Bunt, recognising the meteoric1 heralds2 of danger, had begun to regret his obstinacy3. He saw that a hurricane was approaching.
Along the south coast of the Australian continent, though the usual westerly winds and gales4 of the highest latitudes6 prevail during the greater portion of the year, hurricanes are not infrequent. Gales commence at NW with a low barometer7, increasing at W and SW, and gradually veering8 to the south. True cyclones9 occur at New Zealand. The log of the Adelaide for 29th February, 1870, describes one which travelled at the rate of ten miles an hour, and had all the veerings, calm centre, etc., of a true tropical hurricane. Now a cyclone10 occurring off the west coast of New Zealand would travel from the New Hebrides, where such storms are hideously12 frequent, and envelop13 Norfolk Island, passing directly across the track of vessels14 coming from South America to Sydney. It was one of these rotatory storms, an escaped tempest of the tropics, which threatened the Lady Franklin.
The ominous16 calm which had brooded over the island during the day had given place to a smart breeze from the north-east, and though the schooner17 had been sheltered at her anchorage under the lee of the island (the “harbour” looked nearly due south), when once fairly out to sea, Blunt saw it would be impossible to put back in the teeth of the gale5. Haply, however, the full fury of the storm would not overtake them till they had gained sea-room.
Rufus Dawes, exhausted18 with the excitement through which he had passed, had slept for two or three hours, when he was awakened19 by the motion of the vessel15 going on the other tack20. He rose to his feet, and found himself in complete darkness. Overhead was the noise of trampling21 feet, and he could distinguish the hoarse22 tones of Blunt bellowing23 orders. Astonished at the absence of the moonlight which had so lately silvered the sea, he flung open the cabin window and looked out. As we have said, the cabin allotted24 to North was one of the two stern cabins, and from it the convict had a full view of the approaching storm.
The sight was one of wild grandeur25. The huge, black cloud which hung in the horizon had changed its shape. Instead of a curtain it was an arch. Beneath this vast and magnificent portal shone a dull phosphoric light. Across this livid space pale flashes of sheet-lightning passed noiselessly. Behind it was a dull and threatening murmur26, made up of the grumbling27 of thunder, the falling of rain, and the roar of contending wind and water. The lights of the prison-island had disappeared, so rapid had been the progress of the schooner under the steady breeze, and the ocean stretched around, black and desolate28. Gazing upon this gloomy expanse, Rufus Dawes observed a strange phenomenon — lightning appeared to burst upwards29 from the sullen30 bosom31 of the sea. At intervals32, the darkly-rolling waves flashed fire, and streaks34 of flame shot upwards. The wind increased in violence, and the arch of light was fringed with rain. A dull, red glow hung around, like the reflection of a conflagration35. Suddenly, a tremendous peal36 of thunder, accompanied by a terrific downfall of rain, rattled37 along the sky. The arch of light disappeared, as though some invisible hand had shut the slide of a giant lantern. A great wall of water rushed roaring over the level plain of the sea, and with an indescribable medley38 of sounds, in which tones of horror, triumph, and torture were blended, the cyclone swooped39 upon them.
Rufus Dawes comprehended that the elements had come to save or destroy him. In that awful instant the natural powers of the man rose equal to the occasion. In a few hours his fate would be decided40, and it was necessary that he should take all precaution. One of two events seemed inevitable41; he would either be drowned where he lay, or, should the vessel weather the storm, he would be forced upon the deck, and the desperate imposture42 he had attempted be discovered. For the moment despair overwhelmed him, and he contemplated43 the raging sea as though he would cast himself into it, and thus end his troubles. The tones of a woman’s voice recalled him to himself. Cautiously unlocking the cabin door, he peered out. The cuddy was lighted by a swinging lamp which revealed Sylvia questioning one of the women concerning the storm. As Rufus Dawes looked, he saw her glance, with an air half of hope, half of fear, towards the door behind which he lurked44, and he understood that she expected to see the chaplain. Locking the door, he proceeded hastily to dress himself in North’s clothes. He would wait until his aid was absolutely required, and then rush out. In the darkness, Sylvia would mistake him for the priest. He could convey her to the boat — if recourse to the boats should be rendered necessary — and then take the hazard of his fortune. While she was in danger, his place was near by.
From the deck of the vessel the scene was appalling45. The clouds had closed in. The arch of light had disappeared, and all was a dull, windy blackness. Gigantic seas seemed to mount in the horizon and sweep towards and upon them. It was as though the ship lay in the vortex of a whirlpool, so high on either side of her were piled the rough pyramidical masses of sea. Mighty46 gusts47 arose — claps of wind which seemed like strokes of thunder. A sail loosened from its tackling was torn away and blown out to sea, disappearing like a shred49 of white paper to leeward50. The mercury in the barometer marked 29:50. Blunt, who had been at the rum bottle, swore great oaths that no soul on board would see another sun; and when Partridge rebuked51 him for blasphemy52 at such a moment, wept spirituous tears.
