to-morrow- 第6部分

and　a　tail。　　Ha；　ha！　　Not　a　bit　of　it。　　Ten　days　on



the　outside。　　The　Skimmer　of　the　Seas　was　a　smart



craft。　　Fine　name；　wasn't　it？　　Mother's　uncle



owned　her。　。　。　。〃







He　interrupted　himself；　and　in　a　lowered　voice；



〃Did　he　ever　tell　you　what　mother　died　of？〃　he



asked。







〃Yes；〃　said　Miss　Bessie；　bitterly；　〃from　impa…



tience。〃







He　made　no　sound　for　a　while；　then　brusquely：



〃They　were　so　afraid　I　would　turn　out　badly　that



they　fairly　drove　me　away。　　Mother　nagged　at　me



for　being　idle；　and　the　old　man　said　he　would　cut



my　soul　out　of　my　body　rather　than　let　me　go　to



sea。　　Well；　it　looked　as　if　he　would　do　it　tooso　I



went。　　It　looks　to　me　sometimes　as　if　I　had　been



born　to　them　by　a　mistakein　that　other　hutch　of



a　house。〃







〃Where　ought　you　to　have　been　born　by



rights？〃　Bessie　Carvil　interrupted　him；　defiantly。







〃In　the　open；　upon　a　beach；　on　a　windy　night；〃



he　said；　quick　as　lightning。　　Then　he　mused　slowly。



〃They　were　characters；　both　of　them；　by　George；



and　the　old　man　keeps　it　up　welldon't　he？　　A



damned　shovel　on　theHark！　who's　that　mak…



ing　that　row？　　'Bessie；　Bessie。'　　It's　in　your



house。〃







〃It's　for　me；〃　she　said；　with　indifference。







He　stepped　aside；　out　of　the　streak　of　light。



〃Your　husband？〃　he　inquired；　with　the　tone　of　a



man　accustomed　to　unlawful　trysts。　　〃Fine　voice



for　a　ship's　deck　in　a　thundering　squall。〃







〃No；　my　father。　　I　am　not　married。〃







〃You　seem　a　fine　girl；　Miss　Bessie；　dear；〃　he　said



at　once。







She　turned　her　face　away。







〃Oh；　I　say；what's　up？　　Who's　murdering



him？〃







〃He　wants　his　tea。〃　　She　faced　him；　still　and



tall；　with　averted　head；　with　her　hands　hanging



clasped　before　her。







〃Hadn't　you　better　go　in？〃　he　suggested；　after



watching　for　a　while　the　nape　of　her　neck；　a　patch



of　dazzling　white　skin　and　soft　shadow　above　the



sombre　line　of　her　shoulders。　　Her　wrap　had　slipped



down　to　her　elbows。　　〃You'll　have　all　the　town



coming　out　presently。　　I'll　wait　here　a　bit。〃







Her　wrap　fell　to　the　ground；　and　he　stooped　to



pick　it　up；　she　had　vanished。　　He　threw　it　over



his　arm；　and　approaching　the　window　squarely　he



saw　a　monstrous　form　of　a　fat　man　in　an　arm…



chair；　an　unshaded　lamp；　the　yawning　of　an　enor…



mous　mouth　in　a　big　flat　face　encircled　by　a　ragged



halo　of　hairMiss　Bessie's　head　and　bust。　　The



shouting　stopped；　the　blind　ran　down。　　He　lost



himself　in　thinking　how　awkward　it　was。　　Father



mad；　no　getting　into　the　house。　　No　money　to　get



back；　a　hungry　chum　in　London　who　would　begin



to　think　he　had　been　given　the　go…by。　　〃Damn！〃



he　muttered。　　He　could　break　the　door　in；　cer…



tainly；　but　they　would　perhaps　bundle　him　into



chokey　for　that　without　asking　questionsno　great



matter；　only　he　was　confoundedly　afraid　of　being



locked　up；　even　in　mistake。　　He　turned　cold　at　the



thought。　　He　stamped　his　feet　on　the　sod…



den　grass。







〃What　are　you？a　sailor？〃　said　an　agitated



voice。







She　had　flitted　out；　a　shadow　herself；　attracted



by　the　reckless　shadow　waiting　under　the　wall　of



her　home。







〃Anything。　　Enough　of　a　sailor　to　be　worth



my　salt　before　the　mast。　　Came　home　that　way　this



time。〃







〃Where　do　you　come　from？〃　she　asked。







〃Right　away　from　a　jolly　good　spree；〃　he　said；



〃by　the　London　trainsee？　　Ough！　　I　hate　being



shut　up　in　a　train。　　I　don't　mind　a　house　so



much。〃







〃Ah；〃　she　said；　〃that's　lucky。〃







〃Because　in　a　house　you　can　at　any　time　open



the　blamed　door　and　walk　away　straight　before



you。〃







〃And　never　come　back？〃







〃Not　for　sixteen　years　at　least；〃　he　laughed。



〃To　a　rabbit　hutch；　and　get　a　confounded　old



shovel　。　。　。〃







〃A　ship　is　not　so　very　big；〃　she　taunted。







〃No；　but　the　sea　is　great。〃







She　dropped　her　head；　and　as　if　her　ears　had



been　opened　to　the　voices　of　the　world；　she　heard；



beyond　the　rampart　of　sea…wall；　the　swell　of　yester…



day's　gale　breaking　on　the　beach　with　monotonous



and　solemn　vibrations；　as　if　all　the　earth　had　been



