the mirror of the sea- 第31部分

a　little　furnished　house　on　the　Prado　for　the　good　of　the　cause　…



POR　EL　REY！　　She　was　always　taking　little　houses　for　somebody's



good；　for　the　sick　or　the　sorry；　for　broken…down　artists；　cleaned…



out　gamblers；　temporarily　unlucky　speculators　…　VIEUX　AMIS　…　old



friends；　as　she　used　to　explain　apologetically；　with　a　shrug　of　her



fine　shoulders。







Whether　Don　Carlos　was　one　of　the　〃old　friends；〃　too；　it's　hard　to



say。　　More　unlikely　things　have　been　heard　of　in　smoking…rooms。



All　I　know　is　that　one　evening；　entering　incautiously　the　salon　of



the　little　house　just　after　the　news　of　a　considerable　Carlist



success　had　reached　the　faithful；　I　was　seized　round　the　neck　and



waist　and　whirled　recklessly　three　times　round　the　room；　to　the



crash　of　upsetting　furniture　and　the　humming　of　a　valse　tune　in　a



warm　contralto　voice。







When　released　from　the　dizzy　embrace；　I　sat　down　on　the　carpet　…



suddenly；　without　affectation。　　In　this　unpretentious　attitude　I



became　aware　that　J。　M。　K。　B。　had　followed　me　into　the　room；



elegant；　fatal；　correct　and　severe　in　a　white　tie　and　large　shirt…



front。　　In　answer　to　his　politely　sinister；　prolonged　glance　of



inquiry；　I　overheard　Dona　Rita　murmuring；　with　some　confusion　and



annoyance；　〃VOUS　ETES　BETE　MON　CHER。　　VOYONS！　　CA　N'A　AUCUNE



CONSEQUENCE。〃　　Well　content　in　this　case　to　be　of　no　particular



consequence；　I　had　already　about　me　the　elements　of　some　worldly



sense。







Rearranging　my　collar；　which；　truth　to　say；　ought　to　have　been　a



round　one　above　a　short　jacket；　but　was　not；　I　observed



felicitously　that　I　had　come　to　say　good…bye；　being　ready　to　go　off



to　sea　that　very　night　with　the　Tremolino。　　Our　hostess；　slightly



panting　yet；　and　just　a　shade　dishevelled；　turned　tartly　upon　J。　M。



K。　B。；　desiring　to　know　when　HE　would　be　ready　to　go　off　by　the



Tremolino；　or　in　any　other　way；　in　order　to　join　the　royal



headquarters。　　Did　he　intend；　she　asked　ironically；　to　wait　for　the



very　eve　of　the　entry　into　Madrid？　　Thus　by　a　judicious　exercise　of



tact　and　asperity　we　re…established　the　atmospheric　equilibrium　of



the　room　long　before　I　left　them　a　little　before　midnight；　now



tenderly　reconciled；　to　walk　down　to　the　harbour　and　hail　the



Tremolino　by　the　usual　soft　whistle　from　the　edge　of　the　quay。　　It



was　our　signal；　invariably　heard　by　the　ever…watchful　Dominic；　the



PADRONE。







He　would　raise　a　lantern　silently　to　light　my　steps　along　the



narrow；　springy　plank　of　our　primitive　gangway。　　〃And　so　we　are



going　off；〃　he　would　murmur　directly　my　foot　touched　the　deck。　　I



was　the　harbinger　of　sudden　departures；　but　there　was　nothing　in



the　world　sudden　enough　to　take　Dominic　unawares。　　His　thick　black



moustaches；　curled　every　morning　with　hot　tongs　by　the　barber　at



the　corner　of　the　quay；　seemed　to　hide　a　perpetual　smile。　　But



nobody；　I　believe；　had　ever　seen　the　true　shape　of　his　lips。　　From



the　slow；　imperturbable　gravity　of　that　broad…chested　man　you　would



think　he　had　never　smiled　in　his　life。　　In　his　eyes　lurked　a　look



of　perfectly　remorseless　irony；　as　though　he　had　been　provided　with



an　extremely　experienced　soul；　and　the　slightest　distension　of　his



