benita-第6章

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rushed　heavenwards　and　burst　in　showers　of　stars。



Robert　remembered　that　the　last　rocket　he　had　seen　was　fired　at　an

evening　/fête/　for　the　amusement　of　the　audience。　The　contrast　struck

him　as　dreadful。　He　wondered　whether　there　were　any　power　or　infernal

population　that　could　be　amused　by　a　tragedy　such　as　enacted　itself

before　his　eyes；　how　it　came　about　also　that　such　a　tragedy　was

permitted　by　the　merciful　Strength　in　which　mankind　put　their　faith。



The　vessel　was　turning　over；　compressed　air　or　steam　burst　up　the

decks　with　loud　reports；　fragments　of　wreckage　flew　into　the　air。

There　the　poor　captain　still　clung　to　the　rail　of　the　bridge。　Seymour

could　see　his　white　facethe　moonlight　seemed　to　paint　it　with　a

ghastly　smile。　The　officer　in　command　of　their　boat　shouted　to　the

crew　to　give　way　lest　they　should　be　sucked　down　with　the　steamer。



Look！　Now　she　wallowed　like　a　dying　whale；　the　moonrays　shone　white

upon　her　bottom；　showing　the　jagged　rent　made　in　it　by　the　rock　on

which　she　had　struck；　and　now　she　was　gone。　Only　a　little　cloud　of

smoke　and　steam　remained　to　mark　where　the　/Zanzibar/　had　been。







III



HOW　ROBERT　CAME　ASHORE



In　place　of　the　/Zanzibar/　a　great　pit　on　the　face　of　the　ocean；　in

which　the　waters　boiled　and　black　objects　appeared　and　disappeared。



〃Sit　still；　for　your　lives'　sake；〃　said　the　officer　in　a　quiet　voice；

〃the　suck　is　coming。〃



In　another　minute　it　came；　dragging　them　downward　till　the　water

trickled　over　the　sides　of　the　boat；　and　backward　towards　the　pit。　But

before　ever　they　reached　it　the　deep　had　digested　its　prey；　and；　save

for　the　great　air…bubbles　which　burst　about　them　and　a　mixed；

unnatural　swell；　was　calm　again。　For　the　moment　they　were　safe。



〃Passengers；〃　said　the　officer；　〃I　am　going　to　put　out　to　seaat　any

rate；　till　daylight。　We　may　meet　a　vessel　there；　and　if　we　try　to　row

ashore　we　shall　certainly　be　swamped　in　the　breakers。〃



No　one　objected；　they　seemed　too　stunned　to　speak；　but　Robert　thought

to　himself　that　the　man　was　wise。　They　began　to　move；　but　before　they

had　gone　a　dozen　yards　something　dark　rose　beside　them。　It　was　a　piece

of　wreckage；　and　clinging　to　it　a　woman；　who　clasped　a　bundle　to　her

breast。　More；　she　was　alive；　for　she　began　to　cry　to　them　to　take　her

in。



〃Save　me　and　my　child！〃　she　cried。　〃For　God's　sake　save　me！〃



Robert　recognized　the　choking　voice；　it　was　that　of　a　young　married

lady　with　whom　he　had　been　very　friendly；　who　was　going　out　with　her

baby　to　join　her　husband　in　Natal。　He　stretched　out　his　hand　and

caught　hold　of　her；　whereon　the　officer　said；　heavily：



〃The　boat　is　already　overladen。　I　must　warn　you　that　to　take　more

aboard　is　not　safe。〃



Thereon　the　passengers　awoke　from　their　stupor。



〃Push　her　off；〃　cried　a　voice；　〃she　must　take　her　chance。〃　And　there

was　a　murmur　of　approval　at　the　dreadful　words。



〃For　Christ's　sakefor　Christ's　sake！〃　wailed　the　drowning　woman；　who

clung　desperately　to　Robert's　hand。



〃If　you　try　to　pull　her　in；　we　will　throw　you　overboard；〃　said　the

voice　again；　and　a　knife　was　lifted　as　though　to　hack　at　his　arm。　Then

the　officer　spoke　once　more。



〃This　lady　cannot　come　into　the　boat　unless　someone　goes　out　of　it。　I

would　myself；　but　it　is　my　duty　to　stay。　Is　there　any　man　here　who

will　make　place　for　her？〃



But　all　the　men　thereseven　of　them；　besides　the　crewhung　their

heads　and　were　silent。



〃Give　way；〃　said　the　officer　in　the　same　heavy　voice；　〃she　will　drop

off　presently。〃



While　the　words　passed　his　lips　Robert　seemed　to　live　a　year。　Here　was

an　opportunity　of　atonement　for　his　idle　and　luxurious　life。　An　hour

ago　he　would　have　taken　it　gladly；　but　nownow；　with　Benita　senseless

on　his　breast；　and　that　answer　still　locked　in　her　sleeping　heart？　Yet

Benita　would　approve　of　such　a　death　as　this；　and　even　if　she　loved

him　not　in　life；　would　learn　to　love　his　memory。　In　an　instant　his

