the patagonia-第16章

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〃That's　all　right。〃　　And　I　followed　the　young　lady's　excellent

example。



The　next　morning；　while　I　dressed；　the　steward　of　my　side　of　the　ship

came　to　me　as　usual　to　see　what　I　wanted。　　But　the　first　thing　he

said　to；　me　was：　　〃Rather　a　bad　job；　sira　passenger　missing。〃　　And

while　I　took　I　scarce　know　what　instant　chill　from　it；　〃A　lady；　sir；〃

he　went　on〃whom　I　think　you　knew。　　Poor　Miss　Mavis；　sir。〃



〃MISSING？〃　I　criedstaring　at　him　and　horror…stricken。



〃She's　not　on　the　ship。　　They　can't　find　her。〃



〃Then　where　to　God　is　she？〃



I　recall　his　queer　face。　　〃Well　sir；　I　suppose　you　know　that　as　well

as　I。〃



〃Do　you　mean　she　has　jumped　overboard？〃



〃Some　time　in　the　night；　siron　the　quiet。　　But　it's　beyond　every

one；　the　way　she　escaped　notice。　　They　usually　sees　'em；　sir。　　It

must　have　been　about　half…past　two。　　Lord；　but　she　was　sharp；　sir。

She　didn't　so　much　as　make　a　splash。　　They　say　she　'AD　come　against

her　will；　sir。〃



I　had　dropped　upon　my　sofaI　felt　faint。　　The　man　went　on；　liking　to

talk　as　persons　of　his　class　do　when　they　have　something　horrible　to

tell。　　She　usually　rang　for　the　stewardess　early；　but　this　morning　of

course　there　had　been　no　ring。　　The　stewardess　had　gone　in　all　the

same　about　eight　o'clock　and　found　the　cabin　empty。　　That　was　about

an　hour　previous。　　Her　things　were　there　in　confusionthe　things　she

usually　wore　when　she　went　above。　　The　stewardess　thought　she　had

been　a　bit　odd　the　night　before；　but　had　waited　a　little　and　then

gone　back。　　Miss　Mavis　hadn't　turned　upand　she　didn't　turn　up。　　The

stewardess　began　to　look　for　hershe　hadn't　been　seen　on　deck　or　in

the　saloon。　　Besides；　she　wasn't　dressednot　to　show　herself；　all

her　clothes　were　in　her　room。　　There　was　another　lady；　an　old　lady；

Mrs。　NettlepointI　would　know　herthat　she　was　sometimes　with；　but

the　stewardess　had　been　with　HER　and　knew　Miss　Mavis　hadn't　come　near

her　that　morning。　　She　had　spoken　to　HIM　and　they　had　taken　a　quiet

lookthey　had　hunted　everywhere。　　A　ship's　a　big　place；　but　you　did

come　to　the　end　of　it；　and　if　a　person　wasn't　there　why　there　it　was。

In　short　an　hour　had　passed　and　the　young　lady　was　not　accounted　for：

from　which　I　might　judge　if　she　ever　would　be。　　The　watch　couldn't

account　for　her；　but　no　doubt　the　fishes　in　the　sea　couldpoor

miserable　pitiful　lady！　　The　stewardess　and　he　had　of　course　thought

it　their　duty　to　speak　at　once　to　the　Doctor；　and　the　Doctor　had

spoken　immediately　to　the　Captain。　　The　Captain　didn't　like　itthey

never　did；　but　he'd　try　to　keep　it　quietthey　always　did。



By　the　time　I　succeeded　in　pulling　myself　together　and　getting　on；

after　a　fashion；　the　rest　of　my　clothes　I　had　learned　that　Mrs。

Nettlepoint　wouldn't　yet　have　been　told；　unless　the　stewardess　had

broken　it　to　her　within　the　previous　few　minutes。　　Her　son　knew；　the

young　gentleman　on　the　other　side　of　the　shiphe　had　the　other

steward；　my　man　had　seen　him　come　out　of　his　cabin　and　rush　above；

just　before　he　came　in　to　me。　　He　HAD　gone　above；　my　man　was　sure；　he

hadn't　gone　to　the　old　lady's　cabin。　　I　catch　again　the　sense　of　my

dreadfully　seeing　something　at　that　moment；　catch　the　wild　flash；

under　the　steward's　words；　of　Jasper　Nettlepoint　leaping；　with　a　mad

compunction　in　his　young　agility；　over　the　side　of　the　ship。　　I

hasten　to　add；　however；　that　no　such　incident　was　destined　to

contribute　its　horror　to　poor　Grace　Mavis's　unwitnessed　and　unlighted

tragic　act。　　What　followed　was　miserable　enough；　but　I　can　only

glance　at　it。　　When　I　got　to　Mrs。　Nettlepoint's　door　she　was　there

