第65章

类别:其他 作者:Daniel Defoe字数:4242更新时间:18/12/26 16:40:16
Inthemeantime,mygoverness,faithfultothelastmoment, conveyedmylettertotheprisontomyhusband,andgotan answertoit,andthenextdaycamedownherselftotheship, bringingme,inthefirstplace,asea-bedastheycallit,and allitsfurniture,suchaswasconvenient,butnottoletthe peoplethinkitwasextraordinary。 Shebroughtwithhera sea-chest——thatis,achest,suchasaremadeforseamen,with alltheconveniencesinit,andfilledwitheverythingalmost thatIcouldwant;andinoneofthecornersofthechest,where therewasaprivatedrawer,wasmybankofmoney——thisisto say,somuchofitasIhadresolvedtocarrywithme;forI orderedapartofmystocktobeleftbehindme,tobesent afterwardsinsuchgoodsasIshouldwantwhenIcameto settle;formoneyinthatcountryisnotofmuchusewhereall thingsarebroughtfortobacco,muchmoreisitagreatloss tocarryitfromhence。 Butmycasewasparticular;itwasbynomeanspropertome togothitherwithoutmoneyorgoods,andforapoorconvict, thatwastobesoldassoonasIcameonshore,tocarrywith meacargoofgoodswouldbetohavenoticetakenofit,and perhapstohavethemseizedbythepublic;soItookpartofmy stockwithmethus,andlefttheotherpartwithmygoverness。 Mygovernessbroughtmeagreatmanyotherthings,butit wasnotproperformetolooktoowellprovidedintheship, atleasttillIknewwhatkindofacaptainweshouldhave。 Whenshecameintotheship,Ithoughtshewouldhavedied indeed;herheartsankatthesightofme,andatthethoughts ofpartingwithmeinthatcondition,andshecriedsointolerably, Icouldnotforalongtimehaveanytalkwithher。 Itookthattimetoreadmyfellow-prisoner’sletter,which, however,greatlyperplexedme。 Hetoldmewasdetermined togo,butfounditwouldbeimpossibleforhimtobedischarged timeenoughforgoinginthesameship,andwhichwasmore thanall,hebegantoquestionwhethertheywouldgivehim leavetogoinwhatshiphepleased,thoughhedidvoluntarily transporthimself;butthattheywouldseehimputonboard suchashipastheyshoulddirect,andthathewouldbecharged uponthecaptainasotherconvictprisonerswere;sothathe begantobeindespairofseeingmetillhecametoVirginia, whichmadehimalmostdesperate;seeingthat,ontheother hand,ifIshouldnotbethere,ifanyaccidentoftheseaorof mortalityshouldtakemeaway,heshouldbethemostundone creaturethereintheworld。 Thiswasveryperplexing,andIknewnotwhatcoursetotake。 Itoldmygovernessthestoryoftheboatswain,andshewas mightyeagerwithmetreatwithhim;butIhadnomindtoit, tillIheardwhethermyhusband,orfellow-prisoner,soshe calledhim,couldbeatlibertytogowithmeorno。 AtlastI wasforcedtoletherintothewholematter,exceptonlythat ofhisbeingmyhusband。 ItoldherIhadmadeapositive bargainoragreementwithhimtogo,ifhecouldgettheliberty ofgoinginthesameship,andthatIfoundhehadmoney。 ThenIreadalonglecturetoherofwhatIproposedtodo whenwecamethere,howwecouldplant,settle,and,inshort, growrichwithoutanymoreadventures;and,asagreatsecret, Itoldherthatweweretomarryassoonashecameonboard。 Shesoonagreedcheerfullytomygoingwhensheheardthis, andshemadeitherbusinessfromthattimetogethimoutof theprisonintime,sothathemightgointhesameshipwith me,whichatlastwasbroughttopass,thoughwithgreat difficulty,andnotwithoutalltheformsofatransported prisoner-convict,whichhereallywasnotyet,forhehadnot beentried,andwhichwasagreatmortificationtohim。 As ourfatewasnowdetermined,andwewerebothonboard, actuallyboundtoVirginia,inthedespicablequalityof transportedconvictsdestinedtobesoldforslaves,Iforfive years,andheunderbondsandsecuritynottoreturntoEngland anymore,aslongashelived,hewasverymuchdejectedand castdown;themortificationofbeingbroughtonboard,ashe was,likeaprisoner,piquedhimverymuch,sinceitwasfirst toldhimheshouldtransporthimself,andsothathemightgo asagentlemanatliberty。 Itistruehewasnotorderedtobe soldwhenhecamethere,aswewere,andforthatreasonhe wasobligedtopayforhispassagetothecaptain,whichwe werenot;astotherest,hewasasmuchatalossasachild whattodowithhimself,orwithwhathehad,butbydirections。 Ourfirstbusinesswastocompareourstock。 Hewasvery honesttome,andtoldmehisstockwasprettygoodwhenhe cameintotheprison,butthelivingthereashedidinafigure likeagentleman,and,whichwastentimesasmuch,the makingoffriends,andsolicitinghiscase,hadbeenvery expensive;and,inaword,allhisstockthathehadleftwas whichhehadabouthimallingold。 