第29章

Underahillapartyoffishermenhadlitawoodfire，theflamesofwhichcouldbeseenplayingupon，andpickingout，thewhitehullofaboat——thedarkfigureofamantherein，afishingnetsuspendedfromsomestakes，andawomaninayellowbodicewhowassittingbesidethefire。Also，amidthegoldenradiancetherecouldbedistinguishedaquiveringoftheleavesonthelowerbranchesofthetreewhereunderthewomansatshaded。 Alltheriverwascalm，andnotasoundoccurredtobreakthestillnessashore，whiletheairundertheawningofthethird-classportionofthevesselfeltasstiflingasduringtheearlierpartoftheday。Bythistimetheconversationofthepassengers，dampedbytheshadowofdusk，hadmergedintoasinglesoundwhichresembledthehummingofbees；andamiditonecouldnotdistinguishnordivinewhowasspeaking，northesubjectofdiscussion，sinceeverywordthereinseemeddisconnected，eventhoughallappearedtobetalkingamicably，andinorder，concerningacommontopic。Atonemomentasuppressedlaughfromayoungwomanwouldreachtheear；inthecabin，apartywhohadagreedtosingasongofgeneralacceptationwerefailingtohituponone，anddisputingthepointinlowanddispassionateaccents；andineach，suchsoundtherewassomethingvespertinal，gentlysad，softlyprayer-like。 Frombehindthefirewoodnearmeathick，raspingvoicesaidindeliberatetones: “Atfirsthewasausefulyoungfellowenough，andcleanandspruce；butlately，hehasbecomeshabbyanddirty，andisgoingtothedogs。“ Anothervoice，loudandgruff，replied: “Aha！Avoidtheladies，oroneisboundtogoamiss。“ “Thesayinghasitthatalwaysafishmakesfordeeperwater。“ “Besides，heisafool，andthatisworsestill。Bytheway，heisarelativeofyours，isn’the？“ “Yes。Heismybrother。“ “Indeed？Thenprayforgiveme。“ “Certainly；but，tospeakplainly，heisafool。“ AtthismomentIsawthepassengerinthebuffpea-jacketapproachthesally-port，graspwithhislefthandastanchion，andstepontothegratingunderwhichoneofthepaddle-wheelswaschurningthewatertofoam。Therehestoodlookingoverthebulwarkswithaswingingmotionakintothatofabatwhen，grapplingsomeobjectoranotherwithitswings，ithangssuspendedintheair。Thefactthattheman’scapwasdrawntightlyoverhisearscausedthelattertostickoutalmosttothepointofabsurdity。 Presentlyheturnedandpeeredintothegloomundertheawning，though，seemingly，hefailedtodistinguishmyselfreposingonthefirewood。Thisenabledmetogainaclearviewofafacewithasharpnose，sometuftsoflight-colouredhaironcheeksandchin，andapairofsmall，muddy-lookingeyes。Hestoodthereasthoughhewerelisteningtosomething。 Allofasuddenhesteppedfirmlytothesally-port，swiftlyunlashedfromtheirontop-railamop，andthrewitoverboard。 Thenhesetaboutunlashingasecondarticleofthesamespecies。 “Hi！“Ishoutedtohim。“Whatareyoudoingthere？“ Withastartthemanturnedround，clappedahandtohisforeheadtodiscovermywhereabouts，andrepliedsoftlyandrapidly，andwithastammerinhisvoice: “Howisthatyourbusiness？Getawaywithyou！“ UponthisIapproachedhim，forIwasastonishedandamusedathisimpudence。 “Forwhatyouhavedonethesailorswillmakeyoupayrightenough，“Iremarked。 Hetuckedupthesleevesofhispea-jacketasthoughhewerepreparingforafight。Then，stampinghisfootupontheslipperygrating，hemuttered: “Iperceivedthemoptohavecomeuntied，andtobeindangeroffallingintothewaterthroughthevibration。UponthatI triedtosecureit，andfailed，foritslippedfrommyhandsasIwasdoingso。“ “But，“Iremarkedinamazement，“mybeliefisthatyouWILLFULLYuntiedthemop，tothrowitoverboard！“ “Come，come！“heretorted。“WhyshouldIhavedonethat？Whatanextraordinarythingitwouldhavebeentodo！Howcouldithavebeenpossible？“ Herehedodgedmewithadexterousmovement，and，rearranginghissleeves，walkedaway。Thelengthofthepea-jacketmadehislegslookabsurdlyshort，andcausedmetonoticethatinhisgaittherewasatendencytoshuffleandhesitate。 Returningtomyretreat，Istretchedmyselfuponthefirewoodoncemore，inhaleditsresinousodour，andfelltolisteningtotheslow-movingdialogueofsomeofthepassengersaroundme。 “Ah，goodsir，“agruff，sarcasticvoicebeganatmyside——butinstantlyayetgruffervoiceintervenedwith: “Well？“ “Oh，nothing，exceptthattoaskaquestioniseasy，andtoansweritmaybedifficult。“ “True。“ Fromtheravinesamistwasspreadingovertheriver。 