adventure-第21章

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〃Besides；　it's　all　ridiculous；〃　he　held　on　steadily。　　〃Think　of　the　situation。　　A　man　and　a　woman；　both　young；　partners　on　an　isolated　plantation。　　Why；　the　only　practical　way　out　would　be　that　I'd　have　to　marry　you〃

〃Mine　was　a　business　proposition；　not　a　marriage　proposal；〃　she　interrupted；　coldly　angry。　　〃I　wonder　if　somewhere　in　this　world　there　is　one　man　who　could　accept　me　for　a　comrade。〃

〃But　you　are　a　woman　just　the　same；〃　he　began；　〃and　there　are　certain　conventions；　certain　decencies〃

She　sprang　up　and　stamped　her　foot。

〃Do　you　know　what　I'd　like　to　say？〃　she　demanded。

〃Yes；〃　he　smiled；　〃you'd　like　to　say；　'Damn　petticoats！'〃

She　nodded　her　head　ruefully。

〃That's　what　I　wanted　to　say；　but　it　sounds　different　on　your　lips。　It　sounds　as　though　you　meant　it　yourself；　and　that　you　meant　it　because　of　me。〃

〃Well；　I　am　going　to　bed。　　But　do；　please；　think　over　my　proposition；　and　let　me　know　in　the　morning。　　There's　no　use　in　my　discussing　it　now。　　You　make　me　so　angry。　　You　are　cowardly；　you　know；　and　very　egotistic。　　You　are　afraid　of　what　other　fools　will　say。　　No　matter　how　honest　your　motives；　if　others　criticized　your　actions　your　feelings　would　be　hurt。　　And　you　think　more　about　your　own　wretched　feelings　than　you　do　about　mine。　　And　then；　being　a　cowardall　men　are　at　heart　cowardsyou　disguise　your　cowardice　by　calling　it　chivalry。　　I　thank　heaven　that　I　was　not　born　a　man。　Good…night。　　Do　think　it　over。　　And　don't　be　foolish。　　What　Berande　needs　is　good　American　hustle。　　You　don't　know　what　that　is。　　You　are　a　muddler。　　Besides；　you　are　enervated。　　I'm　fresh　to　the　climate。　　Let　me　be　your　partner；　and　you'll　see　me　rattle　the　dry　bones　of　the　Solomons。　　Confess；　I've　rattled　yours　already。〃

〃I　should　say　so；〃　he　answered。　　〃Really；　you　know；　you　have。　　I　never　received　such　a　dressing…down　in　my　life。　　If　any　one　had　ever　told　me　that　I'd　be　a　party　even　to　the　present　situation。　。　。　。　Yes；　I　confess；　you　have　rattled　my　dry　bones　pretty　considerably。〃

〃But　that　is　nothing　to　the　rattling　they　are　going　to　get；〃　she　assured　him；　as　he　rose　and　took　her　hand。　　〃Good…night。　　And　do；　do　give　me　a　rational　decision　in　the　morning。〃



CHAPTER　XIIITHE　LOGIC　OF　YOUTH



〃I　wish　I　knew　whether　you　are　merely　headstrong；　or　whether　you　really　intend　to　be　a　Solomon　planter；〃　Sheldon　said　in　the　morning；　at　breakfast。

〃I　wish　you　were　more　adaptable；〃　Joan　retorted。　　〃You　have　more　preconceived　notions　than　any　man　I　ever　met。　　Why　in　the　name　of　common　sense；　in　the　name　of　。　。　。　fair　play；　can't　you　get　it　into　your　head　that　I　am　different　from　the　women　you　have　known；　and　treat　me　accordingly？　　You　surely　ought　to　know　I　am　different。　　I　sailed　my　own　schooner　hereskipper；　if　you　please。　　I　came　here　to　make　my　living。　　You　know　that；　I've　told　you　often　enough。　　It　was　Dad's　plan；　and　I'm　carrying　it　out；　just　as　you　are　trying　to　carry　out　your　Hughie's　plan。　　Dad　started　to　sail　and　sail　until　he　could　find　the　proper　islands　for　planting。　　He　died；　and　I　sailed　and　sailed　until　I　arrived　here。　　Well；〃she　shrugged　her　shoulders〃the　schooner　is　at　the　bottom　of　the　sea。　　I　can't　sail　any　farther；　therefore　I　remain　here。　　And　a　planter　I　shall　certainly　be。〃

〃You　see〃　he　began。

〃I　haven't　got　to　the　point；〃　she　interrupted。　　〃Looking　back　on　my　conduct　from　the　moment　I　first　set　foot　on　your　beach；　I　can　see　no　false　pretence　that　I　have　made　about　myself　or　my　intentions。　I　was　my　natural　self　to　you　from　the　first。　　I　told　you　my　plans；　and　yet　you　sit　there　and　calmly　tell　me　that　you　don't　know　whether　I　really　intend　to　become　a　planter；　or　whether　it　is　all　obstinacy　and　pretence。　　Now　let　me　assure　you；　for　the　last　time；　that　I　really　and　truly　shall　become　a　planter；　thanks　to　you；　or　in　spite　of　you。　　Do　you　want　me　for　a　partner？〃

〃But　do　you　realize　that　I　would　be　looked　upon　as　the　most　foolish　jackanapes　in　the　South　Seas　if　I　took　a　young　girl　like　you　in　with　me　here　on　Berande？〃　he　asked。

