A maid served behind the bar and soon brought me a mug of ale. I could not help but notice her frail6 figure and sorrowful eyes; she looked some two or three and twenty years of age, and had evidently seen much trouble in her short life. Her refined face was wonderfully out of keeping with her coarse surroundings. Sometimes, when she had been rudely spoken to by a tipsy sailor, she would retreat to the back of the room and rest her head in her hands as if from weariness. Though I pitied her in my heart, I soon fell to musing9 upon other things. My mind was always on the alert now about New York. I constantly pictured myself wandering along its streets, casting searching glances to this side and that, as I had so often wandered 14here in England when I still believed that Ruth was somewhere near at hand.
I was so wrapped up in my fancy-hope that I did not notice how the room was filling nor how the noise of mingled10 oaths and ribald laughter of the common herd11 had risen to a din8. I did look up soon, however, in time to notice the entrance of a seaman12 whose appearance was exceedingly unlike the rest. He wore rich clothes, and a jeweled sword by his side; he was tall, kindly13 and benevolent14 looking. This man—I took him for a prosperous merchant who commanded his own ship—made his way laboriously15 through the crowd of tables, nodding now and then to someone he knew. When he reached the farther side of the room he sat down a few chairs away from me. There was a patronizing look of contempt on his face and he turned his back squarely upon the company. The girl, perhaps, had been the first to notice him, and her face brightened at his appearance.
“Will you take me?” she asked, eagerly, as if her life depended on the answer, as she set his glass before him.
“This is no life for the like of you to lead,” replied the seaman. “Yes, I’ll take you and I’ll do the best I can to find a home fit for you and your pretty face to live in.”
At that moment a cry of “Wench, wench, I want some rum,” took the girl back to her uncongenial 15task behind the bar. As soon as she was gone I moved my chair nearer to the new comer.
“Will you pardon me, sir?” I began. “I have arrived from the country only to-day and am a stranger here. Can you set me on the track of a ship for America?”
“That I can very quick. I am Captain James Donaldson of the Royal Lion. She sails for New York the day after to-morrow. I can let you have a first-rate cabin and good rations16 to boot if you don’t eat too much. You have no idea what a swift and steady craft she is.”
“Good,” I exclaimed joyfully17. “You may count upon me as a passenger.”
“Tut, tut, you are as hasty as the girl there. You have not seen the cabin yet, nor do you know my price.”
“I dare say we can arrange that to our satisfaction.”
“One can never tell,” he said, with a shrug18 of his shoulders. “Folk are so particular in these days; but come to me in the morning and I will show you over. I know you will like her. I must be going now. I only stopped in to speak a word with yon lass. The pretty little wench is going with me on the voyage.”
He left the tavern immediately, and I remained for some time longer watching the girl come and go about the room with her easy grace and soft manner. Suddenly her attractive face filled me with 16a sort of half fear. A fortune teller19 had once foretold20 that I should meet my wife in some such place as this. What if this girl were—! Bah! I should not let such a thing as that get between me and my hunt for Ruth. You cannot appreciate the force with which this recollection took hold of me unless you remember the new conviction, a sort of presentiment21 that I should at last find Ruth. I always profess22 great disregard for superstition23, but in my heart of hearts I am more or less affected24 by it. For this reason I got up hastily to go out, meaning to escape from the attractive presence of the pathetic looking maiden25. As I stopped at the bar to settle my score I was again impressed by the fineness of the girl’s features and could not suppress my curiosity.
“Yours is a strange face to see here,” I said while she was counting out my change.
“No stranger than yours,” she answered. “You and Captain Donaldson are the only gentlemen who have been here to-night.” She heaved a sigh. “I wish they came oftener.”
“You are going across the water with him, I believe.”
“Did you hear?” she asked in a low, earnest tone. “Please do not speak of it aloud. My master would treat me ill if he knew I was going to leave him.”
“Never fear,” I said, turning to go. “God be with you.”
