首页 >出版文学> MOLL FLANDERS>第65章

第65章

  Inthemeantime,mygoverness,faithfultothelastmoment,
  conveyedmylettertotheprisontomyhusband,andgotan
  answertoit,andthenextdaycamedownherselftotheship,
  bringingme,inthefirstplace,asea-bedastheycallit,and
  allitsfurniture,suchaswasconvenient,butnottoletthe
  peoplethinkitwasextraordinary。
  Shebroughtwithhera
  sea-chest——thatis,achest,suchasaremadeforseamen,with
  alltheconveniencesinit,andfilledwitheverythingalmost
  thatIcouldwant;andinoneofthecornersofthechest,where
  therewasaprivatedrawer,wasmybankofmoney——thisisto
  say,somuchofitasIhadresolvedtocarrywithme;forI
  orderedapartofmystocktobeleftbehindme,tobesent
  afterwardsinsuchgoodsasIshouldwantwhenIcameto
  settle;formoneyinthatcountryisnotofmuchusewhereall
  thingsarebroughtfortobacco,muchmoreisitagreatloss
  tocarryitfromhence。
  Butmycasewasparticular;itwasbynomeanspropertome
  togothitherwithoutmoneyorgoods,andforapoorconvict,
  thatwastobesoldassoonasIcameonshore,tocarrywith
  meacargoofgoodswouldbetohavenoticetakenofit,and
  perhapstohavethemseizedbythepublic;soItookpartofmy
  stockwithmethus,andlefttheotherpartwithmygoverness。
  Mygovernessbroughtmeagreatmanyotherthings,butit
  wasnotproperformetolooktoowellprovidedintheship,
  atleasttillIknewwhatkindofacaptainweshouldhave。
  Whenshecameintotheship,Ithoughtshewouldhavedied
  indeed;herheartsankatthesightofme,andatthethoughts
  ofpartingwithmeinthatcondition,andshecriedsointolerably,
  Icouldnotforalongtimehaveanytalkwithher。
  Itookthattimetoreadmyfellow-prisoner’sletter,which,
  however,greatlyperplexedme。
  Hetoldmewasdetermined
  togo,butfounditwouldbeimpossibleforhimtobedischarged
  timeenoughforgoinginthesameship,andwhichwasmore
  thanall,hebegantoquestionwhethertheywouldgivehim
  leavetogoinwhatshiphepleased,thoughhedidvoluntarily
  transporthimself;butthattheywouldseehimputonboard
  suchashipastheyshoulddirect,andthathewouldbecharged
  uponthecaptainasotherconvictprisonerswere;sothathe
  begantobeindespairofseeingmetillhecametoVirginia,
  whichmadehimalmostdesperate;seeingthat,ontheother
  hand,ifIshouldnotbethere,ifanyaccidentoftheseaorof
  mortalityshouldtakemeaway,heshouldbethemostundone
  creaturethereintheworld。
  Thiswasveryperplexing,andIknewnotwhatcoursetotake。
  Itoldmygovernessthestoryoftheboatswain,andshewas
  mightyeagerwithmetreatwithhim;butIhadnomindtoit,
  tillIheardwhethermyhusband,orfellow-prisoner,soshe
  calledhim,couldbeatlibertytogowithmeorno。
  AtlastI
  wasforcedtoletherintothewholematter,exceptonlythat
  ofhisbeingmyhusband。
  ItoldherIhadmadeapositive
  bargainoragreementwithhimtogo,ifhecouldgettheliberty
  ofgoinginthesameship,andthatIfoundhehadmoney。
  ThenIreadalonglecturetoherofwhatIproposedtodo
  whenwecamethere,howwecouldplant,settle,and,inshort,
  growrichwithoutanymoreadventures;and,asagreatsecret,
  Itoldherthatweweretomarryassoonashecameonboard。
  Shesoonagreedcheerfullytomygoingwhensheheardthis,
  andshemadeitherbusinessfromthattimetogethimoutof
  theprisonintime,sothathemightgointhesameshipwith
  me,whichatlastwasbroughttopass,thoughwithgreat
  difficulty,andnotwithoutalltheformsofatransported
  prisoner-convict,whichhereallywasnotyet,forhehadnot
  beentried,andwhichwasagreatmortificationtohim。
  As
  ourfatewasnowdetermined,andwewerebothonboard,
  actuallyboundtoVirginia,inthedespicablequalityof
  transportedconvictsdestinedtobesoldforslaves,Iforfive
  years,andheunderbondsandsecuritynottoreturntoEngland
  anymore,aslongashelived,hewasverymuchdejectedand
  castdown;themortificationofbeingbroughtonboard,ashe
  was,likeaprisoner,piquedhimverymuch,sinceitwasfirst
  toldhimheshouldtransporthimself,andsothathemightgo
  asagentlemanatliberty。
  Itistruehewasnotorderedtobe
  soldwhenhecamethere,aswewere,andforthatreasonhe
  wasobligedtopayforhispassagetothecaptain,whichwe
  werenot;astotherest,hewasasmuchatalossasachild
  whattodowithhimself,orwithwhathehad,butbydirections。
  Ourfirstbusinesswastocompareourstock。
  Hewasvery
  honesttome,andtoldmehisstockwasprettygoodwhenhe
  cameintotheprison,butthelivingthereashedidinafigure
  likeagentleman,and,whichwastentimesasmuch,the
  makingoffriends,andsolicitinghiscase,hadbeenvery
  expensive;and,inaword,allhisstockthathehadleftwas
  whichhehadabouthimallingold。
  Igavehimanaccountofmystockasfaithfully,thatistosay,
  ofwhatIhadtakentocarrywithme,forIwasresolved,
  whatevershouldhappen,tokeepwhatIhadleftwithmy