nostrils　would　give　to　his　bronzed　face　a　look　of　extraordinary



boldness。　　This　was　the　only　play　of　feature　of　which　he　seemed



capable；　being　a　Southerner　of　a　concentrated；　deliberate　type。



His　ebony　hair　curled　slightly　on　the　temples。　　He　may　have　been



forty　years　old；　and　he　was　a　great　voyager　on　the　inland　sea。







Astute　and　ruthless；　he　could　have　rivalled　in　resource　the



unfortunate　son　of　Laertes　and　Anticlea。　　If　he　did　not　pit　his



craft　and　audacity　against　the　very　gods；　it　is　only　because　the



Olympian　gods　are　dead。　　Certainly　no　woman　could　frighten　him。　　A



one…eyed　giant　would　not　have　had　the　ghost　of　a　chance　against



Dominic　Cervoni；　of　Corsica；　not　Ithaca；　and　no　king；　son　of　kings；



but　of　very　respectable　family　…　authentic　Caporali；　he　affirmed。



But　that　is　as　it　may　be。　　The　Caporali　families　date　back　to　the



twelfth　century。







For　want　of　more　exalted　adversaries　Dominic　turned　his　audacity



fertile　in　impious　stratagems　against　the　powers　of　the　earth；　as



represented　by　the　institution　of　Custom…houses　and　every　mortal



belonging　thereto　…　scribes；　officers；　and　guardacostas　afloat　and



ashore。　　He　was　the　very　man　for　us；　this　modern　and　unlawful



wanderer　with　his　own　legend　of　loves；　dangers；　and　bloodshed。　　He



told　us　bits　of　it　sometimes　in　measured；　ironic　tones。　　He　spoke



Catalonian；　the　Italian　of　Corsica　and　the　French　of　Provence　with



the　same　easy　naturalness。　　Dressed　in　shore…togs；　a　white　starched



shirt；　black　jacket；　and　round　hat；　as　I　took　him　once　to　see　Dona



Rita；　he　was　extremely　presentable。　　He　could　make　himself



interesting　by　a　tactful　and　rugged　reserve　set　off　by　a　grim；



almost　imperceptible；　playfulness　of　tone　and　manner。







He　had　the　physical　assurance　of　strong…hearted　men。　　After　half　an



hour's　interview　in　the　dining…room；　during　which　they　got　in　touch



with　each　other　in　an　amazing　way；　Rita　told　us　in　her　best　GRANDE



DAME　manner：　　〃MAIS　IL　ESI　PARFAIT；　CET　HOMME。〃　　He　was　perfect。



On　board　the　Tremolino；　wrapped　up　in　a　black　CABAN；　the



picturesque　cloak　of　Mediterranean　seamen；　with　those　massive



moustaches　and　his　remorseless　eyes　set　off　by　the　shadow　of　the



deep　hood；　he　looked　piratical　and　monkish　and　darkly　initiated



into　the　most　awful　mysteries　of　the　sea。















XLIII。















Anyway；　he　was　perfect；　as　Dona　Rita　had　declared。　　The　only　thing



unsatisfactory　（and　even　inexplicable）　about　our　Dominic　was　his



nephew；　Cesar。　　It　was　startling　to　see　a　desolate　expression　of



shame　veil　the　remorseless　audacity　in　the　eyes　of　that　man



superior　to　all　scruples　and　terrors。







〃I　would　never　have　dared　to　bring　him　on　board　your　balancelle；〃



he　once　apologized　to　me。　　〃But　what　am　I　to　do？　　His　mother　is



dead；　and　my　brother　has　gone　into　the　bush。〃







In　this　way　I　learned　that　our　Dominic　had　a　brother。　　As　to　〃going



into　the　bush；〃　this　only　means　that　a　man　has　done　his　duty



successfully　in　the　pursuit　of　a　hereditary　vendetta。　　The　feud



which　had　existed　for　ages　between　the　families　of　Cervoni　and



Brunaschi　was　so　old　that　it　seemed　to　have　smouldered　out　at　last。



One　evening　Pietro　Brunaschi；　after　a　laborious　day　amongst　his



olive…trees；　sat　on　a　chair　against　the　wall　of　his　house　with　a



