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