首页 >出版文学> The Works of Rudyard Kipling One>第37章
  butCharliealludedtoitoneveryoccasion,alwaysasastoryfromwhichmoneywastobemade。
  “IthinkIdeservetwenty-fivepercent。,don’tI,atleast。”besaid,withbeautifulfrankness“Isuppliedalltheideas,didn’tI?”
  ThisgreedinessforsilverwasanewsideinhisnatureIassumedthatithadbeendevelopedintheCity,whereCharliewaspickingupthecuriousnasaldrawloftheunderbredCityman。
  “Whenthething’sdonewe’lltalkaboutitIcan’tmakeanythingofitatpresentRed-hairedorblack-hairedheroareequallydifficult。”
  Hewassittingbythefirestaringattheredcoals“Ican’tunderstandwhatyoufindsodifficultIt’sallascleanasmudtome。”herepliedAjetofgaspuffedoutbetweenthebars,tooklightandwhistledsoftly“Supposewetakethered-hairedhero’sadventuresfirst,fromthetimethathecamesouthtomygalleyandcaptureditandsailedtotheBeaches。”
  IknewbetternowthantointerruptCharlieIwasoutofreachofpenandpaper,anddarednotmovetogetthemlestIshouldbreakthecurrentThegas-jetpuffedandwhinnied,Charlie’svoicedroppedalmosttoawhisper,andhetoldataleofthesailmgofanopengalleytoFurdurstrandi,ofsunsetsontheopensea,seenunderthecurveoftheonesaileveningafteteveningwhenthegalley’sbeakwasnotchedintothecentreofthesinkingdisc,and“wesailedbythatforwehadnootherguide。”quothCharlieHespokeofalandingonanislandandexplorationsinitswoods,wherethecrewkilledthreemenwhomtheyfoundasleepunderthepinesTheirghosts,Charliesaid,followedthegalley,swimmingandchokinginthewater,andthecrewcastlotsandthrewoneoftheirnumberoverboardasasacrificetothestrangegodswhomtheybadoffendedThentheyatesea-weedwhentheirprovisionsfailed,andtheirlegsswelled,andtheirleader,thered-hairedman,killedtworowerswhomutinied,andafterayearspentamongthewoodstheysetsailfortheirowncountry,andawindthatneverfailedcarriedthembacksosafelythattheyallsleptatnightThisandmuchmoreCharlietoldSometimesthevoicefellsolowthatIcouldnotcatchthewords,thougheverynervewasonthestrainHespokeoftheirleader,thered-hairedman,asapaganspeaksofhisGod;foritwashewhocheeredthemandslewthemimpartiallyashethoughtbestfortheirneeds;anditwashewhosteeredthemforthreedaysamongfloatingice,eachfloecrowdedwithstrangebeaststhat“triedtosailwithus,’saidCharlie,“andwebeatthembackwiththehandlesoftheoars。”
  Thegas-jetwentout,aburnedcoalgaveway,andthefiresettleddownwithatinycrashtothebottomofthegrateCharlieceasedspeaking,andIsaidnoword。
  “ByJove!”hesaid,atlast,shakinghishead“I’vebeenstaringatthefiretillI’mdizzyWhatwasIgoingtosay。
  “Somethingaboutthegalley。”
  “IremembernowIt’s25percentoftheprofits,isn’tit?”
  “It’sanythingyoulikewhenI’vedonethetale。”
  “IwantedtobesureofthatImustgonowI’ve,I’veanappointment。”Andheleftme。
  HadmyeyesnotbeenheldImighthaveknowthatthatbrokenmutteringoverthefirewastheswan-songofCharlieMearsButI
  thoughtitthepreludetofullerrevelationAtlastandatlastI
  shouldcheattheLordsofLifeandDeath!
  WhennextCharliecametomeIreceivedhimwithraptureHewasnervousandembarrassed,buthiseyeswereveryfulloflight,andhislipsalittleparted。
  “I’vedoneapoem。”hesaid;andthenquickly:“it’sthebestI’veeverdoneReadit。”Hethrustitintomyhandandretreatedtothewindow。
  IgroanedinwardlyItwouldbetheworkofhalfanhourtocriticise-thatistosaypraise-thepoemsufficientlytopleaseCharlieThenIhadgoodreasontogroan,forCharlie,discardinghisfavoritecentipedemetres,hadlaunchedintoshorterandchoppierverse,andversewithamotiveatthebackofitThisiswhatIread:
  “Thedayismostfair,thecheerywindHalloosbehindthehill,Wherebebendsthewoodasseemethgood,Andthesaplingtohiswill!
