首页 >出版文学> Vailima Letters>第22章

第22章

  Thetwowomensang,Bellejoiningtheminthehymnsshehaslearnedatfamilyworship。Thenasquallcameup;wesatawhileinroaringmidnightunderriversofrain,and,whenitblewby,therewasthelightagain,immovable。Asecondsquallfollowed,oneoftheworstIwaseveroutin;wecouldscarcecatchourbreathinthecold,dashingdeluge。Whenitwent,weweresocoldthatthewaterinthebottomoftheboatwhichIwasthenbalingseemedlikeawarmfootbathincomparison,andBelleandI,whowerestillbarefoot,werequiterestoredbylavinginit。
  AllthistimeIhadkeptmytemper,andrefrainedasfarasmightbefromanyinterference,forIsawinourfriend’smulishhumourhealwayscontrivedtotwistittoourdisadvantage。Butnowcametheacutepoint。YoungFranknowtookanoar。Hewasalittlefellow,nearasfrailasmyself,andveryshort;ifheweighedninestone,itwastheoutside;buthisbloodwasup。Hetookstroke,movedthebigSamoanforwardtobow,andsettoworktopullhimroundinfinestyle。Instantlyakindofracecompetition-almostracehatred-sprangup。WejeeredtheSamoan。Saledeclareditwasthetrimoftheboat:’ifthisladywasaft’
  Tauilo’sportlyfriend’hewouldrowroundFrank。’Weinsistedonhercomingaft,andFrankstillrowedroundtheSamoan。WhentheSamoancaughtacrabthethingwascontinualwiththesewretchedoarsandrowlocks,weshoutedandjeered;whenFrankcaughtone,SaleandtheSamoanjeeredandyelled。Butanywaytheboatmoved,andpresentlywegotupwithMulinuu,whereIfinallylostmytemper,whenIfoundthatSaleproposedtogoashoreandmakeavisit-infact,weallthreedid。Itisnotworthwhilegoinginto,butI
  mustgiveyouonesnatchofthesubsequentconversationaswepulledroundApiabay。’ThisSamoan,’saidSale,’receivedsevenGermanbulletsinthefieldofFangalii。’’Iamdelightedtohearit,’saidBelle。’Hisbrotherwaskilledthere,’pursuedSale;andBelle,promptasanecho,’Thentherearenomoreofthefamily?howdelightful!’Salewassufficientlysurprisedtochangethesubject;hebegantopraiseFrank’srowingwithinsufferablecondescension:’Butitisafterallnottobewonderedat,’saidhe,’becausehehasbeenforsometimeasailor。Mygoodman,isitthreeorfiveyearsthatyouhavebeentosea?’AndFrank,inadefiantshout:’Two!’Whereupon,sohighdidtheill-feelingrun,thatwethreeclappedandapplaudedandshouted,sothatthePresidentwhosehousewewerethenpassingdoubtlessstartedatthesounds。Itwasninewhenwegottothehotel;
  atfirstnofoodwastobefound,butweskirmishedupsomebreadandcheeseandbeerandbrandy;andhavingchangedourwetclothesfortheratherlesswetinourbagssuppedontheverandah。
  SATURDAY28TH。Iwaswakenedabout6。30,longpastmyusualhour,byabenevolentpasser-by。Myturtlelayontheverandahatmydoor,andthemanwokemetotellmeitwasdead,asithadbeenwhenweputitonboardthedaybefore。
  AllmorningIranthegauntletofmenandwomencominguptome:’Mr。Stevenson,yourturtleisdead。’Igavehalfofittothehotelkeeper,sothathiscookshouldcutitup;andwegotadamagedshell,andtwosplendidmeals,beefsteakonedayandsoupthenext。Thehorsescameforusabout9。30。
  Itwaswaterspouting;weweredrenchedbeforewegotoutofthetown;theroadwasafinegoingHighlandtroutstream;itthundereddeepandfrequent,andmymother’shorsewouldnotbetteronawalk。Atlastshetookpityonus,andverynoblyproposedthatBelleandIshouldrideahead。Weweremightygladtodoso,forwewerecold。Presently,IsaidI
  shouldridebackformymother,butitthunderedagain,Belleisafraidofthunder,andIdecidedtoseeherthroughtheforestbeforeIreturnedformyotherhen-Imaysay,myotherwethen。Aboutthemiddleofthewood,whereitisroughestandsteepest,wemetthreepack-horseswithbarrelsoflime-juice。IpilotedBellepastthese-itisnotveryeasyinsucharoad-andthenpassedthemagainmyself,topilotmymother。Thiseffected,itbegantothunderagain,soIrodeonhardafterBelle。WhenIcaughtupwithher,shewassingingSamoanhymnstosupportherterrors!Wewereallback,changed,andattablebylunchtime,11A。M。Norhaveanyofusbeentheworseforitsinsyne。Thatisprettygoodforawomanofmymother’sageandaninvalidofmystanding;aboveall,asTauilowaslaidupwithabadcold,probablyincreasedbyrage。
