the pursuit of the house-boat-第15章

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tempt。〃

〃There's　no　use　of　sending　the　Judge；　anyhow；〃　said　Raleigh；　fearing　by　the　glitter　that　came　into　the　eye　of　the　commander　that　trouble　might　ensue　unless　pacificatory　measures　were　resorted　to。　　〃He's　accustomed　to　weighing　everything　carefully；　and　cannot　be　rushed　into　a　decision。　　If　he　saw　any　evidence；　he'd　have　to　sit　on　it　a　week　before　reaching　a　conclusion。　　What　we　need　here　more　than　anything　else　is　an　expert　seaman；　a　lookout；　and　I　nominate　Shem。　He　has　sailed　under　his　father；　and　I　have　it　on　good　authority　that　he　is　a　nautical　expert。〃

Holmes　hesitated　for　an　instant。　　He　was　considering　the　necessity　of　disciplining　the　recalcitrant　Blackstone；　but　he　finally　yielded。

〃Very　well；〃　he　said。　　〃Shem　be　it。　　Bo'sun；　pipe　Shem　on　deck；　and　tell　him　that　general　order　number　one　requires　him　to　report　at　the　mizzentop　right　away；　and　that　immediately　he　sees　anything　he　shall　come　below　and　make　it　known　to　me。　　As　for　the　rest　of　us；　having　a　very　considerable　appetite；　I　do　now　decree　that　it　is　dinner…time。　Shall　we　go　below？〃

〃I　don't　think　I　care　for　any；　thank　you；〃　said　Raleigh。　　〃Fact　is　ahI　dined　last　week；　and　am　not　hungry。〃

Noah　laughed。　　〃Oh；　come　below　and　watch　us　eat；　then；〃　he　said。　〃It'll　do　you　good。〃

But　there　was　no　reply。　　Raleigh　had　plunged　head　first　into　his　state…room；　which　fortunately　happened　to　be　on　the　upper　deck。　　The　rest　of　the　spirits　repaired　below　to　the　saloon；　where　they　were　soon　engaged　in　an　animated　discussion　of　such　viands　as　the　larder　provided。

〃This；〃　said　Dr。　Johnson；　from　the　head　of　the　table；　〃is　what　I　call　comfort。　　I　don't　know　that　I　am　so　anxious　to　recover　the　House…　boat；　after　all。〃

〃Nor　I；〃　said　Socrates；　〃with　a　ship　like　this　to　go　off　cruising　on；　and　with　such　a　larder。　　Look　at　the　thickness　of　that　puree；　Doctor…　…〃

〃Excuse　me；〃　said　Boswell；　faintly；　〃but　II've　left　my　notebub　book　upstairs；　Doctor；　and　I'd　like　to　go　up　and　get　it。〃

〃Certainly；〃　said　Dr。　Johnson。　　〃I　judge　from　your　color；　which　is　highly　suggestive　of　a　modern　magazine　poster；　that　it　might　be　well　too　if　you　stayed　on　deck　for　a　little　while　and　made　a　few　entries　in　your　commonplace　book。〃

〃Thank　you；〃　said　Boswell；　gratefully。　　〃Shall　you　say　anything　clever　during　dinner；　sir？　　If　so；　I　might　be　putting　it　down　while　I'm　up〃

〃Get　out！〃　roared　the　Doctor。　　〃Get　up　as　high　as　you　canget　up　with　Shem　on　the　mizzentop〃

〃Very　good；　sir；〃　replied　Boswell；　and　he　was　off。

〃You　ought　to　be　more　lenient　with　him；　Doctor；〃　said　Bonaparte；　〃he　means　well。〃

〃I　know　it；〃　observed　Johnson；　〃but　he's　so　very　previous。　　Last　winter；　at　Chaucer's　dinner　to　Burns；　I　made　a　speech；　which　Boswell　printed　a　week　before　it　was　delivered；　with　the　words　'laughter'　and　'uproarious　applause'　interspersed　through　it。　　It　placed　me　in　a　false　position。〃

〃How　did　he　know　what　you　were　going　to　say？〃　queried　Demosthenes。

〃Don't　know；〃　replied　Johnson。　　〃Kind　of　mind…reader；　I　fancy；〃　he　added；　blushing　a　trifle。　　〃But；　Captain　Holmes；　what　do　you　deduce　from　your　observation　of　the　wake　of　the　House…boat？　　If　she's　going　to　Paris；　why　the　change？〃

〃I　have　two　theories；〃　replied　the　detective。

〃Which　is　always　safe；〃　said　Le　Coq。

〃Always；　it　doubles　your　chances　of　success；〃　acquiesced　Holmes。　〃Anyhow；　it　gives　you　a　choice；　which　makes　it　more　interesting。　　The　change　of　her　course　from　Londonward　to　Parisward　proves　to　me　either　that　Kidd　is　not　satisfied　with　the　extent　of　the　revenge　he　has　already　taken；　and　wishes　to　ruin　you　gentlemen　financially　by　turning　your　wives；　daughters；　and　sisters　loose　on　the　Parisian　shops；　or　that　the　pirates　have　themselves　been　overthrown　by　the　ladies；　who　have　decided　to　prolong　their　cruise　and　get　some　fun　out　of　their　misfortune。〃

〃And　where　else　than　to　Paris　would　any　one　in　search　of　pleasure　go？〃　asked　Bonaparte。

〃I　had　more　fun　a　few　miles　outside　of　Brussels；〃　said　Wellington；　with　a　sly　wink　at　Washington。