  RiotOwind;thereisthatinmybloodThatwouldnothavetheestill!
  “Shegavemeherself,OEarth,OSky:
  Greysea,sheisminealoneI
  Letthesullenbouldersbearmycry,Andrejoicetho’theybebutstone!
  ’Mine!IhavewonherOgoodbrownearth,Makemerry!’TisbardonSpring;
  Makemerry;myloveisdoublyworthAllworshipyourfieldscanbring!
  LetthebindtbattillsyoufeelmymirthAttheearlyharrowing。”
  “Yes,it’stheearlyharrowing,pastadoubt。”Isaid,withadreadatmyheartCharliesmiled,butdidnotanswer。
  “Redcloudofthesunset,tellitabroad;
  IamvictorGreetmeOSun,DominantmasterandabsolutelordOverthesoulofone!”
  “Well?”saidCharlie,lookingovermyshoulder。
  Ithoughtitfarfromwell,andveryevilindeed,whenhesilentlylaidaphotographonthepaper-thephotographofagirlwithacurlyhead,andafoolishslackmouth。
  “Isn’tit-isn’titwonderful?”hewhispered,pinktothetipsofhisears,wrappedintherosymysteryoffirstlove“Ididn’tknow;I
  didn’tthink-itcamelikeathunderclap。”
  “YesItcomeslikeathunderclapAreyouveryhappy,Charlie?”
  “MyGod-she-shelovesmel“HesatdownrepeatingthelastwordstohimselfIlookedatthehairlessface,thenarrowshouldersalreadybowedbydesk-work,andwonderedwhen,where,andbowhehadlovedinhispastlives。
  “Whatwillyourmothersay?”Iasked,cheerfully。
  “Idon’tcareadamnwhatshesays。”
  Attwentythethingsforwhichonedoesnotcareadamnshould,properly,bemany,butonemustnotincludemothersinthelistI
  toldhimthisgently;andhedescribedHer,evenasAdammusthavedescribedtothenewlynamedbeaststhegloryandtendernessandbeautyofEveIncidentallyIlearnedthatShewasatobacconist’sassistantwithaweaknessforprettydress,andhadtoldhimfourorfivetimesalreadythatShehadneverbeenkissedbyamanbefore。
  Charliespokeon,andon,andon;whileI,separatedfromhimbythousandsofyears,wasconsideringthebeginningsofthingsNowIunderstoodwhytheLordsofLifeandDeathshutthedoorssocarefullybehindusItisthatwemaynotrememberourfirstwooingsWereitnotso,ourworldwouldbewithoutinhabitantsinahundredyears。
  “Now,aboutthatgalley-story。”1said,stillmorecheerfully,inapauseintherushofthespeech。
  Charlielookedupasthoughhehadbeenhit“Thegalley-whatgalley?Goodheavens,don’tjoke,man!Thisisserious!Youdon’tknowhowseriousitis!”
