For several days she saw no one other than Sven Anderssen, the Kincaid's taciturn and repellent cook. She asked him the name of the shore upon which her husband had been set.
"Ay tank it blow purty soon purty hard," replied the Swede, and that was all that she could get out of him.
She had come to the conclusion that he spoke1 no other English, and so she ceased to importune2 him for information; but never did she forget to greet him pleasantly or to thank him for the hideous3, nauseating4 meals he brought her.
Three days from the spot where Tarzan had been marooned6 the Kincaid came to anchor in the mouth of a great river, and presently Rokoff came to Jane Clayton's cabin.
"We have arrived, my dear," he said, with a sickening leer. "I have come to offer you safety, liberty, and ease. My heart has been softened7 toward you in your suffering, and I would make amends8 as best I may.
"Your husband was a brute—you know that best who found him naked in his native jungle, roaming wild with the savage9 beasts that were his fellows. Now I am a gentleman, not only born of noble blood, but raised gently as befits a man of quality.
"To you, dear Jane, I offer the love of a cultured man and association with one of culture and refinement10, which you must have sorely missed in your relations with the poor ape that through your girlish infatuation you married so thoughtlessly. I love you, Jane. You have but to say the word and no further sorrows shall afflict11 you—even your baby shall be returned to you unharmed."
Outside the door Sven Anderssen paused with the noonday meal he had been carrying to Lady Greystoke. Upon the end of his long, stringy neck his little head was cocked to one side, his close-set eyes were half closed, his ears, so expressive12 was his whole attitude of stealthy eavesdropping13, seemed truly to be cocked forward—even his long, yellow, straggly moustache appeared to assume a sly droop14.
As Rokoff closed his appeal, awaiting the reply he invited, the look of surprise upon Jane Clayton's face turned to one of disgust. She fairly shuddered15 in the fellow's face.
"I would not have been surprised, M. Rokoff," she said, "had you attempted to force me to submit to your evil desires, but that you should be so fatuous16 as to believe that I, wife of John Clayton, would come to you willingly, even to save my life, I should never have imagined. I have known you for a scoundrel, M. Rokoff; but until now I had not taken you for a fool."
Rokoff's eyes narrowed, and the red of mortification17 flushed out the pallor of his face. He took a step toward the girl, threateningly.
"We shall see who is the fool at last," he hissed18, "when I have broken you to my will and your plebeian19 Yankee stubbornness has cost you all that you hold dear—even the life of your baby—for, by the bones of St. Peter, I'll forego all that I had planned for the brat20 and cut its heart out before your very eyes. You'll learn what it means to insult Nikolas Rokoff."
Jane Clayton turned wearily away.
"What is the use," she said, "of expatiating21 upon the depths to which your vengeful nature can sink? You cannot move me either by threats or deeds. My baby cannot judge yet for himself, but I, his mother, can foresee that should it have been given him to survive to man's estate he would willingly sacrifice his life for the honour of his mother. Love him as I do, I would not purchase his life at such a price. Did I, he would execrate22 my memory to the day of his death."
Rokoff was now thoroughly23 angered because of his failure to reduce the girl to terror. He felt only hate for her, but it had come to his diseased mind that if he could force her to accede24 to his demands as the price of her life and her child's, the cup of his revenge would be filled to brimming when he could flaunt25 the wife of Lord Greystoke in the capitals of Europe as his mistress.
Again he stepped closer to her. His evil face was convulsed with rage and desire. Like a wild beast he sprang upon her, and with his strong fingers at her throat forced her backward upon the berth26.
At the same instant the door of the cabin opened noisily. Rokoff leaped to his feet, and, turning, faced the Swede cook.
Into the fellow's usually foxy eyes had come an expression of utter stupidity. His lower jaw27 drooped28 in vacuous29 harmony. He busied himself in arranging Lady Greystoke's meal upon the tiny table at one side of her cabin.
The Russian glared at him.
"What do you mean," he cried, "by entering here without permission? Get out!"
"Ay tank it blow purty soon purty hard," he said, and then he began rearranging the few dishes upon the little table.
