some reminiscences-第34章

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company　of　seamenquiet　enough　to　be　dead。







My　fingers　itched　for　the　tiller　and　in　due　course　my　friend；　the



patron；　surrendered　it　to　me　in　the　same　spirit　in　which　the



family　coachman　lets　a　boy　hold　the　reins　on　an　easy　bit　of　road。



There　was　a　great　solitude　around　us；　the　islets　ahead；　Monte



Cristo　and　the　Chateau　d'If　in　full　light；　seemed　to　float



towards　usso　steady；　so　imperceptible　was　the　progress　of　our



boat。　　〃Keep　her　in　the　furrow　of　the　moon；〃　the　patron　directed



me　in　a　quiet　murmur；　sitting　down　ponderously　in　the　stern…



sheets　and　reaching　for　his　pipe。







The　pilot　station　in　weather　like　this　was　only　a　mile　or　two　to



the　westward　of　the　islets；　and　presently；　as　we　approached　the



spot；　the　boat　we　were　going　to　relieve　swam　into　our　view



suddenly；　on　her　way　home；　cutting　black　and　sinister　into　the



wake　of　the　moon　under　a　sable　wing；　while　to　them　our　sail　must



have　been　a　vision　of　white　and　dazzling　radiance。　　Without



altering　the　course　a　hair's…breadth　we　slipped　by　each　other



within　an　oar's…length。　　A　drawling　sardonic　hail　came　out　of



her。　　Instantly；　as　if　by　magic；　our　dozing　pilots　got　on　their



feet　in　a　body。　An　incredible　babel　of　bantering　shouts　burst



out；　a　jocular；　passionate；　voluble　chatter；　which　lasted　till



the　boats　were　stern　to　stern；　theirs　all　bright　now　and　with　a



shining　sail　to　our　eyes；　we　turned　all　black　to　their　vision；



and　drawing　away　from　them　under　a　sable　wing。　　That



extraordinary　uproar　died　away　almost　as　suddenly　as　it　had



begun；　first　one　had　enough　of　it　and　sat　down；　then　another；



then　three　or　four　together；　and　when　all　had　left　off　with



mutters　and　growling　half…laughs　the　sound　of　hearty　chuckling



became　audible；　persistent；　unnoticed。　　The　cowled　grandfather



was　very　much　entertained　somewhere　within　his　hood。







He　had　not　joined　in　the　shouting　of　jokes；　neither　had　he　moved



the　least　bit。　　He　had　remained　quietly　in　his　place　against　the



foot　of　the　mast。　　I　had　been　given　to　understand　long　before



that　he　had　the　rating　of　a　second…class　able　seaman　（matelot



leger）　in　the　fleet　which　sailed　from　Toulon　for　the　conquest　of



Algeria　in　the　year　of　grace　1830。　　And；　indeed；　I　had　seen　and



examined　one　of　the　buttons　of　his　old　brown　patched　coat；　the



only　brass　button　of　the　miscellaneous　lot；　flat　and　thin；　with



the　words　Equipages　de　ligne　engraved　on　it。　　That　sort　of



button；　I　believe；　went　out　with　the　last　of　the　French　Bourbons。



〃I　preserved　it　from　the　time　of　my　Navy　Service；〃　he　explained；



nodding　rapidly　his　frail；　vulture…like　head。　　It　was　not　very



likely　that　he　had　picked　up　that　relic　in　the　street。　　He　looked



certainly　old　enough　to　have　fought　at　Trafalgaror　at　any　rate



to　have　played　his　little　part　there　as　a　powder…monkey。　　Shortly



after　we　had　been　introduced　he　had　informed　me　in　a　Franco…



Provencal　jargon；　mumbling　tremulously　with　his　toothless　jaws；



that　when　he　was　a　〃shaver　no　higher　than　that〃　he　had　seen　the



Emperor　Napoleon　returning　from　Elba。　　It　was　at　night；　he



narrated　vaguely；　without　animation；　at　a　spot　between　Frejus　and



Antibes　in　the　open　country。　　A　big　fire　had　been　lit　at　the　side



of　the　cross…roads。　　The　population　from　several　villages　had



collected　there；　old　and　youngdown　to　the　very　children　in



arms；　because　the　women　had　refused　to　stay　at　home。　　Tall



soldiers　wearing　high；　hairy　caps；　stood　in　a　circle　facing　the



people　silently；　and　their　stern　eyes　and　big　moustaches　were



enough　to　make　everybody　keep　at　a　distance。　　He；　〃being　an



impudent　little　shaver；〃　wriggled　out　of　the　crowd；　creeping　on



his　hands　and　knees　as　near　as　he　dared　to　the　grenadiers'　legs；



