benito cereno- 第7部分

t　the　sealer's　side；　as　well　as　its　returning　trip　lengthened　by　the　continual　recession　of　the　goal。　　　　　The　advancing　speck　was　observed　by　the　blacks。　Their　shouts　attracted　the　attention　of　Don　Benito；　who；　with　a　return　of　courtesy；　approaching　Captain　Delano；　expressed　satisfaction　at　the　coming　of　some　supplies；　slight　and　temporary　as　they　must　necessarily　prove。　　　　　Captain　Delano　responded；　but　while　doing　so；　his　attention　was　drawn　to　something　passing　on　the　deck　below：　among　the　crowd　climbing　the　landward　bulwarks；　anxiously　watching　the　coming　boat；　two　blacks；　to　all　appearances　accidentally　incommoded　by　one　of　the　sailors；　flew　out　against　him　with　horrible　curses；　which　the　sailor　someway　resenting；　the　two　blacks　dashed　him　to　the　deck　and　jumped　upon　him；　despite　the　earnest　cries　of　the　oakum…pickers。　　　　　〃Don　Benito；〃　said　Captain　Delano　quickly；　〃do　you　see　what　is　going　on　there？　Look！〃　　　　　But；　seized　by　his　cough；　the　Spaniard　staggered；　with　both　hands　to　his　face；　on　the　point　of　falling。　Captain　Delano　would　have　supported　him；　but　the　servant　was　more　alert；　who；　with　one　hand　sustaining　his　master；　with　the　other　applied　the　cordial。　Don　Benito；　restored；　the　black　withdrew　his　support；　slipping　aside　a　little；　but　dutifully　remaining　within　call　of　a　whisper。　Such　discretion　was　here　evinced　as　quite　wiped　away；　in　the　visitor's　eyes；　any　blemish　of　impropriety　which　might　have　attached　to　the　attendant；　from　the　indecorous　conferences　before　mentioned；　showing；　too；　that　if　the　servant　were　to　blame；　it　might　be　more　the　master's　fault　than　his　own；　since　when　left　to　himself　he　could　conduct　thus　well。　　　　　His　glance　thus　called　away　from　the　spectacle　of　disorder　to　the　more　pleasing　one　before　him；　Captain　Delano　could　not　avoid　again　congratulating　Don　Benito　upon　possessing　such　a　servant；　who；　though　perhaps　a　little　too　forward　now　and　then；　must　upon　the　whole　be　invaluable　to　one　in　the　invalid's　situation。　　　　　〃Tell　me；　Don　Benito；〃　he　added；　with　a　smile…　〃I　should　like　to　have　your　man　here　myself…　what　will　you　take　for　him？　Would　fifty　doubloons　be　any　object？〃　　　　　〃Master　wouldn't　part　with　Babo　for　a　thousand　doubloons；〃　murmured　the　black；　overhearing　the　offer；　and　taking　it　in　earnest；　and；　with　the　strange　vanity　of　a　faithful　slave　appreciated　by　his　master；　scorning　to　hear　so　paltry　a　valuation　put　upon　him　by　a　stranger。　But　Don　Benito；　apparently　hardly　yet　completely　restored；　and　again　interrupted　by　his　cough；　made　but　some　broken　reply。　　　　　Soon　his　physical　distress　became　so　great；　affecting　his　mind；　tool　apparently；　that；　as　if　to　screen　the　sad　spectacle；　the　servant　gently　conducted　his　master　below。　　　　　Left　to　himself；　the　American；　to　while　away　the　time　till　his　boat　should　arrive；　would　have　pleasantly　accosted　some　one　of　the　few　Spanish　seamen　he　saw；　but　recalling　something　that　Don　Benito　had　said　touching　their　ill　conduct；　he　refrained；　as　a　shipmaster　indisposed　to　countenance　cowardice　or　unfaithfulness　in　seamen。　　　　　While；　with　these　thoughts；　standing　with　eye　directed　forward　toward　that　handful　of　sailors…　suddenly　he　thought　that　some　of　them　returned　the　glance　and　with　a　sort　of　meaning。　He　rubbed　his　eyes；　and　looked　again；　but　again　seemed　to　see　the　same　thing。　Under　a　new　form；　but　more　obscure　than　any　previous　one；　the　old　suspicions　recurred；　but；　in　the　absence　of　Don　Benito；　with　less　of　panic　than　before。　