　a　boot；　or　a　candlestick；　and　made　as　if　you'd　throw　it　at　them。　　They've　seen　your　attitude；　they've　seen　the　thing　in　your　hand；　but　they　ain't　moved　a　point。　　They　knew　as　you　weren't　going　to　chuck　valuable　property　out　of　window　with　the　chance　of　getting　it　lost　or　spoiled。　　They've　got　sense　themselves；　and　they　give　you　credit　for　having　some。　　If　you　don't　believe　that's　the　reason；　you　try　showing　them　a　lump　of　coal；　or　half　a　brick；　next　timesomething　as　they　know　you　WILL　throw。　　Before　you're　ready　to　heave　it；　there　won't　be　a　cat　within　aim。

〃'Then　as　to　judgment　and　knowledge　of　the　world；　why　dogs　are　babies　to　'em。　　Have　you　ever　tried　telling　a　yarn　before　a　cat；　sir？'

〃I　replied　that　cats　had　often　been　present　during　anecdotal　recitals　of　mine；　but　that；　hitherto；　I　had　paid　no　particular　attention　to　their　demeanour。

〃'Ah；　well；　you　take　an　opportunity　of　doing　so　one　day；　sir；'　answered　the　old　fellow；　'it's　worth　the　experiment。　　If　you're　telling　a　story　before　a　cat；　and　she　don't　get　uneasy　during　any　part　of　the　narrative；　you　can　reckon　you've　got　hold　of　a　thing　as　it　will　be　safe　for　you　to　tell　to　the　Lord　Chief　Justice　of　England。

〃'I've　got　a　messmate；'　he　continued；　'William　Cooley　is　his　name。　We　call　him　Truthful　Billy。　　He's　as　good　a　seaman　as　ever　trod　quarter…deck；　but　when　he　gets　spinning　yarns　he　ain't　the　sort　of　man　as　I　could　advise　you　to　rely　upon。　　Well；　Billy；　he's　got　a　dog；　and　I've　seen　him　sit　and　tell　yarns　before　that　dog　that　would　make　a　cat　squirm　out　of　its　skin；　and　that　dog's　taken　'em　in　and　believed　'em。　　One　night；　up　at　his　old　woman's；　Bill　told　us　a　yarn　by　the　side　of　which　salt　junk　two　voyages　old　would　pass　for　spring　chicken。　　I　watched　the　dog；　to　see　how　he　would　take　it。　　He　listened　to　it　from　beginning　to　end　with　cocked　ears；　and　never　so　much　as　blinked。　　Every　now　and　then　he　would　look　round　with　an　expression　of　astonishment　or　delight　that　seemed　to　say：　〃Wonderful；　isn't　it！〃　　〃Dear　me；　just　think　of　it！〃　　〃Did　you　ever！〃　　〃Well；　if　that　don't　beat　everything！〃　　He　was　a　chuckle…　headed　dog；　you　could　have　told　him　anything。

〃'It　irritated　me　that　Bill　should　have　such　an　animal　about　him　to　encourage　him；　and　when　he　had　finished　I　said　to　him；　〃I　wish　you'd　tell　that　yarn　round　at　my　quarters　one　evening。〃

〃'Why？'　said　Bill。

〃'Oh；　it's　just　a　fancy　of　mine；'　I　says。　　I　didn't　tell　him　I　was　wanting　my　old　cat　to　hear　it。

〃'Oh；　all　right；'　says　Bill；　'you　remind　me。'　　He　loved　yarning；　Billy　did。

〃'Next　night　but　one　he　slings　himself　up　in　my　cabin；　and　I　does　so。　　Nothing　loth；　off　he　starts。　　There　was　about　half…a…dozen　of　us　stretched　round；　and　the　cat　was　sitting　before　the　fire　fussing　itself　up。　　Before　Bill　had　got　fairly　under　weigh；　she　stops　washing　and　looks　up　at　me；　puzzled　like；　as　much　as　to　say；　〃What　have　we　got　here；　a　missionary？〃　　I　signalled　to　her　to　keep　quiet；　and　Bill　went　on　with　his　yarn。　　When　he　got　to　the　part　about　the　sharks；　she　turned　deliberately　round　and　looked　at　him。　　I　tell　you　there　was　an　expression　of　disgust　on　that　cat's　face　as　might　have　made　a　travelling　Cheap　Jack　feel　ashamed　of　himself。　　It　was　that　human；　I　give　you　my　word；　sir；　I　forgot　for　the　moment　as　the　poor　animal　couldn't　speak。　　I　could　see　the　words　that　were　on　its　lips：　〃Why　don't　you　tell　us　you　swallowed　the　anchor？〃　and　I　sat　on　tenter…hooks；　fearing　each　instant　that　she　would　say　them　aloud。　It　was　a　relief　to　me　when　she　turned　her　back　on　Bill。

〃'For　a　few　minutes　she　sat　very　still；　and　seemed　to　be　wrestling　with　herself　like。　　I　never　saw　a　cat　more　set　on　controlling　its　feelings；　or　that　seemed　to　suffer　more　in　silence。　　It　made　my　heart　ache　to　watch　it。

〃'At　last　Bill　came　to　the　point　where　he　and　the　captain　between　'em　hold　the　shark's　mouth　open　while　the　cabin…boy　dives　in　head　foremost；　and　fetches　up；　undigested；　the　gold　watch　and　chain　as　the　bo'sun　was　a…wearing　when　he　fell　overboard；　and　at　that　the　old　cat　giv'd　a　screech；　and　rolled　over　on　her　side　with　her　legs　in　the　air。