  governessinreserve;thatincaseIshoulddie,whatIhadwith
  mewasenoughtogivehim,andthatwhichwasleftinmy
  governess’shandswouldbeherown,whichshehadwell
  deservedofmeindeed。
  MystockwhichIhadwithmewas#246someoddshillings;
  sothatwehad#354betweenus,butaworsegottenestatewas
  scarceeverputtogethertobeingtheworldwith。
  Ourgreatestmisfortuneastoourstockwasthatitwasallin
  money,whicheveryoneknowsisanunprofitablecargotobe
  carriedtotheplantations。
  Ibelievehiswasreallyallhehad
  leftintheworld,ashetoldmeitwas;butI,whohadbetween
  andinbankwhenthisdisasterbefellme,andwho
  hadoneofthefaithfullestfriendsintheworldtomanageit
  forme,consideringshewasawomanofmannerofreligious
  principles,hadstill#300leftinherhand,whichIreservedas
  above;besides,someveryvaluablethings,asparticularlytwo
  goldwatches,somesmallpiecesofplate,andsomerings——all
  stolengoods。
  Theplate,rings,andwatcheswereputinmy
  chestwiththemoney,andwiththisfortune,andinthe
  sixty-firstyearofmyage,Ilaunchedoutintoanewworld,
  asImaycallit,intheconditionastowhatappearedonly
  ofapoor,nakedconvict,orderedtobetransportedinrespite
  fromthegallows。
  Myclotheswerepoorandmean,butnot
  raggedordirty,andnoneknewinthewholeshipthatIhad
  anythingofvalueaboutme。
  However,asIhadagreatmanyverygoodclothesandlinen
  inabundance,whichIhadorderedtobepackedupintwo
  greatboxes,Ihadthemshippedonboard,notasmygoods,
  butasconsignedtomyrealnameinVirginia;andhadthe
  billsofloadingsignedbyacaptaininmypocket;andinthese
  boxeswasmyplateandwatches,andeverythingofvalue
  exceptmymoney,whichIkeptbyitselfinaprivatedrawer
  inmychest,whichcouldnotbefound,oropened,iffound,
  withsplittingthechesttopieces。
  InthisconditionIlayforthreeweeksintheship,notknowing
  whetherIshouldhavemyhusbandwithmeorno,andtherefore
  notresolvinghoworinwhatmannertoreceivethehonest
  boatswain’sproposal,whichindeedhethoughtalittlestrange
  atfirst。
  Attheendofthistime,beholdmyhusbandcameonboard。
  Helookedwithadejected,angrycountenance,hisgreatheart
  wasswelledwithrageanddisdain;tobedraggedalongwith
  threekeepersofNewgate,andputonboardlikeaconvict,
  whenhehadnotsomuchasbeenbroughttoatrial。
  Hemade
  loudcomplaintsofitbyhisfriends,foritseemshehadsome
  interest;buthisfriendsgotsomecheckintheirapplication,
  andweretoldhehadhadfavourenough,andthattheyhad
  receivedsuchanaccountofhim,sincethelastgrantofhis
  transportation,thatheoughttothinkhimselfverywelltreated
  thathewasnotprosecutedanew。
  Thisanswerquietedhimat
  once,forheknewtoomuchwhatmighthavehappened,and
  whathehadroomtoexpect;andnowhesawthegoodnessof
  theadvicetohim,whichprevailedwithhimtoacceptofthe
  offerofavoluntarytransportation。
  Andafterthishischagrin
  atthesehell-hounds,ashecalledthem,wasalittleover,he
  lookedalittlecomposed,begantobecheerful,andasIwas
  tellinghimhowgladIwastohavehimoncemoreoutoftheir
  hands,hetookmeinhisarms,andacknowledgedwithgreat
  tendernessthatIhadgivenhimthebestadvicepossible。
  ’My
  dear,’sayshe,’thouhastwicesavedmylife;fromhenceforward
  itshallbeallemployedforyou,andI’llalwaystakeyouradvice。’
  Theshipbegannowtofill;severalpassengerscameonboard,
  whowereembarkedonnocriminalaccount,andthesehad
  accommodationsassignedtheminthegreatcabin,andother
  partsoftheship,whereaswe,asconvicts,werethrustdown
  below,Iknownotwhere。
  Butwhenmyhusbandcameon
  board,Ispoketotheboatswain,whohadsoearlygivenme
  hintsofhisfriendshipincarryingmyletter。
  Itoldhimhehad
  befriendedmeinmanythings,andIhadnotmadeanysuitable
  returntohim,andwiththatIputaguineaintohishand。
  Itold
  himthatmyhusbandwasnowcomeonboard;thatthough
  wewerebothunderthepresentmisfortune,yetwehadbeen
  personsofadifferentcharacterfromthewretchedcrewthat
  wecamewith,anddesiredtoknowofhim,whetherthecaptain
  mightnotbemovedtoadmitustosomeconveniencesinthe
  ship,forwhichwewouldmakehimwhatsatisfactionhe
  pleased,andthatwewouldgratifyhimforhispainsinprocuring
  thisforus。
  Hetooktheguinea,asIcouldsee,withgreat
  satisfaction,andassuredmeofhisassistance。
  Thenhetoldushedidnotdoubtbutthatthecaptain,whowas
  oneofthebest-humouredgentlemenintheworld,wouldbe
  easilybroughttoaccommodateusaswellaswecoulddesire,
  and,tomakemeeasy,toldmehewouldgoupthenexttide
  onpurposetospeaktothecaptainaboutit。
  Thenextmorning,
  happeningtosleepalittlelongerthanordinary,whenIgotup,
  andbegantolookabroad,Isawtheboatswainamongthemen
  inhisordinarybusiness。
  Iwasalittlemelancholyatseeing