the return of tarzan-第6章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



your　African　jungle；　when　you　tore　the　raw　meat　of　your

kills　with　mighty　jaws；　like　some　wild　beast；　and　wiped　your

greasy　hands　upon　your　thighs。　　Even　then；　before　there　was

the　slightest　proof　to　the　contrary；　I　knew　that　you　were

mistaken　in　the　belief　that　Kala　was　your　mother。



〃And　now；　with　your　father's　diary　of　the　terrible　life

led　by　him　and　your　mother　on　that　wild　African　shore；

with　the　account　of　your　birth；　and；　final　and　most

convincing　proof　of　all；　your　own　baby　finger　prints　upon　the

pages　of　it；　it　seems　incredible　to　me　that　you　are　willing

to　remain　a　nameless；　penniless　vagabond。〃



〃I　do　not　need　any　better　name　than　Tarzan；〃　replied　the

ape…man；　〃and　as　for　remaining　a　penniless　vagabond；　I

have　no　intention　of　so　doing。　　In　fact；　the　next；　and　let　us

hope　the　last；　burden　that　I　shall　be　forced　to　put　upon　your

unselfish　friendship　will　be　the　finding　of　employment　for　me。〃



〃Pooh；　pooh！〃　scoffed　D'Arnot。　　〃You　know　that　I　did　not

mean　that。　　Have　I　not　told　you　a　dozen　times　that　I　have

enough　for　twenty　men；　and　that　half　of　what　I　have　is

yours？　　And　if　I　gave　it　all　to　you；　would　it　represent　even

the　tenth　part　of　the　value　I　place　upon　your　friendship；

my　Tarzan？　　Would　it　repay　the　services　you　did　me　in　Africa？

I　do　not　forget；　my　friend；　that　but　for　you　and　your

wondrous　bravery　I　had　died　at　the　stake　in　the　village

of　Mbonga's　cannibals。　　Nor　do　I　forget　that　to　your　self…

sacrificing　devotion　I　owe　the　fact　that　I　recovered　from　the

terrible　wounds　I　received　at　their　handsI　discovered　later

something　of　what　it　meant　to　you　to　remain　with　me　in　the

amphitheater　of　apes　while　your　heart　was　urging　you　on　to

the　coast。



〃When　we　finally　came　there；　and　found　that　Miss　Porter

and　her　party　had　left；　I　commenced　to　realize　something　of

what　you　had　done　for　an　utter　stranger。　　Nor　am　I　trying　to

repay　you　with　money；　Tarzan。　　It　is　that　just　at　present　you

need　money；　were　it　sacrifice　that　I　might　offer　you　it　were

the　samemy　friendship　must　always　be　yours；　because　our

tastes　are　similar；　and　I　admire　you。　　That　I　cannot　command；

but　the　money　I　can　and　shall。〃



〃Well；〃　laughed　Tarzan；　〃we　shall　not　quarrel　over　the　money。

I　must　live；　and　so　I　must　have　it；　but　I　shall　be　more

contented　with　something　to　do。　　You　cannot　show　me　your

friendship　in　a　more　convincing　manner　than　to　find

employment　for　meI　shall　die　of　inactivity　in　a　short　while。

As　for　my　birthrightit　is　in　good　hands。　　Clayton　is　not

guilty　of　robbing　me　of　it。　　He　truly　believes　that　he

is　the　real　Lord　Greystoke；　and　the　chances　are　that　he　will

make　a　better　English　lord　than　a　man　who　was　born　and

raised　in　an　African　jungle。　　You　know　that　I　am　but　half

civilized　even　now。　　Let　me　see　red　in　anger　but　for　a　moment；

and　all　the　instincts　of　the　savage　beast　that　I　really

am；　submerge　what　little　I　possess　of　the　milder　ways　of

culture　and　refinement。



〃And　then　again；　had　I　declared　myself　I　should　have

robbed　the　woman　I　love　of　the　wealth　and　position　that

her　marriage　to　Clayton　will　now　insure　to　her。　　I　could

not　have　done　thatcould　I；　Paul？



〃Nor　is　the　matter　of　birth　of　great　importance　to　me；〃

he　went　on；　without　waiting　for　a　reply。　　〃Raised　as　I　have

been；　I　see　no　worth　in　man　or　beast　that　is　not　theirs　by

virtue　of　their　own　mental　or　physical　prowess。　　And　so　I

am　as　happy　to　think　of　Kala　as　my　mother　as　I　would　be

to　try　to　picture　the　poor；　unhappy　little　English　girl　who

passed　away　a　year　after　she　bore　me。　　Kala　was　always　kind

to　me　in　her　fierce　and　savage　way。　　I　must　have　nursed　at

her　hairy　breast　from　the　time　that　my　own　mother　died。

She　fought　for　me　against　the　wild　denizens　of　the　forest；

and　against　the　savage　members　of　our　tribe；　with　the

ferocity　of　real　mother　love。



〃And　I；　on　my　part；　loved　her；　Paul。　　I　did　not　realize

how　much　until　after　the　cruel　spear　and　the　poisoned　arrow

