第 20 节
作者:敏儿不觉      更新:2021-02-19 21:45      字数:9322
  conversation; it is true; there was something military enough; as
  it consisted chiefly of oaths; and of the great actions and wise
  sayings of Jack; and Will; and Tom of our regiment; a phrase
  eternally in his mouth; and he seemed to conclude that it
  conveyed to all the officers such a degree of public notoriety
  and importance that it entitled him like the head of a
  profession; or a first minister; to be the subject of
  conversation among those who had not the least personal
  acquaintance with him。  This did not much surprise me; as I have
  seen several examples of the same; but the defects in his
  address; especially to the women; were so great that they seemed
  absolutely inconsistent with the behavior of a pretty fellow;
  much less of one in a red coat; and yet; besides having been
  eleven years in the army; he had had; as his uncle informed me;
  an education in France。  This; I own; would have appeared to have
  been absolutely thrown away had not his animal spirits; which
  were likewise thrown away upon him in great abundance; borne the
  visible stamp of the growth of that country。  The character to
  which he had an indisputable title was that of a merry fellow; so
  very merry was he that he laughed at everything he said; and
  always before he spoke。  Possibly; indeed; he often laughed at
  what he did not utter; for every speech begun with a laugh;
  though it did not always end with a jest。  There was no great
  analogy between the characters of the uncle and the nephew; and
  yet they seemed entirely to agree in enjoying the honor which the
  red…coat did to his family。  This the uncle expressed with great
  pleasure in his countenance; and seemed desirous of showing all
  present the honor which he had for his nephew; who; on his side;
  was at some pains to convince us of his concurring in this
  opinion; and at the same time of displaying the contempt he had
  for the parts; as well as the occupation of his uncle; which he
  seemed to think reflected some disgrace on himself; who was a
  member of that profession which makes every man a gentleman。
  Not that I would be understood to insinuate that the nephew
  endeavored to shake off or disown his uncle; or indeed to keep
  him at any distance。  On the contrary; he treated him with the
  utmost familiarity; often calling him Dick; and dear Dick; and
  old Dick; and frequently beginning an oration with Dn me; Dick。
  All this condescension on the part of the young man was received
  with suitable marks of complaisance and obligation by the old
  one; especially when it was attended with evidences of the same
  familiarity with general officers and other persons of rank; one
  of whom; in particular; I know to have the pride and insolence of
  the devil himself; and who; without some strong bias of interest;
  is no more liable to converse familiarly with a lieutenant than
  of being mistaken in his judgment of a fool; which was not;
  perhaps; so certainly the case of the worthy lieutenant; who; in
  declaring to us the qualifications which recommended men to his
  countenance and conversation; as well as what effectually set a
  bar to all hopes of that honor; exclaimed; 〃No; sir; by the d I
  hate all fools No; dn me; excuse me for that。  That's a
  little too much; old Dick。  There are two or three officers of
  our regiment whom I know to be fools; but dn me if I am ever
  seen in their company。  If a man hath a fool of a relation; Dick;
  you know he can't help that; old boy。〃  Such jokes as these the
  old man not only tools in good part; but glibly gulped down the
  whole narrative of his nephew; nor did he; I am convinced; in the
  least doubt of our as readily swallowing the same。  This made him
  so charmed with the lieutenant; that it is probable we should
  have been pestered with him the whole evening; had not the north
  wind; dearer to our sea…captain even than this glory of his
  family; sprung suddenly up; and called aloud to him to weigh his
  anchor。  While this ceremony was performing; the sea…captain
  ordered out his boat to row the land…captain to shore; not indeed
  on an uninhabited island; but one which; in this part; looked but
  little better; not presenting us the view of a single house。
  Indeed; our old friend; when his boat returned on shore; perhaps
  being no longer able to stifle his envy of the superiority of his
  nephew; told us with a smile that the young man had a good five
  mile to walk before he could be accommodated with a passage to
