the cruise of the jasper b.-第8章
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〃I have iceyou shall have all the ice you want!〃
〃Oh;〃 she murmured; leaning towards him; 〃you cannot know〃
But the rest was lost in an incoherent babble; and with a deep
sigh she fell lax into Cleggett's arms。 The reaction from
despair had been too much for her; it had come too suddenly; at
the first word of reassurance; at the first ray of dawning hope;
she had fainted。 High…strung natures; intrepid in the face of
danger; are apt to such collapses in the moment of deliverance;
and; whatever the nature of the lady's trouble; Cleggett gained
from her swoon a sharp sense of its intensity。
Cleggett was not used to having beautiful women faint and fall
into his arms; and he was too much of a gentleman to hold one
there a single moment longer than was absolutely necessary。 He
turned his head rather helplessly towards the vehicle in which
the lady had arrived。 To his consternation and surprise it had
turned around and the chauffeur was in the act of starting back
towards Fairport。 But he had left behind him a large zinc bucket
with a cover on it; a long unpainted; oblong box; and two steamer
trunks; on the oblong box sat a short; squat young man in an
attitude of deep dejection。
〃Hi there! Stop!〃 cried Cleggett to the chauffeur。 That person
stopped his machine。 He did more。 He arose in the seat; applied
his thumb to his nose; and vigorously and vivaciously waggled his
outspread fingers at Cleggett in a gesture; derisive and
inelegant; that is older than the pyramids。 Then he started his
machine again and made all speed in the direction of Fairport。
〃I say; you; come here!〃 Cleggett called to the squat young man。
〃Can't you see that the lady's fainted?〃
The squat young man; thus exhorted; sadly approached。
〃Can't you see the lady has fainted?〃 repeated Cleggett。
〃Skoits often does;〃 said the squat young man; looking over the
situation in a detached; judicial manner。 He spoke out of the
left corner of his mouth in a hoarse voice; without moving the
right side of his face at all; and he seemed to feel that the
responsibility of the situation was Cleggett's。
〃But; don't you know her? Didn't you come here with her?〃
The squat young man appeared to debate some moral issue inwardly
for a moment。 And then; speaking this time out of the right
corner of his mouth; which was now nearer Cleggett; without
disturbing the left half of his face; he pointed towards the
oblong box and murmured huskily: 〃That's my job。〃 He went and
sat down on the box again。
Without more ado Cleggett lifted the lady and bore her onto the
Jasper B。 She was a heavy burden; but Cleggett declined the
assistance of Cap'n Abernethy and George the Greek; who had come
tardily out of the forecastle and now offered their assistance。
〃Get a bottle of wine;〃 he told Yosh; as he passed the Japanese
on the deck; 〃and then make some tea。〃
Cleggett laid the lady on a couch in the cabin; and then lighted
a lamp; as it got dark early in these quarters。 While he waited
for Yoshahira Kuroki and the wine; he looked at her。 In her
appealing helplessness she looked even more beautiful than she
had at first。 She was a blonde; with eyebrows and lashes darker
than her hair; and; even in her swoon; Cleggett could see that
she was of the thin…skinned; high…colored type。 Her eyes; as he
had seen before she swooned; were of a deep; dark violet color。
She was no chit of a girl; but a mature woman; tall and splendid
in the noble fullness of her contours。 The high nose spoke of
love of activity and energy of character。 The full mouth
indicated warmth of heart; the chin was of that sort which we
have been taught to associate with determination。
The Japanese brought the wine; and Cleggett poured a few
spoonfuls down the lady's throat。 Presently she sighed and
stirred and began to show signs of returning animation。
The Pomeranian; which had followed them into the cabin; and which
now lay whimpering at her feet; also seemed to feel that she was
awakening; and; crawling higher; began to lick one of her hands。
〃Make some tea; Yosh;〃 said Cleggett。 〃What is it?〃
This last was addressed to the lady herself。 Her eyes had opened
for a fleeting instant as Cleggett spoke to the Japanese; and her
lips had moved。 Cleggett bent his head nearer; while Yosh picked
up the dog; which violently objected; and asked again: 〃What is
it?〃
〃Orange pekoe; please;〃 the lady murmured; dreamily。
And then she sat up with a start; struggled to recover herself;
and looked about her wildly。
〃Where am I?〃 she cried。 〃What has happened?〃 She passed her
hand across her brow; frowning。
〃You fainted; madam;〃 said Cleggett。
〃Oh!〃 Suddenly recollection came to her; and her anxieties
rushed upon her once more。 〃The ice! The ice!〃 She sprang to
her feet; and grasped Cleggett by both shoulders; searching his
face with eager eyes。 〃You did not lie to me; did you? You
promised me ice! Where is the ice?〃
〃You shall have the ice;〃 said Cleggett; 〃at once。〃
〃Thank God!〃 she said。 And then: 〃Where are Elmer and the box?〃
〃Elmer? Oh; the short man! On shore。 I believe that he and
your chauffeur had some sort of an altercation; for the chauffeur
went off and left him。〃
〃Yes;〃 she said; simply; as they passed up the companionway to
the deck together; 〃that man; the driver; refused to bring us any
farther。〃
Cleggett must have looked a little blank at that; for she
suddenly threw back her head and laughed at him。 And then;
sobering instantly; she called to the squat young man:
〃Elmer! Oh; Elmer! You may bring the boxes on board!〃 She
turned to Cleggett: 〃He may; mayn't he? Thank youI was sure
you would say he might。 And if one of your men could just give
him a lift? Andthe ice?〃
〃George;〃 called Cleggett; 〃help the man get the boxes aboard。
Kuroki; bring fifty pounds of ice on deck。〃
She sighed as she heard him give these orders; but it was a sigh
of satisfaction; and she smiled at Cleggett as she signed。
Sometimes a great deal can happen in a very short space of time。
Ten minutes before; Cleggett had never seen this lady; and now he
was giving orders at her merest suggestion。 But in those ten
minutes he had seen her weep; he had seen her faint; he had seen
her recover herself; he had seen her emerge from the depths of
despair into something more like self…control; he had carried her
in his arms; she had laughed at him; she had twice impulsively
grasped him by the arm; she had smiled at him three times; she
had sighed twice; she had frowned once; she had swept upon him
bringing with her an impression of the mysterious。 Many men are
married to women for years without seeing their wives display so
many and such varied phases; to Cleggett it seemed not so much
that he was making a new acquaintance as renewing one that had
been broken off suddenly at some distant date。 Cleggett; like
the true…hearted gentleman and born romanticist that he was;
resolved to serve her without question until such time as she
chose to make known to him her motives for her actions。
〃Do you know;〃 she said; softly and gravely to Cleggett as George
and Elmer deposited the oblong box upon a spot which she
indicated near the cabin; 〃I have met very few men in my life who
are capable of what you are doing?〃
〃I?〃 said Cleggett; surprised。 〃I have done nothing。〃
〃You have found a woman in a strange positionan unusual
position; indeed!and you have helped her without persecuting
her with questions。〃
〃It is nothing;〃 murmured Cleggett。
〃Would you think me too impulsive;〃 she said; with a rare smile;
〃if I told you that you are the sort of man whom women are ready
to trust implicitly almost at first sight?〃
Cleggett did not permit himself to speak for fear that the thrill
which her words imparted to him would c