第20章

类别:其他 作者:Herman Melville字数:4806更新时间:18/12/27 09:00:37
IntheexpediencyofthisIcouldnotbutacquiesce;andasthenativeshadnowcompletedtheirpreparations,IwatchedwiththeliveliestinterestthereceptionthatToby’sapplicationmightmeetwith。AssoonastheyunderstoodfrommycompanionthatIintendedtoremain,theyappearedtomakenoobjectiontohisproposition,andevenhaileditwithpleasure。Theirsingularconductonthisoccasionnotalittlepuzzledmeatthetime,andimpartedtosubsequenteventsanadditionalmystery。 Theislanderswerenowtobeseenhurryingalongthepathwhichledtothesea。IshookTobywarmlybythehand,andgavehimmyPaytahattoshieldhiswoundedheadfromthesun,ashehadlosthisown。 Hecordiallyreturnedthepressureofmyhand,and,solemnlypromisingtoreturnassoonastheboatsshouldleavetheshore,sprangfrommyside,andthenextminutedisappearedinaturnofthegrove。 Inspiteoftheunpleasantreflectionsthatcrowdeduponmymind,Icouldnotbutbeentertainedbythenovelandanimatedsightwhichnowmetmyview。Oneafteranother,thenativescrowdedalongthenarrowpath,ladenwitheveryvarietyoffruit。Here,youmighthaveseenone,who,afterineffectuallyendeavouringtopersuadeasurlyporkertobeconductedinleading-strings,wasobligedatlasttoseizetheperverseanimalinhisarms,andcarryhimstrugglingagainsthisnakedbreast,andsquealingwithoutintermission。Therewenttwo,whoatalittledistancemighthavebeentakenfortheHebrewspies,ontheirreturntoMoseswiththegoodlybunchofgrapes。Onetrottedbeforetheotheratadistanceofacoupleofyards,whilebetweenthem,fromapolerestingontheirshoulders,wassuspendedahugeclusterofbananas,whichswayedtoandfrowiththerockinggaitatwhichtheyproceeded。Hererananother,perspiringwithhisexertions,andbearingbeforehimaquantityofcocoa-nuts,who,fearfulofbeingtoolate,heedednotthefruitthatdroppedfromhisbasket,andappearedsolelyintentuponreachinghisdestination,carelesshowmanyofhiscocoa-nutskeptcompanywithhim。 Inashorttimethelaststragglerwasseenhurryingonhisway,andthefaintshoutsofthoseinadvancediedinsensiblyupontheear。 Ourpartofthevalleynowappearednearlydesertedbyitsinhabitants,Kory-Kory,hisagedfather,andafewdecrepitoldpeople,beingallthatwereleft。 Towardssunset,theislandersinsmallpartiesbegantoreturnfromthebeach,andamongthem,astheydrewneartothehouse,I soughttodescrytheformofmycompanion。Butoneafteranothertheypassedthedwelling,andIcaughtnoglimpseofhim。Supposing,however,thathewouldsoonappearwithsomeofthemembersofthehousehold,Iquietedmyapprehensions,andwaitedpatientlytoseehimadvancing,incompanywiththebeautifulFayaway。AtlastI perceivedTinorcomingforward,followedbythegirlsandyoungmenwhousuallyresidedinthehouseofMarheyo;butwiththemcamenotmycomrade,and,filledwithathousandalarms,Ieagerlysoughttodiscoverthecauseofhisdelay。 Myearnestquestionsappearedtoembarrassthenativesgreatly。 Alltheiraccountswerecontradictory:onegivingmetounderstandthatTobywouldbewithmeinaveryshorttime;another,thathedidnotknowwherehewas;whileathird,violentlyinveighingagainsthim,assuredme。yIthathehadstolenaway,andwouldnevercomeback。Itappearedtome,atthetime,thatinmakingthesevariousstatementstheyendeavouredtoconcealfrommesometerribledisaster,lesttheknowledgeofitshouldoverpowerme。 Fearfullestsomefatalcalamityhadovertakenhim,IsoughtoutyoungFayaway,andendeavouredtolearnfromher,ifpossible,thetruth。 