  GrishChunderwasrightCharliehadtastedtheloveofwomanthatkillsremembrance,andthefineststory’intheworldwouldneverbewritten。
  VOLUMEIVUNDERTHEDEODARS
  THEEDUCATIONOFOTISYEERE
  I
  Inthepleasantorchard-closes“Godblessallourgains。”saywe;
  Put“~1ayGodblessallourlosses。”
  Bettersuitswithourdegree-
  TheLostBower。
  THISisthehistoryofafailure;butthewomanwhofailedsaidthatitmightbeaninstructivetaletoputintoprintforthebenefitoftheyoungergenerationTheyoungergenerationdoesnotwantinstruction,beingperfectlywillingtoinstructifanyonewilllistentoitNonetheless,herebeginsthestorywhereeveryright-mindedstoryshouldbegin,thatistosayatSimla,whereallthingsbeginandmanycometoanevilend。
  ThemistakewasduetoaverycleverwomanmakingablunderandnotretrievingitMenarelicensedtostumble,butacleverwoman’smistakeisoutsidetheregularcourseofNatureandProvidence;sinceallgoodpeopleknowthatawomanistheonlyinfalliblethinginthisworld,exceptGovernmentPaperofthe’70issue,bearinginterestatfourandahalfpercentYet,wehavetorememberthatsixconsecutivedaysofrebearsingtheleadingpartofTheFeilenA’~ge~,attheNewGaietyTheatrewheretheplasterisnotyetproperlydry,mighthavebroughtaboutanunhingementofspiritswhich,again,mighthaveledtoeccentricities。
  MrsHauksbeecameto“TheFoundry“totiffinwithMrs。
  Mallowe,her13“
  onebosomfriend,forshewasinnnsense“awoman’swoman。”
  Anditwasawoman’stiffin,thedoorshuttoalltheworld;andtheybothtalkedchiflons,whichisFrenchforMysteries。
  “I’veenjoyedanintervalofsanity。”MrsFlauksbeeannounced,aftertiffinwasoverandthetwowerecomfortablysettledinthelittlewriting-roomthatopenedoutofMrsMallowe’sbedroom。
  “Mydeargirl,whathashedone?”saidMrsMallowe,sweetlyItisnoticeablethatladiesofacertainagecalleachother“deargirl。”justascommissionersoftwenty-eightyears’standingaddresstheirequalsintheCivilListas“myboy。”
  “There’snoheinthecaseWhoamIthatanimaginarymanshouldbealwayscreditedtome?
  AmIanApache?’1
  “No,dear,butsomebody’sscalpisgenerallydryingatyourwigwam-doorSoaking,rather。”
  ThiswasanallusiontotheHawleyBoy,whowasinthehabitofridingallacrossSimlaintheRains,tocallonMrsHauksbeeThatladylaughed。
  “Formysins,theAideatTyrconnellastnighttoldmeofftoTheMussuckHsh!Don’tlaugh。
  OneofmymostdevotedadmirersWhentheduffcame-someonereallyoughttoteachthemtomakepuddingatTyrconnel-TheMussuckwasatlibertytoattendtome。”
  “Sweetsoul!Iknowhisappetite。”saidMrsMallowe“Didhe,ohdidhe,beginhiswooing?”
  “ByaspecialmercyofProvidence,noHeexplainedhisimportanceasaPillaroftheEmpireI
  didn’tlaugh。”
  “Lucy,Idon’tbelieveyou。”
  “AskCaptainSangar;hewasontheothersideWell,asIwassaying,TheMussuckdilated。”
  “IthinkIcanseehimdoingit。”saidMrsMallowe,pensively,scratchingherfox-terrier’sears。
  “IwasproperlyimpressedMostproperlyIyawnedopenly。
  ’Strictsupervision,andplaythemoffoneagainsttheother,’saidTheMussuck,shovelingdownhisicebytureen/uls,Iassureyou。
  ’That,MrsHauksbee,isthesecretofourGovernment。’“
  MrsMallowelaughedlongandmerrily“Andwhatdidyousay?”
  “Didyoueverknowmeatlossforanansweryet?Isaid:’SoIhaveobservedinmydealingswithyou。’TheMussuckswelledwithprideHeiscomingtocallonmeto-morrowTheHawleyBoyiscomingtoo。”
  “’StrictsupervisionandplaythemoffoneagainsttheotherThat,MrsHauksbee,isthesecretofourGovernment。’AndIdaresayifwecouldgettoTheMussuck’sheart,weshouldfindthatheconsidershimselfamanoftheworld。”
  “AsheisoftheothertwothingsIlikeTheMussuck,andIwon’thaveyoucallhimnamesHeamusesme。”
  “Hehasreformedyou,too,bywhatappearsExplaintheintervalofsanity,andhitTimonthenosewiththepaper-cutter,pleaseThatdogistoofondofsugar。
  Doyoutakemilkinyours?”
  “No,thanksFolly,I’mweariedofthislifeIt’shollow。”
  “Turnreligious,thenIalwayssaidthatRomewouldbeyourfate。”
  “Onlyexchanginghalfadozenattach~inredforoneandinblack,andifIfasted,thewrinkleswouldcome,andnever,nevergoHasiteverstruckyou,dear,thatI’mgettingold?”
  “ThanksforyourcourtesyI’llreturnitYe-eswearebothnotexactly-howshallIputit?”
  “Whatwehavebeen’Ifeelitinmyhones,’asMrsCrossleysays。
  Polly,I’vewastedmylife。”
  “Ashow?”