The howling of the wind was benumbing; the very fury of sound enfeebled while it terrified. The sailors, horror-stricken, crawled about the deck, clinging to anything they thought most secure. It was impossible to raise the head to look to windward. The eyelids53 were driven together, and the face stung by the swift and biting spray. Men breathed this atmosphere of salt and wind, and became sickened. Partridge felt that orders were useless — the man at his elbow could not have heard them. The vessel lay almost on her beam ends, with her helm up, stripped even of the sails which had been furled upon the yards. Mortal hands could do nothing for her.
By five o’clock in the morning the gale had reached its height. The heavens showered out rain and lightnings — rain which the wind blew away before it reached the ocean, lightnings which the ravenous54 and mountainous waves swallowed before they could pierce the gloom. The ship lay over on her side, held there by the madly rushing wind, which seemed to flatten55 down the sea, cutting off the top of the waves, and breaking them into fine white spray which covered the ocean like a thick cloud, as high as the topmast heads. Each gust48 seemed unsurpassable in intensity56, but was succeeded, after a pause, that was not a lull57 but a gasp58, by one of more frantic59 violence. The barometer stood at 27:82. The ship was a mere60 labouring, crazy wreck61, that might sink at any moment. At half-past three o’clock the barometer had fallen to 27:62. Save when lighted by occasional flashes of sheet-lightning, which showed to the cowed wretches62 their awe-stricken faces, this tragedy of the elements was performed in a darkness which was almost palpable.
Suddenly the mercury rose to 29:90, and, with one awful shriek63, the wind dropped to a calm. The Lady Franklin had reached the centre of the cyclone. Partridge, glancing to where the great body of drunken Blunt rolled helplessly lashed33 to the wheel, felt a strange selfish joy thrill him. If the ship survived the drunken captain would be dismissed, and he, Partridge, the gallant64, would reign65 in his stead. The schooner, no longer steadied by the wind, was at the mercy of every sea. Volumes of water poured over her. Presently she heeled over, for, with a triumphant66 scream, the wind leapt on to her from a fresh quarter. Following its usual course, the storm returned upon its track. The hurricane was about to repeat itself from the north-west.
The sea, pouring down through the burst hatchway, tore the door of the cuddy from its hinges. Sylvia found herself surrounded by a wildly-surging torrent67 which threatened to overwhelm her. She shrieked68 aloud for aid, but her voice was inaudible even to herself. Clinging to the mast which penetrated69 the little cuddy, she fixed70 her eyes upon the door behind which she imagined North was, and whispered a last prayer for succour. The door opened, and from out the cabin came a figure clad in black. She looked up, and the light of the expiring lamp showed her a face that was not that of the man she hoped to see. Then a pair of dark eyes beaming ineffable71 love and pity were bent72 upon her, and a pair of dripping arms held her above the brine as she had once been held in the misty73 mysterious days that were gone.
In the terror of that moment the cloud which had so long oppressed her brain passed from it. The action of the strange man before her completed and explained the action of the convict chained to the Port Arthur coal-wagons, of the convict kneeling in the Norfolk Island torture-chamber. She remembered the terrible experience of Macquarie Harbour. She recalled the evening of the boat-building, when, swung into the air by stalwart arms, she had promised the rescuing prisoner to plead for him with her kindred. Regaining74 her memory thus, all the agony and shame of the man’s long life of misery75 became at once apparent to her. She understood how her husband had deceived her, and with what base injustice76 and falsehood he had bought her young love. No question as to how this doubly-condemned prisoner had escaped from the hideous11 isle77 of punishment she had quitted occurred to her. She asked not — even in her thoughts — how it had been given to him to supplant78 the chaplain in his place on board the vessel. She only considered, in her sudden awakening79, the story of his wrongs, remembered only his marvellous fortitude80 and love, knew only, in this last instant of her pure, ill-fated life, that as he had saved her once from starvation and death, so had he come again to save her from sin and from despair. Whoever has known a deadly peril81 will remember how swiftly thought then travelled back through scenes clean forgotten, and will understand how Sylvia’s retrospective vision merged82 the past into the actual before her, how the shock of recovered memory subsided83 in the grateful utterance84 of other days —“Good Mr. Dawes!”
The eyes of the man and woman met in one long, wild gaze. Sylvia stretched out her white hands and smiled, and Richard Devine understood in his turn the story of the young girl’s joyless life, and knew how she had been sacrificed.