Despite　the　bad　account　given　of　the　sailors；　Captain　Delano　resolved　forthwith　to　accost　one　of　them。　Descending　the　poop；　he　made　his　way　through　the　blacks；　his　movement　drawing　a　queer　cry　from　the　oakum…pickers；　prompted　by　whom　the　Negroes；　twitching　each　other　aside；　divided　before　him；　but；　as　if　curious　to　see　what　was　the　object　of　this　deliberate　visit　to　their　Ghetto；　closing　in　behind；　in　tolerable　order；　followed　the　white　stranger　up。　His　progress　thus　proclaimed　as　by　mounted　kings…at…arms；　and　escorted　as　by　a　Caffre　guard　of　honour；　Captain　Delano；　assuming　a　good…humoured；　off…hand　air；　continued　to　advance；　now　and　then　saying　a　blithe　word　to　the　Negroes；　and　his　eye　curiously　surveying　the　white　faces；　here　and　there　sparsely　mixed　in　with　the　blacks；　like　stray　white　pawns　venturously　involved　in　the　ranks　of　the　chessmen　opposed。　　　　　While　thinking　which　of　them　to　select　for　his　purpose；　he　chanced　to　observe　a　sailor　seated　on　the　deck　engaged　in　tarring　the　strap　of　a　large　block；　with　a　circle　of　blacks　squatted　round　him　inquisitively　eyeing　the　process。　　　　　The　mean　employment　of　the　man　was　in　contrast　with　something　superior　in　his　figure。　His　hand；　black　with　continually　thrusting　it　into　the　tar…pot　held　for　him　by　a　Negro；　seemed　not　naturally　allied　to　his　face；　a　face　which　would　have　been　a　very　fine　one　but　for　its　haggardness。　Whether　this　haggardness　had　aught　to　do　with　criminality　could　not　be　determined；　since；　as　intense　heat　and　cold；　though　unlike；　produce　like　sensations；　so　innocence　and　guilt；　when；　through　casual　association　with　mental　pain；　stamping　any　visible　impress；　use　one　seal…　a　hacked　one。　　　　　Not　again　that　this　reflection　occurred　to　Captain　Delano　at　the　time；　charitable　man　as　he　was。　Rather　another　idea。　Because　observing　so　singular　a　haggardness　to　be　combined　with　a　dark　eye；　averted　as　in　trouble　and　shame；　and　then；　however　illogically；　uniting　in　his　mind　his　own　private　suspicions　of　the　crew　with　the　confessed　ill…opinion　on　the　part　of　their　captain；　he　was　insensibly　operated　upon　by　certain　general　notions；　which；　while　disconnecting　pain　and　abashment　from　virtue；　as　invariably　link　them　with　vice。　　　　　If；　indeed；　there　be　any　wickedness　on　board　this　ship；　thought　Captain　Delano；　be　sure　that　man　there　has　fouled　his　hand　in　it；　even　as　now　he　fouls　it　in　the　pitch。　I　don't　like　to　accost　him。　I　will　speak　to　this　other；　this　old　Jack　here　on　the　windlass。　　　　　He　advanced　to　an　old　Barcelona　tar；　in　ragged　red　breeches　and　dirty　night…cap；　cheeks　trenched　and　bronzed；　whiskers　dense　as　thorn　hedges。　Seated　between　two　sleepy…looking　Africans；　this　mariner；　like　his　younger　shipmate；　was　employed　upon　some　rigging…　splicing　a　cable…　the　sleepy…looking　blacks　performing　the　inferior　function　of　holding　the　outer　parts　of　the　ropes　for　him。　　　　　Upon　Captain　Delano's　approach；　the　man　at　once　hung　his　head　below　its　previous　level；　the　one　necessary　for　business。　It　appeared　as　if　he　desired　to　be　thought　absorbed；　with　more　than　common　fidelity；　in　his　task。　Being　addressed；　he　glanced　up；　but　with　what　seemed　a　furtive；　diffident　air；　which　sat　strangely　enough　on　his　weather…beaten　visage；　much　as　if　a　grizzly　bear；　instead　of　growling　and　biting；　should　simper　and　cast　sheep's　eyes。　