〃'I　thought　at　first　the　poor　thing　was　dead；　but　she　rallied　after　a　bit；　and　it　seemed　as　though　she　had　braced　herself　up　to　hear　the　thing　out。

〃'But　a　little　further　on；　Bill　got　too　much　for　her　again；　and　this　time　she　owned　herself　beat。　　She　rose　up　and　looked　round　at　us：　〃You'll　excuse　me；　gentlemen；〃　she　saidleastways　that　is　what　she　said　if　looks　go　for　anything〃maybe　you're　used　to　this　sort　of　rubbish；　and　it　don't　get　on　your　nerves。　　With　me　it's　different。　I　guess　I've　heard　as　much　of　this　fool's　talk　as　my　constitution　will　stand；　and　if　it's　all　the　same　to　you　I'll　get　outside　before　I'm　sick。〃

〃'With　that　she　walked　up　to　the　door；　and　I　opened　it　for　her；　and　she　went　out。

〃'You　can't　fool　a　cat　with　talk　same　as　you　can　a　dog。'〃



CHAPTER　VII



Does　man　ever　reform？　　Balzac　says　he　doesn't。　　So　far　as　my　experience　goes；　it　agrees　with　that　of　Balzaca　fact　the　admirers　of　that　author　are　at　liberty　to　make　what　use　of　they　please。

When　I　was　young　and　accustomed　to　take　my　views　of　life　from　people　who　were　older　than　myself；　and　who　knew　better；　so　they　said；　I　used　to　believe　that　he　did。　　Examples　of　〃reformed　characters〃　were　frequently　pointed　out　to　meindeed；　our　village；　situate　a　few　miles　from　a　small　seaport　town；　seemed　to　be　peculiarly　rich　in　such。　　They　were；　from　all　accounts；　including　their　own；　persons　who　had　formerly　behaved　with　quite　unnecessary　depravity；　and　who；　at　the　time　I　knew　them；　appeared　to　be　going　to　equally　objectionable　lengths　in　the　opposite　direction。　　They　invariably　belonged　to　one　of　two　classes；　the　low…spirited　or　the　aggressively　unpleasant。　　They　said；　and　I　believed；　that　they　were　happy；　but　I　could　not　help　reflecting　how　very　sad　they　must　have　been　before　they　were　happy。

One　of　them；　a　small；　meek…eyed　old　man　with　a　piping　voice；　had　been　exceptionally　wild　in　his　youth。　　What　had　been　his　special　villainy　I　could　never　discover。　　People　responded　to　my　inquiries　by　saying　that　he　had　been　〃Oh；　generally　bad；〃　and　increased　my　longing　for　detail　by　adding　that　little　boys　ought　not　to　want　to　know　about　such　things。　　From　their　tone　and　manner　I　assumed　that　he　must　have　been　a　pirate　at　the　very　least；　and　regarded　him　with　awe；　not　unmingled　with　secret　admiration。

Whatever　it　was；　he　had　been　saved　from　it　by　his　wife；　a　bony　lady　of　unprepossessing　appearance；　but　irreproachable　views。

One　day　he　called　at　our　house　for　some　purpose　or　other；　and；　being　left　alone　with　him　for　a　few　minutes；　I　took　the　opportunity　of　interviewing　him　personally　on　the　subject。

〃You　were　very　wicked　once；　weren't　you？〃　I　said；　seeking　by　emphasis　on　the　〃once〃　to　mitigate　what　I　felt　might　be　the　disagreeable　nature　of　the　question。

To　my　intense　surprise；　a　gleam　of　shameful　glory　lit　up　his　wizened　face；　and　a　sound　which　I　tried　to　think　a　sigh；　but　which　sounded　like　a　chuckle；　escaped　his　lips。

〃Ay；〃　he　replied；　〃I've　been　a　bit　of　a　spanker　in　my　time。〃

The　term　〃spanker〃　in　such　connection　puzzled　me。　　I　had　been　hitherto　led　to　regard　a　spanker　as　an　eminently　conscientious　person；　especially　where　the　short…comings　of　other　people　were　concerned；　a　person　who　laboured　for　the　good　of　others。　　That　the　word　could　also　be　employed　to　designate　a　sinful　party　was　a　revelation　to　me。

〃But　you　are　good　now；　aren't　you？〃　I　continued；　dismissing　further　reflection　upon　the　etymology　of　〃spanker〃　to　a　more　fitting　occasion。

〃Ay；　ay；〃　he　answered；　his　countenance　resuming　its　customary　aspect　of　resigned　melancholy。　　〃I　be　a　brand　plucked　from　the　burning；　I　be。　　There　beant　much　wrong　wi'　Deacon　Sawyers；　now。〃

〃And　it　was　your　wife　that　made　you　good；　wasn't　it？〃　I　persisted；　determined；　now　that　I　had　started　this　investigation；　to　obtain　confirmation　at　first　hand　on　all　points。

At　the　mention　of　his　wife　his　features　became　suddenly　transformed。　Glancing　hurriedly　round；　to　make　sure；　apparently；　that　no　one　but　myself　was　within　hearing；　he　leaned　across　and　hissed　these　words　into　my　earI　have　never　forgotten　them；　there　was　a　ring　of　such　evident　sincerity　about　them　…

〃I'd　like　to　skin　her；　I'd　like　to　skin　her　alive。〃

It　struck　me；　even　in　the　light　of　my　then　limited　judgment；　as　an　unregenerate　wish；　and　thus　early　my　faith　in　the　possibility　of　man's　reformation　received　the　first　of　those　many　blows　that　have　resulted　in　shattering　it。

Nature；　whether　human　or　otherwise；　was　not　made　to　be　reformed。　You　can　develop；　you　can　check；　but　you　cannot　alter