the mirror of the sea-第41章

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



soon；　between　two　clouds　charged　with　hail…showers；　a　burst　of



sunshine　fell　upon　her　sails；　and　our　men　discovered　her　character



for　themselves。　　From　that　moment　I　noticed　that　they　seemed　to



take　no　heed　of　each　other　or　of　anything　else。　　They　could　spare



no　eyes　and　no　thought　but　for　the　slight　column…shape　astern　of



us。　　Its　swaying　had　become　perceptible。　　For　a　moment　she　remained



dazzlingly　white；　then　faded　away　slowly　to　nothing　in　a　squall；



only　to　reappear　again；　nearly　black；　resembling　a　post　stuck



upright　against　the　slaty　background　of　solid　cloud。　　Since　first



noticed　she　had　not　gained　on　us　a　foot。







〃She　will　never　catch　the　Tremolino；〃　I　said　exultingly。







Dominic　did　not　look　at　me。　　He　remarked　absently；　but　justly；　that



the　heavy　weather　was　in　our　pursuer's　favour。　　She　was　three　times



our　size。　　What　we　had　to　do　was　to　keep　our　distance　till　dark；



which　we　could　manage　easily；　and　then　haul　off　to　seaward　and



consider　the　situation。　　But　his　thoughts　seemed　to　stumble　in　the



darkness　of　some　not…solved　enigma；　and　soon　he　fell　silent。　　We



ran　steadily；　wing…and…wing。　　Cape　San　Sebastian　nearly　ahead



seemed　to　recede　from　us　in　the　squalls　of　rain；　and　come　out　again



to　meet　our　rush；　every　time　more　distinct　between　the　showers。







For　my　part　I　was　by　no　means　certain　that　this　GABELOU　（as　our　men



alluded　to　her　opprobriously）　was　after　us　at　all。　　There　were



nautical　difficulties　in　such　a　view　which　made　me　express　the



sanguine　opinion　that　she　was　in　all　innocence　simply　changing　her



station。　　At　this　Dominic　condescended　to　turn　his　head。







〃I　tell　you　she　is　in　chase；〃　he　affirmed　moodily；　after　one　short



glance　astern。







I　never　doubted　his　opinion。　　But　with　all　the　ardour　of　a　neophyte



and　the　pride　of　an　apt　learner　I　was　at　that　time　a　great　nautical



casuist。







〃What　I　can't　understand；〃　I　insisted　subtly；　〃is　how　on　earth；



with　this　wind；　she　has　managed　to　be　just　where　she　was　when　we



first　made　her　out。　　It　is　clear　that　she　could　not；　and　did　not；



gain　twelve　miles　on　us　during　the　night。　　And　there　are　other



impossibilities。　。　。　。〃







Dominic　had　been　sitting　motionless；　like　an　inanimate　black　cone



posed　on　the　stern　deck；　near　the　rudder…head；　with　a　small　tassel



fluttering　on　its　sharp　point；　and　for　a　time　he　preserved　the



immobility　of　his　meditation。　　Then；　bending　over　with　a　short



laugh；　he　gave　my　ear　the　bitter　fruit　of　it。　　He　understood



everything　now　perfectly。　　She　was　where　we　had　seen　her　first；　not



because　she　had　caught　us　up；　but　because　we　had　passed　her　during



the　night　while　she　was　already　waiting　for　us；　hove…to；　most



likely；　on　our　very　track。







〃Do　you　understand　…　already？〃　Dominic　　muttered　in　a　fierce



undertone。　　〃Already！　　You　know　we　left　a　good　eight　hours　before



we　were　expected　to　leave；　otherwise　she　would　have　been　in　time　to



lie　in　wait　for　us　on　the　other　side　of　the　Cape；　and〃　…　he　snapped



his　teeth　like　a　wolf　close　to　my　face　…　〃and　she　would　have　had　us



like　…　that。〃







I　saw　it　all　plainly　enough　now。　　They　had　eyes　in　their　heads　and



all　their　wits　about　them　in　that　craft。　　We　had　passed　them　in　the



dark　as　they　jogged　on　easily　towards　their　ambush　with　the　idea



that　we　were　yet　far　behind。　　At　daylight；　however；　sighting　a



balancelle　ahead　under　a　press　of　canvas；　they　had　made　sail　in



chase。　　But　if　that　was　so；　then　…







Dominic　seized　my　arm。







〃Yes；　yes！　　She　came　out　on　an　information　…　do　you　see；　it？　…　on



information。　。　。　。　We　have　been　sold　…　betrayed。　　Why？　　How？　　What



for？　　We　always　paid　them　all　so　well　on　shore。　。　。　。　No！　　But　it



is　my　head　that　is　going　to　burst。〃







He　seemed　to　choke；　tugged　at　the　throat　button　of　the　cloak；



