a woman of thirty-第36部分

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lags　flying　at　the　masthead；　all　stood　out　sharp　and　uncompromisingly　clear　against　the　vivid　background　of　space；　sky；　and　sea；　there　was　nothing　to　alter　the　color　but　the　shadow　cast　by　the　great　cloudlike　sails。

A　glorious　day；　a　fair　wind；　and　the　fatherland　in　sight；　a　sea　like　a　mill…pond；　the　melancholy　sound　of　the　ripples；　a　fair；　solitary　vessel；　gliding　across　the　surface　of　the　water　like　a　woman　stealing　out　to　a　trystit　was　a　picture　full　of　harmony。　That　mere　speck　full　of　movement　was　a　starting…point　whence　the　soul　of　man　could　descry　the　immutable　vast　of　space。　Solitude　and　bustling　life；　silence　and　sound；　were　all　brought　together　in　strange　abrupt　contrast；　you　could　not　tell　where　life；　or　sound；　or　silence；　and　nothingness　lay；　and　no　human　voice　broke　the　divine　spell。

The　Spanish　captain；　the　crew；　and　the　French　passengers　sat　or　stood；　in　a　mood　of　devout　ecstasy；　in　which　many　memories　blended。　There　was　idleness　in　the　air。　The　beaming　faces　told　of　complete　forgetfulness　of　past　hardships；　the　men　were　rocked　on　the　fair　vessel　as　in　a　golden　dream。　Yet；　from　time　to　time　the　elderly　passenger；　leaning　over　the　bulwark　nettings；　looked　with　something　like　uneasiness　at　the　horizon。　Distrust　of　the　ways　of　Fate　could　be　read　in　his　whole　face；　he　seemed　to　fear　that　he　should　not　reach　the　coast　of　France　in　time。　This　was　the　Marquis。　Fortune　had　not　been　deaf　to　his　despairing　cry　and　struggles。　After　five　years　of　endeavor　and　painful　toil；　he　was　a　wealthy　man　once　more。　In　his　impatience　to　reach　his　home　again　and　to　bring　the　good　news　to　his　family；　he　had　followed　the　example　set　by　some　French　merchants　in　Havana；　and　embarked　with　them　on　a　Spanish　vessel　with　a　cargo　for　Bordeaux。　And　now；　grown　tired　of　evil　forebodings；　his　fancy　was　tracing　out　for　him　the　most　delicious　pictures　of　past　happiness。　In　that　far…off　brown　line　of　land　he　seemed　to　see　his　wife　and　children。　He　sat　in　his　place　by　the　fireside；　they　were　crowding　about　him；　he　felt　their　caresses。　Moina　had　grown　to　be　a　young　girl；　she　was　beautiful；　and　tall；　and　striking。　The　fancied　picture　had　grown　almost　real；　when　the　tears　filled　his　eyes；　and；　to　hide　his　emotion；　he　turned　his　face　towards　the　sea…line；　opposite　the　hazy　streak　that　meant　land。

〃There　she　is　again。　。　。　。　She　is　following　us！〃　he　said。

〃What？〃　cried　the　Spanish　captain。

〃There　is　a　vessel；〃　muttered　the　General。

〃I　saw　her　yesterday；〃　answered　Captain　Gomez。　He　looked　at　his　interlocutor　as　if　to　ask　what　he　thought；　then　he　added　in　the　General's　ear；　〃She　has　been　chasing　us　all　along。〃

〃Then　why　she　has　not　come　up　with　us；　I　do　not　know；〃　said　the　General；　〃for　she　is　a　faster　sailor　than　your　damned　/Saint…　Ferdinand/。〃

〃She　will　have　damaged　herself；　sprung　a　leak〃

〃She　is　gaining　on　us！〃　the　General　broke　in。

〃She　is　a　Columbian　privateer；〃　the　captain　said　in　his　ear；　〃and　we　are　still　six　leagues　from　land；　and　the　wind　is　dropping。〃

〃She　is　not　/going/　ahead；　she　is　flying；　as　if　she　knew　that　in　two　hours'　time　her　prey　would　escape　her。　What　audacity！〃

