第 23 节
作者:桃桃逃      更新:2021-02-27 02:10      字数:9322
  Adios。〃
  When   the   door   had      closed   behind     him   Mr。   Sleight   summoned         his
  clerk。
  〃Is that petition for grading Pontiac Street ready?〃
  〃I've seen the largest property holders; sir; they're only waiting for you
  to   sign   first。〃   Mr。   Sleight   paused   and   then   affixed   his   signature   to   the
  paper   his   clerk   laid   before   him。   〃Get   the   other   names   and   send   it   up   at
  76
  … Page 77…
  BY SHORE AND SEDGE
  once。〃
  〃If Mr。 Nott doesn't sign; sir?〃
  〃No matter。 He will be assessed all the same。〃 Mr。 Sleight took up his
  hat。
  〃The Lascar seaman that was here the other day has been wanting to
  see you; sir。 I said you were busy。〃
  Mr。 Sleight put down his hat。 〃Send him up。〃
  Nevertheless Mr。 Sleight sat down and at   once abstracted himself   so
  completely as to be apparently in utter oblivion of the man who entered。
  He was lithe and Indian…looking; bearing in dress and manner the careless
  slouch without the easy frankness of a sailor。
  〃Well!〃 said Sleight without looking up。
  〃I was only wantin' to know ef you had any news for me; boss?〃
  〃News?〃 echoed Sleight as if absently; 〃news of what?〃
  〃That little matter of the Pontiac we talked about; boss;〃 returned the
  Lascar with an uneasy servility in the whites of his teeth and eyes。
  〃Oh;〃   said   Sleight;  〃that's   played   out。   It's   a  regular   fraud。  It's   an   old
  forecastle yarn; my man; that you can't reel off in the cabin。〃
  The sailor's face darkened。
  〃The man who was looking into it has thrown the whole thing up。 I tell
  you it's played out!〃 repeated Sleight; without raising his head。
  〃It's   true;  bossevery     word;〃    said   the  Lascar;    with   an   appealing
  insinuation that seemed to struggle hard with savage earnestness。 〃You can
  swear me; boss; I wouldn't lie to a gentleman like you。 Your man hasn't
  half looked; or elseit must be there; or〃
  〃That's just it;〃 said Sleight slowly; 〃who's to know that your friends
  haven't been there already?that seems to have been your style。〃
  〃But no one knew it but me; until I told you; I swear to God。 I ain't
  lying;   boss;   and   I   ain't   drunk。   Saydon't   give   it   up;   boss。   That   man   of
  yours   likely  don't   believe   it;   because   he   don't   know   anything   about   it。   I
  DOI could find it。〃
  A silence followed。 Mr。 Sleight remained completely absorbed in his
  papers for some moments。 Then glancing at the Lascar; he took his pen;
  wrote a hurried note;  folded it;  addressed it;  and; holding   it between   his
  77
  … Page 78…
  BY SHORE AND SEDGE
  fingers; leaned back in his chair。
  〃If   you   choose   to   take   this   note   to   my   man;   he   may   give   it   another
  show。 Mind; I don't say that he WILL。 He's going to Sacramento to…night;
  but   you   could   go   down   there   and   find   him   before   he   starts。   He's   got   a
  room there; I believe。 While you're waiting for him; you might keep your
  eyes open to satisfy yourself。〃
  〃Ay; ay; sir;〃 said the sailor; eagerly endeavoring to catch the eye of his
  employer。 But Mr。 Sleight looked straight before him; and he turned to go。
  〃The Sacramento boat goes at nine;〃 said Mr。 Sleight quietly。 This time
  their glances met; and the Lascar's eye glistened with subtle intelligence。
  The next moment he was gone; and Mr。 Sleight again became absorbed in
  his papers。
  Meanwhile Renshaw was making his way back to the Pontiac with that
  light…hearted optimism that   had characterized his   parting with Sleight。  It
  was this quality of his nature; fostered perhaps by the easy civilization in
  which he moved; that had originally drawn him into relations with the man
  he had just quitted; a quality that had been troubled and darkened by those
  relations;   yet;   when   they   were   broken;   at   once   returned。   It   consequently
  did   not   occur   to   him   that   he   had   only   selfishly   compromised   with   the
  difficulty; it seemed to him enough that he had withdrawn from a compact
  he thought dishonorable; he was not called upon to betray his partner in
  that    compact     merely     to  benefit   others。    He   had    been   willing    to  incur