  Portsmouth。
  It appeared now that the captain had been only mistaken in the
  date of his prediction; by placing the event a day earlier than
  it happened; for the wind which now arose was not only favorable
  but brisk; and was no sooner in reach of our sails than it swept
  us away by the back of the Isle of Wight; and; having in the
  night carried us by Christchurch and Peveral…point; brought us
  the next noon; Saturday; July 25; oft the island of Portland; so
  famous for the smallness and sweetness of its mutton; of which a
  leg seldom weighs four pounds。  We would have bought a sheep; but
  our captain would not permit it; though he needed not have been
  in such a hurry; for presently the wind; I will not positively
  assert in resentment of his surliness; showed him a dog's trick;
  and slyly slipped back again to his summer…house in the
  south…west。
  The captain now grew outrageous; and; declaring open war with the
  wind; took a resolution; rather more bold than wise; of sailing
  in defiance of it; and in its teeth。  He swore he would let go
  his anchor no more; but would beat the sea while he had either
  yard or sail left。  He accordingly stood from the shore; and made
  so large a tack that before night; though he seemed to advance
  but little on his way; he was got out of sight of land。
  Towards evening the wind began; in the captain's own language;
  and indeed it freshened so much; that before ten it blew a
  perfect hurricane。  The captain having got; as he supposed; to a
  safe distance; tacked again towards the English shore; and now
  the wind veered a point only in his favor; and continued to blow
  with such violence; that the ship ran above eight knots or miles
  an hour during this whole day and tempestuous night till
  bed…time。  I was obliged to betake myself once more to my
  solitude; for my women were again all down in their sea…sickness;
  and the captain was busy on deck; for he began to grow uneasy;
  chiefly; I believe; because he did not well know where he was;
  and would; I am convinced; have been very glad to have been in
  Portland…road; eating some sheep's…head broth。
  Having contracted no great degree of good…humor by living a whole
  day alone; without a single soul to converse with; I took but ill
  physic to purge it off; by a bed…conversation with the captain;
  who; amongst many bitter lamentations of his fate; and protesting
  he had more patience than a Job; frequently intermixed summons to
  the commanding officer on the deck; who now happened to be one
  Morrison; a carpenter; the only fellow that had either common
  sense or common civility in the ship。  Of Morrison he inquired
  every quarter of an hour concerning the state of affairs:  the
  wind; the care of the ship; and other matters of navigation。  The
  frequency of these summons; as well as the solicitude with which
  they were made; sufficiently testified the state of the captain's
  mind; he endeavored to conceal it; and would have given no small
  alarm to a man who had either not learned what it is to die; or
  known what it is to be miserable。  And my dear wife and child
  must pardon me; if what I did not conceive to be any great evil
  to myself I was not much terrified with the thoughts of happening
  to them; in truth; I have often thought they are both too good
  and too gentle to be trusted to the power of any man I know; to
  whom they could possibly be so trusted。
  Can I say then I had no fear? indeed I cannot。  Reader; I was
  afraid for thee; lest thou shouldst have been deprived of that
  pleasure thou art now enjoying; and that I should not live to
  draw out on paper that military character which thou didst peruse
  in the journal of yesterday。
  From all these fears we were relieved; at six in the morning; by
  the arrival of Mr。 Morrison; who acquainted us that he was sure
  he beheld land very near; for he could not see half a mile; by
  reason of the haziness of the weather。  This land he said was; he
  believed; the Berry…head; which forms one side of Torbay:  the
  captain declared that it was impossible; and swore; on condition
  he was right; he would give him his mother for a maid。  A forfeit
  which became afterwards strictly due and payable; for the
  captain; whipping on his night…gown; ran up without his breeches;
  and within half an hour returning into the cabin; wished me joy
  of our lying safe at anchor in the bay。
  Sunday; July 26。Things now began to put on an aspect very
  different from what they had lately worn; the news that the ship
  had almost