“Pardon me,” she said as if to call me back. And 17then, “Oh, pardon me again. I made a mistake.”
I left the tavern wondering what the last exclamation26 meant, for she had dropped her eyes when I turned round to look at her again, and her face assumed a look of disappointment. Yet I was glad to be free of the place, for I still feared that she might come between me and Ruth. For the moment I quite forgot that we should be together throughout the long voyage.
The next morning I left my lodgings27 early and threaded the badly paved streets that led to the harbor. The ships were headed close up against the shore and I walked beneath their high bows that projected over my head in a row like the half of an arched passage. Before long I came to the Royal Lion. Captain Donaldson was busy directing the movements of his crew, who were engaged with crows and ropes in stowing away the last portions of the ship’s cargo29. When he saw me, he called to his mate to take his place, and kindly offered to explore the ship with me himself. It was a staunch brig, for the most part fitted out with new canvas and fresh rigging. What struck my soldier eye immediately, and what gave the Royal Lion its best claim as a safe conveyance30 for passengers, was its preparation for military defense31. A goodly number of large brass32 cannons33 were mounted upon the deck, and Captain Donaldson assured me that his magazine was well stocked with small arms and ammunition35.
18An ocean voyage at the end of the seventeenth century was a dangerous undertaking36. The sea swarmed37 with pirates. Many a ship returned to port battered38 up with cannon34 shots and its decks reeky39 with blood stains. Other ships never came back at all, and it was as common to attribute their loss to the attacks of the buccaneers as to the furious tropic storms.
Captain Donaldson and I soon came to terms about my passage. As I left the ship in his company—for he would go part way along the dock to point out less favored ships and make comparisons to their disadvantage—as we walked along he told me what he knew of the lass at the Mariner’s Rest. She had come of better folk, he told me, and could no longer endure her present occupation. Her determination was to go to the colonies and take service in some respectable family till she could save enough to buy her a little home in one of the Huguenot settlements.
“But that is not what she will really do,” said the Captain. “She is too pretty a wench for that. Who knows but that you—tut, tut, man, you are not married, are you?”
He had recalled my fearfulness of the night before and there was particular force in its being put into words by a perfect stranger. He continued to chaff40 me about the girl till, when I left him, I half repented41 the bargain I had made to sail in his ship. Yet for all that, and in spite of myself, when night 19came I was sitting in the corner of the Mariner’s Rest. I fretted42 inwardly that I was there; but I persuaded myself that I had better get used to her face amid the distractions43 of other interests than to wait and make her acquaintance in the lonely isolation44 of the ship.
I found the inn, if possible, more noisy than on the night before. During the day two or three ships had come in from distant parts and many of their crews were carousing45 heavily after the long voyage. Some of the sailors had already drunk themselves into a stupor46, but by far the greater number swore and shouted lustily in their cups. The cry of wench, wench, rose repeatedly, and at times the accompaniment of jocose47 obscenity was disgusting.
The maid shrank pitifully from contact with the rude atmosphere about her; yet there was a hopeful look in her bright, sparkling eyes. This expression I set down as due to the fact that to-morrow she would be free of all this and once more in the way of a decent life. There were plenty of respectable homes to be had in the colony of New York, and I had no doubt but that the good captain would look out for her to the best of his ability.
Two or three times during the evening the drinkers fell to brawling48. Once at a game of cards a Portuguese50 sailor clapped his cutlass across a comrade’s head and threatened to lop off his pate51 if he said a word more. His opponent was a sniveling 20bit of a coward who whined52 at this threat, but swallowed it as best he could, which, however, he did with a bad grace, being neither a bully53 nor a thorough-going jelly fish of a coward.
