the wreck of the golden mary-第2章

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my　friend。　　〃Touch　upon　it；〃　says　I；　〃and　touch　heartily。　　I　take

command　of　this　ship；　and　I　am　hers　and　yours；　if　I　can　get　John

Steadiman　for　my　chief　mate。〃



John　Steadiman　had　sailed　with　me　four　voyages。　　The　first　voyage

John　was　third　mate　out　to　China；　and　came　home　second。　　The　other

three　voyages　he　was　my　first　officer。　　At　this　time　of　chartering

the　Golden　Mary；　he　was　aged　thirty…two。　　A　brisk；　bright；　blue…eyed

fellow；　a　very　neat　figure　and　rather　under　the　middle　size；　never

out　of　the　way　and　never　in　it；　a　face　that　pleased　everybody　and

that　all　children　took　to；　a　habit　of　going　about　singing　as

cheerily　as　a　blackbird；　and　a　perfect　sailor。



We　were　in　one　of　those　Liverpool　hackney…coaches　in　less　than　a

minute；　and　we　cruised　about　in　her　upwards　of　three　hours；　looking

for　John。　　John　had　come　home　from　Van　Diemen's　Land　barely　a　month

before；　and　I　had　heard　of　him　as　taking　a　frisk　in　Liverpool。　　We

asked　after　him；　among　many　other　places；　at　the　two　boarding…houses

he　was　fondest　of；　and　we　found　he　had　had　a　week's　spell　at　each　of

them；　but；　he　had　gone　here　and　gone　there；　and　had　set　off　〃to　lay

out　on　the　main…to'…gallant…yard　of　the　highest　Welsh　mountain〃　（so

he　had　told　the　people　of　the　house）；　and　where　he　might　be　then；　or

when　he　might　come　back；　nobody　could　tell　us。　　But　it　was

surprising；　to　be　sure；　to　see　how　every　face　brightened　the　moment

there　was　mention　made　of　the　name　of　Mr。　Steadiman。



We　were　taken　aback　at　meeting　with　no　better　luck；　and　we　had　wore

ship　and　put　her　head　for　my　friends；　when　as　we　were　jogging

through　the　streets；　I　clap　my　eyes　on　John　himself　coming　out　of　a

toyshop！　　He　was　carrying　a　little　boy；　and　conducting　two　uncommon

pretty　women　to　their　coach；　and　he　told　me　afterwards　that　he　had

never　in　his　life　seen　one　of　the　three　before；　but　that　he　was　so

taken　with　them　on　looking　in　at　the　toyshop　while　they　were　buying

the　child　a　cranky　Noah's　Ark；　very　much　down　by　the　head；　that　he

had　gone　in　and　asked　the　ladies'　permission　to　treat　him　to　a

tolerably　correct　Cutter　there　was　in　the　window；　in　order　that　such

a　handsome　boy　might　not　grow　up　with　a　lubberly　idea　of　naval

architecture。



We　stood　off　and　on　until　the　ladies'　coachman　began　to　give　way；

and　then　we　hailed　John。　　On　his　coming　aboard　of　us；　I　told　him；

very　gravely；　what　I　had　said　to　my　friend。　　It　struck　him；　as　he

said　himself；　amidships。　　He　was　quite　shaken　by　it。　　〃Captain

Ravender；〃　were　John　Steadiman's　words；　〃such　an　opinion　from　you　is

true　commendation；　and　I'll　sail　round　the　world　with　you　for　twenty

years　if　you　hoist　the　signal；　and　stand　by　you　for　ever！〃　　And　now

indeed　I　felt　that　it　was　done；　and　that　the　Golden　Mary　was　afloat。



Grass　never　grew　yet　under　the　feet　of　Smithick　and　Watersby。　　The

riggers　were　out　of　that　ship　in　a　fortnight's　time；　and　we　had

begun　taking　in　cargo。　　John　was　always　aboard；　seeing　everything

stowed　with　his　own　eyes；　and　whenever　I　went　aboard　myself　early　or

late；　whether　he　was　below　in　the　hold；　or　on　deck　at　the　hatchway；

or　overhauling　his　cabin；　nailing　up　pictures　in　it　of　the　Blush

Roses　of　England；　the　Blue　Belles　of　Scotland；　and　the　female

Shamrock　of　Ireland：　　of　a　certainty　I　heard　John　singing　like　a

blackbird。



We　had　room　for　twenty　passengers。　　Our　sailing　advertisement　was　no

sooner　out；　than　we　might　have　taken　these　twenty　times　over。　　In

entering　our　men；　I　and　John　（both　together）　picked　them；　and　we

entered　none　but　good　handsas　good　as　were　to　be　found　in　that

port。　　And　so；　in　a　good　ship　of　the　best　build；　well　owned；　well

arranged；　well　officered；　well　manned；　well　found　in　all　respects；

we　parted　with　our　pilot　at　a　quarter　past　four　o'clock　in　the

afternoon　of　the　seventh　of　March；　one　thousand　eight　hundred　and

fifty…one；　and　stood　with　a　fair　wind　out　to　sea。



It　may　be　easily　believed　that　up　to　that　time　I　had　had　no　leisure