〃No；　decidedly　not。　　But　there　you　are　again；　worrying　about　what　idiots　and　the　generally　evil…minded　will　think　of　you。　　I　should　have　thought　you　had　learned　self…reliance　on　Berande；　instead　of　needing　to　lean　upon　the　moral　support　of　every　whisky…guzzling　worthless　South　Sea　vagabond。〃

He　smiled；　and　said；　…

〃Yes；　that　is　the　worst　of　it。　　You　are　unanswerable。　　Yours　is　the　logic　of　youth；　and　no　man　can　answer　that。　　The　facts　of　life　can；　but　they　have　no　place　in　the　logic　of　youth。　　Youth　must　try　to　live　according　to　its　logic。　　That　is　the　only　way　to　learn　better。〃

〃There　is　no　harm　in　trying？〃　she　interjected。

〃But　there　is。　　That　is　the　very　point。　　The　facts　always　smash　youth's　logic；　and　they　usually　smash　youth's　heart；　too。　　It's　like　platonic　friendships　and　。　。　。　and　all　such　things；　they　are　all　right　in　theory；　but　they　won't　work　in　practice。　　I　used　to　believe　in　such　things　once。　　That　is　why　I　am　here　in　the　Solomons　at　present。〃

Joan　was　impatient。　　He　saw　that　she　could　not　understand。　　Life　was　too　clearly　simple　to　her。　　It　was　only　the　youth　who　was　arguing　with　him；　the　youth　with　youth's　pure…minded　and　invincible　reasoning。　　Hers　was　only　the　boy's　soul　in　a　woman's　body。　　He　looked　at　her　flushed；　eager　face；　at　the　great　ropes　of　hair　coiled　on　the　small　head；　at　the　rounded　lines　of　the　figure　showing　plainly　through　the　home…made　gown；　and　at　the　eyesboy's　eyes；　under　cool；　level　browsand　he　wondered　why　a　being　that　was　so　much　beautiful　woman　should　be　no　woman　at　all。　　Why　in　the　deuce　was　she　not　carroty…haired；　or　cross…eyed；　or　hare…lipped？

〃Suppose　we　do　become　partners　on　Berande；〃　he　said；　at　the　same　time　experiencing　a　feeling　of　fright　at　the　prospect　that　was　tangled　with　a　contradictory　feeling　of　charm；　〃either　I'll　fall　in　love　with　you；　or　you　with　me。　　Propinquity　is　dangerous；　you　know。　In　fact；　it　is　propinquity　that　usually　gives　the　facer　to　the　logic　of　youth。〃

〃If　you　think　I　came　to　the　Solomons　to　get　married〃　she　began　wrathfully。　　〃Well；　there　are　better　men　in　Hawaii；　that's　all。　Really；　you　know；　the　way　you　harp　on　that　one　string　would　lead　an　unprejudiced　listener　to　conclude　that　you　are　prurient…minded〃

She　stopped；　appalled。　　His　face　had　gone　red　and　white　with　such　abruptness　as　to　startle　her。　　He　was　patently　very　angry。　　She　sipped　the　last　of　her　coffee；　and　arose；　saying；　…

〃I'll　wait　until　you　are　in　a　better　temper　before　taking　up　the　discussion　again。　　That　is　what's　the　matter　with　you。　　You　get　angry　too　easily。　　Will　you　come　swimming？　　The　tide　is　just　right。〃

〃If　she　were　a　man　I'd　bundle　her　off　the　plantation　root　and　crop；　whale…boat；　Tahitian　sailors；　sovereigns；　and　all；〃　he　muttered　to　himself　after　she　had　left　the　room。

But　that　was　the　trouble。　　She　was　not　a　man；　and　where　would　she　go；　and　what　would　happen　to　her？

He　got　to　his　feet；　lighted　a　cigarette；　and　her　Stetson　hat；　hanging　on　the　wall　over　her　revolver…belt；　caught　his　eye。　　That　was　the　devil　of　it；　too。　　He　did　not　want　her　to　go。　　After　all；　she　had　not　grown　up　yet。　　That　was　why　her　logic　hurt。　　It　was　only　the　logic　of　youth；　but　it　could　hurt　damnably　at　times。　　At　any　rate；　he　would　resolve　upon　one　thing：　　never　again　would　he　lose　his　temper　with　her。　　She　was　a　child；　he　must　remember　that。　He　sighed　heavily。　　But　why　in　reasonableness　had　such　a　child　been　incorporated　in　such　a　woman's　form？

And　as　he　continued　to　stare　at　her　hat　and　think；　the　hurt　he　had　received　passed　away；　and　he　found　himself　cudgelling　his　brains　for　some　way　out　of　the　muddlefor　some　method　by　which　she　could　remain　on　Berande。　　A　chaperone！　　Why　not？　　He　could　send　to　Sydney　on　the　first　steamer　for　one。　　He　could　…

Her　trilling　laughter　smote　upon　his　reverie；　and　he　stepped　to　the　screen…door；　through　which　he　could　see　her　running　down　the　path　to　the　beach。　　At　her　heels　ran　two　of　her　sailors；　Papehara　and　Mahameme；　in　scarlet　lava…lavas；　with　naked　sheath…knives　gleaming　in　their　belts。　　It　was　another　sample　of　her　wilfulness。　　Despite　entreaties　and　commands；　and　warnings　of　the　danger　from　sharks；　she　persisted　in　swimming　at　any　and　all　times；　and　by　special　pref