the mirror of the sea-第2部分

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as　the　light　air…bubbles　in　the　swirls　of　the　ship's　wake；　and



vanish　into　a　great　silence　in　which　your　ship　moves　on　with　a　sort



of　magical　effect。　　They　pass　away；　the　days；　the　weeks；　the



months。　　Nothing　but　a　gale　can　disturb　the　orderly　life　of　the



ship；　and　the　spell　of　unshaken　monotony　that　seems　to　have　fallen



upon　the　very　voices　of　her　men　is　broken　only　by　the　near　prospect



of　a　Landfall。







Then　is　the　spirit　of　the　ship's　commander　stirred　strongly　again。



But　it　is　not　moved　to　seek　seclusion；　and　to　remain；　hidden　and



inert；　shut　up　in　a　small　cabin　with　the　solace　of　a　good　bodily



appetite。　　When　about　to　make　the　land；　the　spirit　of　the　ship's



commander　is　tormented　by　an　unconquerable　restlessness。　　It　seems



unable　to　abide　for　many　seconds　together　in　the　holy　of　holies　of



the　captain's　state…room；　it　will　out　on　deck　and　gaze　ahead；



through　straining　eyes；　as　the　appointed　moment　comes　nearer。　　It



is　kept　vigorously　upon　the　stretch　of　excessive　vigilance。



Meantime　the　body　of　the　ship's　commander　is　being　enfeebled　by



want　of　appetite；　at　least；　such　is　my　experience；　though



〃enfeebled〃　is　perhaps　not　exactly　the　word。　　I　might　say；　rather；



that　it　is　spiritualized　by　a　disregard　for　food；　sleep；　and　all



the　ordinary　comforts；　such　as　they　are；　of　sea　life。　　In　one　or



two　cases　I　have　known　that　detachment　from　the　grosser　needs　of



existence　remain　regrettably　incomplete　in　the　matter　of　drink。







But　these　two　cases　were；　properly　speaking；　pathological　cases；



and　the　only　two　in　all　my　sea　experience。　　In　one　of　these　two



instances　of　a　craving　for　stimulants；　developed　from　sheer



anxiety；　I　cannot　assert　that　the　man's　seaman…like　qualities　were



impaired　in　the　least。　　It　was　a　very　anxious　case；　too；　the　land



being　made　suddenly；　close…to；　on　a　wrong　bearing；　in　thick



weather；　and　during　a　fresh　onshore　gale。　　Going　below　to　speak　to



him　soon　after；　I　was　unlucky　enough　to　catch　my　captain　in　the



very　act　of　hasty　cork…drawing。　　The　sight；　I　may　say；　gave　me　an



awful　scare。　　I　was　well　aware　of　the　morbidly　sensitive　nature　of



the　man。　　Fortunately；　I　managed　to　draw　back　unseen；　and；　taking



care　to　stamp　heavily　with　my　sea…boots　at　the　foot　of　the　cabin



stairs；　I　made　my　second　entry。　　But　for　this　unexpected　glimpse；



no　act　of　his　during　the　next　twenty…four　hours　could　have　given　me



the　slightest　suspicion　that　all　was　not　well　with　his　nerve。















III。















Quite　another　case；　and　having　nothing　to　do　with　drink；　was　that



of　poor　Captain　B…。　　He　used　to　suffer　from　sick　headaches；　in　his



young　days；　every　time　he　was　approaching　a　coast。　　Well　over　fifty



years　of　age　when　I　knew　him；　short；　stout；　dignified；　perhaps　a



little　pompous；　he　was　a　man　of　a　singularly　well…informed　mind；



the　least　sailor…like　in　outward　aspect；　but　certainly　one　of　the



best　seamen　whom　it　has　been　my　good　luck　to　serve　under。　　He　was　a



Plymouth　man；　I　think；　the　son　of　a　country　doctor；　and　both　his



elder　boys　were　studying　medicine。　　He　commanded　a　big　London　ship；



fairly　well　known　in　her　day。　　I　thought　no　end　of　him；　and　that　is



why　I　remember　with　a　peculiar　satisfaction　the　last　words　he　spoke



to　me　on　board　his　ship　after　an　eighteen　months'　voyage。　　It　was



in　the　dock　in　Dundee；　where　we　had　brought　a　full　cargo　of　jute



from　Calcutta。　　We　had　been　paid　off　that　morning；　and　I　had　come



on　board　to　take　my　sea…chest　away　and　to　say　good…bye。　　In　his



slightly　lofty　but　courteous　way　he　inquired　what　were　my　plans。　　I



replied　that　I　intended　leaving　for　London　by　the　afternoon　train；



and　thought　of　going　up　for　examination　to　get　my　master's



certificate。　　I　had　just　enough　service　for　that。　　He　commended　me



for　not　wasting　my　time；　with　such　an　evident　interest　in　my　case



that　I　was　quite　surprised；　then；　rising　from　his　chair；　he　said：







〃Have　you　a　ship　in　view　after　you　have　passed？〃







I　answered　that　I　had　nothing　whatever　in　view。







He　shook　hands　with　me；　and　pronounced　the　memorable　words：







〃If　you　happen　to　be　in　want　of　employment；　remember　that　as　long



as　I　have　a　ship　you　have　a　ship；　too。〃







In　the　way　of　compliment　there　is　nothing　to　beat　this　from　a



ship's　captain　to　his　second　mate　at　the　end　of　a　voyage；　when　the