He　was　asked　several　questions　concerning　the　voyage…　questions　purposely　referring　to　several　particulars　in　Don　Benito's　narrative…　not　previously　corroborated　by　those　impulsive　cries　greeting　the　visitor　on　first　coming　on　board。　The　questions　were　briefly　answered；　confirming　all　that　remained　to　be　confirmed　of　the　story。　The　Negroes　about　the　windlass　joined　in　with　the　old　sailor；　but；　as　they　became　talkative；　he　by　degrees　became　mute；　and　at　length　quite　glum；　seemed　morosely　unwilling　to　answer　more　questions；　and　yet；　all　the　while；　this　ursine　air　was　somehow　mixed　with　his　sheepish　one。　　　　　Despairing　of　getting　into　unembarrassed　talk　with　such　a　centaur；　Captain　Delano；　after　glancing　round　for　a　more　promising　countenance；　but　seeing　none；　spoke　pleasantly　to　the　blacks　to　make　way　for　him；　and　so；　amid　various　grins　and　grimaces；　returned　to　the　poop；　feeling　a　little　strange　at　first；　he　could　hardly　tell　why；　but　upon　the　whole　with　regained　confidence　in　Benito　Cereno。　　　　　How　plainly；　thought　he；　did　that　old　whiskerando　yonder　betray　a　consciousness　of　ill…desert。　No　doubt；　when　he　saw　me　coming；　he　dreaded　lest　I；　apprised　by　his　captain　of　the　crew's　general　misbehaviour；　came　with　sharp　words　for　him；　and　so　down　with　his　head。　And　yet…　and　yet；　now　that　I　think　of　it；　that　very　old　fellow；　if　I　err　not；　was　one　of　those　who　seemed　so　earnestly　eyeing　me　here　awhile　since。　Ah；　these　currents　spin　one's　head　round　almost　as　much　as　they　do　the　ship。　Ha；　there　now's　a　pleasant　sort　of　sunny　sight；　quite　sociable；　too。　　　　　His　attention　had　been　drawn　to　a　slumbering　Negress；　partly　disclosed　through　the　lace…work　of　some　rigging；　lying；　with　youthful　limbs　carelessly　disposed；　under　the　lee　of　the　bulwarks；　like　a　doe　in　the　shade　of　a　woodland　rock。　Sprawling　at　her　lapped　breasts　was　her　wide…awake　fawn；　stark　naked；　its　black　little　body　half　lifted　from　the　deck；　crosswise　with　its　dam's；　its　hands；　like　two　paws；　clambering　upon　her；　its　mouth　and　nose　ineffectually　rooting　to　get　at　the　mark；　and　meantime　giving　a　vexatious　half…grunt；　blending　with　the　composed　snore　of　the　Negress。　　　　　The　uncommon　vigour　of　the　child　at　length　roused　the　mother。　She　started　up；　at　distance　facing　Captain　Delano。　But；　as　if　not　at　all　concerned　at　the　attitude　in　which　she　had　been　caught；　delightedly　she　caught　the　child　up；　with　maternal　transports；　covering　it　with　kisses。　　　　　There's　naked　nature；　now；　pure　tenderness　and　love；　thought　Captain　Delano；　well　pleased。　　　　　This　incident　prompted　him　to　remark　the　other　Negresses　more　particularly　than　before。　He　was　gratified　with　their　manners；　like　most　uncivilized　women；　they　seemed　at　once　tender　of　heart　and　tough　of　constitution；　equally　ready　to　die　for　their　infants　or　fight　for　them。　Unsophisticated　as　leopardesses；　loving　as　doves。　Ah！　thought　Captain　Delano；　these　perhaps　are　some　of　the　very　women　whom　Mungo　Park　saw　in　Africa；　and　gave　such　a　noble　account　of。　　　　　These　natural　sights　somehow　insensibly　deepened　his　confidence　and　ease。　At　last　he　looked　to　see　how　his　boat　was　getting　on；　but　it　was　still　pretty　remote。　He　turned　to　see　if　Don　Benito　had　returned；　but　he　had　not。　　　　　To　change　the　scene；　as　well　as　to　please　himself　with　a　leisurely　observation　of　the　coming　boat；　stepping　over　into　the　mizzen…chains　he　clambered　his　way　into　the　starboard　quarter…galley；　one　of　those　abandoned　Venetian…looking　water…balconies　previously　mentioned；　retreats　cut　off　from　the　deck。　As　his　foot　pressed　the　hal