the crusade of the excelsior-第3章

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！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


gentle　comedy　received　it　as　they　had　often　received　it　before；

with　a　mixture　of　apparent　astonishment　and　patronizing

unconsciousness；　and；　after　a　decent　interval；　moved　away　together；

leaving　the　young　people　alone。



The　hesitancy　and　awkwardness　which　usually　followed　the　first

moments　of　their　charming　isolation　were　this　morning　more　than

usually　prolonged。



〃It　seems　we　are　not　going　into　Mazatlan；　after　all；〃　said　Miss

Keene　at　last；　without　lifting　her　conscious　eyes　from　the　sea。



〃No；〃　returned　the　young　fellow　quickly。　　〃I　heard　all　about　it

down　below；　and　we　had　quite　an　indignation　meeting　over　it。　　I

believe　Mrs。　Markham　wanted　to　head　a　deputation　to　wait　upon　the

captain　in　his　berth。　　It　seems　that　the　first　officer；　or

whosoever　is　running　the　ship；　has　concluded　we've　lost　too　much

time　already；　and　we're　going　to　strike　a　bee…line　for　Cape　St。

Lucas；　and　give　Mazatlan　the　go…by。　　We'll　save　four　days　by　it。　　I

suppose　it　don't　make　any　difference　to　you；　Miss　Keene；　does　it？〃



〃I？　　Oh；　no！〃　said　the　girl　hastily。



〃I'M　rather　sorry；〃　he　said　hesitatingly。



〃Indeed。　　Are　you　tired　of　the　ship？〃　she　asked　saucily。



〃No；〃　he　replied　bluntly；　〃but　it　would　have　given　us　four　more

days　togetherfour　more　days　before　we　separated。〃



He　stopped；　with　a　heightened　color。　　There　was　a　moment　of

silence；　and　the　voices　of　Senor　Perkins　and　Mr。　Banks　in　political

discussion　on　the　other　side　of　the　deck　came　faintly。　　Miss　Keene

laughed。



〃We　are　a　long　way　from　San　Francisco　yet；　and　you　may　think

differently。〃



〃Never！〃　he　said；　impulsively。



He　had　drawn　closer　to　her；　as　if　to　emphasize　his　speech。　　She

cast　a　quick　glance　across　the　deck　towards　the　two　disputants；　and

drew　herself　gently　away。



〃Do　you　know；〃　she　said　suddenly；　with　a　charming　smile　which

robbed　the　act　of　its　sting；　〃I　sometimes　wonder　if　I　am　REALLY

going　to　San　Francisco。　　I　don't　know　how　it　is；　but；　somehow；　I

never　can　SEE　myself　there。〃



〃I　wish　you　did；　for　I'M　going　there；〃　he　replied　boldly。



Without　appearing　to　notice　the　significance　of　his　speech；　she

continued　gravely：



〃I　have　been　so　strongly　impressed　with　this　feeling　at　times　that

it　makes　me　quite　superstitious。　　When　we　had　that　terrible　storm

after　we　left　Callao；　I　thought　it　meant　thatthat　we　were　all

going　down；　and　we　should　never　be　heard　of　again。〃



〃As　long　as　we　all　went　together；〃　he　said；　〃I　don't　know　that　it

would　be　the　worst　thing　that　could　happen。　　I　remember　that　storm；

Miss　Keene。　　And　I　remember〃He　stopped　timidly。



〃What？〃　she　replied；　raising　her　smiling　eyes　for　the　first　time　to

his　earnest　face。



〃I　remember　sitting　up　all　night　near　your　state…room；　with　a　cork

jacket　and　lots　of　things　I'd　fixed　up　for　you；　and　thinking　I'd

die　before　I　trusted　you　alone　in　the　boat　to　those　rascally

Lascars　of　the　crew。〃



〃But　how　would　you　have　prevented　it？〃　asked　Miss　Keene；　with　a

compassionate　and　half…maternal　amusement。



〃I　don't　know　exactly；〃　he　said；　coloring；　〃but　I'd　have　lashed　you

to　some　spar；　or　made　a　raft；　and　got　you　ashore　on　some　island。〃



〃And　poor　Mrs。　Markham　and　Mrs。　Brimmeryou'd　have　left　them　to

the　boats　and　the　Lascars；　I　suppose？〃　smiled　Miss　Keene。



〃Oh；　somebody　would　have　looked　after　Mrs。　Markham；　and　Mrs。

Brimmer　wouldn't　have　gone　with　anybody　that　wasn't　well　connected。

But　what's　the　use　of　talking？〃　he　added　ruefully。　　〃Nothing　has

happened；　and　nothing　is　going　to　happen。　　You　will　see　yourself　in

San　Francisco；　even　if　you　don't　see　ME　there。　　You're　going　to　a

rich　brother；　Miss　Keene；　who　has　friends　of　his　own；　and　who　won't

care　to　know　a　poor　fellow　whom　you　tolerated　on　the　passage；　but

who　don't　move　in　Mrs。　Brimmer's　set；　and　whom　Mr。　Banks　wouldn't

indorse　commercially。〃



〃Ah；　you　don't　know　my　brother；　Mr。　Brace。〃