  FRIDAY,3RDJUNE。
  OnWednesdaytheclubcouldnotbeheld,andImustridedowntownandtoandfroallafternoondeliveringmessages,thendinedandrodeupbytheyoungmoon。IhadplentynewswhenIgotback;thereisgreattalkintownofmydeportation:itisthoughttheyhavewrittenhometoDowningStreetrequestingmyremoval,whichleavesmenotmuchalarmed;whatIdoratherexpectisthatH。J。MoorsandImaybehaledupbeforetheC。J。tostandatrialforLESE-Majesty。Well,we’lltryandliveitthrough。
  TherestofmyhistorysinceMondayhasbeenunadulteratedDAVIDBALFOUR。Inseasonandoutofseason,nightandday,Davidandhisinnocentharem-letmebejust,heneverhasmorethanthetwo-areonmymind。ThinkofDavidBalfourwithapairoffairladies-veryniceonestoo-hangingroundhim。IreallybelieveDavidisasagoodcharacterasanybodyhasarighttoaskforinanovel。IhavefinisheddraftingChapterXX。to-day,andfeelitallreadytofrothwhenthespigotisturned。
  OIforgot-anddoforget。WhatdidImean?Awaftofcloudhasfallenonmymind,andIwillwritenomore。
  WEDNESDAY,IBELIEVE,8THJUNE。
  LotsofDavid,andlotsofDavid,andthedevilanyothernews。Yesterdaywewerestartledbygreatgunsfiringasalute,andto-dayWhitmeemissionaryrodeuptolunch,andwelearneditwastheCURACOAcomein,theshipaccordingtorumourinwhichIwastobedeported。Iwentdowntomeetmyfate,andthecaptainistodinewithmeSaturday,soI
  guessIamnotgoingthisvoyage。EvenwiththeparticularitywithwhichIwritetoyou,howmuchofmylifegoesunexpressed;mytroubleswithamadmanbythenameof-,agenuinelivinglunatic,Ibelieve,andjollydangerous;mytroublesaboutpoor-,allthesehavedroppedout;yetformomentstheywereveryinstant,andoneofthemisalwayspresentwithme。
  IhavefinishedcopyingChapterXXI。ofDavid-’SOLUSCUM
  SOLA;wetraveltogether。’ChapterXXII。,’SOLUSCUMSOLA;
  wekeephousetogether,’isalreadydrafted。TotheendofXXI。makesmorethan150pagesofmymanuscript-damnthishair-andIonlydesignedthebooktoruntoabout200;butwhenyouintroducethefemalesect,abookdoesrunawaywithyou。Iamverycurioustoseewhatyouwillthinkofmytwogirls。Myownopinionisquiteclear;Iaminlovewithboth。Iforeseeafewpleasantyearsofspiritualflirtations。ThecreatorifImaynamemyself,forthesakeofargument,bysuchanameisessentiallyunfaithful。ForthedurationofthetwochaptersinwhichIdealtwithMissGrant,Itotallyforgotmyheroine,andeven-butthisisaflatsecret-triedtowinawayDavid。IthinkImusttrysomedaytomarryMissGrant。I’mblestifIdon’tthinkI’vegotthathairout!whichseemstriumphenough;soI
  conclude。
  TUESDAY。
  Yourinfinitesimalcorrespondencehasreachedme,andIhavethehonourtorefertoitwithscorn。Itcontainsonlyonestatementofconceivableinterest,thatyourhealthisbetter;therestisnull,andsofarasdisquisitoryunsound。
  Iamallright,butDavidBalfourisailing;thiscamefrommyvisittotheman-of-war,whereIhadacupoftea,andthemostofthatnightwalkedtheverandahwithextraordinaryconvictionsofguiltandruin,manyofwhichbutnotall
  provedtohavefledwiththeday,takingDavidalongwiththem;heR。I。P。in
  OnSaturdayIwentdowntothetown,andfetchedupCaptainGibsontodinner;SundayIwasalldayatSamoa,andhadapileofvisitors。Yesterdaygotmymail,includingyourdespicablesheet;wasfooledwithavisitfromthehighchiefAsi,wentdownat4P。M。tomySamoanlessonfromWhitmee-I
