benito cereno-第23章

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　　　　If　the　deposition　of　Benito　Cereno　has　served　as　the　key　to　fit　into　the　lock　of　the　complications　which　preceded　it；　then；　as　a　vault　whose　door　has　been　flung　back；　the　San　Dominick's　hull　lies　open　to…day。　　　　　Hitherto　the　nature　of　this　narrative；　besides　rendering　the　intricacies　in　the　beginning　unavoidable；　has　more　or　less　required　that　many　things；　instead　of　being　set　down　in　the　order　of　occurrence；　should　be　retrospectively；　or　irregularly　given；　this　last　is　the　case　with　the　following　passages；　which　will　conclude　the　account：　　　　　During　the　long；　mild　voyage　to　Lima；　there　was；　as　before　hinted；　a　period　during　which　Don　Benito　a　little　recovered　his　health；　or；　at　least　in　some　degree；　his　tranquillity。　Ere　the　decided　relapse　which　came；　the　two　captains　had　many　cordial　conversations…　their　fraternal　unreserve　in　singular　contrast　with　former　withdrawments。　　　　　Again　and　again；　it　was　repeated；　how　hard　it　had　been　to　enact　the　part　forced　on　the　Spaniard　by　Babo。　　　　　〃Ah；　my　dear　Don　Amasa；〃　Don　Benito　once　said；　〃at　those　very　times　when　you　thought　me　so　morose　and　ungrateful…　nay　when；　as　you　now　admit；　you　half　thought　me　plotting　your　murder…　at　those　very　times　my　heart　was　frozen；　I　could　not　look　at　you；　thinking　of　what；　both　on　board　this　ship　and　your　own；　hung；　from　other　hands；　over　my　kind　benefactor。　And　as　God　lives；　Don　Amasa；　I　know　not　whether　desire　for　my　own　safety　alone　could　have　nerved　me　to　that　leap　into　your　boat；　had　it　not　been　for　the　thought　that；　did　you；　unenlightened；　return　to　your　ship；　you；　my　best　friend；　with　all　who　might　be　with　you；　stolen　upon；　that　night；　in　your　hammocks；　would　never　in　this　world　have　wakened　again。　Do　but　think　how　you　walked　this　deck；　how　you　sat　in　this　cabin；　every　inch　of　ground　mined　into　honey…combs　under　you。　Had　I　dropped　the　least　hint；　made　the　least　advance　toward　an　understanding　between　us；　death；　explosive　death…　yours　as　mine…　would　have　ended　the　scene。〃　　　　　〃True；　true；〃　cried　Captain　Delano；　starting；　〃you　saved　my　life；　Don　Benito；　more　than　I　yours；　saved　it；　too；　against　my　knowledge　and　will。〃　　　　　〃Nay；　my　friend；〃　rejoined　the　Spaniard；　courteous　even　to　the　point　of　religion；　〃God　charmed　your　life；　but　you　saved　mine。　To　think　of　some　things　you　did…　those　smilings　and　chattings；　rash　pointings　and　gesturings。　For　less　than　these；　they　slew　my　mate；　Raneds；　but　you　had　the　Prince　of　Heaven's　safe　conduct　through　all　ambuscades。〃　　　　　〃Yes；　all　is　owing　to　Providence；　I　know；　but　the　temper　of　my　mind　that　morning　was　more　than　commonly　pleasant；　while　the　sight　of　so　much　suffering…　more　apparent　than　real…　added　to　my　good　nature；　compassion；　and　charity；　happily　interweaving　the　three。　Had　it　been　otherwise；　doubtless；　as　you　hint；　some　of　my　interferences　with　the　blacks　might　have　ended　unhappily　enough。　Besides　that；　those　feelings　I　spoke　of　enabled　me　to　get　the　better　of　momentary　distrust；　at　times　when　acuteness　might　have　cost　me　my　life；　without　saving　another's。　Only　at　the　end　did　my　suspicions　get　the　better　of　me；　and　you　know　how　wide　of　the　mark　they　then　proved。〃　　　　　〃Wide；　indeed；〃　said　Don　Benito；　sadly；　〃you　were　with　me　all　day；　stood　with　me；　sat　with　me；　talked　with　me；　looked　at　me；　ate　with　me；　drank　with　me；　and　yet；　your　last　act　was　to　clutch　for　a　villain；　not　only　an　innocent　man；　but　the　most　pitiable　of　all　men。　