work　is　over　and　the　subordinate　is　done　with。　　And　there　is　a



pathos　in　that　memory；　for　the　poor　fellow　never　went　to　sea　again



after　all。　　He　was　already　ailing　when　we　passed　St。　Helena；　was



laid　up　for　a　time　when　we　were　off　the　Western　Islands；　but　got



out　of　bed　to　make　his　Landfall。　　He　managed　to　keep　up　on　deck　as



far　as　the　Downs；　where；　giving　his　orders　in　an　exhausted　voice；



he　anchored　for　a　few　hours　to　send　a　wire　to　his　wife　and　take



aboard　a　North　Sea　pilot　to　help　him　sail　the　ship　up　the　east



coast。　　He　had　not　felt　equal　to　the　task　by　himself；　for　it　is　the



sort　of　thing　that　keeps　a　deep…water　man　on　his　feet　pretty　well



night　and　day。







When　we　arrived　in　Dundee；　Mrs。　B…　was　already　there；　waiting　to



take　him　home。　　We　travelled　up　to　London　by　the　same　train；　but　by



the　time　I　had　managed　to　get　through　with　my　examination　the　ship



had　sailed　on　her　next　voyage　without　him；　and；　instead　of　joining



her　again；　I　went　by　request　to　see　my　old　commander　in　his　home。



This　is　the　only　one　of　my　captains　I　have　ever　visited　in　that



way。　　He　was　out　of　bed　by　then；　〃quite　convalescent；〃　as　he



declared；　making　a　few　tottering　steps　to　meet　me　at　the　sitting…



room　door。　　Evidently　he　was　reluctant　to　take　his　final　cross…



bearings　of　this　earth　for　a　Departure　on　the　only　voyage　to　an



unknown　destination　a　sailor　ever　undertakes。　　And　it　was　all　very



nice　…　the　large；　sunny　room；　his　deep；　easy…chair　in　a　bow　window；



with　pillows　and　a　footstool；　the　quiet；　watchful　care　of　the



elderly；　gentle　woman　who　had　borne　him　five　children；　and　had　not；



perhaps；　lived　with　him　more　than　five　full　years　out　of　the　thirty



or　so　of　their　married　life。　　There　was　also　another　woman　there　in



a　plain　black　dress；　quite　gray…haired；　sitting　very　erect　on　her



chair　with　some　sewing；　from　which　she　snatched　side…glances　in　his



direction；　and　uttering　not　a　single　word　during　all　the　time　of　my



call。　　Even　when；　in　due　course；　I　carried　over　to　her　a　cup　of



tea；　she　only　nodded　at　me　silently；　with　the　faintest　ghost　of　a



smile　on　her　tight…set　lips。　　I　imagine　she　must　have　been　a　maiden



sister　of　Mrs。　B…　come　to　help　nurse　her　brother…in…law。　　His



youngest　boy；　a　late…comer；　a　great　cricketer　it　seemed；　twelve



years　old　or　thereabouts；　chattered　enthusiastically　of　the



exploits　of　W。　G。　Grace。　　And　I　remember　his　eldest　son；　too；　a



newly…fledged　doctor；　who　took　me　out　to　smoke　in　the　garden；　and；



shaking　his　head　with　professional　gravity；　but　with　genuine



concern；　muttered：　　〃Yes；　but　he　doesn't　get　back　his　appetite。　　I



don't　like　that　…　I　don't　like　that　at　all。〃　　The　last　sight　of



Captain　B…　I　had　was　as　he　nodded　his　head　to　me　out　of　the　bow



window　when　I　turned　round　to　close　the　front　gate。







It　was　a　distinct　and　complete　impression；　something　that　I　don't



know　whether　to　call　a　Landfall　or　a　Departure。　　Certainly　he　had



gazed　at　times　very　fixedly　before　him　with　the　Landfall's　vigilant



look；　this　sea…captain　seated　incongruously　in　a　deep…backed　chair。



He　had　not　then　talked　to　me　of　employment；　of　ships；　of　being



ready　to　take　another　command；　but　he　had　discoursed　of　his　early



days；　in　the　abundant　but　thin　flow　of　a　wilful　invalid's　talk。



The　women　looked　worried；　but　sat　still；　and　I　learned　more　of　him



in　that　interview　than　in　the　whole　eighteen　months　we　had　sailed



together。　　It　appeared　he　had　〃served　his　time〃　in　the　copper…ore



trade；　the　famous　copper…ore　trade　of　old　days　between　Swansea　and



the　Chilian　coast；　coal　out　and　ore　in；　deep…loaded　both　ways；　as



if　in　wanton　defiance　of　the　great　Cape　Horn　seas　…　a　work；　this；



for　staunch　ships；　and　a　great　school　of　staunchness　for　West…



Country　seamen。　　A　whole　fleet　of　copper…bottomed　barques；　as



strong　in　rib　and　planking；　as　well…found　in　gear；　as　ever　was　sent



upon　the　seas；　manned　by　hardy　crews　and　commanded　by　young



masters；　was　engaged　in　that　now　long　defunct　trade。　　〃That　was　the



school　I　was　trained　in；〃　he　said　to　me　almost　boastfully；　lying



back　amongst　his　pillows　with　a　rug　over　his　legs。　　And　it　was　in



that　trade　that　he　obtained　his　first　command　at　a　very　early　age。



It　was　then　that　he　mentioned　to　me　how；　as　a　young　commander；　he



was　always　ill　for　a　few　days　before　making　land　after　a　long



passage。　　But　this　sort　of　sickness　used　to　pass　off　with　the　first



sight　of　a　familiar　landmark。　　After