友情提示:如果本网页打开太慢或显示不完整,请尝试鼠标右键“刷新”本网页!
读书室 返回本书目录 加入书签 我的书架 我的书签 TXT全本下载 『收藏到我的浏览器』

the frozen deep(冰渊)-第6部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完,想下次继续接着阅读,可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能!


Wardour   on   the   shore。   Let   this   be   a   lesson   to   you;   my   dear。   Never   be 

foolish enough to believe in presentiments again。〃 

     Clara's eyes still wandered suspiciously to and fro among the crowd。 

     〃Are you not satisfied yet?〃 asked Mrs。 Crayford。 

     〃No;〃 Clara answered; 〃I am not satisfied yet。〃 

     〃What!   still   looking   for   him?   This   is   really   too   absurd。   Here   is   my 

husband coming。 I shall tell him to call a cab; and send you home。〃 

     Clara drew back a few steps。 

     〃I won't be in the way; Lucy; while you are taking leave of your good 

husband;〃 she said。 〃I will wait here。〃 

     〃Wait here! What for?〃 

     〃For something   which   I   may   yet   see; or   for   something   which   I   may 

still hear。〃 

     〃Richard Wardour?〃 

     〃Richard Wardour。〃 

     Mrs。   Crayford   turned   to   her   husband   without   another   word。   Clara's 

infatuation was beyond the reach of remonstrance。 

     The    boats   of  the   _Wanderer_      took    the  place   at  the  landing…stage 

vacated   by   the   boats   of   the   _Sea…mew_。 A  burst   of   cheering   among   the 

outer ranks of the crowd announced the arrival of the commander of the 



                                               21 


… Page 22…

                                     THE FROZEN DEEP 



expedition on the scene。 Captain Helding appeared; looking right and left 

for his first lieutenant。 Finding Crayford with his wife; the captain made 

his apologies for interfering; with his best grace。 

     〃Give him up to his professional duties for one minute; Mrs。 Crayford; 

and you shall have him back again for half an hour。 The Arctic expedition 

is to blame; my dear ladynot the captainfor parting man and wife。 In 

Crayford's     place;   I  should    have   left  it  to  the  bachelors    to   find  the 

Northwest Passage; and have stopped at home with you!〃 

     Excusing      himself   in   those   bluntly   complimentary       terms;   Captain 

Helding     drew    the  lieutenant    aside   a  few   steps;  accidentally    taking    a 

direction that led the   two   officers   close to the   place   at   which   Clara   was 

standing。     Both    the   captain   and    the  lieutenant    were    too   completely 

absorbed in their professional business to notice her。 Neither the one nor 

the other had the faintest suspicion that she could and did hear every word 

of the talk that passed between them。 

     〃You received my note this morning?〃 the captain began。 

     〃Certainly; Captain Helding; or I should have been on board the ship 

before this。〃 

     〃I am going   on board   myself at once;〃   the captain proceeded; 〃but I 

must ask you to keep your boat waiting for half an hour more。 You will be 

all the longer with your wife; you know。 I thought of that; Crayford。〃 

     〃I am much obliged to you; Captain Helding。 I suppose there is some 

other reason for inverting the customary order of things; and keeping the 

lieutenant on shore after the captain is on board?〃 

     〃Quite    true!   there  _is_   another   reason。    I  want   you   to  wait  for   a 

volunteer who has just joined us。〃 

     〃A volunteer!〃 

     〃Yes。 He has his outfit to get in a hurry; and he may be half an hour 

late。〃 

     〃It's rather a sudden appointment; isn't it?〃 

     〃No doubt。 Very sudden。〃 

     〃Andpardon meit's rather a long time (as we are situated) to keep 

the ships waiting for one man?〃 



                                              22 


… Page 23…

                                     THE FROZEN DEEP 



     〃Quite true; again。 But a man who is worth having is worth waiting for。 

This man is worth having; this man is worth his weight in gold to such an 

expedition   as   ours。   Seasoned   to   all   climates   and   all   fatiguesa   strong 

fellow;   a   brave   fellow;   a   clever   fellowin   short;   an   excellent   officer。   I 

know him well; or I should never have taken him。 The country gets plenty 

of work out   of my new  volunteer; Crayford。 He   only returned   yesterday 

from foreign service。〃 

     〃He only returned yesterday from foreign service! And he volunteers 

this morning to join the Arctic expedition? You astonish me。〃 

     〃I   dare   say  I   do! You   can't   be   more   astonished   than   I   was;   when   he 

presented himself at my hotel and told me what he wanted。 'Why; my good 

fellow; you have just got home;' I said。 'Are you weary of your freedom; 

after only a few hours' experience of it?' His answer rather startled me。 He 

said; 'I am weary of my life; sir。 I have come home and found a trouble to 

welcome me; which goes near to break my heart。 If I don't take refuge in 

absence   and   hard   work;   I   am   a   lost   man。   Will   you   give   me   a   refuge?' 

