the mirror of the sea-第40章

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I　restrained　the　obvious　retort　that　in　this　way　he　ran　the　risk　of



making；　in　the　words　of　the　immortal　Mr。　Mantalini；　〃a　demnition



damp；　unpleasant　corpse　of　him。〃







〃He　wants　to　be　a　locksmith！〃　burst　out　Cervoni。　　〃To　learn　how　to



pick　locks；　I　suppose；〃　he　added　with　sardonic　bitterness。







〃Why　not　let　him　be　a　locksmith？〃　I　ventured。







〃Who　would　teach　him？〃　he　cried。　　〃Where　could　I　leave　him？〃　he



asked；　with　a　drop　in　his　voice；　and　I　had　my　first　glimpse　of



genuine　despair。　　〃He　steals；　you　know；　alas！　　PAR　TA　MADONNE！　　I



believe　he　would　put　poison　in　your　food　and　mine　…　the　viper！〃







He　raised　his　face　and　both　his　clenched　fists　slowly　to　heaven。



However；　Cesar　never　dropped　poison　into　our　cups。　　One　cannot　be



sure；　but　I　fancy　he　went　to　work　in　another　way。







This　voyage；　of　which　the　details　need　not　be　given；　we　had　to



range　far　afield　for　sufficient　reasons。　　Coming　up　from　the　South



to　end　it　with　the　important　and　really　dangerous　part　of　the



scheme　in　hand；　we　found　it　necessary　to　look　into　Barcelona　for



certain　definite　information。　　This　appears　like　running　one's　head



into　the　very　jaws　of　the　lion；　but　in　reality　it　was　not　so。　　We



had　one　or　two　high；　influential　friends　there；　and　many　others



humble　but　valuable　because　bought　for　good　hard　cash。　　We　were　in



no　danger　of　being　molested；　indeed；　the　important　information



reached　us　promptly　by　the　hands　of　a　Custom…house　officer；　who



came　on　board　full　of　showy　zeal　to　poke　an　iron　rod　into　the　layer



of　oranges　which　made　the　visible　part　of　our　cargo　in　the



hatchway。







I　forgot　to　mention　before　that　the　Tremolino　was　officially　known



as　a　fruit　and　cork…wood　trader。　　The　zealous　officer　managed　to



slip　a　useful　piece　of　paper　into　Dominic's　hand　as　he　went　ashore；



and　a　few　hours　afterwards；　being　off　duty；　he　returned　on　board



again　athirst　for　drinks　and　gratitude。　　He　got　both　as　a　matter　of



course。　　While　he　sat　sipping　his　liqueur　in　the　tiny　cabin；



Dominic　plied　him　with　questions　as　to　the　whereabouts　of　the



guardacostas。　　The　preventive　service　afloat　was　really　the　one　for



us　to　reckon　with；　and　it　was　material　for　our　success　and　safety



to　know　the　exact　position　of　the　patrol　craft　in　the



neighbourhood。　　The　news　could　not　have　been　more　favourable。　　The



officer　mentioned　a　small　place　on　the　coast　some　twelve　miles　off；



where；　unsuspicious　and　unready；　she　was　lying　at　anchor；　with　her



sails　unbent；　painting　yards　and　scraping　spars。　　Then　he　left　us



after　the　usual　compliments；　smirking　reassurringly　over　his



shoulder。







I　had　kept　below　pretty　close　all　day　from　excess　of　prudence。　　The



stake　played　on　that　trip　was　big。







〃We　are　ready　to　go　at　once；　but　for　Cesar；　who　has　been　missing



ever　since　breakfast；〃　announced　Dominic　to　me　in　his　slow；　grim



way。







Where　the　fellow　had　gone；　and　why；　we　could　not　imagine。　　The



usual　surmises　in　the　case　of　a　missing　seaman　did　not　apply　to



Cesar's　absence。　　He　was　too　odious　for　love；　friendship；　gambling；



or　even　casual　intercourse。　　But　once　or　twice　he　had　wandered　away



like　this　before。







Dominic　went　ashore　to　look　for　him；　but　returned　at　the　end　of　two



hours　alone　and　very　angry；　as　I　could　see　by　the　token　of　the



invisible　smile　under　his　moustache　being　intensified。　　We　wondered



what　had　become　of　the　wretch；　and　made　a　hurried　investigation



amongst　our　portable　property。　　He　had　stolen　nothing。







〃He　will　be　back　before　long；〃　I　said　confidently。







Ten　minutes　afterwards　one　of　the　men　on　deck　called　out　loudly：







〃I　can　see　him　coming。〃







Cesar　had　only　his　shirt　and　trousers　on。　　He　had　sold　his　coat；



apparently　for　pocket…money。







〃You　knave！〃　was　all　Dominic　said；　with　a　terrible　softness　of