〃Oh；　let　up　on　that！〃　retorted　Bonaparte。　　〃It　wasn't　you　beat　me　at　Waterloo。　　You　couldn't　have　beaten　me　at　a　plain　ordinary　game　of　old…maid　with　a　stacked　pack　of　cards；　much　less　in　the　game　of　war；　if　you　hadn't　had　the　elements　with　you。〃

〃Tut！〃　snapped　Wellington。　　〃It　was　clear　science　laid　you　out；　Boney。〃

〃Taisey…voo！〃　shouted　the　irate　Corsican。　　〃Clear　science　be　hanged！　Wet　science　was　what　did　it。　　If　it　hadn't　been　for　the　rain；　my　little　Duke；　I　should　have　been　in　London　within　a　week；　my　grenadiers　would　have　been　camping　in　your　Rue　Peekadeely；　and　the　Old　Guard　all　over　everywhere　else。〃

〃You　must　have　had　a　gay　army；　then；〃　　laughed　Caesar。　　〃What　are　French　soldiers　made　of；　that　they　can't　stand　the　wetunshrunk　linen　or　flannel？〃

〃Bah！〃　observed　Napoleon；　shrugging　his　shoulders　and　walking　a　few　paces　away。　　〃You　do　not　understand　the　French。　　The　Frenchman　is　not　a　pell…mell　soldier　like　you　Romans；　he　is　the　poet　of　arms；　he　does　not　go　in　for　glory　at　the　expense　of　his　dignity；　style；　form；　is　dearer　to　him　than　honor；　and　he　has　no　use　for　fighting　in　the　wet　and　coming　out　of　the　fight　conspicuous　as　a　victor　with　the　curl　out　of　his　feathers　and　his　epaulets　rusted　with　the　damp。　　There　is　no　glory　in　water。　　But　if　we　had　had　umbrellas　and　mackintoshes；　as　every　Englishman　who　comes　to　the　Continent　always　has；　and　a　bath…　tub　for　everybody；　then　would　your　Waterloo　have　been　different　again；　and　the　great　democracy　of　Europe　with　a　Bonaparte　for　emperor　would　have　been　founded　for　what　the　Americans　call　the　keeps；　and　as　for　your　little　Great　Britain；　ha！　she　would　have　become　the　Blackwell's　Island　of　the　Greater　France。〃

〃You're　almost　as　funny　as　Punch　isn't；〃　drawled　Wellington；　with　an　angry　gesture　at　Bonaparte。　　〃You　weren't　within　telephoning　distance　of　victory　all　day。　　We　simply　played　with　you；　my　boy。　　It　was　a　regular　game　of　golf　for　us。　　We　let　you　keep　up　pretty　close　and　win　a　few　holes；　but　on　the　home　drive　we　had　you　beaten　in　one　stroke。　Go　to；　my　dear　Bonaparte；　and　stop　talking　about　the　flood。〃

〃It's　a　lucky　thing　for　us　that　Noah　wasn't　a　Frenchman；　eh？〃　said　Frederick　the　Great。　　〃How　that　rain　would　have　fazed　him　if　he　had　been！　　The　human　race　would　have　been　wiped　out。〃

〃Oh；　pshaw！〃　ejaculated　Noah；　deprecating　the　unseemliness　of　the　quarrel；　and　putting　his　arm　affectionately　about　Bonaparte's　shoulder。　　〃When　you　come　down　to　that；　I　was　Frenchas　French　as　one　could　be　in　those　daysand　these　Gallic　subjects　of　my　friend　here　were；　every　one　of　'em；　my　lineal　descendants；　and　their　hatred　of　rain　was　inherited　directly　from　me；　their　ancestor。〃

〃Are　not　we　English　as　much　your　descendants？〃　queried　Wellington；　arching　his　eyebrows。

〃You　are；〃　said　Noah；　〃but　you　take　after　Mrs。　Noah　more　than　after　me。　　Water　never　fazes　a　woman；　and　your　delight　in　tubs　is　an　essentially　feminine　trait。　　The　first　thing　Mrs。　Noah　carried　aboard　was　a　laundry　outfit；　and　then　she　went　back　for　rugs　and　coats　and　all　sorts　of　hand…baggage。　　Gad；　it　makes　me　laugh　to　this　day　when　I　think　of　it！　　She　looked　for　all　the　world　like　an　Englishman　travelling　on　the　Continent　as　she　walked　up　the　gang…plank　behind　the　elephants；　each　elephant　with　a　Gladstone　bag　in　his　trunk　and　a　hat…box　tied　to　his　tail。〃　　Here　the　venerable　old　weather…prophet　winked　at　Munchausen；　and　the　little　quarrel　which　had　been　imminent　passed　off　in　a　general　laugh。

〃Where's　Boswell？　　He　ought　to　get　that　anecdote；〃　said　Johnson。

〃I've　locked　him　up　in　the　library；〃　said　Holmes。　　〃He's　in　charge　of　the　log；　and　as　I　have　a　pretty　good　general　idea　as　to　what　is　about　to　happen；　I　have　mapped　out　a　skeleton　of　the　plot　and　set　him　to　work　writing　it　up。〃　　Here　the　detective　gave　a　sudden　start；　placed　his　hand　to　his　ear；　listened　intently　for　an　instant；　and；　taking　out　his　watch　and　glancing　at　it；　added；　quietly；　〃In　three　minutes　Shem　will　be　in　here　to　announce　a　discovery；　and　one　of　great　importance；　I　judge；　from　the　squeak。〃

The　assemblage　gazed　earnestly　at　Holmes　for　a　moment。

〃The　squeak？〃　queried　Raleigh。

〃Precisely；〃　said　Holmes。　　〃The　squeak　is　what　I　said；　and　as　I　always　say　what　I　mean；　it　follows