for the term of his natural life-第52章

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ves　him　in　charge　for　insubordination。〃

〃For　insubordination！　　Pardon　me；　my　dear　young　lady；　did　I　understand　you　rightly？〃

〃Yes；　insubordination。　　He　is　her　assigned　servant；　you　know；〃　said　Sylvia；　as　if　such　a　condition　of　things　was　the　most　ordinary　in　the　world；　〃and　if　he　misbehaves　himself；　she　sends　him　back　to　the　road…gang。〃

The　Reverend　Mr。　Meekin　opened　his　mild　eyes　very　wide　indeed。　〃What　an　extraordinary　anomaly！　　I　am　beginning；　my　dear　Miss　Vickers；　to　find　myself　indeed　at　the　antipodes。〃

〃Society　here　is　different　from　society　in　England；　I　believe。　Most　new　arrivals　say　so；〃　returned　Sylvia　quietly。

〃But　for　a　wife　to　imprison　her　husband；　my　dear　young　lady！〃

〃She　can　have　him　flogged　if　she　likes。　　Danny　has　been　flogged。　But　then　his　wife　is　a　bad　woman。　　He　was　very　silly　to　marry　her；　but　you　can't　reason　with　an　old　man　in　love；　Mr。　Meekin。〃

Mr。　Meekin's　Christian　brow　had　grown　crimson；　and　his　decorous　blood　tingled　to　his　finger…tips。　　To　hear　a　young　lady　talk　in　such　an　open　way　was　terrible。　　Why；　in　reading　the　Decalogue　from　the　altar；　Mr。　Meekin　was　accustomed　to　soften　one　indecent　prohibition；　lest　its　uncompromising　plainness　of　speech　might　offend　the　delicate　sensibilities　of　his　female　souls！　　He　turned　from　the　dangerous　theme　without　an　instant's　pause；　for　wonder　at　the　strange　power　accorded　to　Hobart　Town　〃free〃　wives。　　〃You　have　been　reading？〃

〃'Paul　et　Virginie'。　　I　have　read　it　before　in　English。〃

〃Ah；　you　read　French；　then；　my　dear　young　lady？〃

〃Not　very　well。　　I　had　a　master　for　some　months；　but　papa　had　to　send　him　back　to　the　gaol　again。　　He　stole　a　silver　tankard　out　of　the　dining…room。〃

〃A　French　master！　　Stole〃

〃He　was　a　prisoner；　you　know。　　A　clever　man。　　He　wrote　for　the　London　Magazine。　I　have　read　his　writings。　　Some　of　them　are　quite　above　the　average。〃

〃And　how　did　he　come　to　be　transported？〃　asked　Mr。　Meekin；　feeling　that　his　vineyard　was　getting　larger　than　he　had　anticipated。

〃Poisoning　his　niece；　I　think；　but　I　forget　the　particulars。　He　was　a　gentlemanly　man；　but；　oh；　such　a　drunkard！〃

Mr。　Meekin；　more　astonished　than　ever　at　this　strange　country；　where　beautiful　young　ladies　talked　of　poisoning　and　flogging　as　matters　of　little　moment；　where　wives　imprisoned　their　husbands；　and　murderers　taught　French；　perfumed　the　air　with　his　cambric　handkerchief　in　silence。

〃You　have　not　been　here　long；　Mr。　Meekin；〃　said　Sylvia；　after　a　pause。

〃No；　only　a　week；　and　I　confess　I　am　surprised。　　A　lovely　climate；　but；　as　I　said　just　now　to　Mrs。　Jellicoe；　the　Trail　of　the　Serpent　the　Trail　of　the　Serpentmy　dear　young　lady。〃

〃If　you　send　all　the　wretches　in　England　here；　you　must　expect　the　Trail　of　the　Serpent；〃　said　Sylvia。　　〃It　isn't　the　fault　of　the　colony。〃

〃Oh；　no；　certainly　not；〃　returned　Meekin；　hastening　to　apologize。　〃But　it　is　very　shocking。〃

〃Well；　you　gentlemen　should　make　it　better。　　I　don't　know　what　the　penal　settlements　are　like；　but　the　prisoners　in　the　town　have　not　much　inducement　to　become　good　men。〃

〃They　have　the　beautiful　Liturgy　of　our　Holy　Church　read　to　them　twice　every　week；　my　dear　young　lady；〃　said　Mr。　Meekin；　as　though　he　should　solemnly　say；　〃if　that　doesn't　reform　them；　what　will？〃

〃Oh；　yes；〃　returned　Sylvia；　〃they　have　that；　certainly；　but　that　is　only　on　Sundays。　　But　don't　let　us　talk　about　this；　Mr。　Meekin；〃　she　added；　pushing　back　a　stray　curl　of　golden　hair。　　〃Papa　says　that　I　am　not　to　talk　about　these　things；　because　they　are　all　done　according　to　the　Rules　of　the　Service；　as　he　calls　it。〃

〃An　admirable　notion　of　papa's；〃　said　Meekin；　much　relieved　as　the　door　opened；　and　Vickers　and　Frere　entered。

Vickers's　hair　had　grown　white；　but　Frere　carried　his　thirty　years　as　easily　as　some　men　carry　two…and…twenty。

〃My　dear　Sylvia；〃　began　Vickers；　〃here's　an　extraordinary　thing！〃　and　then；　becoming　conscious　of　the　presence　of　the　agitated　Meekin；　he　paused。

〃You　know　Mr。　Meekin；　papa？〃　said　Sylvia。　　〃Mr。　Meekin；　Captain　Frere。〃

〃I　have　that　pleasure；〃　said　Vickers。　　〃Glad　to　see　you；　sir。　Pray　sit　down。〃　Upon　which；　Mr。　Meekin　beheld　Sylvia　unaffectedly　kiss　both　gentlemen；　but　became　strangely　aware　that　the　kiss　bestowed　upon　her　father　was　warmer　than　that　which　greeted　her　affianced　husband。