I could hardly stand the vile54 smell of their tobacco, or the look of the sloppy55 pools upon the floor where they splattered the foam56 from their ale. I was minded once to quit the room altogether, and had even risen from my feet to go; but I noticed that the clatter57 of mugs and the din of voices and the stamping of feet was growing louder with every minute. The hopeful look had crowded out of the girl’s face, and at that moment the cry of wench was thundered out, together with an indecent oath that made me wince58. She cast a scared glance of appeal in my direction. I sat down again, minded to wait and be on hand in case she should need my protection.
She approached timidly the table of the boor59 who had summoned her. She set down the contents of her tray and was about to retreat when he caught her roughly by the arm. He tried to pull her down upon his knee and made as if to kiss her. I was on my feet in an instant; but before I could stir a step the landlord had taken her part. He fetched the drunken sailor a blow in the face that stretched him on the ground with the blood dripping from his nose.
“I guess she’s my brat60, not yours,” cried the 21landlord angrily. “Wench, get back to your place.”
The sailors are such clannish61 folk that I fully7 expected a desperate brawl49 to follow the landlord’s attack. There was some violent shuffling of feet in the corner, and one or two men started up and took a step or two in the direction of the affray, eager for a row. But before the mob’s anger could come to a focus, someone cried out in a mocking voice:
“Portuguese Tom’s got his lobster62 now.”
There must have been some local quip to this phrase that I did not understand, for it produced a storm of laughter, after which they fell to drinking again in the best of jovial63 good humor. Tom picked himself up, a little crestfallen64; but even he joined in the laugh against him. As soon as the crisis was passed I turned my attention to the girl. She had not moved a step from where she stood with her hands clenched65 and her lips tightly pressed together. Her position and the expression of her face were both so full of fearless scorn that I could not repress an exclamation of delight.
“Bravo!” I cried.
She looked at me and relaxed into the sensitive woman instantly. “Sit down,” she said lightly, motioning me to resume my seat. “It is not often so bad as it is to-night; but it is over and well over, too. Thank you, sir; thank you.”
Though I had done nothing she had seen that I 22had been ready to come to her assistance. “I shall stay till the room is cleared,” I whispered as she passed me, and then sat down in my place again to watch.
I remained in the tavern for some time; in fact, till it wore on towards midnight. Then, a bell ringing in the town, the landlord rose and advised his guests to depart. A rule of the city closed all public houses at that hour. Slowly, by ones and twos, the riotous66 sailors took their leave, helping67 along those who were too drunk to walk alone. My seat was in the corner where a high buffet68 threw me into the shadow. For this reason probably the host overlooked me, and, for I remained till the last, he thought that the room was quite empty, though I still lingered in the shadow. He stepped to the door to usher69 out the last guest. On his return he faced the girl menacingly.
“What is this you told me to-day?” he demanded in a fierce tone.
“I am going to leave you, sir.”
“Ha, hussy, I don’t know about that. By whose authority are you going to leave?”
“By my own.” She did not quail70 at his brutal71 tone, but stood unflinching as she had stood before the brute72 of a sailor who had insulted her in the early evening. “There is nothing in my agreement to prevent my going when I like.”
“There is this in our agreement, wench,” he said, gripping her hand. “We are here alone, and 23I tell you plainly that you do not leave this house. You know what I can do when I am in earnest.”
“Let go my hand,” she answered. “You hurt me.”
Instead of releasing his grip he squeezed her wrist so hard that she cried out in pain.
“Yes, let go,” said I, stepping into view.
He wheeled round in amazement73 and dropped the girl’s hand.
“Who the devil are you?”
The excitement of the evening had told on the girl’s nerves. Her spirit was weakened as we stood in the deserted74 room that a moment before had been a very bedlam75. “Oh, take me away,” she cried piteously. “He will beat me if you leave me here.”
The landlord caught up a chair and lifted it above his head.
“Get out of here,” he cried, coming toward me with a swing of the chair aloft.
“Too fast,” I replied, drawing my sword. “Too fast, my friend. Put down that chair.”