Igavehimanaccountofmystockasfaithfully,thatistosay, ofwhatIhadtakentocarrywithme,forIwasresolved, whatevershouldhappen,tokeepwhatIhadleftwithmy governessinreserve;thatincaseIshoulddie,whatIhadwith mewasenoughtogivehim,andthatwhichwasleftinmy governess’shandswouldbeherown,whichshehadwell deservedofmeindeed。 MystockwhichIhadwithmewas#246someoddshillings; sothatwehad#354betweenus,butaworsegottenestatewas scarceeverputtogethertobeingtheworldwith。 Ourgreatestmisfortuneastoourstockwasthatitwasallin money,whicheveryoneknowsisanunprofitablecargotobe carriedtotheplantations。 Ibelievehiswasreallyallhehad leftintheworld,ashetoldmeitwas;butI,whohadbetween andinbankwhenthisdisasterbefellme,andwho hadoneofthefaithfullestfriendsintheworldtomanageit forme,consideringshewasawomanofmannerofreligious principles,hadstill#300leftinherhand,whichIreservedas above;besides,someveryvaluablethings,asparticularlytwo goldwatches,somesmallpiecesofplate,andsomerings——all stolengoods。 Theplate,rings,andwatcheswereputinmy chestwiththemoney,andwiththisfortune,andinthe sixty-firstyearofmyage,Ilaunchedoutintoanewworld, asImaycallit,inthecondition(astowhatappeared)only ofapoor,nakedconvict,orderedtobetransportedinrespite fromthegallows。 Myclotheswerepoorandmean,butnot raggedordirty,andnoneknewinthewholeshipthatIhad anythingofvalueaboutme。 However,asIhadagreatmanyverygoodclothesandlinen inabundance,whichIhadorderedtobepackedupintwo greatboxes,Ihadthemshippedonboard,notasmygoods, butasconsignedtomyrealnameinVirginia;andhadthe billsofloadingsignedbyacaptaininmypocket;andinthese boxeswasmyplateandwatches,andeverythingofvalue exceptmymoney,whichIkeptbyitselfinaprivatedrawer inmychest,whichcouldnotbefound,oropened,iffound, withsplittingthechesttopieces。 InthisconditionIlayforthreeweeksintheship,notknowing whetherIshouldhavemyhusbandwithmeorno,andtherefore notresolvinghoworinwhatmannertoreceivethehonest boatswain’sproposal,whichindeedhethoughtalittlestrange atfirst。 Attheendofthistime,beholdmyhusbandcameonboard。 Helookedwithadejected,angrycountenance,hisgreatheart wasswelledwithrageanddisdain;tobedraggedalongwith threekeepersofNewgate,andputonboardlikeaconvict, whenhehadnotsomuchasbeenbroughttoatrial。 Hemade loudcomplaintsofitbyhisfriends,foritseemshehadsome interest;buthisfriendsgotsomecheckintheirapplication, andweretoldhehadhadfavourenough,andthattheyhad receivedsuchanaccountofhim,sincethelastgrantofhis transportation,thatheoughttothinkhimselfverywelltreated thathewasnotprosecutedanew。 Thisanswerquietedhimat once,forheknewtoomuchwhatmighthavehappened,and whathehadroomtoexpect;andnowhesawthegoodnessof theadvicetohim,whichprevailedwithhimtoacceptofthe offerofavoluntarytransportation。 Andafterthishischagrin atthesehell-hounds,ashecalledthem,wasalittleover,he lookedalittlecomposed,begantobecheerful,andasIwas tellinghimhowgladIwastohavehimoncemoreoutoftheir hands,hetookmeinhisarms,andacknowledgedwithgreat tendernessthatIhadgivenhimthebestadvicepossible。 ’My dear,’sayshe,’thouhastwicesavedmylife;fromhenceforward itshallbeallemployedforyou,andI’llalwaystakeyouradvice。’ Theshipbegannowtofill;severalpassengerscameonboard, whowereembarkedonnocriminalaccount,andthesehad accommodationsassignedtheminthegreatcabin,andother partsoftheship,whereaswe,asconvicts,werethrustdown below,Iknownotwhere。 Butwhenmyhusbandcameon board,Ispoketotheboatswain,whohadsoearlygivenme hintsofhisfriendshipincarryingmyletter。 Itoldhimhehad befriendedmeinmanythings,andIhadnotmadeanysuitable returntohim,andwiththatIputaguineaintohishand。 Itold himthatmyhusbandwasnowcomeonboard;thatthough wewerebothunderthepresentmisfortune,yetwehadbeen personsofadifferentcharacterfromthewretchedcrewthat wecamewith,anddesiredtoknowofhim,whetherthecaptain mightnotbemovedtoadmitustosomeconveniencesinthe ship,forwhichwewouldmakehimwhatsatisfactionhe pleased,andthatwewouldgratifyhimforhispainsinprocuring thisforus。 Hetooktheguinea,asIcouldsee,withgreat satisfaction,andassuredmeofhisassistance。 Thenhetoldushedidnotdoubtbutthatthecaptain,whowas oneofthebest-humouredgentlemenintheworld,wouldbe easilybroughttoaccommodateusaswellaswecoulddesire, and,tomakemeeasy,toldmehewouldgoupthenexttide onpurposetospeaktothecaptainaboutit。 Thenextmorning, happeningtosleepalittlelongerthanordinary,whenIgotup, andbegantolookabroad,Isawtheboatswainamongthemen inhisordinarybusiness。 Iwasalittlemelancholyatseeing