"Get out of here, or I'll throw you out, you miserable32 blockhead!" roared Rokoff, taking a threatening step toward the Swede.
Anderssen continued to smile foolishly in his direction, but one ham-like paw slid stealthily to the handle of the long, slim knife that protruded33 from the greasy34 cord supporting his soiled apron35.
Rokoff saw the move and stopped short in his advance. Then he turned toward Jane Clayton.
"I will give you until tomorrow," he said, "to reconsider your answer to my offer. All will be sent ashore36 upon one pretext37 or another except you and the child, Paulvitch and myself. Then without interruption you will be able to witness the death of the baby."
He spoke in French that the cook might not understand the sinister38 portent39 of his words. When he had done he banged out of the cabin without another look at the man who had interrupted him in his sorry work.
When he had gone, Sven Anderssen turned toward Lady Greystoke—the idiotic40 expression that had masked his thoughts had fallen away, and in its place was one of craft and cunning.
Jane Clayton looked at him in surprise.
"You understood all that he said, then?"
Anderssen grinned.
"You bat," he said.
"And you heard what was going on in here and came to protect me?"
"You bane good to me," explained the Swede. "Hay treat me like darty dog. Ay help you, lady. You yust vait—Ay help you. Ay ban Vast Coast lots times."
"But how can you help me, Sven," she asked, "when all these men will be against us?"
"Ay tank," said Sven Anderssen, "it blow purty soon purty hard," and then he turned and left the cabin.
Though Jane Clayton doubted the cook's ability to be of any material service to her, she was nevertheless deeply grateful to him for what he already had done. The feeling that among these enemies she had one friend brought the first ray of comfort that had come to lighten the burden of her miserable apprehensions42 throughout the long voyage of the Kincaid.
She saw no more of Rokoff that day, nor of any other until Sven came with her evening meal. She tried to draw him into conversation relative to his plans to aid her, but all that she could get from him was his stereotyped43 prophecy as to the future state of the wind. He seemed suddenly to have relapsed into his wonted state of dense44 stupidity.
However, when he was leaving her cabin a little later with the empty dishes he whispered very low, "Leave on your clothes an' roll up your blankets. Ay come back after you purty soon."
He would have slipped from the room at once, but Jane laid her hand upon his sleeve.
"My baby?" she asked. "I cannot go without him."
"You do wot Ay tal you," said Anderssen, scowling45. "Ay ban halpin' you, so don't you gat too fonny."
When he had gone Jane Clayton sank down upon her berth in utter bewilderment. What was she to do? Suspicions as to the intentions of the Swede swarmed46 her brain. Might she not be infinitely47 worse off if she gave herself into his power than she already was?
No, she could be no worse off in company with the devil himself than with Nikolas Rokoff, for the devil at least bore the reputation of being a gentleman.
She swore a dozen times that she would not leave the Kincaid without her baby, and yet she remained clothed long past her usual hour for retiring, and her blankets were neatly48 rolled and bound with stout49 cord, when about midnight there came a stealthy scratching upon the panels of her door.
Swiftly she crossed the room and drew the bolt. Softly the door swung open to admit the muffled50 figure of the Swede. On one arm he carried a bundle, evidently his blankets. His other hand was raised in a gesture commanding silence, a grimy forefinger51 upon his lips.
He came quite close to her.
"Carry this," he said. "Do not make some noise when you see it. It ban your kid."
Quick hands snatched the bundle from the cook, and hungry mother arms folded the sleeping infant to her breast, while hot tears of joy ran down her cheeks and her whole frame shook with the emotion of the moment.
"Come!" said Anderssen. "We got no time to vaste."
He snatched up her bundle of blankets, and outside the cabin door his own as well. Then he led her to the ship's side, steadied her descent of the monkey-ladder, holding the child for her as she climbed to the waiting boat below. A moment later he had cut the rope that held the small boat to the steamer's side, and, bending silently to the muffled oars52, was pulling toward the black shadows up the Ugambi River.
