For Captain Clubbe had known Frenchman since boyhood.
“I understand,” said Dormer Colville to him two or three days after the arrival of “The Last Hope,” “that the Marquis de Gemosac cannot do better than apply to you for some information he desires to possess. In fact, it is on that account that we are here.”
The introduction had been a matter requiring patience. For Captain Clubbe had not laid aside in his travels a certain East Anglian distrust of the unknown. He had, of course, noted2 the presence of the strangers when he landed at Farlingford quay3, but his large, immobile face had betrayed no peculiar4 interest. There had been plenty to tell him all that was known of Monsieur de Gemosac and Dormer Colville, and a good deal that was only surmised5. But the imagination of even the darksome River Andrew failed to soar successfully under the measuring blue eye, and the total lack of comment of Captain Clubbe.
There was, indeed, little to tell, although the strangers had been seen to go to the rectory in quite a friendly way, and had taken a glass of sherry in the rector's study. Mrs. Clacy was responsible for this piece of news, and her profession giving her the entree8 to almost every back door in Farlingford enabled her to gather news at the fountain-head. For Mrs. Clacy went out to oblige. She obliged the rectory on Mondays, and Mrs. Clubbe, with what was technically9 described as the heavy wash, on Tuesdays. Whatever Mrs. Clacy was asked to do she could perform with a rough efficiency. But she always undertook it with reluctance10. It was not, she took care to mention, what she was accustomed to, but she would do it to oblige. Her charge was eighteen-pence a day with her dinner, and (she made the addition with a raised eyebrow11, and the resigned sigh of one who takes her meals as a duty toward those dependent on her) a bit of tea at the end of the day.
It was on a Wednesday that Dormer Colville met Captain Clubbe face to face in the street, and was forced to curb12 his friendly smile and half-formed nod of salutation. For Captain Clubbe went past him with a rigid13 face and steadily14 averted15 eyes, like a walking monument. For there was something in the captain's deportment dimly suggestive of stone, and the dignity of stillness. His face meant security, his large limbs a slow, sure action.
Colville and Monsieur de Gemosac were on the quay in the afternoon at high tide when “The Last Hope” was warped16 on to the slip-way. All Farlingford was there too, and Captain Clubbe carried out the difficult task with hardly any words at all from a corner of the jetty, with Loo Barebone on board as second in command.
Captain Clubbe could not fail to perceive the strangers, for they stood a few yards from him, Monsieur de Gemosac peering with his yellow eyes toward the deck of “The Last Hope,” where Barebone stood on the forecastle giving the orders transmitted to him by a sign from his taciturn captain. Colville seemed to take a greater interest in the proceedings17, and noted the skill and precision of the crew with the air of a seaman18.
Presently, Septimus Marvin wandered down the dyke19 and stood irresolutely20 at the far corner of the jetty. He always approached his flock with diffidence, although they treated him kindly21 enough, much as they treated such of their own children as were handicapped in the race of life by some malformation or mental incapacity.
Colville approached him and they stood side by side until “The Last Hope” was safely moored22 and chocked. Then it was that the rector introduced the two strangers to Captain Clubbe. It being a Wednesday, Clubbe must have known all that there was to know, and more, of Monsieur de Gemosac and Dormer Colville; for Mrs. Clacy, it will be remembered, obliged Mrs. Clubbe on Tuesdays. Nothing, however, in the mask-like face, large and square, of the ship-captain indicated that he knew aught of his new acquaintances, or desired to know more. And when Colville frankly23 explained their presence in Farlingford, Captain Clubbe nodded gravely and that was all.
“We can wait, however, until a more suitable opportunity presents itself,” Colville hastened to add. “You are busy, as even a landsman can perceive, and cannot be expected to think of anything but your vessel24 until the tide leaves her high and dry.”
He turned and explained the situation to the Marquis, who shrugged25 his shoulders impatiently as if at the delay. For he was a southerner, and was, perhaps, ignorant of the fact that in dealing26 with any born on the shores of the German Ocean nothing is gained and, more often than not, all is lost by haste.