〃Audacity！〃　cried　the　captain。　〃Oh！　she　is　not　called　the　/Othello/　for　nothing。　Not　so　long　back　she　sank　a　Spanish　frigate　that　carried　thirty　guns！　This　is　the　one　thing　I　was　afraid　of；　for　I　had　a　notion　that　she　was　cruising　about　somewhere　off　the　Antilles。Aha！〃　he　added　after　a　pause；　as　he　watched　the　sails　of　his　own　vessel；　〃the　wind　is　rising；　we　are　making　way。　Get　through　we　must；　for　'the　Parisian'　will　show　us　no　mercy。〃

〃She　is　making　way　too！〃　returned　the　General。

The　/Othello/　was　scarce　three　leagues　away　by　this　time；　and　although　the　conversation　between　the　Marquis　and　Captain　Gomez　had　taken　place　apart；　passengers　and　crew；　attracted　by　the　sudden　appearance　of　a　sail；　came　to　that　side　of　the　vessel。　With　scarcely　an　exception；　however；　they　took　the　privateer　for　a　merchantman；　and　watched　her　course　with　interest；　till　all　at　once　a　sailor　shouted　with　some　energy　of　language：

〃By　Saint…James；　it　is　all　up　with　us！　Yonder　is　the　Parisian　captain！〃

At　that　terrible　name　dismay；　and　a　panic　impossible　to　describe；　spread　through　the　brig。　The　Spanish　captain's　orders　put　energy　into　the　crew　for　a　while；　and　in　his　resolute　determination　to　make　land　at　all　costs；　he　set　all　the　studding　sails；　and　crowded　on　every　stitch　of　canvas　on　board。　But　all　this　was　not　the　work　of　a　moment；　and　naturally　the　men　did　not　work　together　with　that　wonderful　unanimity　so　fascinating　to　watch　on　board　a　man…of…war。　The　/Othello/　meanwhile；　thanks　to　the　trimming　of　her　sails；　flew　over　the　water　like　a　swallow；　but　she　was　making；　to　all　appearance；　so　little　headway；　that　the　unlucky　Frenchmen　began　to　entertain　sweet　delusive　hopes。　At　last；　after　unheard…of　efforts；　the　/Saint…Ferdinand/　sprang　forward；　Gomez　himself　directing　the　shifting　of　the　sheets　with　voice　and　gesture；　when　all　at　once　the　man　at　the　tiller；　steering　at　random　（purposely；　no　doubt）；　swung　the　vessel　round。　The　wind　striking　athwart　the　beam；　the　sails　shivered　so　unexpectedly　that　the　brig　heeled　to　one　side；　the　booms　were　carried　away；　and　the　vessel　was　completely　out　of　hand。　The　captain's　face　grew　whiter　than　his　sails　with　unutterable　rage。　He　sprang　upon　the　man　at　the　tiller；　drove　his　dagger　at　him　in　such　blind　fury；　that　he　missed　him；　and　hurled　the　weapon　overboard。　Gomez　took　the　helm　himself；　and　strove　to　right　the　gallant　vessel。　Tears　of　despair　rose　to　his　eyes；　for　it　is　harder　to　lose　the　result　of　our　carefully…laid　plans　through　treachery　than　to　face　imminent　death。　But　the　more　the　captain　swore；　the　less　the　men　worked；　and　it　was　he　himself　who　fired　the　alarm…　gun；　hoping　to　be　heard　on　shore。　The　privateer；　now　gaining　hopelessly　upon　them；　replied　with　a　cannon…shot；　which　struck　the　water　ten　fathoms　away　from　the　/Saint…Ferdinand/。

〃Thunder　of　heaven！〃　cried　the　General；　〃that　was　a　close　shave！　They　must　have　guns　made　on　purpose。〃

〃Oh！　when　that　one　yonder　speaks；　look　you；　you　have　to　hold　your　tongue；〃　said　a　sailor。　〃The　Parisian　would　not　be　afraid　to　meet　an　English　man…of…war。〃