In the great crisis of our life, when, brought face to face with annihilation, we are suspended gasping85 over the great emptiness of death, we become conscious that the Self which we think we knew so well has strange and unthought-of capacities. To describe a tempest of the elements is not easy, but to describe a tempest of the soul is impossible. Amid the fury of such a tempest, a thousand memories, each bearing in its breast the corpse86 of some dead deed whose influence haunts us yet, are driven like feathers before the blast, as unsubstantial and as unregarded. The mists which shroud87 our self — knowledge become transparent88, and we are smitten89 with sudden lightning-like comprehension of our own misused90 power over our fate.
This much we feel and know, but who can coldly describe the hurricane which thus o’erwhelms him? As well ask the drowned mariner91 to tell of the marvels92 of mid-sea when the great deeps swallowed him and the darkness of death encompassed93 him round about. These two human beings felt that they had done with life. Together thus, alone in the very midst and presence of death, the distinctions of the world they were about to leave disappeared. Then vision grew clear. They felt as beings whose bodies had already perished, and as they clasped hands their freed souls, recognizing each the loveliness of the other, rushed tremblingly together.
Borne before the returning whirlwind, an immense wave, which glimmered94 in the darkness, spouted95 up and towered above the wreck. The wretches who yet clung to the deck looked shuddering96 up into the bellying97 greenness, and knew that the end was come.
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meteoric
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| adj.流星的，转瞬即逝的，突然的 | |
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heralds
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| n.使者( herald的名词复数 )；预报者；预兆；传令官v.预示( herald的第三人称单数 )；宣布（好或重要） | |
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obstinacy
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| n.顽固；（病痛等）难治 | |
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gales
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| 龙猫 | |
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gale
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| n.大风，强风，一阵闹声（尤指笑声等） | |
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latitudes
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| 纬度 | |
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barometer
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| n.气压表，睛雨表，反应指标 | |
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veering
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| n.改变的；犹豫的；顺时针方向转向；特指使船尾转向上风来改变航向v.（尤指交通工具）改变方向或路线( veer的现在分词 )；（指谈话内容、人的行为或观点）突然改变；（指风） （在北半球按顺时针方向、在南半球按逆时针方向）逐渐转向；风向顺时针转 | |
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cyclones
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| n.气旋( cyclone的名词复数 )；旋风；飓风；暴风 | |
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cyclone
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| n.旋风，龙卷风 | |
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hideous
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| adj.丑陋的，可憎的，可怕的，恐怖的 | |
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hideously
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| adv.可怕地，非常讨厌地 | |
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envelop
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| vt.包，封，遮盖；包围 | |
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vessels
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| n.血管( vessel的名词复数 )；船；容器；（具有特殊品质或接受特殊品质的）人 | |
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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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ominous
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| adj.不祥的，不吉的，预兆的，预示的 | |
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schooner
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| n.纵帆船 | |
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exhausted
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| adj.极其疲惫的，精疲力尽的 | |
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awakened
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| v.（使）醒( awaken的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）觉醒；弄醒；（使）意识到 | |
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tack
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| n.大头钉；假缝，粗缝 | |
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trampling
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| 踩( trample的现在分词 )； 践踏； 无视； 侵犯 | |
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hoarse
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| adj.嘶哑的，沙哑的 | |
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bellowing
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| v.发出吼叫声，咆哮（尤指因痛苦）( bellow的现在分词 )；（愤怒地）说出（某事），大叫 | |
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allotted
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| 分配，拨给，摊派( allot的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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grandeur
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| n.伟大，崇高，宏伟，庄严，豪华 | |
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murmur
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| n.低语，低声的怨言；v.低语，低声而言 | |
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grumbling
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| adj. 喃喃鸣不平的, 出怨言的 | |
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desolate
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| adj.荒凉的，荒芜的；孤独的，凄凉的；v.使荒芜，使孤寂 | |
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upwards
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| adv.向上，在更高处...以上 | |
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sullen
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| adj.愠怒的，闷闷不乐的，(天气等)阴沉的 | |
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bosom
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| n.胸，胸部；胸怀；内心；adj.亲密的 | |
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intervals
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| n.[军事]间隔( interval的名词复数 )；间隔时间；[数学]区间；（戏剧、电影或音乐会的）幕间休息 | |
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lashed
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| adj.具睫毛的v.鞭打( lash的过去式和过去分词 )；煽动；紧系；怒斥 | |
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streaks
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| n.（与周围有所不同的）条纹( streak的名词复数 )；（通常指不好的）特征（倾向）；（不断经历成功或失败的）一段时期v.快速移动( streak的第三人称单数 )；使布满条纹 | |
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conflagration
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| n.建筑物或森林大火 | |
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peal
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| n.钟声；v.鸣响 | |
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rattled
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| 慌乱的，恼火的 | |
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medley
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| n.混合 | |
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swooped
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| 俯冲，猛冲( swoop的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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inevitable
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| adj.不可避免的，必然发生的 | |
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imposture
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| n.冒名顶替，欺骗 | |
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contemplated
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| adj. 预期的 动词contemplate的过去分词形式 | |
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lurked