That's what he said; Crayford; word for word。〃 

     〃Did you ask him to explain himself further?〃 

     〃Not I! I knew his value; and I took the poor devil on the spot; without 

pestering   him   with   any   more   questions。   No   need   to   ask   him   to   explain 

himself。 The facts speak for themselves in these cases。 The old story; my 

good friend! There's a woman at the bottom of it; of course。〃 

       Mrs。 Crayford; waiting for the return of her husband as patiently as 

she could;   was startled   by feeling   a   hand suddenly  laid on her shoulder。 

She    looked    round;    and   confronted    Clara。   Her   first  feeling   of  surprise 

changed instantly to alarm。 Clara was trembling from head to foot。 

     〃What is the matter? What has frightened you; my dear?〃 

     〃Lucy! I _have_ heard of him!〃 

     〃Richard Wardour again?〃 

     〃Remember        what    I   told  you。    I  have    heard   every    word    of   the 

conversation between Captain Helding and your husband。 A man came to 

the   captain   this   morning   and   volunteered   to   join   the   _Wanderer_。   The 

captain has taken him。 The man is Richard Wardour。〃 



                                               23 


… Page 24…

                                    THE FROZEN DEEP 



     〃You   don't   mean   it!   Are   you   sure?   Did   you   hear   Captain   Helding 

mention his name?〃 

     〃No。〃 

     〃Then how do you know it's Richard Wardour?〃 

     〃Don't ask me! I am as certain of it; as that I am standing here! They 

are   going   away   together;   Lucyaway   to   the   eternal   ice   and   snow。   My 

foreboding has come true! The two will meetthe man who is to marry me 

and the man whose heart I have broken!〃 

     〃Your foreboding has _not_ come true; Clara! The men have not met 

herethe   men   are   not   likely   to   meet   elsewhere。   They   are   appointed   to 

separate   ships。   Frank    belongs   to  the  _Sea…mew_;   and      Wardour     to  the 

_Wanderer_。 See! Captain Helding has done。 My husband is coming this 

way。 Let me make sure。 Let me speak to him。〃 

     Lieutenant Crayford returned to his wife。 She spoke to him instantly。 

     〃William! you have got a new volunteer who joins the _Wanderer_?〃 

     〃What! you have been listening to the captain and me?〃 

     〃I want to know his name?〃 

     〃How   in   the   world   did   you   manage   to   hear   what   we   said   to   each 

other?〃 

     〃His name? has the captain given you his name?〃 

     〃Don't   excite   yourself;   my   dear。   Look!   you   are   positively   alarming 

Miss Burnham。 The new volunteer is a perfect stranger to us。 There is his 

namelast on the ship's list。〃 

     Mrs。 Crayford snatched the list out of her husband's hand; and read the 

name: 

     〃RICHARD WARDOUR。〃 



                                             24 


… Page 25…

                                     THE FROZEN DEEP 



                               Second Scene。 



                               The Hut of the _Sea…mew_。 



                                       Chapter 6。 



       Good…by to England! Good…by to inhabited and civilized regions of 

the earth! 

     Two   years   have   passed   since   the   voyagers   sailed   from   their   native 

shores。   The   enterprise   has   failedthe   Arctic   expedition   is   lost   and   ice… 

locked in the Polar wastes。 The good ships _Wanderer_ and _Sea…mew_; 

entombed in ice; will never ride the buoyant waters more。 Stripped of their 

lighter timbers; both vessels have been used for the construction of huts; 

erected on the nearest land。 

     The   largest   of   the   two   buildings   which   now   shelter   the   lost   men   is 

occupied   by  the   surviving   officers   and   crew   of   the   _Sea…mew_。   On   one 

side of the principal room are the sleeping berths and the fire…place。 The 

other side discloses a broad doorway (closed by a canvas screen); which 

serves as a means of communication with an inner apartment; devoted to 

the supe
返回目录 上一页 下一页 回到顶部 0 0
快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部!
温馨提示: 温看小说的同时发表评论,说出自己的看法和其它小伙伴们分享也不错哦!发表书评还可以获得积分和经验奖励,认真写原创书评 被采纳为精评可以获得大量金币、积分和经验奖励哦!