voice。　　He　restrained　his　choler　for　a　time。　　〃Where　have　you　been；



vagabond？〃　he　asked　menacingly。







Nothing　would　induce　Cesar　to　answer　that　question。　　It　was　as　if



he　even　disdained　to　lie。　　He　faced　us；　drawing　back　his　lips　and



gnashing　his　teeth；　and　did　not　shrink　an　inch　before　the　sweep　of



Dominic's　arm。　　He　went　down　as　if　shot；　of　course。　　But　this　time



I　noticed　that；　when　picking　himself　up；　he　remained　longer　than



usual　on　all　fours；　baring　his　big　teeth　over　his　shoulder　and



glaring　upwards　at　his　uncle　with　a　new　sort　of　hate　in　his　round；



yellow　eyes。　　That　permanent　sentiment　seemed　pointed　at　that



moment　by　especial　malice　and　curiosity。　　I　became　quite



interested。　　If　he　ever　manages　to　put　poison　in　the　dishes；　I



thought　to　myself；　this　is　how　he　will　look　at　us　as　we　sit　at　our



meal。　　But　I　did　not；　of　course；　believe　for　a　moment　that　he　would



ever　put　poison　in　our　food。　　He　ate　the　same　things　himself。



Moreover；　he　had　no　poison。　　And　I　could　not　imagine　a　human　being



so　blinded　by　cupidity　as　to　sell　poison　to　such　an　atrocious



creature。















XLIV。















We　slipped　out　to　sea　quietly　at　dusk；　and　all　through　the　night



everything　went　well。　　The　breeze　was　gusty；　a　southerly　blow　was



making　up。　　It　was　fair　wind　for　our　course。　　Now　and　then　Dominic



slowly　and　rhythmically　struck　his　hands　together　a　few　times；　as



if　applauding　the　performance　of　the　Tremolino。　　The　balancelle



hummed　and　quivered　as　she　flew　along；　dancing　lightly　under　our



feet。







At　daybreak　I　pointed　out　to　Dominic；　amongst　the　several　sail　in



view　running　before　the　gathering　storm；　one　particular　vessel。



The　press　of　canvas　she　carried　made　her　loom　up　high；　end…on；　like



a　gray　column　standing　motionless　directly　in　our　wake。







〃Look　at　this　fellow；　Dominic；〃　I　said。　　〃He　seems　to　be　in　a



hurry。〃







The　Padrone　made　no　remark；　but；　wrapping　his　black　cloak　close



about　him；　stood　up　to　look。　　His　weather…tanned　face；　framed　in



the　hood；　had　an　aspect　of　authority　and　challenging　force；　with



the　deep…set　eyes　gazing　far　away　fixedly；　without　a　wink；　like　the



intent；　merciless；　steady　eyes　of　a　sea…bird。







〃CHI　VA　PIANO　VA　SANO；〃　he　remarked　at　last；　with　a　derisive　glance



over　the　side；　in　ironic　allusion　to　our　own　tremendous　speed。







The　Tremolino　was　doing　her　best；　and　seemed　to　hardly　touch　the



great　burst　of　foam　over　which　she　darted。　　I　crouched　down　again



to　get　some　shelter　from　the　low　bulwark。　　After　more　than　half　an



hour　of　swaying　immobility　expressing　a　concentrated；　breathless



watchfulness；　Dominic　sank　on　the　deck　by　my　side。　　Within　the



monkish　cowl　his　eyes　gleamed　with　a　fierce　expression　which



surprised　me。　　All　he　said　was：







〃He　has　come　out　here　to　wash　the　new　paint　off　his　yards；　I



suppose。〃







〃What？〃　I　shouted；　getting　up　on　my　knees。　　〃Is　she　the



guardacosta？〃







The　perpetual　suggestion　of　a　smile　under　Dominic's　piratical



moustaches　seemed　to　become　more　accentuated　…　quite　real；　grim；



actually　almost　visible　through　the　wet　and　uncurled　hair。　　Judging



by　that　symptom；　he　must　have　been　in　a　towering　rage。　　But　I　could



also　see　that　he　was　puzzled；　and　that　discovery　affected　me



disagreeably。　　Dominic　puzzled！　　For　a　long　time；　leaning　against



the　bulwark；　I　gazed　over　the　stern　at　the　gray　column　that　seemed



to　stand　swaying　slightly　in　our　wake　always　at　the　same　distance。







Meanwhile　Dominic；　black　and　cowled；　sat　cross…legged　on　the　deck；



with　his　back　to　the　wind；　recalling　vaguely　an　Arab　chief　in　his



burnuss　sitting　on　the　sand。　　Above　his　motionless　figure　the



little　cord　and　tassel　on　the　stiff　point　of　the　hood　swung　about



inanely　in　the　gale。　　At　last　I　gave　up　facing　the　wind　and　rain；



and　crouched　down　by　his　side。　　I　was　satisfied　that　the　sail　was　a



patrol　craft。　　Her　presence　was　not　a　thing　to　talk　about