Anderssen rowed on as though quite sure of his ground, and when after half an hour the moon broke through the clouds there was revealed upon their left the mouth of a tributary53 running into the Ugambi. Up this narrow channel the Swede turned the prow54 of the small boat.
Jane Clayton wondered if the man knew where he was bound. She did not know that in his capacity as cook he had that day been rowed up this very stream to a little village where he had bartered55 with the natives for such provisions as they had for sale, and that he had there arranged the details of his plan for the adventure upon which they were now setting forth56.
Even though the moon was full, the surface of the small river was quite dark. The giant trees overhung its narrow banks, meeting in a great arch above the centre of the river. Spanish moss57 dropped from the gracefully58 bending limbs, and enormous creepers clambered in riotous59 profusion60 from the ground to the loftiest branch, falling in curving loops almost to the water's placid61 breast.
Now and then the river's surface would be suddenly broken ahead of them by a huge crocodile, startled by the splashing of the oars, or, snorting and blowing, a family of hippos would dive from a sandy bar to the cool, safe depths of the bottom.
From the dense jungles upon either side came the weird62 night cries of the carnivora—the maniacal63 voice of the hyena64, the coughing grunt65 of the panther, the deep and awful roar of the lion. And with them strange, uncanny notes that the girl could not ascribe to any particular night prowler—more terrible because of their mystery.
Huddled66 in the stern of the boat she sat with her baby strained close to her bosom67, and because of that little tender, helpless thing she was happier tonight than she had been for many a sorrow-ridden day.
Even though she knew not to what fate she was going, or how soon that fate might overtake her, still was she happy and thankful for the moment, however brief, that she might press her baby tightly in her arms. She could scarce wait for the coming of the day that she might look again upon the bright face of her little, black-eyed Jack68.
Again and again she tried to strain her eyes through the blackness of the jungle night to have but a tiny peep at those beloved features, but only the dim outline of the baby face rewarded her efforts. Then once more she would cuddle the warm, little bundle close to her throbbing69 heart.
It must have been close to three o'clock in the morning that Anderssen brought the boat's nose to the shore before a clearing where could be dimly seen in the waning70 moonlight a cluster of native huts encircled by a thorn boma.
At the village gate they were admitted by a native woman, the wife of the chief whom Anderssen had paid to assist him. She took them to the chief's hut, but Anderssen said that they would sleep without upon the ground, and so, her duty having been completed, she left them to their own devices.
The Swede, after explaining in his gruff way that the huts were doubtless filthy71 and vermin-ridden, spread Jane's blankets on the ground for her, and at a little distance unrolled his own and lay down to sleep.
It was some time before the girl could find a comfortable position upon the hard ground, but at last, the baby in the hollow of her arm, she dropped asleep from utter exhaustion72. When she awoke it was broad daylight.
About her were clustered a score of curious natives—mostly men, for among the aborigines it is the male who owns this characteristic in its most exaggerated form. Instinctively73 Jane Clayton drew the baby more closely to her, though she soon saw that the blacks were far from intending her or the child any harm.
In fact, one of them offered her a gourd74 of milk—a filthy, smoke-begrimed gourd, with the ancient rind of long-curdled milk caked in layers within its neck; but the spirit of the giver touched her deeply, and her face lightened for a moment with one of those almost forgotten smiles of radiance that had helped to make her beauty famous both in Baltimore and London.
She took the gourd in one hand, and rather than cause the giver pain raised it to her lips, though for the life of her she could scarce restrain the qualm of nausea5 that surged through her as the malodorous thing approached her nostrils75.
It was Anderssen who came to her rescue, and taking the gourd from her, drank a portion himself, and then returned it to the native with a gift of blue beads76.
The sun was shining brightly now, and though the baby still slept, Jane could scarce restrain her impatient desire to have at least a brief glance at the beloved face. The natives had withdrawn77 at a command from their chief, who now stood talking with Anderssen, a little apart from her.
As she debated the wisdom of risking disturbing the child's slumber78 by lifting the blanket that now protected its face from the sun, she noted79 that the cook conversed80 with the chief in the language of the Negro.