To　such　degree　may　malign　machinations　and　deceptions　impose。　So　far　may　even　the　best　men　err；　in　judging　the　conduct　of　one　with　the　recesses　of　whose　condition　he　is　not　acquainted。　But　you　were　forced　to　it；　and　you　were　in　time　undeceived。　Would　that；　in　both　respects；　it　was　so　ever；　and　with　all　men。〃　　　　　〃I　think　I　understand　you；　you　generalize；　Don　Benito；　and　mournfully　enough。　But　the　past　is　passed；　why　moralize　upon　it？　Forget　it。　See；　yon　bright　sun　has　forgotten　it　all；　and　the　blue　sea；　and　the　blue　sky；　these　have　turned　over　new　leaves。〃　　　　　〃Because　they　have　no　memory；〃　he　dejectedly　replied；　〃because　they　are　not　human。〃　　　　　〃But　these　mild　trades　that　now　fan　your　cheek；　Don　Benito；　do　they　not　come　with　a　human…like　healing　to　you？　Warm　friends；　steadfast　friends　are　the　trades。〃　　　　　〃With　their　steadfastness　they　but　waft　me　to　my　tomb；　Senor；〃　was　the　foreboding　response。　　　　　〃You　are　saved；　Don　Benito；〃　cried　Captain　Delano；　more　and　more　astonished　and　pained；　〃you　are　saved；　what　has　cast　such　a　shadow　upon　you？〃　　　　　〃The　Negro。〃　　　　　There　was　silence；　while　the　moody　man　sat；　slowly　and　unconsciously　gathering　his　mantle　about　him；　as　if　it　were　a　pall。　　　　　There　was　no　more　conversation　that　day。　　　　　But　if　the　Spaniard's　melancholy　sometimes　ended　in　muteness　upon　topics　like　the　above；　there　were　others　upon　which　he　never　spoke　at　all；　on　which；　indeed；　all　his　old　reserves　were　piled。　Pass　over　the　worst　and；　only　to　elucidate；　let　an　item　or　two　of　these　be　cited。　The　dress　so　precise　and　costly；　worn　by　him　on　the　day　whose　events　have　been　narrated；　had　not　willingly　been　put　on。　And　that　silver…mounted　sword；　apparent　symbol　of　despotic　command；　was　not；　indeed；　a　sword；　but　the　ghost　of　one。　The　scabbard；　artificially　stiffened；　was　empty。　　　　　As　for　the　black…　whose　brain；　not　body；　had　schemed　and　led　the　revolt；　with　the　plot…　his　slight　frame；　inadequate　to　that　which　it　held；　had　at　once　yielded　to　the　superior　muscular　strength　of　his　captor；　in　the　boat。　Seeing　all　was　over；　he　uttered　no　sound；　and　could　not　be　forced　to。　His　aspect　seemed　to　say：　since　I　cannot　do　deeds；　I　will　not　speak　words。　Put　in　irons　in　the　hold；　with　the　rest；　he　was　carried　to　Lima。　During　the　passage　Don　Benito　did　not　visit　him。　Nor　then；　nor　at　any　time　after；　would　he　look　at　him。　Before　the　tribunal　he　refused。　When　pressed　by　the　judges　he　fainted。　On　the　testimony　of　the　sailors　alone　rested　the　legal　identity　of　Babo。　And　yet　the　Spaniard　would；　upon　occasion；　verbally　refer　to　the　Negro；　as　has　been　shown；　but　look　on　him　he　would　not；　or　could　not。　　　　　Some　months　after；　dragged　to　the　gibbet　at　the　tail　of　a　mule；　the　black　met　his　voiceless　end。　The　body　was　burned　to　ashes；　but　for　many　days；　the　head；　that　hive　of　subtlety；　fixed　on　a　pole　in　the　Plaza；　met；　unabashed；　the　gaze　of　the　whites；　and　across　the　Plaza　looked　toward　St。　Bartholomew's　church；　in　whose　vaults　slept　then；　as　now；　the　recovered　bones　of　Aranda；　and　across　the　Rimac　bridge　looked　toward　the　monastery；　on　Mount　Agonia　without；　where；　three　months　after　being　dismissed　by　the　court；　Benito　Cereno；　borne　on　the　bier；　did；　indeed；　follow　his　leader。


　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　…THE　END…　。