〃Warm　weather；　Mr。　Meekin；〃　said　Frere。　　〃Sylvia；　my　darling；　I　hope　you　have　not　been　out　in　the　heat。　　You　have！　　My　dear；　I've　begged　you〃

〃It's　not　hot　at　all；〃　said　Sylvia　pettishly。　　〃Nonsense！　　I'm　not　made　of　butterI　sha'n't　melt。　　Thank　you；　dear；　you　needn't　pull　the　blind　down。〃　And　then；　as　though　angry　with　herself　for　her　anger；　she　added；　〃You　are　always　thinking　of　me；　Maurice；〃　and　gave　him　her　hand　affectionately。

〃It's　very　oppressive；　Captain　Frere；〃　said　Meekin；　〃and　to　a　stranger；　quite　enervating。〃

〃Have　a　glass　of　wine；〃　said　Frere；　as　if　the　house　was　his　own。　〃One　wants　bucking　up　a　bit　on　a　day　like　this。〃

〃Ay；　to　be　sure；〃　repeated　Vickers。　　〃A　glass　of　wine。　　Sylvia；　dear；　some　sherry。　　I　hope　she　has　not　been　attacking　you　with　her　strange　theories；　Mr。　Meekin。〃

〃Oh；　dear；　no；　not　at　all；〃　returned　Meekin；　feeling　that　this　charming　young　lady　was　regarded　as　a　creature　who　was　not　to　be　judged　by　ordinary　rules。　　〃We　got　on　famously；　my　dear　Major。〃

〃That's　right；〃　said　Vickers。　　〃She　is　very　plain…spoken；　is　my　little　girl；　and　strangers　can't　understand　her　sometimes。　　Can　they；　Poppet？〃

Poppet　tossed　her　head　saucily。　　〃I　don't　know；〃　she　said。　〃Why　shouldn't　they？　　But　you　were　going　to　say　something　extraordinary　when　you　came　in。　　What　is　it；　dear？〃

〃Ah；〃　said　Vickers　with　grave　face。　　〃Yes；　a　most　extraordinary　thing。　They've　caught　those　villains。〃

〃What；　you　don't　mean？　　No；　papa！〃　said　Sylvia；　turning　round　with　alarmed　face。

In　that　little　family　there　were；　for　conversational　purposes；　but　one　set　of　villains　in　the　worldthe　mutineers　of　the　Osprey。

〃They've　got　four　of　them　in　the　bay　at　this　momentRex；　Barker；　Shiers；　and　Lesly。　　They　are　on　board　the　Lady　Jane。　　The　most　extraordinary　story　I　ever　heard　in　my　life。　　The　fellows　got　to　China　and　passed　themselves　off　as　shipwrecked　sailors。　　The　merchants　in　Canton　got　up　a　subscription；　and　sent　them　to　London。　　They　were　recognized　there　by　old　Pine；　who　had　been　surgeon　on　board　the　ship　they　came　out　in。〃

Sylvia　sat　down　on　the　nearest　chair；　with　heightened　colour。　〃And　where　are　the　others？〃

〃Two　were　executed　in　England；　the　other　six　have　not　been　taken。　These　fellows　have　been　sent　out　for　trial。〃

〃To　what　are　you　alluding；　dear　sir？〃　asked　Meekin；　eyeing　the　sherry　with　the　gaze　of　a　fasting　saint。

〃The　piracy　of　a　convict　brig　five　years　ago；〃　replied　Vickers。　〃The　scoundrels　put　my　poor　wife　and　child　ashore；　and　left　them　to　starve。　If　it　hadn't　been　for　FrereGod　bless　him！they　would　have　died。　They　shot　the　pilot　and　a　soldierandbut　it's　a　long　story。〃

〃I　have　heard　of　it　already；〃　said　Meekin；　sipping　the　sherry；　which　another　convict　servant　had　brought　for　him；　〃and　of　your　gallant　conduct；　Captain　Frere。〃

〃Oh；　that's　nothing；〃　said　Frere；　reddening。　　〃We　were　all　in　the　same　boat。　Poppet；　have　a　glass　of　wine？〃

〃No；〃　said　Sylvia；　〃I　don't　want　any。〃

She　was　staring　at　the　strip　of　sunshine　between　the　verandah　and　the　blind；　as　though　the　bright　light　might　enable　her　to　remember　something。　〃What's　the　matter？〃　asked　Frere；　bending　over　her。　　〃I　was　trying　to　recollect；　but　I　can't；　Maurice。　　It　is　all　confused。　　I　only　remember　a　great　shore　and　a　great　sea；　and　two　men；　one　of　whomthat's　you；　dear　carried　me　in　his　arms。〃

〃Dear；　dear；〃　said　Mr。　Meekin。

〃She　was　quite　a　baby；〃　said　Vickers；　hastily；　as　though　unwilling　to　admit　that　her　illness　had　been　the　cause　of　her　forgetfulness。

〃Oh；　no；　I　was　twelve　years　old；〃　said　Sylvia；　〃that's　not　a　baby；　you　know。　But　I　think　the　fever　made　me　stupid。〃

Frere；　looking　at　her　uneasily；　shifted　in　his　seat。　　〃There；　don't　think　about　it　now；〃　he　said。

〃Maurice；〃　asked　she　suddenly；　〃what　became　of　the　other　man？〃

〃Which　other　man？〃

〃The　man　who　was　with　us；　the　other　one；　you　know。〃

〃Poor　Bates？〃

〃No；　not　Bates。　　The　prisoner。　　What　was　his