〃It　is　all　over　with　us；〃　the　captain　cried　in　desperation；　he　had　pointed　his　telescope　landwards；　and　saw　not　a　sign　from　the　shore。　〃We　are　further　from　the　coast　than　I　thought。〃

〃Why　do　you　despair？〃　asked　the　General。　〃All　your　passengers　are　Frenchmen；　they　have　chartered　your　vessel。　The　privateer　is　a　Parisian；　you　say？　Well　and　good；　run　up　the　white　flag；　and〃

〃And　he　would　run　us　down；〃　retorted　the　captain。　〃He　can　be　anything　he　likes　when　he　has　a　mind　to　seize　on　a　rich　booty！〃

〃Oh！　if　he　is　a　pirate〃

〃Pirate！〃　said　the　ferocious　looking　sailor。　〃Oh！　he　always　has　the　law　on　his　side；　or　he　knows　how　to　be　on　the　same　side　as　the　law。〃

〃Very　well；〃　said　the　General；　raising　his　eyes；　〃let　us　make　up　our　minds　to　it；〃　and　his　remaining　fortitude　was　still　sufficient　to　keep　back　the　tears。

The　words　were　hardly　out　of　his　mouth　before　a　second　cannon…shot；　better　aimed；　came　crashing　through　the　hull　of　the　/Saint…Ferdinand/。

〃Heave　to！〃　cried　the　captain　gloomily。

The　sailor　who　had　commended　the　Parisian's　law…abiding　proclivities　showed　himself　a　clever　hand　at　working　a　ship　after　this　desperate　order　was　given。　The　crew　waited　for　half　an　hour　in　an　agony　of　suspense　and　the　deepest　dismay。　The　/Saint…Ferdinand/　had　four　millions　of　piastres　on　board；　the　whole　fortunes　of　the　five　passengers；　and　the　General's　eleven　hundred　thousand　francs。　At　length　the　/Othello/　lay　not　ten　gunshots　away；　so　that　those　on　the　/Saint…Ferdinand/　could　look　into　the　muzzles　of　her　loaded　guns。　The　vessel　seemed　to　be　borne　along　by　a　breeze　sent　by　the　Devil　himself；　but　the　eyes　of　an　expert　would　have　discovered　the　secret　of　her　speed　at　once。　You　had　but　to　look　for　a　moment　at　the　rake　of　her　stern；　her　long；　narrow　keel；　her　tall　masts；　to　see　the　cut　of　her　sails；　the　wonderful　lightness　of　her　rigging；　and　the　ease　and　perfect　seamanship　with　which　her　crew　trimmed　her　sails　to　the　wind。　Everything　about　her　gave　the　impression　of　the　security　of　power　in　this　delicately　curved　inanimate　creature；　swift　and　intelligent　as　a　greyhound　or　some　bird　of　prey。　The　privateer　crew　stood　silent；　ready　in　case　of　resistance　to　shatter　the　wretched　merchantman；　which；　luckily　for　her；　remained　motionless；　like　a　schoolboy　caught　in　flagrant　delict　by　a　master。

〃We　have　guns　on　board！〃　cried　the　General；　clutching　the　Spanish　captain's　hand。　But　the　courage　in　Gomez's　eyes　was　the　courage　of　despair。

〃Have　we　men？〃　he　said。

The　Marquis　looked　round　at　the　crew　of　the　/Saint…Ferdinand/；　and　a　cold　chill　ran　through　him。　There　stood　the　four　merchants；　pale　and　quaking　for　fear；　while　the　crew　gathered　about　some　of　their　own　number　who　appeared　to　be　arranging　to　go　over　in　a　body　to　the　enemy。　They　watched　the　/Othello/　with　greed　and　curiosity　in　their　faces。　The　captain；　the　Marquis；　and　the　mate　exchanged　glances；　they　were　the　only　three　who　had　a　thought　for　any　but　themselves。

〃Ah！　Captain　Gomez；　when　I　left　my　home　and　country；　my　heart　was　half　dead　with　the　bitterness　of　parting；　and　no