What a remarkable81 man the fellow was, indeed! She had thought him ignorant and stupid but a short day before, and now, within the past twenty-four hours, she had learned that he spoke not only English but French as well, and the primitive82 dialect of the West Coast.
She had thought him shifty, cruel, and untrustworthy, yet in so far as she had reason to believe he had proved himself in every way the contrary since the day before. It scarce seemed credible83 that he could be serving her from motives84 purely85 chivalrous86. There must be something deeper in his intentions and plans than he had yet disclosed.
She wondered, and when she looked at him—at his close-set, shifty eyes and repulsive87 features, she shuddered, for she was convinced that no lofty characteristics could be hid behind so foul88 an exterior89.
As she was thinking of these things the while she debated the wisdom of uncovering the baby's face, there came a little grunt from the wee bundle in her lap, and then a gurgling coo that set her heart in raptures90.
The baby was awake! Now she might feast her eyes upon him.
Quickly she snatched the blanket from before the infant's face; Anderssen was looking at her as she did so.
He saw her stagger to her feet, holding the baby at arm's length from her, her eyes glued in horror upon the little chubby91 face and twinkling eyes.
Then he heard her piteous cry as her knees gave beneath her, and she sank to the ground in a swoon.
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收听单词发音
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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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2
importune
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| v.强求；不断请求 | |
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3
hideous
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| adj.丑陋的，可憎的，可怕的，恐怖的 | |
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4
nauseating
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| adj.令人恶心的，使人厌恶的v.使恶心，作呕( nauseate的现在分词 ) | |
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5
nausea
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| n.作呕，恶心；极端的憎恶(或厌恶) | |
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6
marooned
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| adj.被围困的；孤立无援的；无法脱身的 | |
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7
softened
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| （使）变软( soften的过去式和过去分词 )； 缓解打击； 缓和； 安慰 | |
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amends
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| n. 赔偿 | |
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savage
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| adj.野蛮的；凶恶的，残暴的；n.未开化的人 | |
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10
refinement
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| n.文雅；高尚；精美；精制；精炼 | |
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11
afflict
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| vt.使身体或精神受痛苦，折磨 | |
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12
expressive
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| adj.表现的，表达…的，富于表情的 | |
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13
eavesdropping
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| n. 偷听 | |
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droop
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| v.低垂，下垂；凋萎，萎靡 | |
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15
shuddered
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| v.战栗( shudder的过去式和过去分词 )；发抖；（机器、车辆等）突然震动；颤动 | |
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16
fatuous
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| adj.愚昧的；昏庸的 | |
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mortification
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| n.耻辱，屈辱 | |
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18
hissed
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| 发嘶嘶声( hiss的过去式和过去分词 )； 发嘘声表示反对 | |
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19
plebeian
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| adj.粗俗的；平民的；n.平民；庶民 | |
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brat
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| n.孩子；顽童 | |
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expatiating
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| v.详述，细说( expatiate的现在分词 ) | |
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22
execrate
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| v.憎恶；厌恶；诅咒 | |
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23
thoroughly
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| adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地 | |
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24
accede
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| v.应允，同意 | |
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flaunt
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| vt.夸耀，夸饰 | |
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berth
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| n.卧铺，停泊地，锚位；v.使停泊 | |
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jaw
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| n.颚，颌，说教，流言蜚语；v.喋喋不休，教训 | |
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28
drooped
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| 弯曲或下垂，发蔫( droop的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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29
vacuous
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| adj.空的，漫散的，无聊的，愚蠢的 | |
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30
watery
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| adj.有水的，水汪汪的；湿的，湿润的 | |
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vacuously
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| adv.无意义地，茫然若失地，无所事事地 | |
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32
miserable
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| adj.悲惨的，痛苦的；可怜的，糟糕的 | |
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33
protruded
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| v.（使某物）伸出，（使某物）突出( protrude的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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greasy
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| adj. 多脂的，油脂的 | |
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apron
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| n.围裙；工作裙 | |
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36
ashore
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| adv.在(向)岸上，上岸 | |
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pretext
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| n.借口，托词 | |
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sinister
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| adj.不吉利的，凶恶的，左边的 | |
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39
portent
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| n.预兆；恶兆；怪事 | |
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40
idiotic
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| adj.白痴的 | |