mind　was　made　up；　and　he　was　speaking　rapidly。



〃Thompson；〃　he　said　to　the　officer；　〃if　I　go；　will　you　swear　to　take

her　in　and　her　child？〃



〃Certainly；　Mr。　Seymour。〃



〃Then　lay　to；　I　am　going。　If　any　of　you　live；　tell　this　lady　how　I

died；〃　and　he　pointed　to　Benita；　〃and　say　I　thought　that　she　would

wish　it。〃



〃She　shall　be　told；〃　said　the　officer　again；　〃and　saved；　too；　if　I　can

do　it。〃



〃Hold　Mrs。　Jeffreys；　then；　till　I　am　out　of　this。　I'll　leave　my　coat

to　cover　her。〃



A　sailor　obeyed；　and　with　difficulty　Robert　wrenched　free　his　hand。



Very　deliberately　he　pressed　Benita　to　his　breast　and　kissed　her　on

the　forehead；　then　let　her　gently　slide　on　to　the　bottom　of　the　boat。

Next　he　slipped　off　his　overcoat　and　slowly　rolled　himself　over　the

gunwale　into　the　sea。



〃Now；〃　he　said；　〃pull　Mrs。　Jeffreys　in。〃



〃God　bless　you；　you　are　a　brave　man；〃　said　Thompson。　〃I　shall　remember

you　if　I　live　a　hundred　years。〃



But　no　one　else　said　anything；　perhaps　they　were　all　too　much　ashamed；

even　then。



〃I　have　only　done　my　duty；〃　Seymour　answered　from　the　water。　〃How　far

is　it　to　the　shore？〃



〃About　three　miles；〃　shouted　Thompson。　〃But　keep　on　that　plank；　or　you

will　never　live　through　the　rollers。　Good…bye。〃



〃Good…bye；〃　answered　Robert。



Then　the　boat　passed　away　from　him　and　soon　vanished　in　the　misty　face

of　the　deep。



Resting　on　the　plank　which　had　saved　the　life　of　Mrs。　Jeffreys；　Robert

Seymour　looked　about　him　and　listened。　Now　and　again　he　heard　a　faint；

choking　scream　uttered　by　some　drowning　wretch；　and　a　few　hundred

yards　away　caught　sight　of　a　black　object　which　he　thought　might　be　a

boat。　If　so；　he　reflected　that　it　must　be　full。　Moreover；　he　could　not

overtake　it。　No；　his　only　chance　was　to　make　for　the　shore。　He　was　a

strong　swimmer；　and　happily　the　water　was　almost　as　warm　as　milk。

There　seemed　to　be　no　reason　why　he　should　not　reach　it；　supported　as

he　was　by　a　lifebelt；　if　the　sharks　would　leave　him　alone；　which　they

might；　as　there　was　plenty　for　them　to　feed　on。　The　direction　he　knew

well　enough；　for　now　in　the　great　silence　of　the　sea　he　could　hear　the

boom　of　the　mighty　rollers　breaking　on　the　beach。



Ah；　those　rollers！　He　remembered　how　that　very　afternoon　Benita　and　he

had　watched　them　through　his　field　glass　sprouting　up　against　the

cruel　walls　of　rock；　and　wondered　that　when　the　ocean　was　so　calm　they

had　still　such　power。　Now；　should　he　live　to　reach　them；　he　was　doomed

to　match　himself　against　that　power。　Well；　the　sooner　he　did　so　the

sooner　it　would　be　over；　one　way　or　the　other。　This　was　in　his　favour：

the　tide　had　turned；　and　was　flowing　shorewards。　Indeed；　he　had　little

to　do　but　to　rest　upon　his　plank；　which　he　placed　crosswise　beneath

his　breast；　and　steered　himself　with　his　feet。　Even　thus　he　made　good

progress；　nearly　a　mile　an　hour　perhaps。　He　could　have　gone　faster　had

he　swum；　but　he　was　saving　his　strength。



It　was　a　strange　journey　upon　that　silent　sea　beneath　those　silent

stars；　and　strange　thoughts　came　into　Robert's　soul。　He　wondered

whether　Benita　would　live　and　what　she　would　say。　Perhaps；　however；

she　was　already　dead；　and　he　would　meet　her　presently。　He　wondered　if

he　were　doomed　to　die；　and　whether　this　sacrifice　of　his　would　be

allowed　to　atone　for　his　past　errors。　He　hoped　so；　and　put　up　a

petition　to　that　effect；　for　himself　and　for　Benita；　and　for　all　the

poor　people　who　had　gone　before；　hurled　from　their　pleasure　into　the

halls　of　Death。



So　he　floated　on　while　the　boom　of　the　breakers　grew　ever　nearer；

companioned　by　his　wild；　fretful　thoughts；　till　at　length　what　he　took

to　be　a　shark　appeared　quite　close　to　him；　and　in　the　urgency　of　the

moment　he　gave　up　wondering。　It　proved　to　be　only　a　piece　of　wood；　but

later　on　a　real　shark　did　come；　for　he　saw　its　back　fin。　However；　this

cruel　creature　was　either　gorged　or　timid；　for　when　he　splashed　upon

the　water　and　shouted；　it　went　away；　to　r