〃Nor　do　you；　very　well；　Miss　Keene。　　You　were　saying；　only　last

night；　you　hardly　remembered　him。〃



The　young　girl　sighed。



〃I　was　very　young　when　he　went　West；〃　she　said　explanatorily；　〃but

I　dare　say　I　shall　recall　him。　　What　I　meant　is；　that　he　will　be

very　glad　to　know　that　I　have　been　so　happy　here；　and　he　will　like

all　those　who　have　made　me　so。〃



〃Then　you　have　been　happy？〃



〃Yes；　very。〃　　She　had　withdrawn　her　eyes；　and　was　looking　vaguely

towards　the　companion…way。　　〃Everybody　has　been　so　kind　to　me。〃



〃And　you　are　grateful　to　all？〃



〃Yes。〃



〃Equally？〃



The　ship　gave　a　sudden　forward　plunge。　　Miss　Keene　involuntarily

clutched　the　air　with　her　little　hand；　that　had　been　resting　on　the

settee　between　them；　and　the　young　man　caught　it　in　his　own。



〃Equally？〃　he　repeated；　with　an　assumed　playfulness　that　half

veiled　his　anxiety。　　〃Equallyfrom　the　beaming　Senor　Perkins；　who

smiles　on　all；　to　the　gloomy　Mr。　Hurlstone；　who　smiles　on　no　one？〃



She　quickly　withdrew　her　hand；　and　rose。　　〃I　smell　the　breakfast；〃

she　said　laughingly。　　〃Don't　be　horrified；　Mr。　Brace；　but　I'm　very

hungry。〃　　She　laid　the　hand　she　had　withdrawn　lightly　on　his　arm。

〃Now　help　me　down　to　the　cabin。〃





CHAPTER　II。



ANOTHER　PORTENT。





The　saloon　of　the　Excelsior　was　spacious　for　the　size　of　the

vessel；　and　was　furnished　in　a　style　superior　to　most　passenger…

ships　of　that　epoch。　　The　sun　was　shining　through　the　sliding

windows　upon　the　fresh　and　neatly　arranged　breakfast…table；　but　the

presence　of　the　ominous　〃storm…racks；〃　and　partitions　for　glass　and

china；　and　the　absence　of　the　more　delicate　passengers；　still

testified　to　the　potency　of　the　Gulf　of　California。　　Even　those

present　wore　an　air　of　fatigued　discontent；　and　the　conversation

had　that　jerky　interjectional　quality　which　belonged　to　people　with

a　common　grievance；　but　a　different　individual　experience。　　Mr。

Winslow　had　been　unable　to　shave。　　Mrs。　Markham；　incautiously　and

surreptitiously　opening　a　port…hole　in　her　state…room　for　a　whiff

of　fresh　air　while　dressing；　had　been　shocked　by　the　intrusion　of

the　Pacific　Ocean；　and　was　obliged　to　summon　assistance　and　change

her　dress。　　Jack　Crosby；　who　had　attired　himself　for　tropical

shore…going　in　white　ducks　and　patent　leathers；　shivered　in　the

keen　northwest　Trades；　and　bewailed　the　cheap　cigars　he　had

expected　to　buy　at　Mazatlan。　　The　entrance　of　Miss　Keene；　who

seemed　to　bring　with　her　the　freshness　and　purity　of　the　dazzling

outer　air；　stirred　the　younger　men　into　some　gallant　attention；

embarrassed；　however；　by　a　sense　of　self…reproach。



Senor　Perkins　alone　retained　his　normal　serenity。　　Already　seated

at　the　table　between　the　two　fair…headed　children　of　Mrs。　Brimmer；

he　was　benevolently　performing　parental　duties　in　her　absence；　and

gently　supervising　and　preparing　their　victuals　even　while　he

carried　on　an　ethnological　and　political　discussion　with　Mrs。

Markham。



〃Ah；　my　dear　lady；〃　continued　the　Senor；　as　he　spread　a　hot　biscuit

with　butter　and　currant　jelly　for　the　youngest　Miss　Brimmer；　〃I　am

afraid　that；　with　the　fastidiousness　of　your　sex；　you　allow　your

refined　instincts　against　a　race　who　only　mix　with　ours　in　a　menial

capacity　to　prejudice　your　views　of　their　ability　for　enlightened

self…government。　　That　may　be　true　of　the　aborigines　of　the　Old

Worldlike　our　friends　the　Lascars　among　the　crew〃



〃They're　so　snaky；　dark；　and　deceitful…looking；〃　interrupted　Mrs。

Markham。



〃I　might　differ　from　you　there；　and　say　that　the　higher　blonde

types　like　the　Anglo…Saxonto　say　nothing　of　the　wily　Greekswere

the　deceitful　races：　it　might　be　difficult　for　any　of　us　to　say

what　a　sly　and　deceitful　man　should　be　like〃



〃Oor　not　detheitfuloor　a　dood　man；〃　interpolated　the　youngest

Miss　Brimmer；　fondly　regarding　the　biscuit。



〃Thank　you；　Missie；〃　beamed　the　Senor；　〃but　to　return：　our　Lascar

friends；　Mrs。　Markham；　belong　to　an　earlier　Asiatic　type　of

civilization　already　decayed　or　relapsed　to　barba