’Butwhathasthistodowiththepicture？’
’WaitaminuteShehadbeenintheChinapassengertradeandherlowerdeckshadbunksfortwothousandpigtailsThosewerealltakendown，andshewasemptyuptohernose，andthelightscamethroughtheportholes——mostannoyinglightstoworkintillyougotusedtothemI
hadn’tanythingtodoforweeksTheship’schartswereinpiecesandourskipperdaren’trunsouthforfearofcatchingastormSohedidhisbesttoknockalltheSocietyIslandsoutofthewateronebyone，andI
wentintothelowerdeck，anddidmypictureontheportsideasfarforwardinherasIcouldgoTherewassomebrownpaintandsomegreenpaintthattheyusedfortheboats，andsomeblackpaintforironwork，andthatwasallIhad。’
’Thepassengersmusthavethoughtyoumad。’
’Therewasonlyone，anditwasawoman；butitgavemethenotionofmypicture。’
’Whatwasshelike？’saidTorpenhow。
’ShewasasortofNegroid-Jewess-Cuban；withmoralstomatch。
Shecouldn’treadorwrite，andshedidn’twantto，butsheusedtocomedownandwatchmepaint，andtheskipperdidn’tlikeit，becausehewaspayingherpassageandhadtobeonthebridgeoccasionally。’
’IseeThatmusthavebeencheerful。’
’ItwasthebesttimeIeverhadTobeginwith，wedidn’tknowwhetherweshouldgouporgodownanyminutewhentherewasaseaon；
andwhenitwascalmitwasparadise；andthewomanusedtomixthepaintsandtalkbrokenEnglish，andtheskipperusedtostealdowneveryfewminutestothelowerdeck，becausehesaidhewasafraidoffire。
So，yousee，wecouldnevertellwhenwemightbecaught，andIhadasplendidnotiontoworkoutinonlythreekeysofcolour。’
’Whatwasthenotion？’
’TwolinesinPoe——
NeithertheanglesinHeavenabovenorthedemonsdownunderthesea，CaneverdissevermysoulfromthesoulofthebeautifulAnnabelLee。
Itcameoutofthesea——allbyitselfIdrewthatfight，foughtoutingreenwateroverthenaked，chokingsoul，andthewomanservedasthemodelforthedevilsandtheangelsboth——sea-devilsandsea-angels，andthesoulhalfdrownedbetweenthemItdoesn’tsoundmuch，butwhentherewasagoodlightonthelowerdeckitlookedveryfineandcreepyItwassevenbyfourteenfeet，alldoneinshiftinglightforshiftinglight。’
’Didthewomaninspireyoumuch？’saidTorpenhow。
’Sheandtheseabetweenthem——immenselyTherewasaheapofbaddrawinginthatpictureIrememberIwentoutofmywaytoforeshortenforsheerdelightofdoingit，andIforeshorteneddamnably，butforallthatit’sthebestthingI’veeverdone；andnowIsupposetheship’sbrokenuporgonedownWhew！Whatatimethatwas！’
’Whathappenedafterall？’
’ItallendedTheywereloadingherwithwoolwhenIlefttheship，buteventhestevedoreskeptthepicturecleartothelastTheeyesofthedemonsscaredthem，Ihonestlybelieve。’
’Andthewoman？’
’ShewasscaredtoowhenitwasfinishedSheusedtocrossherselfbeforeshewentdowntolookatitJustthreecoloursandnochanceofgettinganymore，andtheseaoutsideandunlimitedlove-makinginside，andthefearofdeathatopofeverythingelse，OLord！’Hehadceasedtolookatthesketch，butwasstaringstraightinfrontofhimacrosstheroom。
’Whydon’tyoutrysomethingofthesamekindnow？’saidtheNilghai。
’BecausethosethingscomenotbyfastingandprayerWhenIfindacargo-boatandaJewess-Cubanandanothernotionandthesameoldlife，Imay。’
’Youwon’tfindthemhere，’saidtheNilghai。
’No，Ishallnot。’Dickshutthesketch-bookwithabang’Thisroom’sashotasanovenOpenthewindow，someone。’
Heleanedintothedarkness，watchingthegreaterdarknessofLondonbelowhimThechambersstoodmuchhigherthantheotherhouses，commandingahundredchimneys——crookedcowlsthatlookedlikesittingcatsastheyswunground，andotheruncouthbrickandzincmysteriessupportedbyironstanchionsandclampedby8-piecesNorthwardthelightsofPiccadillyCircusandLeicest...完整阅读请扫描二维码下载丁香书院APP免费看：