to　be　intimate　with　my　passengers。　　The　most　of　them　were　then　in

their　berths　sea…sick；　however；　in　going　among　them；　telling　them

what　was　good　for　them；　persuading　them　not　to　be　there；　but　to　come

up　on　deck　and　feel　the　breeze；　and　in　rousing　them　with　a　joke；　or

a　comfortable　word；　I　made　acquaintance　with　them；　perhaps；　in　a

more　friendly　and　confidential　way　from　the　first；　than　I　might　have

done　at　the　cabin　table。



Of　my　passengers；　I　need　only　particularise；　just　at　present；　a

bright…eyed　blooming　young　wife　who　was　going　out　to　join　her

husband　in　California；　taking　with　her　their　only　child；　a　little

girl　of　three　years　old；　whom　he　had　never　seen；　a　sedate　young

woman　in　black；　some　five　years　older　（about　thirty　as　I　should

say）；　who　was　going　out　to　join　a　brother；　and　an　old　gentleman；　a

good　deal　like　a　hawk　if　his　eyes　had　been　better　and　not　so　red；

who　was　always　talking；　morning；　noon；　and　night；　about　the　gold

discovery。　　But；　whether　he　was　making　the　voyage；　thinking　his　old

arms　could　dig　for　gold；　or　whether　his　speculation　was　to　buy　it；

or　to　barter　for　it；　or　to　cheat　for　it；　or　to　snatch　it　anyhow　from

other　people；　was　his　secret。　　He　kept　his　secret。



These　three　and　the　child　were　the　soonest　well。　　The　child　was　a

most　engaging　child；　to　be　sure；　and　very　fond　of　me：　　though　I　am

bound　to　admit　that　John　Steadiman　and　I　were　borne　on　her　pretty

little　books　in　reverse　order；　and　that　he　was　captain　there；　and　I

was　mate。　　It　was　beautiful　to　watch　her　with　John；　and　it　was

beautiful　to　watch　John　with　her。　　Few　would　have　thought　it

possible；　to　see　John　playing　at　bo…peep　round　the　mast；　that　he　was

the　man　who　had　caught　up　an　iron　bar　and　struck　a　Malay　and　a

Maltese　dead；　as　they　were　gliding　with　their　knives　down　the　cabin

stair　aboard　the　barque　Old　England；　when　the　captain　lay　ill　in　his

cot；　off　Saugar　Point。　　But　he　was；　and　give　him　his　back　against　a

bulwark；　he　would　have　done　the　same　by　half　a　dozen　of　them。　　The

name　of　the　young　mother　was　Mrs。　Atherfield；　the　name　of　the　young

lady　in　black　was　Miss　Coleshaw；　and　the　name　of　the　old　gentleman

was　Mr。　Rarx。



As　the　child　had　a　quantity　of　shining　fair　hair；　clustering　in

curls　all　about　her　face；　and　as　her　name　was　Lucy；　Steadiman　gave

her　the　name　of　the　Golden　Lucy。　　So；　we　had　the　Golden　Lucy　and　the

Golden　Mary；　and　John　kept　up　the　idea　to　that　extent　as　he　and　the

child　went　playing　about　the　decks；　that　I　believe　she　used　to　think

the　ship　was　alive　somehowa　sister　or　companion；　going　to　the　same

place　as　herself。　　She　liked　to　be　by　the　wheel；　and　in　fine

weather；　I　have　often　stood　by　the　man　whose　trick　it　was　at　the

wheel；　only　to　hear　her；　sitting　near　my　feet；　talking　to　the　ship。

Never　had　a　child　such　a　doll　before；　I　suppose；　but　she　made　a　doll

of　the　Golden　Mary；　and　used　to　dress　her　up　by　tying　ribbons　and

little　bits　of　finery　to　the　belaying…pins；　and　nobody　ever　moved

them；　unless　it　was　to　save　them　from　being　blown　away。



Of　course　I　took　charge　of　the　two　young　women；　and　I　called　them

〃my　dear；〃　and　they　never　minded；　knowing　that　whatever　I　said　was

said　in　a　fatherly　and　protecting　spirit。　　I　gave　them　their　places

on　each　side　of　me　at　dinner；　Mrs。　Atherfield　on　my　right　and　Miss

Coleshaw　on　my　left；　and　I　directed　the　unmarried　lady　to　serve　out

the　breakfast；　and　the　married　lady　to　serve　out　the　tea。　　Likewise

I　said　to　my　black　steward　in　their　presence；　〃Tom　Snow；　these　two

ladies　are　equally　the　mistresses　of　this　house；　and　do　you　obey

their　orders　equally；〃　at　which　Tom　laughed；　and　they　all　laughed。



Old　Mr。　Rarx　was　not　a　pleasant　man　to　look　at；　nor　yet　to　talk　to；

or　to　be　with；　for　no　one　could　help　seeing　that　he　was　a　sordid　and

selfish　character；　and　that　he　had　warped　further　and　further　out　of

the　straight　with　time。　　Not　but　what　he　was　on　his　best　behaviour

with　us；　as　everybody　was；　for　we　had　no　bickering　among　us；　for'ard

or　aft