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第37章

villa rubein and other stories-第37章

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sordid; bold scheme; which; on the pivot of a trading venture; was

intended to spin a whole wheel of political convulsions。



〃They'll never let you get there;〃 said old Pearse。



〃Won't they?〃 returned Zachary。  〃Oh yes; they will; an' when I

leave; there'll be another dynasty; and I'll be a rich man。〃



〃Yu'll never leave;〃 answered the old man。



Zachary took out a sheet of paper covered with figures。  He had

worked the whole thing out。  So muchequipment; so muchtrade; so

muchconcessions; so muchemergencies。  〃My last mag!〃 he ended; 〃a

thousand short; the ship's ready; and if I'm not there within a month

my chance is as good as gone。〃



This was the pith of his confidencesan appeal for money; and we all

looked as men will when that crops up。



〃Mad!〃  muttered the old man; looking at the sea。



〃No;〃 said Zachary。  That one word was more eloquent than all the

rest of his words put together。  This fellow is no visionary。  His

scheme may be daring; and unprincipled; buthe knows very well what

he's about。



〃Well!〃 said old Pearse; 〃you shall have five 'undred of my money; if

it's only to learn what yu're made of。  Wheel me in!〃  Zachary

wheeled him into the house; but soon came back。



〃The old man's cheque for five hundred pounds!〃 he said; holding it

up。  〃Mr。 Treffry; give me another; and you shall have a third of the

profits。〃



I expected Dan to give a point…blank refusal。  But he only asked:



〃Would that clear you for starting?〃



〃With that;〃 said Zachary; 〃I can get to sea in a fortnight。〃



〃Good!〃 Dan said slowly。  〃Give me a written promise!  To sea in

fourteen days and my fair share on the five hundred poundsno more

no less。〃



Again I thought Pearse would have jumped at this; but he leaned his

chin on his hand; and looked at Dan; and Dan looked at him。  While

they were staring at each other like this; Pasiance came up with a

kitten。



〃See!〃 she said; 〃isn't it a darling?〃  The kitten crawled and clawed

its way up behind her neck。  I saw both men's eyes as they looked at

Pasiance; and suddenly understood what they were at。  The kitten

rubbed itself against Pasiance's cheek; overbalanced; and fell;

clawing; down her dress。  She caught it up and walked away。  Some

one; I don't know which of us; sighed; and Pearse cried 〃Done!〃



The bargain had been driven。



〃Good…bye; Mr。 Pearse;〃 said Dan; 〃 I guess that's all I'm wanted

for。  I'll find my pony waiting in the village。  George; you'll see

Pasiance home?〃



We heard the hoofs of his pony galloping down the road; Pearse

suddenly excused himself; and disappeared。



This venture of his may sound romantic and absurd; but it's matter…

of…fact enough。  He's after L。 s。 d。!  Shades of Drake; Raleigh;

Hawkins; Oxenham!  The worm of suspicion gnaws at the rose of

romance。  What if those fellows; too; were only after L。 s。 d。。。。?



I strolled into the pine…wood。  The earth there was covered like a

bee's body with black and gold stripes; there was the blue sea below;

and white; sleepy clouds; and bumble…bees booming above the heather;

it was all softness; a summer's day in Devon。  Suddenly I came on

Pearse standing at the edge of the cliff with Pasiance sitting in a

little hollow below; looking up at him。  I heard him say:



〃PasiancePasiance!〃 The sound of his voice; and the sight of her

soft; wondering face made me furious。  What business has she with

love; at her age?  What business have they with each other?



