armadale-第9节

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was　French；　and　was　employed　in　the　timber　trade：　her　name　was
_La　Grace　de　Dieu。_　Nothing　more　was　known　of　her　than　that　she
was　bound　for　Lisbon；　that　she　had　been　driven　out　of　her　course；
and　that　she　had　touched　at　Madeira；　short　of　men　and　short　of
provisions。　The　last　want　had　been　supplied；　but　not　the　first。
Sailors　distrusted　the　sea…worthiness　of　the　ship；　and　disliked
the　look　of　the　vagabond　crew。　When　those　two　serious　facts　had
been　communicated　to　Mr。　Blanchard；　the　hard　words　he　had　spoken
to　his　child　in　the　first　shock　of　discovering　that　she　had
helped　to　deceive　him　smote　him　to　the　heart。　He　instantly
determined　to　give　his　daughter　a　refuge　on　board　his　own　vessel；
and　to　quiet　her　by　keeping　her　villain　of　a　husband　out　of　the
way　of　all　harm　at　my　hands。　The　yacht　sailed　three　feet　and　more
to　the　ship's　one。　There　was　no　doubt　of　our　overtaking　_La　Grace
de　Dieu_；　the　only　fear　was　that　we　might　pass　her　in　the
darkness。

〃After　we　had　been　some　little　time　out；　the　wind　suddenly
dropped；　and　there　fell　on　us　an　airless；　sultry　　calm。　W　hen　the
order　came　to　get　the　topmasts　on　deck；　and　to　shift　the　large
sails；　we　all　knew　what　to　expect。　In　little　better　than　an　hour
more；　the　storm　was　upon　us；　the　thunder　was　pealing　over　our
heads；　and　the　yacht　was　running　for　it。　She　was　a　powerful
schooner…rigged　vessel　of　three　hundred　tons；　as　strong　as　wood
and　iron　could　make　her；　she　was　handled　by　a　sailing…master　who
thoroughly　understood　his　work；　and　she　behaved　nobly。　As　the　new
morning　came；　the　fury　of　the　wind；　blowing　still　from　the
southwest　quarter；　subsided　a　little；　and　the　sea　was　less　heavy。
Just　before　daybreak　we　heard　faintly；　through　the　howling　of　the
gale；　the　report　of　a　gun。　The　men　collected　anxiously　on　deck；
looked　at　each　other；　and　said：　'There　she　is！'

〃With　the　daybreak　we　saw　the　vessel；　and　the　timber…ship　it　was。
She　lay　wallowing　in　the　trough　of　the　sea；　her　foremast　and　her
mainmast　both　gonea　water…logged　wreck。　The　yacht　carried　three
boats；　one　amidships；　and　two　slung　to　davits　on　the　quarters；
and　the　sailing…master；　seeing　signs　of　the　storm　renewing　its
fury　before　long；　determined　on　lowering　the　quarter…boats　while
the　lull　lasted。　Few　as　the　people　were　on　board　the　wreck；　they
were　too　many　for　one　boat；　and　the　risk　of　trying　two　boats　at
once　was　thought　less；　in　the　critical　state　of　the　weather；　than
the　risk　of　making　two　separate　trips　from　the　yacht　to　the　ship。
There　might　be　time　to　make　one　trip　in　safety；　but　no　man　could
look　at　the　heavens　and　say　there　would　be　time　enough　for　two。