a　tolling　bell。







〃And　then；　why；　a　ship's　a　ship。　　You　love　her



and　leave　her；　and　a　voyage　isn't　a　marriage。〃　　He



quoted　the　sailor's　saying　lightly。







〃It　is　not　a　marriage；〃　she　whispered。







〃I　never　took　a　false　name；　and　I've　never　yet



told　a　lie　to　a　woman。　　What　lie？　　Why；　THE　lie。



Take　me　or　leave　me；　I　say：　and　if　you　take　me；



then　it　is　。　。　。〃　　He　hummed　a　snatch　very　low；



leaning　against　the　wall。







　　　　　　　　　　Oh；　ho；　ho　Rio！







　　　　　　　　　　　　　And　fare　thee　well；







　　　　　　　　　　　　　My　bonnie　young　girl；







　　　　　　　　　　We're　bound　to　Rio　Grande







〃Capstan　song；〃　he　explained。　　Her　teeth　chat…



tered。







〃You　are　cold；〃　he　said。　　〃Here's　that　affair



of　yours　I　picked　up。〃　　She　felt　his　hands　about



her；　wrapping　her　closely。　　〃Hold　the　ends　to…



gether　in　front；〃　he　commanded。







〃What　did　you　come　here　for？〃　she　asked；　re…



pressing　a　shudder。







〃Five　quid；〃　he　answered；　promptly。　　〃We　let



our　spree　go　on　a　little　too　long　and　got　hard　up。〃







〃You've　been　drinking？〃　she　said。







〃Blind　three　days；　on　purpose。　　I　am　not　given



that　waydon't　you　think。　　There's　nothing　and



nobody　that　can　get　over　me　unless　I　like。　　I　can



be　as　steady　as　a　rock。　　My　chum　sees　the　paper



this　morning；　and　says　he　to　me：　'Go　on；　Harry：



loving　parent。　　That's　five　quid　sure。'　　So　we



scraped　all　our　pockets　for　the　fare。　　Devil　of　a



lark！〃







〃You　have　a　hard　heart；　I　am　afraid；〃　she



sighed。







〃What　for？　　For　running　away？　　Why！　he



wanted　to　make　a　lawyer's　clerk　of　mejust　to



please　himself。　　Master　in　his　own　house；　and　my



poor　mother　egged　him　onfor　my　good；　I　sup…



pose。　　Well；　thenso　long；　and　I　went。　　No；　I



tell　you：　the　day　I　cleared　out；　I　was　all　black　and



blue　from　his　great　fondness　for　me。　　Ah！　he　was



always　a　bit　of　a　character。　　Look　at　that　shovel



now。　　Off　his　chump？　　Not　much。　　That's　just



exactly　like　my　dad。　　He　wants　me　here　just　to



have　somebody　to　order　about。　　However；　we　two



were　hard　up；　and　what's　five　quid　to　himonce



in　sixteen　hard　years？〃







〃Oh；　but　I　am　sorry　for　you。　　Did　you　never



want　to　come　back　home？〃







〃Be　a　lawyer's　clerk　and　rot　herein　some　such



place　as　this？〃　he　cried　in　contempt。　　〃What！　if



the　old　man　set　me　up　in　a　home　to…day；　I　would



kick　it　down　about　my　earsor　else　die　there　be…



fore　the　third　day　was　out。〃







〃And　where　else　is　it　that　you　hope　to　die？〃







〃In　the　bush　somewhere；　in　the　sea；　on　a　blamed



mountain…top　for　choice。　　At　home？　　Yes！　the



world's　my　home；　but　I　expect　I'll　die　in　a　hospital



some　day。　　What　of　that？　　Any　place　is　good



enough；　as　long　as　I've　lived；　and　I've　been　every…



thing　you　can　think　of　almost　but　a　tailor　or　a



soldier。　　I've　been　a　boundary　rider；　I've　sheared



sheep；　and　humped　my　swag；　and　harpooned　a



whale。　　I've　rigged　ships；　and　prospected　for　gold；



and　skinned　dead　bullocks；and　turned　my　back



on　more　money　than　the　old　man　would　have



scraped　in　his　whole　life。　　Ha；　ha！〃







He　overwhelmed　her。　　She　pulled　herself　to…



gether　and　managed　to　utter；　〃Time　to　rest



now。〃







He　straightened　himself　up；　away　from　the　wall；



and　in　a　severe　voice　said；　〃Time　to　go。〃







But　he　did　not　move。　　He　leaned　back　again；



and　hummed　thoughtfully　a　bar　or　two　of　an　out…



landish　tune。







She　felt　as　if　she　were　about　to　cry。　　〃That's



another　of　your　cruel　songs；〃　she　said。







〃Learned　it　in　Mexicoin　Sonora。〃　　He　talked



easily。　　〃It　is　the　song　of　the　Gambucinos。　　You



don't　know？　　The　song　of　restless　men。　　Nothing



could　hold　them　in　one　placenot　even　a　woman。



You　used　to　meet　one　of　them　now　and　again；　in



the　old　days；　on　the　edge　of　the　gold　country；　away



north　there　beyond　the　Rio　Gila。　　I've　seen　it。　　A



prospecting　engineer　in　Mazatlan　took　me　along



with　him　to　help　look　after　the　waggons。　　A



sailor's　a　handy　chap　to　have　about　you　anyhow。



It's　all　a　desert：　cracks　in　the　earth　that　you　can't



see　the　bottom　of；　and　mountainssheer　rocks



standing　up　high　like　walls　and　church　spires；　only