Thisgentlebeinghadearlyattractedmyregard,notonlyfromherextraordinarybeauty,butfromtheattractivecastofhercountenance,singularlyexpressiveofintelligenceandhumanity。Ofallthenatives,shealoneseemedtoappreciatetheeffectwhichthepeculiarityofthecircumstancesinwhichwewereplacedhadproduceduponthemindsofmycompanionandmyself。Inaddressingme-especiallywhenIlayreclininguponthematssufferingfrompain- therewasatendernessinhermannerwhichitwasimpossibletomisunderstandorresist。Wheneversheenteredthehouse,theexpressionofherfaceindicatedtheliveliestsympathyforme;andmovingtowardstheplacewhereIlay,withonearmslightlyelevatedinagestureofpity,andherlargeglisteningeyesgazingintentlyintomine,shewouldmurmurplaintively,“Awha!awha!Tommo,“andseatherselfmournfullybesideme。 Hermannerconvincedmethatshedeeplycompassionatedmysituation,asbeingremovedfrommycountryandfriends,andplacedbeyondthereachofallrelief。Indeed,attimesIwasalmostledtobelievethathermindwasswayedbygentleimpulseshardlytobeanticipatedfromoneinhercondition;thatsheappearedtobeconsciousthereweretiesrudelysevered,whichhadonceboundustoourhomes;thatthereweresistersandbrothersanxiouslylookingforwardtoourreturn,whowereperhapsnevermoretobeholdus。 InthisamiablelightdidFayawayappearinmyeyes;and,reposingfullconfidenceinhercandourandintelligence,Inowhadrecoursetoher,inthemidstofmyalarmwithregardtomycompanion。 Myquestionsevidentlydistressedher。Shelookedroundfromonetoanotherofthebystanders,asifhardlyknowingwhatanswertogiveme。Atlast,yieldingtomyimportunities,sheovercameherscruples,andgavemetounderstandthatTobyhadgoneawaywiththeboatswhichhadvisitedthebay,buthadpromisedtoreturnattheexpirationofthreedays。AtfirstIaccusedhimofperfidiouslydesertingme;butasIgrewmorecomposed,Iupbraidedmyselfforimputingsocowardlyanactiontohim,andtranquillizedmyselfwiththebeliefthathehadavailedhimselfoftheopportunitytogoroundtoNukuheva,inordertomakesomearrangementbywhichI couldberemovedfromthevalley。Atanyrate,thoughtI,hewillreturnwiththemedicinesIrequire,andthen,assoonasIrecover,therewillbenodifficultyinthewayofourdeparture。 Consolingmyselfwiththesereflections,IlaydownthatnightinahappierframeofmindthanIhaddoneforsometime。ThenextdaypassedwithoutanyallusiontoTobyonthepartofthenatives,whoseemeddesirousofavoidingallreferencetothesubject。Thisraisedsomeapprehensionsinmybreast;but,whennightcame,I congratulatedmyselfthattheseconddayhadnowgoneby,andthatonthemorrowTobywouldagainbewithme。Butthemorrowcameandwent,andmycompaniondidnotappear。Ah!thoughtI,hereckonsthreedaysfromthemorningofhisdeparture-to-morrowhewillarrive。 Butthatwearydayalsocloseduponmewithouthisreturn。EvenyetIwouldnotdespair。Ithoughtthatsomethingdetainedhim-thathewaswaitingforthesailingofaboatatNukuheva,andthatinadayortwo,atfarthest,Ishouldseehimagain。Butdayafterdayofreneweddisappointmentpassedby;atlasthopedesertedme,andIfellavictimtodespair。 Yes,thoughtI,gloomily,hehassecuredhisownescape,andcaresnotwhatcalamitymaybefallhisunfortunatecomrade。FoolthatIwas,tosupposethatanyonewouldwillinglyencountertheperilsofthisvalley,afterhavingoncegotbeyonditslimits!Hehasgone,andhasleftmetocombataloneallthedangersbywhichIamsurrounded。