Atlengthnightfell，andasfolkrelapsedintoslumberthebabeloftonguesbecamestilled。Thecar，asitgrewusedtotheboisterousroaroftheenginesandthemeasuredrhythmofthepaddle-wheels，didnotatfirstnoticethenewsoundbornofthefactthatintothesoundspreviouslymadefamiliartherebegantointrudethesnoresofslumberers，andthepaddingofsoftfootsteps，andanexcitedwhisperof: “Isaidtohim——yes，Isaid:’Yasha，youmustnot，youshallnot，dothis。’“ Thebankshaddisappearedfromview。Indeed，onecontinuedtoberemindedoftheirexistenceonlybytheslowpassageofthescatteredfiresashore，andthefactthatthedarknesslayblackeranddenseraroundthosefiresthanelsewhere。Dimlyreflectedintheriver，thestarsseemedtobeabsolutelymotionless，whereasthetrailing，goldenreproductionsofthesteamer’slightsneverceasedtoquiver，asthoughstrivingtobreakadrift，andfloatawayintotheobscurity。Meanwhile，foamliketissuepaperwaslickingourdarkhull，whileatourstern，andsometimesovertakingit，theretrailedabargewithacoupleoflanternsinherprow，andathirdonhermast，whichatonemomentmarkedthereflectionsofthestars，andatanotherbecamemergedwiththegleamsoffirelightononeortheotherbank。 OnabenchunderalanternnearthespotwhereIwaslyingastoutwomanwasasleep。Withonehandrestinguponasmallbundleunderherhead，shehadherbodicetornunderthearmpit，sothatthewhitefleshandatuftofhaircouldbeseenprotruding。Also，herfacewaslarge，darkofbrow，andfullofjowltoapointthatcausedthecheekstorolltoherveryears。 Lastly，herthicklipswerepartedinanungainly，corpselikesmile。 Frommyownpositiononalevelhigherthanhers，Ilookeddreamilydownuponher，andreflected:“Sheisalittleoverfortyyearsofage，and(probably)agoodwoman。Also，sheistravellingtovisiteitherherdaughterandson-in-law，orhersonanddaughter-in-law，andthereforeistakingwithhersomepresents。Also，thereisinherlargeheartmuchoftheexcellentandmaternal。“ Suddenlysomethingnearmeflashedasthoughamatchhadbeenstruck，and，openingmyeyes，Iperceivedthepassengerinthecuriouspea-jackettobestandingnearthewomanspokenof，andengagedinshieldingalightedmatchwithhissleeve。Presently，heextendedhishandandcautiouslyappliedtheparticleofflametothetuftofhairunderthewoman’sarmpit。Therefollowedafainthiss，andanoxioussmellofburninghairwaswaftedtomynostrils。 Ileaptup，seizedthemanbythecollar，andshookhimsoundly。 “Whatareyouat？“Iexclaimed。 Turninginmygrasphewhisperedwithascarcelyaudible，butexceedinglyrepulsive，giggle: “Haven’tIgivenheragoodfright，eh？“ Thenheadded: “Now，letmego！Letgo，Isay！“ “Haveyoulostyourwits？“Iretortedwithagasp。 Foramomentortwohisblinkingeyescontinuedtoglanceatsomethingovermyshoulder。Thentheyreturnedtome，whilehewhispered: “Prayletmego。Thetruthisthat，unabletosleep，I conceivedthatIwouldplaythiswomanatrick。Wasthereanyharminthat？See，now。Sheisstillasleep。“ AsIthrusthimawayhisshortlegs，legswhichmightalmosthavebeenamputated，staggeredunderhim。MeanwhileIreflected: “No，IwasNOTwrong。HeDIDofsetpurposethrowthemopoverboard。Whatafellow！“ Abellsoundedfromtheengine-room。 “Slow！“someoneshoutedwithacheerfulhail。 Uponthat，steamissuedwithsuchresoundingshrillnessthatthewomanawokewithajerkofherhead；andassheputupherlefthandtofeelherarmpit，hercrumpledfeaturesgatheredthemselvesintowrinkles。Thensheglancedatthelamp，raisedherselftoasittingposition，and，fingeringtheplacewherethehairhadbeendestroyed，saidsoftlytoherself: “Oh，holyMotherofGod！“ Presentlythesteamerdrewtoawharf，and，withaloudclattering，firewoodwasdraggedforthandcastintothestokeholewithuncouth，warningcriesof“Tru-us-sha！“[Thewordmeansship’sholdorstokehole，buthereis，probably，equivalenttotheEnglish“Headsbelow！“] Overalittletownwhichhaditsbackpressedagainstahillthewaningmoonwasrisingandbrighteningalltheblackriver，causingittogatherlifeastheradiancelaved，asitwere，thelandscapeinwarmwater。 Walkingaft，Iseatedmyselfamongsomebalesandcontemplatedthetown’sfrontage。Overoneendofitrose，taperinglikeawalking-stick，afactorychimney，whileattheotherend，aswellasinthemiddle，rosebelfries，oneofwhichhadagildedsteeple，andtheotheroneasteepleeithergreenorblue，butlookingblackinthemoonlight，andshapedlikearaggedpaint-brush。