〃The　boats　were　manned　by　volunteers　from　the　crew；　I　being　in
the　second　of　the　two。　When　the　first　boat　was　got　alongside　of
the　timber…shipa　service　of　difficulty　and　danger　which　no
words　can　describeall　the　men　on　board　made　a　rash　to　leave　the
wreck　together。　If　the　boat　had　not　been　pulled　off　again　before
the　whole　of　them　had　crowded　in；　the　lives　of　all　must　have　been
sacrificed。　As　our　boat　approached　the　vessel　in　its　turn；　we
arranged　that　four　of　us　should　get　on　boardtwo　（I　being　one　of
them）　to　see　to　the　safety　of　Mr。　Blanchard's　daughter；　and　two
to　beat　back　the　cowardly　remnant　of　the　crew　if　they　tried　to
crowd　in　first。　The　other　threethe　coxswain　and　two
oarsmenwere　left　in　the　boat　to　keep　her　from　being　crushed　by
the　ship。　What　the　others　saw　when　they　first　boarded　_La　Grace
de　Dieu_　I　don't　know；　what　I　saw　was　the　woman　whom　I　had　lost；
the　woman　vilely　stolen　from　me；　lying　in　a　swoon　on　the　deck。　We
lowered　her；　insensible；　into　the　boat。　The　remnant　of　the
crewfive　in　numberwere　compelled　by　main　force　to　follow　her
in　an　orderly　manner；　one　by　one；　and　minute　by　minute；　as　the
chance　offered　for　safely　taking　them　in。　I　was　the　last　who
left；　and；　at　the　next　roll　of　the　ship　toward　us；　the　empty
length　of　the　deck；　without　a　living　creature　on　it　from　stem　to
stern；　told　the　boat's　crew　that　their　work　was　done。　With　the
louder　and　louder　howling　of　the　fast…rising　tempest　to　warn
them；　they　rowed　for　their　lives　back　to　the　yacht。

〃A　succession　of　heavy　squalls　had　brought　round　the　course　of
the　new　storm　that　was　coming；　from　the　south　to　the　north；　and
the　sailing…master；　watching　his　opportunity；　had　wore　the　yacht
to　be　ready　for　it。　Before　the　last　of　our　men　had　got　on　board
again；　it　burst　on　us　with　the　fury　of　a　hurricane。　Our　boat　was
swamped；　but　not　a　life　was　lost。　Once　more　we　ran　before　it；　due
south；　at　the　mercy　of　the　wind。　I　was　on　deck　with　the　rest；
watching　the　one　rag　of　sail　we　could　venture　to　set；　and　waiting
to　supply　its　place　with　another；　if　it　blew　out　of　the
bolt…ropes；　when　the　mate　came　close　to　me；　and　shouted　in　my　ear
through　the　thunder　of　the　storm：　'She　has　come　to　her　senses　in
the　cabin；　and　has　asked　for　her　husband。　Where　is　he？'　Not　a　man
on　board　knew。　The　yacht　was　searched　from　one　end　to　another
without　finding　him。　The　men　were　mustered　in　defiance　of　the
weatherhe　was　not　among　them。　The　crews　of　the　two　boats　were
questioned。　All　the　first　crew　could　say　was　that　they　had　pulled
away　from　the　wreck　when　the　rush　into　their　boat　took　place；　and
that　they　knew　nothing　of　whom　they　let　in　or　whom　they　kept　out。
All　the　second　crew　could　say　was　that　they　had　brought　back　to
the　yacht　every　living　soul　left　by　the　first　boat　on　the　deck　of
the　timber…ship。　There　was　no　blaming　anybody；　but；　at　the　same
time；　there　was　no　resisting　the　fact　that　the　man　was　missing。

〃All　through　that　day　the　storm；　raging　unabatedly；　never　gave　us
even　the　shadow　of　a　chance　of　returning　and　searching　the　wreck。
The　one　hope　for　the　yacht　was　to　scud。　Toward　evening　the　gale；
after　having　carried　us　to　the　southward　of　Madeira；　began　at
last　to　breakthe　wind　shifted　againand　allowed　us　to　bear　up
for　the　island。　Early　the　next　morning　we　got　back　into　port。　Mr。
Blanchard　and　his　daughter　were　taken　ashore；　the　sailing…master
accompanying　them；　and　warning　us　that　he　should　have　something
to　say　on　his　return　which　would　nearly　concern　the　whole　crew。