with　a　shawl　about　her；　the　stewardess　had　just　told　her　and　she　was

dashing　out　to　come　to　me。　　I　made　her　go　backI　said　I　would　go　for

Jasper。　　I　went　for　him　but　I　missed　him；　partly　no　doubt　because　it

was　really　at　first　the　Captain　I　was　after。　　I　found　this　personage

and　found　him　highly　scandalised；　but　he　gave　me　no　hope　that　we　were

in　error；　and　his　displeasure；　expressed　with　seamanlike　strength；

was　a　definite　settlement　of　the　question。　　From　the　deck；　where　I

merely　turned　round　and　looked；　I　saw　the　light　of　another　summer

day；　the　coast　of　Ireland　green　and　near　and　the　sea　of　a　more

charming　colour　than　it　had　shown　at　all。　　When　I　came　below　again

Jasper　had　passed　back；　he　had　gone　to　his　cabin　and　his　mother　had

joined　him　there。　　He　remained　there　till　we　reached　LiverpoolI

never　saw　him。　　His　mother；　after　a　little；　at　his　request；　left　him

alone。　　All　the　world　went　above　to　look　at　the　land　and　chatter

about　our　tragedy；　but　the　poor　lady　spent　the　day；　dismally　enough；

in　her　room。　　It　seemed　to　me；　the　dreadful　day；　intolerably　long；　I

was　thinking　so　of　vague；　of　inconceivable　yet　inevitable

Porterfield；　and　of　my　having　to　face　him　somehow　on　the　morrow。　　Now

of　course　I　knew　why　she　had　asked　me　if　I　should　recognise　him；　she

had　delegated　to　me　mentally　a　certain　pleasant　office。　　I　gave　Mrs。

Peck　and　Mrs。　Gotch　a　wide　berthI　couldn't　talk　to　them。　　I　could；

or　at　least　I　did　a　little；　to　Mrs。　Nettlepoint；　but　with　too　many

reserves　for　comfort　on　either　side；　since　I　quite　felt　how　little　it

would　now　make　for　ease　to　mention　Jasper　to　her。　　I　was　obliged　to

assume　by　my　silence　that　he　had　had　nothing　to　do　with　what　had

happened；　and　of　course　I　never　really　ascertained　what　he　HAD　had　to

do。　　The　secret　of　what　passed　between　him　and　the　strange　girl　who

would　have　sacrificed　her　marriage　to　him　on　so　short　an　acquaintance

remains　shut　up　in　his　breast。　　His　mother；　I　know；　went　to　his　door

from　time　to　time；　but　he　refused　her　admission。　　That　evening；　to　be

human　at　a　venture；　I　requested　the　steward　to　go　in　and　ask　him　if

he　should　care　to　see　me；　and　the　good　man　returned　with　an　answer

which　he　candidly　transmitted。　　〃Not　in　the　least！〃Jasper

apparently　was　almost　as　scandalised　as　the　Captain。



At　Liverpool；　at　the　dock；　when　we　had　touched；　twenty　people　came　on

board　and　I　had　already　made　out　Mr。　Porterfield　at　a　distance。　　He

was　looking　up　at　the　side　of　the　great　vessel　with　disappointment

writtenfor　my　strained　eyesin　his　face；　disappointment　at　not

seeing　the　woman　he　had　so　long　awaited　lean　over　it　and　wave　her

handkerchief　to　him。　　Every　one　was　looking　at　him；　every　one　but

shehis　identity　flew　about　in　a　momentand　I　wondered　if　it　didn't

strike　him。　　He　used　to　be　gaunt　and　angular；　but　had　grown　almost

fat　and　stooped　a　little。　　The　interval　between　us　diminishedhe　was

on　the　plank　and　then　on　the　deck　with　the　jostling　agents　of　the

Customs；　too　soon　for　my　equanimity。　　I　met　him　instantly；　however；

to　save　him　from　exposurelaid　my　hand　on　him　and　drew　him　away；

though　I　was　sure　he　had　no　impression　of　having　seen　me　before。　　It

was　not　till　afterwards　that　I　thought　this　rather　characteristically

dull　of　him。　　I　drew　him　far　awayI　was　conscious　of　Mrs。　Peck　and

Mrs。　Gotch；　looking　at　us　as　we　passedinto　the　empty　stale　smoking…

room：　　he　remained　speechless；　and　that　struck　me　as　like　him。　　I　had

to　speak　first；　he　couldn't　even　relieve　me　by　saying　〃Is　anything

the　matter？〃　　I　broke　ground　by　putting　it；　feebly；　that　she　was　ill。

It　was　a　dire　moment。









End