and　peeping　through　discovered　standing　perfectly　still　in　the



light　of　the　fire　〃a　little　fat　fellow　in　a　three…cornered　hat；



buttoned　up　in　a　long　straight　coat；　with　a　big　pale　face；



inclined　on　one　shoulder；　looking　something　like　a　priest。　　His



hands　were　clasped　behind　his　back。　。　。It　appears　that　this　was



the　Emperor；〃　the　Ancient　commented　with　a　faint　sigh。　　He　was



staring　from　the　ground　with　all　his　might；　when　〃my　poor



father；〃　who　had　been　searching　for　his　boy　frantically



everywhere；　pounced　upon　him　and　hauled　him　away　by　the　ear。







The　tale　seems　an　authentic　recollection。　　He　related　it　to　me



many　times；　using　the　very　same　words。　　The　grandfather　honoured



me　by　a　special　and　somewhat　embarrassing　predilection。　　Extremes



touch。　　He　was　the　oldest　member　by　a　long　way　in　that　Company；



and　I　was；　if　I　may　say　so；　its　temporarily　adopted　baby。　　He　had



been　a　pilot　longer　than　any　man　in　the　boat　could　remember；



thirtyforty　years。　　He　did　not　seem　certain　himself；　but　it



could　be　found　out；　he　suggested；　in　the　archives　of　the　Pilot…



office。　　He　had　been　pensioned　off　years　before；　but　he　went　out



from　force　of　habit；　and；　as　my　friend　the　patron　of　the　Company



once　confided　to　me　in　a　whisper；　〃the　old　chap　did　no　harm。　　He



was　not　in　the　way。〃　　They　treated　him　with　rough　deference。　　One



and　another　would　address　some　insignificant　remark　to　him　now



and　again；　but　nobody　really　took　any　notice　of　what　he　had　to



say。　　He　had　survived　his　strength；　his　usefulness；　his　very



wisdom。　　He　wore　long；　green；　worsted　stockings；　pulled　up　above



the　knee　over　his　trousers；　a　sort　of　woollen　nightcap　on　his



hairless　cranium；　and　wooden　clogs　on　his　feet。　　Without　his



hooded　cloak　he　looked　like　a　peasant。　　Half　a　dozen　hands　would



be　extended　to　help　him　on　board；　but　afterwards　he　was　left



pretty　much　to　his　own　thoughts。　　Of　course　he　never　did　any



work；　except；　perhaps；　to　cast　off　some　rope　when　hailed：　　〃He；



l'Ancien！　let　go　the　halyards　there；　at　your　hand〃or　some　such



request　of　an　easy　kind。







No　one　took　notice　in　any　way　of　the　chuckling　within　the　shadow



of　the　hood。　　He　kept　it　up　for　a　long　time　with　intense



enjoyment。　　Obviously　he　had　preserved　intact　the　innocence　of



mind　which　is　easily　amused。　　But　when　his　hilarity　had　exhausted



itself；　he　made　a　professional　remark　in　a　self…assertive　but



quavering　voice：







〃Can't　expect　much　work　on　a　night　like　this。〃







No　one　took　it　up。　　It　was　a　mere　truism。　　Nothing　under　canvas



could　be　expected　to　make　a　port　on　such　an　idle　night　of　dreamy



splendour　and　spiritual　stillness。　　We　would　have　to　glide　idly



to　and　fro；　keeping　our　station　within　the　appointed　bearings；



and；　unless　a　fresh　breeze　sprang　up　with　the　dawn；　we　would　land



before　sunrise　on　a　small　islet　that；　within　two　miles　of　us；



shone　like　a　lump　of　frozen　moonlight；　to　〃break　a　crust　and　take



a　pull　at　the　wine　bottle。〃　　I　was　familiar　with　the　procedure。



The　stout　boat　emptied　of　her　crowd　would　nestle　her　buoyant；



capable　side　against　the　very　rocksuch　is　the　perfectly　smooth



amenity　of　the　classic　sea　when　in　a　gentle　mood。　　The　crust



broken；　and　the　mouthful　of　wine　swallowedit　was　literally　no



more　than　that　with　this　abstemious　racethe　pilots　would　pass



the　time　stamping　their　feet　on　the　slabs　of　sea…salted　stone　and



blowing　into　their　nipped　fingers。　　One　or　two　misanthropists



would　sit　apart　perched　on　boulders　like　man…like　sea…fowl　of



solitary　habits；　the　sociably　disposed　would　gossip　scandalously



in　little　gesticulating　knots；　and　there　would　be　perpetually　one



or　another　of　my　hosts　taking　aim　at　the　empty　horizon　with　the



long；　brass　tube　of　the　telescope；　a　heavy；　murderous…looking



piece　of　collective　property；　everlastingly　changing　hands　with



b