my buried treasure-第7章

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perils　of　the　sea。　Had　they　been　his　oldest　and　nearest　friends；
his　little　speech　could　not　have　been　more　heart…felt　and　sincere。
To　his　distress；　it　moved　one　of　the　ladies　to　tears；　and　in
embarrassment　he　turned　to　the　men。

〃I　regret　there　is　no　ice；〃　he　said；　〃but　you　know　the　rule　of　the
tropics；　as　soon　as　a　ship　enters　port；　the　ice…　machine　bursts。〃

〃I'll　tell　the　steward　to　send　you　some；　sir；〃　said　Livingstone；
〃and　as　long　as　we're　here。〃

The　senator　showed　his　concern。

〃As　long　as　we're　here？〃　he　gasped。

〃Not　over　two　days；〃　answered　the　owner　nervously。　〃The　chief　says
it　will　take　all　of　that　to　get　her　in　shape。　As　you　ought　to　know；
Senator；　she　was　pretty　badly　mauled。〃

The　senator　gazed　blankly　out　of　the　window。　Beyond　it　lay　the
naked　coral　reefs；　the　empty　sky；　and　the　ragged　palms　of　Porto
Banos。

Livingstone　felt　that　his　legation　was　slipping　from　him。

〃That　wireless　operator；〃　he　continued　hastily；　〃tells　me　there　is
a　most　amusing　place　a　few　miles　down　the　coast；　Las　Bocas；　a　sort
of　Coney　Island；　where　the　government　people　go　for　the　summer。
There's　surf　bathing　and　roulette　and　cafes　chantants。　He　says
there's　some　Spanish　dancers〃

The　guests　of　the　SERAPIS　exclaimed　with　interest；　the　senator
smiled。　To　Marshall　the　general　enthusiasm　over　the　thought　of　a
ride　on　a　merry…go…round　suggested　that　the　friends　of　Mr。
Livingstone　had　found　their　own　society　far　from　satisfying。

Greatly　encouraged；　Livingstone　continued；　with　enthusiasm：

〃And　that　wireless　man　said；〃　he　added；　〃that　with　the　launch　we
can　get　there　in　half　an　hour。　We　might　run　down　after　dinner。〃　He
turned　to　Marshall。

〃Will　you　join　us；　Mr。　Consul？〃　he　asked；　〃and　dine　with　us；
first？〃

Marshall　accepted　with　genuine　pleasure。　It　had　been　many　months
since　he　had　sat　at　table　with　his　own　people。　But　he　shook　his
head　doubtfully。

〃I　was　wondering　about　Las　Bocas；〃　he　explained；　〃if　your　going
there　might　not　get　you　in　trouble　at　the　next　port。　With　a　yacht；
I　think　it　is　different；　but　Las　Bocas　is　under　quarantine〃

There　was　a　chorus　of　exclamations。

〃It's　not　serious；〃　Marshall　explained。　〃There　was　bubonic　plague
there；　or　something　like　it。　You　would　be　in　no　danger　from　that。
It　is　only　that　you　might　be　held　up　by　the　regulations。　Passenger
steamers　can't　land　any　one　who　has　been　there　at　any　other　port　of
the

West　Indies。　The　English　are　especially　strict。　The　Royal　Mail
won't　even　receive　any　one　on　board　here　without　a　certificate　from
the　English　consul　saying　he　has　not　visited　Las　Bocas。　For　an
American　they　would　require　the　same　guarantee　from　me。　But　I　don't
think　the　regulations　extend　to　yachts。　I　will　inquire。　I　don't
wish　to　deprive　you　of　any　of　the　many　pleasures　of　Porto　Banos；〃
he　added；　smiling；　〃but　if　you　were　refused　a　landing　at　your　next
port　I　would　blame　myself。〃

〃It's　all　right；〃　declared　Livingstone　decidedly。　〃It's　just　as　you
say；　yachts　and　warships　are　exempt。　Besides；　I　carry　my　own
doctor；　and　if　he　won't　give　us　a　clean　bill　of　health；　I'll　make
him　walk　the　plank。　At　eight；　then；　at　dinner。　I'll　send　the　cutter
for　you。　I　can't　give　you　a　salute；　Mr。　Consul；　but　you　shall　have
all　the　side　boys　I　can　muster。〃

Those　from　the　yacht　parted　from　their　consul　in　the　most　friendly
spirit。

〃I　think　he's　charming！〃　exclaimed　Miss　Cairns。　〃And　did　you　notice
his　novels？　They　were　in　every　language。　It　must　be　terribly　lonely
down　here；　for　a　man　like　that。〃

〃He's　the　first　of　our　consuls　we've　met　on　this　trip；〃　growled　her
father；　〃that　we've　caught　sober。〃

〃Sober！〃　exclaimed　his　wife　indignantly。

〃He's　one　of　the　Marshalls　of　Vermont。　I　asked　him。〃

〃I　wonder；〃　mused　Hanley；　〃how　much　the　place　is　worth？　Hamilton；
one　of　the　new　senators；　has　been　deviling　the　life　out　of　me　to
send　his　son　somewhere。　Says　if　he　stays　in　Washington　he'll
disgrace　the　family。　I　should　think　this　place　would　drive　any　man
to　drink　himself　to　death　in　three　months；　and　young　Hamilton；　from
what　I've　seen　of　him；　ought　to　be　able　to　do　it　in　a　week。　That
would　leave　the　place　open　for　the　next　man。〃