  thinkIshalllearnfromhim,hedoesnotfoolmewithcockshotrulesthataredemolishednextday,butprofessesignorancelikeaman;thetruthis,thegrammarhasstilltobeexpiscated-dinedwithHaggard,andgothomeaboutnine。
  WEDNESDAY。
  TheexcellentClarkeupherealmostalldayyesterday,amanIesteemandliketothesolesofhisboots;IpreferhimtoanyoneinSamoa,andtomostpeopleintheworld;arealgoodmissionary,withtheinestimableadvantageofhavinggrownupalayman。Pitytheyallcan’tgetthat!Itrecallsmyoldproposal,whichdelightedLadyTaylorsomuch,thateverydivinitystudentshouldbethirtyyearsoldatleastbeforehewasadmitted。Boysswitchedoutofcollegeintoapulpit,whatchancehavethey?Thatanyshoulddowellamazesme,andthemostarejustwhatwastobeexpected。
  SATURDAY。
  Imusttellyouofourfeast。Itwaslongpromisedtotheboys,andcameoffyesterdayinoneoftheirnewhouses。MygoodSimelearrivedfromSavaiithatmorningaskingforpoliticaladvice;thenwehadTauilo;Elena’sfather,atalkingmanofTauilo’sfamily;Talolo’scousin;andaboyofSimele’sfamily,whoattendedonhisdignity;thenMetu,themeat-man-youhaveneverheardofhim,butheisagreatpersoninourhousehold-broughtaladyandaboy-andtherewasanotherinfant-eightguestsinall。Andwesatdownthirtystrong。Youshouldhaveseenourprocession,goingabouttwoo’clock,allinourbestclothes,tothehalloffeasting!AllinourSunday’sbest。Thenewhousehadbeenhurriedlyfinished;theraftersdecoratedwithflowers;thefloorspread,nativestyle,withgreenleaves;
  wehadgivenabigporker,twenty-fivepoundsoffreshbeef,atinofbiscuit,cocoanuts,etc。Ourplaceswereallarrangedwithmuchcare;thenativeladiesofthehousefacingourparty;thesidesfilledupbythemen;theguests,pleaseobserve:thetwochiefpeople,maleandfemale,wereplacedwithourfamily,therestbetweenS。andthenativeladies。Afterthefeastwasover,wehadkava,andthecallingofthekavawasaveryelaborateaffair,andI
  thoughthadliketohavemadeSimeleveryangry;heisreallyaconsiderablechief,butheandTauilowerenotcalledtillafterallourfamily,ANDTHEGUESTS,Isupposetheprinciplebeingthathewasstillregardedasoneofthehousehold。I
  forgottosaythatourblackboydidnotturnupwhenthefeastwasready。Offwentthetwocooks,foundhim,decoratedhimwithhugeredhibiscusflowers-hewasinaverydirtyundershirt-broughthimbackbetweenthemlikeareluctantmaid,and,thrusthimintoaplacebetweenFaaumaandElena,wherehewaspettedandministeredto。Whenhisturncameinthekavadrinking-andyoumaybesure,intheircontemptuous,affectionatekindnessforhim,asforagooddog,itcameratherearlierthanitought-hewascriedunderanewname。ALEKIiswhattheymakeofhisownnameArrick;butinsteadof{thecupof}
  {’leipuo}
  Aleki!’itwascalled’leipuoVAILIMA’anditwasexplainedthathehad’takenhischief-name’!ajestatwhichtheplantationstilllaughs。Kavadone,Imadealittlespeech,Henrytranslating。IfIhadbeenwell,Ishouldhavealludedtoall,butIwasscarceabletositup;soonlyalludedtomyguestofallthismonth,theTongan,Tomas,andtoSimele,partlyforthejestofmakinghimtranslatecomplimentstohimself。Thetalkingmanrepliedwithmanyhandsomecomplimentstome,intheusualfloodofSamoanfluentneatness;andweleftthemtoanafternoonofsinginganddancing。Muststopnow,asmyrighthandisverybadagain。
  Iamtryingtowritewithmyleft。
  SUNDAY。
  Abouthalf-pasteightlastnight,Ihadgonetomyownroom,FannyandLloydwereinFanny’s,everyoneelseinbed,onlytwoboysonthepremises-thetwolittlebrownboysMitaieleMichael,ageIsuppose11or12,andthenewsteward,aWallisislander,speakingnoEnglishandaboutfiftywordsofSamoan,recentlypromotedfromthebushwork,andamostgood,anxious,timidladof15or16-lookslike17or18,ofcourse-theygrowfasthere。IncomesMitaieletoLloyd,andtoldsomerigmaroleaboutPaatalisethesteward’sname