He obeyed with a vengeance76 and I sprang aside just in time to avoid the blow. The chair broke to pieces and then I had him at the mercy of my sword. He was a bully by nature and a coward at heart. He was soon whimpering in the corner and begging for grace. I directed the girl to go to her room and get ready to leave. The main part of her luggage was already aboard the brig and she had 24left but a few things to take with her. While she was doing as I bade her, I guarded the innkeeper and enjoyed the scared replies he made to my continual threats. We soon left him to shut up the shop alone and went out into the street.
“You can obtain respectable lodging28 for the night in the house next to where I am stopping,” I said. “Will you let me take you there?”
A chill breeze was blowing from the sea and as we walked along it cooled my heated temper. It must have had the same effect upon the girl, for her tight grip upon my arm gradually relaxed, and by the time we reached the second street she was walking with her usual alert step.
“Monsieur,” she said after a while, “from your accent you must be French.”
“Ah, yes, from Paris; but that was many years ago. There is the house I am taking you to.”
“Indeed,” she said musingly77. “I am from Paris, too. Are we so near the place? I am almost afraid to go to a strange house alone.” We had stopped beneath one of the occasional lanterns that were hung out from houses to light the street. “May I know,” she continued, “who has helped me to-night?”
“My name is Le Bourse.”
“What! What did you say?”
“Michael Le Bourse. Is my name a strange one?”
“Strange?” She caught me by the shoulders 25and twisted me towards the light, looking eagerly in my face. “Was I right last night?” she continued, all of a tremble with excitement. “Is it—can it be?” Then she threw herself into my arms. “Don’t you know me, Vincie, don’t you know me?”
I held her from me in the light; then I knew. “Ruth,” I cried. I took her in my arms and covered her face with kisses. For a moment we had nothing to say to each other there in the still street under the solitary78 lantern. There seemed to be no world outside; only we two: I and Ruth, for whom I had sought so many years.
“Ruthie,” I kept whispering again and again. “I have found my little Ruth.”
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1
seaport
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| n.海港，港口，港市 | |
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shuffling
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| adj. 慢慢移动的, 滑移的 动词shuffle的现在分词形式 | |
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3
tavern
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| n.小旅馆，客栈；小酒店 | |
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thither
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| adv.向那里；adj.在那边的，对岸的 | |
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inquiry
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| n.打听，询问，调查，查问 | |
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frail
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| adj.身体虚弱的；易损坏的 | |
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fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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din
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| n.喧闹声，嘈杂声 | |
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musing
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| n. 沉思，冥想 adj. 沉思的, 冥想的 动词muse的现在分词形式 | |
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mingled
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| 混合，混入( mingle的过去式和过去分词 )； 混进，与…交往[联系] | |
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herd
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| n.兽群，牧群；vt.使集中，把…赶在一起 | |
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seaman
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| n.海员，水手，水兵 | |
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kindly
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| adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地 | |
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14
benevolent
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| adj.仁慈的，乐善好施的 | |
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laboriously
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| adv.艰苦地；费力地；辛勤地；（文体等）佶屈聱牙地 | |
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16
rations
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| 定量( ration的名词复数 )； 配给量； 正常量； 合理的量 | |
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joyfully
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| adv. 喜悦地, 高兴地 | |
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shrug
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| v.耸肩(表示怀疑、冷漠、不知等) | |
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teller
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| n.银行出纳员；(选举)计票员 | |
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20
foretold
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| v.预言，预示( foretell的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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presentiment
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| n.预感，预觉 | |
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profess
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| v.声称，冒称，以...为业，正式接受入教，表明信仰 | |
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superstition
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| n.迷信，迷信行为 | |
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affected
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| adj.不自然的，假装的 | |
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maiden
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| n.少女，处女；adj.未婚的，纯洁的，无经验的 | |
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exclamation
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| n.感叹号，惊呼，惊叹词 | |
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lodgings
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| n. 出租的房舍, 寄宿舍 | |
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lodging
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| n.寄宿，住所；(大学生的)校外宿舍 | |
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cargo
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| n.(一只船或一架飞机运载的)货物 | |
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conveyance
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| n.(不动产等的)转让，让与；转让证书；传送；运送；表达；（正）运输工具 | |
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defense
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| n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩 | |
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brass
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| n.黄铜；黄铜器，铜管乐器 | |
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cannons
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| n.加农炮，大炮，火炮( cannon的名词复数 ) | |
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cannon
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| n.大炮，火炮；飞机上的机关炮 | |
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ammunition
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| n.军火，弹药 | |
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undertaking
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| n.保证，许诺，事业 | |
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swarmed
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| 密集( swarm的过去式和过去分词 )； 云集； 成群地移动； 蜜蜂或其他飞行昆虫成群地飞来飞去 | |
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battered
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| adj.磨损的；v.连续猛击；磨损 | |
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reeky
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| adj.烟雾弥漫的 | |
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chaff
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| v.取笑，嘲笑；n.谷壳 | |
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repented
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| 对（自己的所为）感到懊悔或忏悔( repent的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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fretted
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| 焦躁的，附有弦马的，腐蚀的 | |
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distractions
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| n.使人分心的事[人]( distraction的名词复数 )；娱乐，消遣；心烦意乱；精神错乱 | |
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isolation
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| n.隔离，孤立，分解，分离 | |
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45
carousing
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| v.痛饮，闹饮欢宴( carouse的现在分词 ) | |
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46
stupor
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| v.昏迷；不省人事 | |
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47
jocose
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| adj.开玩笑的，滑稽的 | |
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48
brawling
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| n.争吵，喧嚷 | |
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49
brawl
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| n.大声争吵，喧嚷；v.吵架，对骂 | |
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50
Portuguese
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| n.葡萄牙人；葡萄牙语 | |
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51
pate
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| n.头顶；光顶 | |
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52
whined
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| v.哀号( whine的过去式和过去分词 )；哀诉，诉怨 | |
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53
bully
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| n.恃强欺弱者，小流氓；vt.威胁，欺侮 | |
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54
vile
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| adj.卑鄙的，可耻的，邪恶的；坏透的 | |
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55
sloppy
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| adj.邋遢的，不整洁的 | |
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56
foam
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| v./n.泡沫，起泡沫 | |
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57
clatter
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| v./n.(使)发出连续而清脆的撞击声 | |
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58
wince
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| n.畏缩，退避，（因痛苦，苦恼等)面部肌肉抽动；v.畏缩，退缩，退避 | |
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59
boor
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| n.举止粗野的人；乡下佬 | |
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60
brat
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| n.孩子；顽童 | |
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clannish
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| adj.排他的，门户之见的 | |
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62
lobster
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| n.龙虾，龙虾肉 | |
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jovial
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| adj.快乐的，好交际的 | |
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64
crestfallen
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| adj. 挫败的，失望的，沮丧的 | |
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clenched
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| v.紧握，抓紧，咬紧( clench的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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66
riotous
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| adj.骚乱的；狂欢的 | |
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helping
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| n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的 | |
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68
buffet
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| n.自助餐；饮食柜台；餐台 | |
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69
usher
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| n.带位员，招待员；vt.引导，护送；vi.做招待，担任引座员 | |
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70
quail
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| n.鹌鹑；vi.畏惧，颤抖 | |
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71
brutal
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| adj.残忍的，野蛮的，不讲理的 | |
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72
brute
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| n.野兽，兽性 | |
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73
amazement
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| n.惊奇，惊讶 | |
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74
deserted
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| adj.荒芜的，荒废的，无人的，被遗弃的 | |
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75
bedlam
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| n.混乱，骚乱；疯人院 | |
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76
vengeance
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| n.报复，报仇，复仇 | |
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77
musingly
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| adv.沉思地，冥想地 | |
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78
solitary
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| adj.孤独的，独立的，荒凉的；n.隐士 | |
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