ThuswouldIsometimesseektoderiveadesperateconsolationfromdwellingupontheperfidyofToby;whilst,atothertimes,IsunkunderthebitterremorsewhichIfeltathaving,bymyownimprudence,broughtuponmyselfthefatewhichIwassureawaitedme。 AtothertimesIthoughtthatperhaps,afterall,thesetreacheroussavageshadmadeawaywithhim,andthencetheconfusionintowhichtheywerethrownbymyquestions,andtheircontradictoryanswers;orhemightbeacaptiveinsomeotherpartofthevalley; or,moredreadfulstill,mighthavemetwiththatfateatwhichmyverysoulshuddered。Butallthesespeculationswerevain;notidingsofTobyeverreachedme-hehadgonenevertoreturn。 Theconductoftheislandersappearedinexplicable。Allreferencetomylostcomradewascarefullyevaded,andifatanytimetheywereforcedtomakesomereplytomyfrequentinquiriesonthesubject,theywoulduniformlydenouncehimasanungratefulrunaway,whohaddesertedhisfriend,andtakenhimselfofftothatvileanddetestableplaceNukuheva。 Butwhatevermighthavebeenhisfate,nowthathewasgonethenativesmultipliedtheiractsofkindnessandattentiontowardsmyself,treatingmewithadegreeofdeferencewhichcouldhardlyhavebeensurpassedhadIbeensomecelestialvisitant。Kory-Koryneverforonemomentleftmyside,unlessitweretoexecutemywishes。Thefaithfulfellow,twiceeveryday,inthecoolofthemorningandintheevening,insisteduponcarryingmetothestream,andbathingmeinitsrefreshingwater。 Frequently,intheafternoon,hewouldcarrymetoaparticularpartofthestream,wherethebeautyofthesceneproducedasoothinginfluenceuponmymind。Atthisplacethewatersflowedbetweengrassybanks,plantedwithenormousbread-fruittrees,whosevastbranches,interlacingoverhead,formedaleafycanopy;nearthestreamwereseveralsmoothblackrocks。Oneofthese,projectingseveralfeetabovethesurfaceofthewater,haduponitssummitashallowcavity,which,filledwithfreshly-gatheredleaves,formedadelightfulcouch。 HereIoftenlayforhours,coveredwithagauze-likeveiloftappa,whileFayaway,seatedbesideme,andholdinginherhandafanwovenfromtheleafletsofayoungcocoa-nutbough,brushedasidetheinsectsthatoccasionallylightedonmyface,andKory-Kory,withaviewofchasingawaymymelancholy,performedathousandanticsinthewaterbeforeus。 Asmyeyewanderedalongthisromanticstream,itwouldfalluponthehalf-immersedfigureofabeautifulgirl,standinginthetransparentwater,andcatchinginalittlenetaspeciesofdiminutiveshell-fish,ofwhichthesepeopleareextravagantlyfond。 Sometimesachatteringgroupwouldbeseatedupontheedgeofalowrockinthemidstofthebrook,busilyengagedinthinningandpolishingtheshellsofcocoa-nuts,byrubbingthembrisklywithasmallstoneinthewater,anoperationwhichsoonconvertsthemintoalightandelegantdrinking-vessel,somewhatresemblinggobletsmadeoftortoise-shell。 Butthetranquillizinginfluencesofbeautifulscenery,andtheexhibitionofhumanlifeundersonovelandcharminganaspect,werenotmyonlysourcesofconsolation。 Everyeveningthegirlsofthehousegatheredaboutmeonthemats,and,afterchasingawayKory-Koryfrommyside-who,nevertheless,retiredonlytoalittledistance,andwatchedtheirproceedingswiththemostjealousattention-wouldanointmybodywithafragrantoil,squeezedfromayellowroot,previouslypoundedbetweenacoupleofstones,andwhichintheirlanguageisdenominated“aka。“Iusedtohailwithdelightthedailyrecurrenceofthisluxuriousoperation,inwhichIforgotallmytroubles,andburiedforthetimeeveryfeelingofsorrow。