He told me presently that she had started off for home; and drove me

to the ferry; behind an old grey pony。  On the way he came back to

his offer of the other day。



〃Come with me;〃 he said。  〃It doesn't do to neglect the Press; you

can see the possibilities。  It's one of the few countries left。  If I

once get this business started you don't know where it's going to

stop。  You'd have free passage everywhere; and whatever you like in

reason。〃



I answered as rudely as I couldbut by no means as rudely as I

wantedthat his scheme was mad。  As a matter of fact; it's much too

sane for me; for; whatever the body of a scheme; its soul is the

fibre of the schemer。



〃Think of it;〃 he urged; as if he could see into me。  〃You can make

what you like of it。  Press paragraphs; of course。  But that's

mechanical; why; even I could do it; if I had time。  As for the rest;

you'll be as freeas free as a man。〃



There; in five words of one syllable; is the kernel of this fellow

Pearse〃As free as a man!〃  No rule; no law; not even the mysterious

shackles that bind men to their own self…respects!  〃As free as a

man!〃  No ideals; no principles; no fixed star for his worship; no

coil he can't slide out of!  But the fellow has the tenacity of one

of the old Devon mastiffs; too。  He wouldn't take 〃No〃 for an answer。



〃Think of it;〃 he said; 〃any day will doI've got a fortnight。。。。

Look! there she is!  〃I thought that he meant Pasiance; but it was an

old steamer; sluggish and black in the blazing sun of mid…stream;

with a yellow…and…white funnel; and no sign of life on her decks。



〃That's herthe Pied Witcb! Do her twelve knots; you wouldn't think

it!  Well! good…evening!  You'd better come。  A word to me at any

time。  I'm going aboard now。〃



As I was being ferried across I saw him lolling in the stern…sheets

of a little boat; the sun crowning his straw hat with glory。



I came on Pasiance; about a mile up the road; sitting in the hedge。

We walked on together between the banksDevonshire banks; as high as

houses; thick with ivy and ferns; bramble and hazel boughs; and

honeysuckle。



〃Do you believe in a God?〃 she said suddenly。



〃Grandfather's God is simply awful。  When I'm playing the fiddle; I

can feel God; but grandfather's is such a stuffy Godyou know what I

mean: the sea; the wind; the trees; colours toothey make one feel。

But I don't believe that life was meant to 'be good' in。  Isn't there

anything better than being good?  When I'm 'good;' I simply feel

wicked。〃  She reached up; caught a flower from the hedge; and slowly

tore its petals。



〃What would you do;〃 she muttered; 〃if you wanted a thing; but were

afraid of it?  But I suppose you're never afraid!〃 she added; mocking

me。  I admitted that I was sometimes afraid; and often afraid of

being afraid。



〃That's nice!  I'm not afraid of illness; nor of grandfather; nor of

his God; butI want to be free。  If you want a thing badly; you're

afraid about it。〃



I thought of Zachary Pearse's words; 〃free as a man。〃



〃Why are you looking at me like that?〃 she said。



I stammered: 〃What do you mean by freedom?〃



〃Do you know what I shall do to…night?〃 she answered。  〃Get out of my

window by the apple…tree; and go to the woods; and play!〃



We were going down a steep lane; along the side of a wood; where

there's always a smell of sappy leaves; and the breath of the cows

that come close to the hedge to get the shade。



There was a cottage in the bottom; and a small boy sat outside

playing with a heap of dust。



〃Hallo; Johnny!〃 said Pasiance。  〃Hold your leg out and show this man

your bad place!〃  The small boy undid a bandage round his bare and

dirty little leg; and proudly revealed a sore。



〃Isn't it nasty?〃 cried Pasiance ruefully; tying up the bandage

again; 〃poor little feller!  Johnny; see what I've brought you!〃  She

produced from her pocket a stick of chocolate; the semblance of a

soldier made of sealing…wax and worsted; and a crooked sixpence。



It was a new glimpse of her。  All the way home she was telling me the

story of little Johnny's family; when she came to his mother's death;

she burst out: 〃A beastly shame; wasn't it; and they're so poor; it

might just as well have been somebody else。  I like poor people; but

I hate rich onesstuck…up beasts。〃



Mrs。 Hopgood was looking over the gate; with her cap on one side; and

one of Pasiance's cats rubbing itself ag

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