“You hear,” Colville added, turning to the Captain, and speaking in a curter manner; for so strongly was he moved by that human kindness which is vaguely28 called sympathy that his speech varied29 according to his listener. “You hear the Marquis only speaks French. It is about a fellow countryman of his buried here. drop in and have a glass of wine with us some evening; to-night, if you are at liberty.”
“What I can tell you won't take long,” said Clubbe, over his shoulder; for the tide was turning, and in a few minutes would be ebbing30 fast.
“Dare say not. But we have a good bin31 of claret at 'The Black Sailor,' and shall be glad of your opinion on it.”
Clubbe nodded, with a curt27 laugh, which might have been intended to deprecate the possession of any opinion on a vintage, or to express his disbelief that Dormer Colville desired to have it.
Nevertheless, his large person loomed32 in the dusk of the trees soon after sunset, in the narrow road leading from his house to the church and the green.
Monsieur de Gemosac and his companion were sitting on the bench outside the inn, leaning against the sill of their own parlour-window, which stood open. The Captain had changed his clothes, and now wore those in which he went to church and to the custom-house when in London or other large cities.
“There walks a just man,” commented Dormer Colville, lightly, and no longer word could have described Captain Clubbe more aptly. He would rather have stayed in his own garden this evening to smoke his pipe in contemplative silence. But he had always foreseen that the day might come when it would be his duty to do his best by Loo Barebone. He had not sought this opportunity, because, being a wise as well as a just man, he was not quite sure that he knew what the best would be.
He shook hands gravely with the strangers, and by his manner seemed to indicate his comprehension of Monsieur de Gemosac's well-turned phrases of welcome. Dormer Colville appeared to be in a silent humour, unless perchance he happened to be one of those rare beings who can either talk or hold their tongues as occasion may demand.
“You won't want me to put my oar6 in, I see,” observed he, tentatively, as he drew forward a small table whereon were set three glasses and a bottle of the celebrated33 claret.
“And if I interpret as we go along, we shall sit here all night, and get very little said.”
Colville explained the difficulty to the Marquis de Gemosac, and agreed with him that much time would be saved if Captain Clubbe would be kind enough to tell in English all that he knew of the nameless Frenchman buried in Farlingford churchyard, to be translated by Colville to Monsieur de Gemosac at another time. As Clubbe understood this, and nodded in acquiescence35, there only remained to them to draw the cork36 and light their cigars.
“Not much to tell,” said Clubbe, guardedly. “But what there is, is no secret, so far as I know. It has not been told because it was known long ago, and has been forgotten since. The man's dead and buried, and there's an end of him.”
“Of him, yes, but not of his race,” answered Colville.
“You mean the lad?” inquired the Captain, turning his calm and steady gaze to Colville's face. The whole man seemed to turn, ponderously37 and steadily, like a siege-gun.
“That is what I meant,” answered Colville. “You understand,” he went on to explain, as if urged thereto by the fixed38 glance of the clear blue eye—“you understand, it is none of my business. I am only here as the Marquis de Gemosac's friend. Know him in his own country, where I live most of the time.”
Clubbe nodded.
“Frenchman was picked up at sea fifty-five years ago this July,” he narrated39, bluntly, “by the 'Martha and Mary' brig of this port. I was apprentice40 at the time. Frenchman was a boy with fair hair and a womanish face. Bit of a cry-baby I used to think him, but being a boy myself I was perhaps hard on him. He was with his—well, his mother.”
Captain Clubbe paused. He took the cigar from his lips and carefully replaced the outer leaf, which had wrinkled. Perhaps he waited to be asked a question. Colville glanced at him sideways and did not ask it.