jumped　up　open…mouthed　as　if　to　hurl　curses　and　denunciation；　but



instantly　mastered　himself；　and；　wrapping　up　the　cloak　closer　about



him；　sat　down　on　the　deck　again　as　quiet　as　ever。







〃Yes；　it　must　be　the　work　of　some　scoundrel　ashore；〃　I　observed。







He　pulled　the　edge　of　the　hood　well　forward　over　his　brow　before　he



muttered：







〃A　scoundrel。　。　。　。　Yes。　。　。　。　It's　evident。〃







〃Well；〃　I　said；　〃they　can't　get　us；　that's　clear。〃







〃No；〃　he　assented　quietly；　〃they　cannot。〃







We　shaved　the　Cape　very　close　to　avoid　an　adverse　current。　　On　the



other　side；　by　the　effect　of　the　land；　the　wind　failed　us　so



completely　for　a　moment　that　the　Tremolino's　two　great　lofty　sails



hung　idle　to　the　masts　in　the　thundering　uproar　of　the　seas



breaking　upon　the　shore　we　had　left　behind。　　And　when　the　returning



gust　filled　them　again；　we　saw　with　amazement　half　of　the　new



mainsail；　which　we　thought　fit　to　drive　the　boat　under　before



giving　way；　absolutely　fly　out　of　the　bolt…ropes。　　We　lowered　the



yard　at　once；　and　saved　it　all；　but　it　was　no　longer　a　sail；　it　was



only　a　heap　of　soaked　strips　of　canvas　cumbering　the　deck　and



weighting　the　craft。　　Dominic　gave　the　order　to　throw　the　whole　lot



overboard。







I　would　have　had　the　yard　thrown　overboard；　too；　he　said；　leading



me　aft　again；　〃if　it　had　not　been　for　the　trouble。　　Let　no　sign



escape　you；〃　he　continued；　lowering　his　voice；　〃but　I　am　going　to



tell　you　something　terrible。　　Listen：　　I　have　observed　that　the



roping　stitches　on　that　sail　have　been　cut！　　You　hear？　　Cut　with　a



knife　in　many　places。　　And　yet　it　stood　all　that　time。　　Not　enough



cut。　　That　flap　did　it　at　last。　　What　matters　it？　　But　look！



there's　treachery　seated　on　this　very　deck。　　By　the　horns　of　the



devil！　seated　here　at　our　very　backs。　　Do　not　turn；　signorine。〃







We　were　facing　aft　then。







〃What's　to　be　done？〃　I　asked；　appalled。







〃Nothing。　　Silence！　　Be　a　man；　signorine。〃







〃What　else？〃　I　said。







To　show　I　could　be　a　man；　I　resolved　to　utter　no　sound　as　long　as



Dominic　himself　had　the　force　to　keep　his　lips　closed。　　Nothing　but



silence　becomes　certain　situations。　　Moreover；　the　experience　of



treachery　seemed　to　spread　a　hopeless　drowsiness　over　my　thoughts



and　senses。　　For　an　hour　or　more　we　watched　our　pursuer　surging　out



nearer　and　nearer　from　amongst　the　squalls　that　sometimes　hid　her



altogether。　　But　even　when　not　seen；　we　felt　her　there　like　a　knife



at　our　throats。　　She　gained　on　us　frightfully。　　And　the　Tremolino；



in　a　fierce　breeze　and　in　much　smoother　water；　swung　on　easily



under　her　one　sail；　with　something　appallingly　careless　in　the



joyous　freedom　of　her　motion。　　Another　half…hour　went　by。　　I　could



not　stand　it　any　longer。







〃They　will　get　the　poor　barky；〃　I　stammered　out　suddenly；　almost　on



the　verge　of　tears。







Dominic　stirred　no　more　than　a　carving。　　A　sense　of　catastrophic



loneliness　overcame　my　inexperienced　soul。　　The　vision　of　my



companions　passed　before　me。　　The　whole　Royalist　gang　was　in　Monte



Carlo　now；　I　reckoned。　　And　they　appeared　to　me　clear…cut　and　very



small；　with　affected　voices　and　stiff　gestures；　like　a　procession



of　rigid　marionettes　upon　a　toy　stage。　　I　gave　a　start。　　What　was



this？　　A　mysterious；　remorseless　whisper　came　from　within　the



motionless　black　hood　at　my　side。







〃IL　FAUL　LA　TUER。〃







I　heard　it　very　well。







〃What　do　you　say；　Dominic？〃　I　asked；　moving　nothing　but　my　lips。







And　the　whisper　within　the　hood　repeated　mysteriously；　〃She　must　be



killed。〃







My　heart　began　to　beat　violently。







〃That's　it；〃　I　faltered　out。　　〃But　how？〃







〃You　love　her　well？〃







〃I　do。〃







〃Then　you　must　find　the　heart　for　that　work　too。　　You　must　steer



her　yourself；　and　I　shall　see　to　it　that　she　dies　quickly；　without



leaving　as　much　as　a　chip　behind。〃