〃We　were　mustered　on　deck；　and　addressed　by　the　sailing…master　as
soon　as　he　came　on　board　again。　He　had　Mr。　Blanchard's　orders　to
go　back　at　once　to　the　timber…ship　and　to　search　for　the　missing
man。　We　were　bound　to　do　this　for　his　sake；　and　for　the　sake　of
his　wife；　whose　reason　was　despaired　of　by　the　doctors　if
something　was　not　done　to　quiet　her。　We　might　be　almost　sure　of
finding　the　vessel　still　afloat；　for　her　ladling　of　timber　would
keep　her　above　water　as　long　as　her　hull　held　together。　If　the
man　was　on　boardliving　or　deadhe　must　be　found　and　brought
back。　And　if　the　weather　continued　to　be　moderate；　there　was　no
reason　why　the　men；　with　proper　assistance；　should　not　bring　the
ship　back；　too；　and　（their　master　being　quite　willing）　earn　their
share　of　the　salvage　with　the　officers　of　the　yacht。

〃Upon　this　the　crew　gave　three　cheers；　and　set　to　work　forthwith
to　get　the　schooner　to　sea　again。　I　was　the　only　one　of　them　who
drew　back　from　the　enterprise。　I　told　them　the　storm　had　upset
meI　was　ill；　and　wanted　rest。　They　all　looked　me　in　the　face　as
I　passed　through　them　on　my　way　out　of　the　yacht；　but　not　a　man
of　them　spoke　to　me。

〃I　waited　through　that　day　at　a　tavern　on　the　port　for　the　first
news　from　the　wreck。　It　was　brought　toward　night…fall　by　one　of
the　pilot…boats　which　had　taken　part　in　the　enterprisea
successful　enterprise；　as　the　event　provedfor　saving　the
abandoned　ship。　_La　Grace　de　Dieu_　had　been　discovered　still
floating；　and　the　body　of　Ingleby　had　been　found　on　board；
drowned　in　the　cabin。　At　dawn　the　next　morning　the　dead　man　was
brought　back　by　the　yacht；　and　on　the　same　day　the　funeral　took
place　in　the　Protestant　cemetery。〃


〃Stop！〃　said　the　voice　from　the　bed；　before　the　reader　could　turn
to　a　new　leaf　and　begin　the　next　paragraph。

There　was　a　change　in　the　room；　and　there　were　changes　in　the
audience；　since　Mr。　Neal　had　last　looked　up　from　the　narrative。　A
ray　of　sunshine　was　crossing　the　death…bed；　and　the　child；
overcome　by　drowsiness；　lay　peacefully　asleep　in　the　golden
light。　The　father's　countenance　had　altered　visibly。　Forced　into
action　by　the　tortured　mind；　the　muscles　of　the　lower　face；　which
had　never　moved　yet；　were　moving　distortedly　now。　Warned　by　the
damps　gathering　heavily　on　his　forehead；　the　doctor　had　risen　to
revive　the　sinking　man。　On　the　other　side　of　the　bed　the　wife's
chair　stood　empty。　At　the　moment　when　her　husband　had　interrupted
the　reading；　she　had　drawn　back　behind　the　bed　head；　out　of　his
sight。　Supporting　herself　against　the　wall；　she　stood　there　in
hiding；　her　eyes　fastened　in　hungering　suspense　on　the　manuscript
in　Mr。　Neal's　hand。

In　a　minute　more　the　silence　was　broken　again　by　Mr。　Armadale。

〃Where　is　she？〃　he　asked；　looking　angrily　at　his　wife's　empty
chair。　The　doctor　pointed　to　the　place。　She　had　no　choice　but　to
come　forward。　She　came　slowly　and　stood　before　him。

〃You　promised　to　go　when　I　told　you；〃　he　said。　〃Go　now。〃

Mr。　Neal　tried　hard　to　control　his　hand　as　it　kept　his　place
between　the　leaves　of　the　manuscripts　but　it