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41
savvy
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| v.知道，了解；n.理解能力，机智，悟性；adj.有见识的，懂实际知识的，通情达理的 | |
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42
apprehensions
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| 疑惧 | |
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43
stereotyped
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| adj.(指形象、思想、人物等)模式化的 | |
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44
dense
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| a.密集的，稠密的，浓密的；密度大的 | |
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45
scowling
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| 怒视，生气地皱眉( scowl的现在分词 ) | |
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46
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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47
infinitely
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| adv.无限地，无穷地 | |
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48
neatly
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| adv.整洁地，干净地，灵巧地，熟练地 | |
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50
muffled
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| adj.（声音）被隔的；听不太清的；（衣服）裹严的；蒙住的v.压抑，捂住( muffle的过去式和过去分词 )；用厚厚的衣帽包着（自己） | |
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51
forefinger
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| n.食指 | |
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52
oars
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| n.桨，橹( oar的名词复数 )；划手v.划（行）( oar的第三人称单数 ) | |
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53
tributary
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| n.支流；纳贡国；adj.附庸的；辅助的；支流的 | |
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54
prow
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| n.(飞机)机头，船头 | |
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55
bartered
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| v.作物物交换，以货换货( barter的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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56
forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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57
moss
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| n.苔，藓，地衣 | |
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58
gracefully
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| ad.大大方方地；优美地 | |
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59
riotous
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| adj.骚乱的；狂欢的 | |
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60
profusion
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| n.挥霍；丰富 | |
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61
placid
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| adj.安静的，平和的 | |
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62
weird
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| adj.古怪的，离奇的；怪诞的，神秘而可怕的 | |
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63
maniacal
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| adj.发疯的 | |
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64
hyena
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| n.土狼，鬣狗 | |
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65
grunt
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| v.嘟哝；作呼噜声；n.呼噜声，嘟哝 | |
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66
huddled
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| 挤在一起（huddle的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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67
bosom
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| n.胸，胸部；胸怀；内心；adj.亲密的 | |
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68
jack
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| n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克 | |
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69
throbbing
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| a. 跳动的,悸动的 | |
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70
waning
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| adj.（月亮）渐亏的，逐渐减弱或变小的n.月亏v.衰落( wane的现在分词 )；（月）亏；变小；变暗淡 | |
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71
filthy
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| adj.卑劣的；恶劣的，肮脏的 | |
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72
exhaustion
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| n.耗尽枯竭，疲惫，筋疲力尽，竭尽，详尽无遗的论述 | |
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73
instinctively
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| adv.本能地 | |
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74
gourd
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| n.葫芦 | |
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75
nostrils
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| 鼻孔( nostril的名词复数 ) | |
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76
beads
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| n.（空心）小珠子( bead的名词复数 )；水珠；珠子项链 | |
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77
withdrawn
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| vt.收回；使退出；vi.撤退，退出 | |
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78
slumber
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| n.睡眠，沉睡状态 | |
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noted
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| adj.著名的，知名的 | |
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conversed
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| v.交谈，谈话( converse的过去式 ) | |
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81
remarkable
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| adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的 | |
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82
primitive
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| adj.原始的；简单的；n.原(始)人，原始事物 | |
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83
credible
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| adj.可信任的，可靠的 | |
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84
motives
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| n.动机，目的( motive的名词复数 ) | |
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85
purely
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| adv.纯粹地，完全地 | |
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86
chivalrous
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| adj.武士精神的；对女人彬彬有礼的 | |
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87
repulsive
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| adj.排斥的，使人反感的 | |
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88
foul
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| adj.污秽的；邪恶的；v.弄脏；妨害；犯规；n.犯规 | |
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exterior
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| adj.外部的，外在的；表面的 | |
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raptures
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| 极度欢喜( rapture的名词复数 ) | |
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91
chubby
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| adj.丰满的，圆胖的 | |
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