“Dark night,” the Captain continued, after a short silence, “and a heavy sea, about mid-channel off Dieppe. We sighted a French fishing-boat yawing about abandoned. Something queer about her, the skipper thought. Those were queer times in France. We hailed her, and getting no answer put out a boat and boarded her. There was nobody on board but a woman and a child. Woman was half mad with fear. I have seen many afraid, but never one like that. I was only a boy myself, but I remember thinking it wasn't the sea and drowning she was afraid of. We couldn't find out the smack's name. It had been painted out with a tar-brush, and she was half full of water. The skipper took the woman and child off, and left the fishing-smack as we found her yawing about—all sail set. They reckoned she would founder41 in a few minutes. But there was one old man on board, the boatswain, who had seen many years at sea, who said that she wasn't making any water at all, because he had been told to look for the leak and couldn't find it. He said that the water had been pumped into her so as to waterlog her; and it was his belief that she had not been abandoned many minutes, that the crew were hanging about somewhere near in a boat waiting to see if we sighted her and put men on board.”
Mr. Dormer Colville was attending to the claret, and pressed Captain Clubbe by a gesture of the hand to empty his glass.
“Something wrong somewhere?” he suggested, in a conversational42 way.
“By daylight we were ramping43 up channel with three French men-of-war after us,” was Captain Clubbe's comprehensive reply. “As chance had it, the channel squadron hove in sight round the Foreland, and the Frenchmen turned and left us.”
“Skipper was a Farlingford man, name of Doy,” he continued. “Long as he lived he was pestered46 by inquiries47 from the French government respecting a Dieppe fishing-smack supposed to have been picked up abandoned at sea. He had picked up no fishing-smack, and he answered no letters about it. He was an old man when it happened, and he died at sea soon after my indentures48 expired. The woman and child were brought here, where nobody could speak French, and, of course, neither of them could speak any English. The boy was white-faced and frightened at first, but he soon picked up spirit. They were taken in and cared for by one and another—any who could afford it. For Farlingford has always bred seafaring men ready to give and take.”
“So we were told yesterday by the rector. We had a long talk with him in the morning. A clever man, if—”
Dormer Colville did not complete the remark, but broke off with a sigh. He had no doubt seen trouble himself. For it is not always the ragged49 and unkempt who have been sore buffeted50 by the world, but also such as have a clean-washed look almost touching51 sleekness52.
“Yes,” said Clubbe, slowly and conclusively53. “So you have seen the parson.”
“Of course,” Colville remarked, cheerfully, after a pause; for we cannot always be commiserating54 the unfortunate. “Of course, all this happened before his time, and Monsieur de Gemosac does not want to learn from hearsay55, you understand, but at first hand. I fancy he would, for instance, like to know when the woman, the—mother died.”
Clubbe was looking straight in front of him. He turned in his disconcerting, monumental way and looked at his questioner, who had imitated with a perfect ingenuousness56 his own brief pause before the word mother. Colville smiled pleasantly at him.
“I tell you frankly, Captain,” he said, “it would suit me better if she wasn't the mother.”
“I am not here to suit you,” murmured Captain Clubbe, without haste or hesitation57.
“No. Well, let us say for the present that she was the mother. We can discuss that another time. When did she die?”
“Seven years after landing here.”
Colville made a mental calculation and nodded his head with satisfaction at the end of it. He lighted another cigarette.
“I am a business man, Captain,” he said at length. “Fair dealing and a clean bond. That is what I have been brought up to. Confidence for confidence. Before we go any further—” He paused and seemed to think before committing himself. Perhaps he saw that Captain Clubbe did not intend to go much further without some quid pro7 quo. “Before we go any further, I think I may take it upon myself to let you into the Marquis's confidence. It is about an inheritance, Captain. A great inheritance and—well, that young fellow may well be the man. He may be born to greater things than a seafaring life, Captain.”
“I don't want any marquis to tell me that,” answered Clubbe, with his slow judicial58 smile. “For I've brought him up since the cradle. He's been at sea with me in fair weather and foul—and he is not the same as us.”