〃There's　a　postmaster　in　my　State　thinks　he　carried　it。〃　The
senator　smiled　grimly。　〃He　has　consumption；　and　wants　us　to　give
him　a　consulship　in　the　tropics。　I'll　tell　him　I've　seen　Porto
Banos；　and　that　it's　just　the　place　for　him。〃

The　senator's　pleasantry　was　not　well　received。　But　Miss　Cairns
alone　had　the　temerity　to　speak　of　what　the　others　were　thinking。

〃What　would　become　of　Mr。　Marshall？〃　she　asked。　The　senator　smiled
tolerantly。

〃I　don't　know　that　I　was　thinking　of　Mr。　Marshall；〃　he　said。　〃I
can't　recall　anything　he　has　done　for　this　administration。　You　see；
Miss　Cairns；〃　he　explained；　in　the　tone　of　one　addressing　a　small
child；　〃Marshall　has　been　abroad　now　for　forty　years；　at　the
expense　of　the　taxpayers。　Some　of　us　think　men　who　have　lived　that
long　on　their　fellow…countrymen　had　better　come　home　and　get　to
work。〃

Livingstone　nodded　solemnly　in　assent。　He　did　not　wish　a　post
abroad　at　the　expense　of　the　taxpayers。　He　was　willing　to　pay　for
it。　And　then；　with　〃ex…Minister〃　on　his　visiting　cards；　and　a　sense
of　duty　well　performed；　for　the　rest　of　his　life　he　could　join　the
other　expatriates　in　Paris。

Just　before　dinner；　the　cruiser　RALEIGH　having　discovered　the
whereabouts　of　the　SERAPIS　by　wireless；　entered　the　harbor；　and
Admiral　Hardy　came　to　the　yacht　to　call　upon　the　senator；　in　whose
behalf　he　had　been　scouring　the　Caribbean　Seas。　Having　paid　his
respects　to　that　personage；　the　admiral　fell　boisterously　upon
Marshall。

The　two　old　gentlemen　were　friends　of　many　years。　They　had　met；
officially　and　unofficially；　in　many　strange　parts　of　the　world。　To
each　the　chance　reunion　was　a　piece　of　tremendous　good　fortune。　And
throughout　dinner　the　guests　of　Livingstone；　already　bored　with
each　other；　found　in　them　and　their　talk　of　former　days　new　and
delightful　entertainment。　So　much　so　that　when；　Marshall　having
assured　them　that　the　local　quarantine　regulations　did　not　extend
to　a　yacht；　the　men　departed　for　Las　Bocas；　the　women　insisted　that
he　and　admiral　remain　behind。

It　was　for　Marshall　a　wondrous　evening。　To　foregather　with　his　old
friend　whom　he　had　known　since　Hardy　was　a　mad　midshipman；　to　sit
at　the　feet　of　his　own　charming　countrywomen；　to　listen　to　their
soft；　modulated　laughter；　to　note　how　quickly　they　saw　that　to　him
the　evening　was　a　great　event；　and　with　what　tact　each　contributed
to　make　it　the　more　memorable；　all　served　to　wipe　out　the　months　of
bitter　loneliness；　the　stigma　of　failure；　the　sense　of　undeserved
neglect。　In　the　moonlight；　on　the　cool　quarter…　deck；　they　sat；　in
a　half…circle；　each　of　the　two　friends　telling　tales　out　of　school；
tales　of　which　the　other　was　the　hero　or　the　victim；　〃inside〃
stories　of　great　occasions；　ceremonies；　bombardments；　unrecorded
〃shirt…sleeve〃　diplomacy。

Hardy　had　helped　to　open　the　Suez　Canal。　Marshall　had　assisted　the
Queen　of　Madagascar　to　escape　from　the　French　invaders。　On　the
Barbary　Coast　Hardy　had　chased　pirates。　In　Edinburgh　Marshall　had
played　chess　with　Carlyle。　He　had　seen　Paris　in　mourning　in　the
days　of　the　siege；　Paris　in　terror　in　the　days　of　the　Commune；　he
had　known　Garibaldi；　Gambetta；　the　younger　Dumas；　the　creator　of
Pickwick。

〃Do　you　remember　that　time　in　Tangier；〃　the　admiral　urged；　when　I
was　a　midshipman；　and　got　into　the　bashaw's　harem？〃

〃Do　you　remember　how　I　got　you　out？　Marshall　replied　grimly。

〃And；〃　demanded　Hardy；　〃do　you　remember　when　Adelina　Patti　paid　a
visit　to　the　KEARSARGE　at　Marseilles　in　'65George　Dewey　was　our
second　officerand　you　were　bowing　and　backing　away　from　her；　and
you　backed　into　an　open　hatch；　and　she　said　'my　French　isn't　up　to
it'　what　was　it　she　said？〃

〃I　didn't　hear　it；〃　said　Marshall；　〃I　was　too　far　down　the　hatch。〃

〃Do　you　mean　the　old　KEARSARGE？〃　asked　Mrs。　Cairns。　〃Were　you　in
the　service　then；　Mr。　Marshall？　〃

With　loyal　pride　in　his　friend；　the　admiral　answered　for　him：

〃He　was　our　consul…general　at　Marseilles！〃

There　was　an　uncomfortable　moment。　Even　those　denied　imagination
could　no