  suspicion and loss to reinstate himself in his self…respect; more he could
  not do without justifying that suspicion。 The view taken by Sleight was;
  after    all;  that  which     most    business    men    would     takewhich      even    the
  unbusiness…like Nott would takewhich the girl herself might be tempted
  to listen to。 Clearly he could do nothing but abandon the Pontiac and her
  owner   to   the   fate   he   could   not   in   honor   avert。   And   even   that   fate   was
  problematical。 It did not follow that the treasure was still concealed in the
  Pontiac; nor that Nott would be willing to sell her。 He would make some
  excuse   to   Notthe   smiled   to   think   he   would   probably   be   classed   in   the
  long   line   of   absconding   tenantshe   would   say   good…by   to   Rosey;   and
  leave   for   Sacramento   that   night。   He   ascended   the   stairs   to   the   gangway
  with a freer breast than when he first entered the ship。
  78
  … Page 79…
  BY SHORE AND SEDGE
  Mr。   Nott   was   evidently   absent;   and   after   a   quick   glance   at   the   half…
  open cabin door; Renshaw turned towards the galley。 But Miss Rosey was
  not in her accustomed haunt; and with a feeling of disappointment; which
  seemed inconsistent with so slight a cause; he crossed the deck impatiently
  and entered his room。 He was about to close the door when the prolonged
  rustle of a trailing skirt in the passage attracted his attention。 The sound
  was so unlike that made by any garment worn by Rosey that he remained
  motionless; with his hand on the door。 The sound approached nearer; and
  the next moment a white veiled figure with a trailing skirt slowly swept
  past the room。 Renshaw's pulses halted for an instant in half superstitious
  awe。 As the apparition glided on and vanished in the cabin door he could
  only   see   that   it   was   the   form   of   a   beautiful   and   graceful   womanbut
  nothing   more。   Bewildered   and   curious;   he   forgot   himself   so   far   as   to
  follow it; and impulsively entered the cabin。 The figure turned; uttered a
  little cry; threw the veil aside; and showed the half troubled; half blushing
  face of Rosey。
  〃Ibegyour   pardon;〃       stammered   Renshaw;         〃I  didn't   know    it  was
  you。〃
  〃I was trying on some things;〃 said Rosey; recovering her composure
  and     pointing    to  an   open    trunk    that  seemed      to  contain    a  theatrical
  wardrobe〃some things father gave me long ago。 I wanted to see if there
  was    anything     I  could   use。  I  thought    I  was   all  alone   in  the  ship;   but
  fancying I heard a noise forward I came out to see what it was。 I suppose it
  must have been you。〃
  She raised her clear eyes to his; with a slight touch of womanly reserve
  that was so incompatible with any vulgar vanity or girlish coquetry that he
  became the more embarrassed。 Her dress; too; of a slightly antique shape;
  rich    but   simple;    seemed     to   reveal    and   accent    a   certain   repose    of
  gentlewomanliness;   that   he   was   now   wishing   to   believe   he   had   always
  noticed。 Conscious of a superiority in her that now seemed to change their
  relations completely; he alone remained silent; awkward; and embarrassed
  before   the   girl   who   had   taken   care   of   his   room;   and   who   cooked   in   the
  galley!   What   he   had   thoughtlessly   considered   a   merely   vulgar   business
  intrigue   against her stupid   father;  now  to   his extravagant   fancy  assumed
  79
  … Page 80…
  BY SHORE AND SEDGE
  the proportions of a sacrilege to herself。
  〃You've had your revenge; Miss Nott; for the fright I once gave you;〃
  he said a little uneasily; 〃for you quite startled me just now as you passed。
  I began to think the Pontiac was   haunted。 I thought you   were a ghost。  I
  don't know why  such a ghost   should FRIGHTEN anybody;〃   he went on
  with a desperate attempt to recover his position by gallantry。 〃Let me see
  that's Donna Elvira's dressis it not?〃
  〃I   don't   think   that   was   the poor   woman's   name;〃   said Rosey  simply;
  〃she died of yellow fever at New Orleans as Signora somebody