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1
spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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noted
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| adj.著名的，知名的 | |
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quay
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| n.码头，靠岸处 | |
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peculiar
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| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
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surmised
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| v.臆测，推断( surmise的过去式和过去分词 )；揣测；猜想 | |
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oar
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| n.桨，橹，划手；v.划行 | |
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pro
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| n.赞成，赞成的意见，赞成者 | |
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entree
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| n.入场权，进入权 | |
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technically
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| adv.专门地，技术上地 | |
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reluctance
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| n.厌恶，讨厌，勉强，不情愿 | |
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eyebrow
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| n.眉毛，眉 | |
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curb
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| n.场外证券市场，场外交易；vt.制止，抑制 | |
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rigid
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| adj.严格的，死板的；刚硬的，僵硬的 | |
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steadily
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| adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地 | |
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15
averted
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| 防止，避免( avert的过去式和过去分词 )； 转移 | |
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16
warped
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| adj.反常的；乖戾的；（变）弯曲的；变形的v.弄弯，变歪( warp的过去式和过去分词 )；使（行为等）不合情理，使乖戾， | |
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17
proceedings
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| n.进程，过程，议程；诉讼(程序)；公报 | |
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seaman
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| n.海员，水手，水兵 | |
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dyke
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| n.堤，水坝，排水沟 | |
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irresolutely
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| adv.优柔寡断地 | |
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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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moored
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| adj. 系泊的 动词moor的过去式和过去分词形式 | |
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frankly
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| adv.坦白地，直率地；坦率地说 | |
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vessel
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| n.船舶；容器，器皿；管，导管，血管 | |
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shrugged
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| vt.耸肩（shrug的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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dealing
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| n.经商方法，待人态度 | |
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curt
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| adj.简短的，草率的 | |
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28
vaguely
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| adv.含糊地，暖昧地 | |
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varied
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| adj.多样的，多变化的 | |
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30
ebbing
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| （指潮水）退( ebb的现在分词 )； 落； 减少； 衰落 | |
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bin
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| n.箱柜；vt.放入箱内；[计算机] DOS文件名:二进制目标文件 | |
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32
loomed
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| v.隐约出现，阴森地逼近( loom的过去式和过去分词 )；隐约出现，阴森地逼近 | |
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33
celebrated
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| adj.有名的，声誉卓著的 | |
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stolidly
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| adv.迟钝地，神经麻木地 | |
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35
acquiescence
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| n.默许；顺从 | |
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36
cork
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| n.软木，软木塞 | |
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ponderously
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38
fixed
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| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
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39
narrated
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| v.故事( narrate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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apprentice
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| n.学徒，徒弟 | |
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41
Founder
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| n.创始者，缔造者 | |
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42
conversational
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| adj.对话的，会话的 | |
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43
ramping
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| 土堤斜坡( ramp的现在分词 )； 斜道； 斜路； （装车或上下飞机的）活动梯 | |
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narrative
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| n.叙述，故事；adj.叙事的，故事体的 | |
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45
draught
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| n.拉，牵引，拖；一网（饮，吸，阵)；顿服药量，通风；v.起草，设计 | |
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46
pestered
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| 使烦恼，纠缠( pester的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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47
inquiries
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| n.调查( inquiry的名词复数 )；疑问；探究；打听 | |
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48
indentures
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| vt.以契约束缚（indenture的第三人称单数形式） | |
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49
ragged
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| adj.衣衫褴褛的，粗糙的，刺耳的 | |
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50
buffeted
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| 反复敲打( buffet的过去式和过去分词 )； 连续猛击； 打来打去； 推来搡去 | |
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51
touching
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| adj.动人的，使人感伤的 | |
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52
sleekness
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| 油滑； 油光发亮； 时髦阔气； 线条明快 | |
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53
conclusively
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| adv.令人信服地，确凿地 | |
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54
commiserating
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| v.怜悯，同情( commiserate的现在分词 ) | |
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55
hearsay
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| n.谣传，风闻 | |
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56
ingenuousness
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| n.率直；正直；老实 | |
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57
hesitation
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| n.犹豫，踌躇 | |
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58
judicial
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| adj.司法的，法庭的，审判的，明断的，公正的 | |
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