of　Mbonga's　black　warrior　had　stolen　her　away　from　me。　　I

was　still　a　child　when　that　occurred；　and　I　threw　myself

upon　her　dead　body　and　wept　out　my　anguish　as　a　child

might　for　his　own　mother。　　To　you；　my　friend；　she　would

have　appeared　a　hideous　and　ugly　creature；　but　to　me　she

was　beautifulso　gloriously　does　love　transfigure　its　object。

And　so　I　am　perfectly　content　to　remain　forever　the　son　of

Kala；　the　she…ape。〃



〃I　do　not　admire　you　the　less　for　your　loyalty；〃　said

D'Arnot；　〃but　the　time　will　come　when　you　will　be　glad

to　claim　your　own。　　Remember　what　I　say；　and　let　us　hope

that　it　will　be　as　easy　then　as　it　is　now。　　You　must　bear　in

mind　that　Professor　Porter　and　Mr。　Philander　are　the　only

people　in　the　world　who　can　swear　that　the　little　skeleton

found　in　the　cabin　with　those　of　your　father　and　mother　was

that　of　an　infant　anthropoid　ape；　and　not　the　offspring　of

Lord　and　Lady　Greystoke。　　That　evidence　is　most　important。

They　are　both　old　men。　　They　may　not　live　many　years　longer。

And　then；　did　it　not　occur　to　you　that　once　Miss　Porter

knew　the　truth　she　would　break　her　engagement　with　Clayton？

You　might　easily　have　your　title；　your　estates；　and　the

woman　you　love；　Tarzan。　　Had　you　not　thought　of　that？〃



Tarzan　shook　his　head。　　〃You　do　not　know　her；〃　he　said。

〃Nothing　could　bind　her　closer　to　her　bargain　than　some

misfortune　to　Clayton。　　She　is　from　an　old　southern　family　in

America；　and　southerners　pride　themselves　upon　their　loyalty。〃



Tarzan　spent　the　two　following　weeks　renewing　his　former

brief　acquaintance　with　Paris。　　In　the　daytime　he　haunted

the　libraries　and　picture　galleries。　　He　had　become　an

omnivorous　reader；　and　the　world　of　possibilities　that　were

opened　to　him　in　this　seat　of　culture　and　learning　fairly

appalled　him　when　he　contemplated　the　very　infinitesimal

crumb　of　the　sum　total　of　human　knowledge　that　a　single

individual　might　hope　to　acquire　even　after　a　lifetime　of

study　and　research；　but　he　learned　what　he　could　by　day；

and　threw　himself　into　a　search　for　relaxation　and　amusement

at　night。　　Nor　did　he　find　Paris　a　whit　less　fertile　field

for　his　nocturnal　avocation。



If　he　smoked　too　many　cigarettes　and　drank　too　much

absinth　it　was　because　he　took　civilization　as　he　found　it；

and　did　the　things　that　he　found　his　civilized　brothers

doing。　　The　life　was　a　new　and　alluring　one；　and　in　addition

he　had　a　sorrow　in　his　breast　and　a　great　longing　which　he

knew　could　never　be　fulfilled；　and　so　he　sought　in　study　and

in　dissipationthe　two　extremesto　forget　the　past　and

inhibit　contemplation　of　the　future。



He　was　sitting　in　a　music　hall　one　evening；　sipping　his

absinth　and　admiring　the　art　of　a　certain　famous　Russian

dancer；　when　he　caught　a　passing　glimpse　of　a　pair　of　evil

black　eyes　upon　him。　　The　man　turned　and　was　lost　in　the

crowd　at　the　exit　before　Tarzan　could　catch　a　good　look　at

him；　but　he　was　confident　that　he　had　seen　those　eyes　before

and　that　they　had　been　fastened　on　him　this　evening

through　no　passing　accident。　　He　had　had　the　uncanny　feeling

for　some　time　that　he　was　being　watched；　and　it　was　in

response　to　this　animal　instinct　that　was　strong　within　him

that　he　had　turned　suddenly　and　surprised　the　eyes　in　the

very　act　of　watching　him。



Before　he　left　the　music　hall　the　matter　had　been　forgotten；

nor　did　he　notice　the　swarthy　individual　who　stepped

deeper　into　the　shadows　of　an　opposite　doorway　as　Tarzan

emerged　from　the　brilliantly　lighted　amusement　hall。



Had　Tarzan　but　known　it；　he　had　been　followed　many　times

from　this　and　other　places　of　amusement；　but　seldom　if

ever　had　he　been　alone。　　Tonight　D'Arnot　had　had　another

engagement；　and　Tarzan　had　come　by　himself。



As　he　turned　in　the　direction　he　was　accustomed　to　taking

from　this　part　of　Paris　to　his　apartments；　the　watcher　across

the　street　ran　from　his　hiding…place　and　hurried　on　ahead

at　a　rapid　pace。



Tarzan　had　been　wont　to　traverse　the　Rue　Maule