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| vi.潜伏，埋伏（lurk的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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appalling
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| adj.骇人听闻的，令人震惊的，可怕的 | |
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mighty
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| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
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gusts
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| 一阵强风( gust的名词复数 )； （怒、笑等的）爆发； （感情的）迸发； 发作 | |
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gust
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| n.阵风，突然一阵（雨、烟等），（感情的）迸发 | |
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shred
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| v.撕成碎片，变成碎片；n.碎布条，细片，些少 | |
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leeward
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| adj.背风的；下风的 | |
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rebuked
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| 责难或指责( rebuke的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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blasphemy
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| n.亵渎，渎神 | |
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eyelids
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| n.眼睑( eyelid的名词复数 )；眼睛也不眨一下；不露声色；面不改色 | |
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ravenous
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| adj.极饿的，贪婪的 | |
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flatten
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| v.把．．．弄平，使倒伏；使(漆等)失去光泽 | |
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intensity
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| n.强烈，剧烈；强度；烈度 | |
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lull
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| v.使安静，使入睡，缓和，哄骗；n.暂停，间歇 | |
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gasp
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| n.喘息，气喘；v.喘息；气吁吁他说 | |
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frantic
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| adj.狂乱的，错乱的，激昂的 | |
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mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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wreck
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| n.失事，遇难；沉船；vt.(船等)失事，遇难 | |
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wretches
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| n.不幸的人( wretch的名词复数 )；可怜的人；恶棍；坏蛋 | |
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shriek
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| v./n.尖叫，叫喊 | |
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gallant
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| adj.英勇的，豪侠的；(向女人)献殷勤的 | |
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reign
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| n.统治时期，统治，支配，盛行；v.占优势 | |
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triumphant
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| adj.胜利的，成功的；狂欢的，喜悦的 | |
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torrent
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| n.激流，洪流；爆发，(话语等的)连发 | |
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shrieked
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| v.尖叫( shriek的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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penetrated
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| adj. 击穿的，鞭辟入里的 动词penetrate的过去式和过去分词形式 | |
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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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ineffable
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| adj.无法表达的，不可言喻的 | |
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bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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misty
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| adj.雾蒙蒙的，有雾的 | |
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regaining
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| 复得( regain的现在分词 )； 赢回； 重回； 复至某地 | |
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misery
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| n.痛苦，苦恼，苦难；悲惨的境遇，贫苦 | |
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injustice
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| n.非正义，不公正，不公平，侵犯（别人的）权利 | |
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isle
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| n.小岛，岛 | |
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supplant
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| vt.排挤；取代 | |
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awakening
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| n.觉醒，醒悟 adj.觉醒中的；唤醒的 | |
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80
fortitude
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| n.坚忍不拔；刚毅 | |
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81
peril
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| n.(严重的)危险；危险的事物 | |
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82
merged
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| （使）混合( merge的过去式和过去分词 )； 相融； 融入； 渐渐消失在某物中 | |
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83
subsided
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| v.（土地）下陷（因在地下采矿）( subside的过去式和过去分词 )；减弱；下降至较低或正常水平；一下子坐在椅子等上 | |
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84
utterance
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| n.用言语表达，话语，言语 | |
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85
gasping
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| adj. 气喘的, 痉挛的 动词gasp的现在分词 | |
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86
corpse
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| n.尸体，死尸 | |
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87
shroud
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| n.裹尸布，寿衣；罩，幕；vt.覆盖，隐藏 | |
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88
transparent
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| adj.明显的，无疑的；透明的 | |
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89
smitten
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| 猛打，重击，打击( smite的过去分词 ) | |
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90
misused
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| v.使用…不当( misuse的过去式和过去分词 )；把…派作不正当的用途；虐待；滥用 | |
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91
mariner
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| n.水手号不载人航天探测器，海员，航海者 | |
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92
marvels
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| n.奇迹( marvel的名词复数 )；令人惊奇的事物（或事例）；不平凡的成果；成就v.惊奇，对…感到惊奇( marvel的第三人称单数 ) | |
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93
encompassed
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| v.围绕( encompass的过去式和过去分词 )；包围；包含；包括 | |
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94
glimmered
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| v.发闪光，发微光( glimmer的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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95
spouted
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| adj.装有嘴的v.（指液体）喷出( spout的过去式和过去分词 )；滔滔不绝地讲；喋喋不休地说；喷水 | |
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96
shuddering
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| v.战栗( shudder的现在分词 )；发抖；（机器、车辆等）突然震动；颤动 | |
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97
bellying
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| 鼓出部；鼓鼓囊囊 | |
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