bowl　of　broth　on　his　knees　and　a　piece　of　bread　in　his　hand。



Dominic's　brother；　going　home　with　a　gun　on　his　shoulder；　found　a



sudden　offence　in　this　picture　of　content　and　rest　so　obviously



calculated　to　awaken　the　feelings　of　hatred　and　revenge。　　He　and



Pietro　had　never　had　any　personal　quarrel；　but；　as　Dominic



explained；　〃all　our　dead　cried　out　to　him。〃　　He　shouted　from　behind



a　wall　of　stones；　〃O　Pietro！　　Behold　what　is　coming！〃　　And　as　the



other　looked　up　innocently　he　took　aim　at　the　forehead　and　squared



the　old　vendetta　account　so　neatly　that；　according　to　Dominic；　the



dead　man　continued　to　sit　with　the　bowl　of　broth　on　his　knees　and



the　piece　of　bread　in　his　hand。







This　is　why　…　because　in　Corsica　your　dead　will　not　leave　you　alone



…　Dominic's　brother　had　to　go　into　the　MAQUIS；　into　the　bush　on　the



wild　mountain…side；　to　dodge　the　gendarmes　for　the　insignificant



remainder　of　his　life；　and　Dominic　had　charge　of　his　nephew　with　a



mission　to　make　a　man　of　him。







No　more　unpromising　undertaking　could　be　imagined。　　The　very



material　for　the　task　seemed　wanting。　　The　Cervonis；　if　not



handsome　men；　were　good　sturdy　flesh　and　blood。　　But　this



extraordinarily　lean　and　livid　youth　seemed　to　have　no　more　blood



in　him　than　a　snail。







〃Some　cursed　witch　must　have　stolen　my　brother's　child　from　the



cradle　and　put　that　spawn　of　a　starved　devil　in　its　place；〃　Dominic



would　say　to　me。　　〃Look　at　him！　　Just　look　at　him！〃







To　look　at　Cesar　was　not　pleasant。　　His　parchment　skin；　showing



dead　white　on　his　cranium　through　the　thin　wisps　of　dirty　brown



hair；　seemed　to　be　glued　directly　and　tightly　upon　his　big　bones；



Without　being　in　any　way　deformed；　he　was　the　nearest　approach



which　I　have　ever　seen　or　could　imagine　to　what　is　commonly



understood　by　the　word　〃monster。〃　　That　the　source　of　the　effect



produced　was　really　moral　I　have　no　doubt。　　An　utterly；　hopelessly



depraved　nature　was　expressed　in　physical　terms；　that　taken　each



separately　had　nothing　positively　startling。　　You　imagined　him



clammily　cold　to　the　touch；　like　a　snake。　　The　slightest　reproof；



the　most　mild　and　justifiable　remonstrance；　would　be　met　by　a



resentful　glare　and　an　evil　shrinking　of　his　thin　dry　upper　lip；　a



snarl　of　hate　to　which　he　generally　added　the　agreeable　sound　of



grinding　teeth。







It　was　for　this　venomous　performance　rather　than　for　his　lies；



impudence；　and　laziness　that　his　uncle　used　to　knock　him　down。　　It



must　not　be　imagined　that　it　was　anything　in　the　nature　of　a　brutal



assault。　　Dominic's　brawny　arm　would　be　seen　describing



deliberately　an　ample　horizontal　gesture；　a　dignified　sweep；　and



Cesar　would　go　over　suddenly　like　a　ninepin　…　which　was　funny　to



see。　　But；　once　down；　he　would　writhe　on　the　deck；　gnashing　his



teeth　in　impotent　rage　…　which　was　pretty　horrible　to　behold。　　And



it　also　happened　more　than　once　that　he　would　disappear　completely



…　which　was　startling　to　observe。　　This　is　the　exact　truth。　　Before



some　of　these　majestic　cuffs　Cesar　would　go　down　and　vanish。　　He



would　vanish　heels　overhead　into　open　hatchways；　into　scuttles；



behind　up…ended　casks；　according　to　the　place　where　he　happened　to



come　into　contact　with