Читать книгу Winds of Fortune - John Jeffery Farnol - Страница 14
ОглавлениеTELLETH AMONG OTHER MATTERS HOW, SEATED ON A COIL OF ROPE, HE TALKED AND I HEARKENED PERFORCE
With evening it seemed his prediction was to be fulfilled, for the ship became very uneasy, an ever-growing agitation, so when the great blackamoor whose name it seemed was PeteranPaul summoned and bowed us in to sup, we found it a matter of no little difficulty to eat and especially drink. Now Deborah and I, being Sussex born and bred, do love the sea and moreover her father, John Purdy, is captain of a lugger and would oft-times take us a-sailing to the French coast, so that we were something inured to rough weather.
Thus it was that, supper done, I donned my cloak and despite Deborah's remonstrations (and my bruises) went up the companion; but scarce was my head above deck than my breath was stopped by the sweet rush of wind, back went my hood, out streamed my hair, but up I went and, staggering to the rail, clung there, deafened, buffeted yet wondrously heartened. Westward the sun was sinking angry and red and amid dark, rolling clouds, but in every foam-capped billow was a glory; above my head the great sails, close-reefed, drove the noble ship through hissing spray, while the wind, this great glad wind, piped and whistled in the rigging.
"Lord love you now!" boomed a voice in my ear. "You've a heart, lass, a very stout sailorly heart, to stand there a-singing so joyous!" And I found old Lovepeace beside me, his long white locks streaming even as my own.
"Was I singing?" said I, speaking into his down-bent ear. "Nay, surely not."
"Ay, but you was so!" he nodded. "Happy as a bird, merry as any grig, daughter. Nay, but," says he, frowning and shaking grim head at me, "since you and me has taken each other for shipmates true, and myself old enow to be thy granddad, it behoveth me to very heartily reprove thee, Ursula, thy most unmaidenly forwardness to traffic wi' such notable villain and foul-lived dog as yon Ramirez, with a curse!"
"Nay," cried I, reaching to his ear, "he is dead and therefore above and beyond our vain judgment, Lovepeace. And 'tis great wonder to me that man so reverent-seeing as thyself should show joy in slaying any man."
"Nay, a papistical treacherous son of Belial, daughter! Is it not writ o' such, 'They shall wither as the grass? They shall be harrowed with harrows and sawn asunder wi' saws!'"
"Amen to that!" piped a melodious voice in my other ear, and Master Penryn was beside me, his great wig replaced by close-fitting seaman's bonnet. "We are of the Lord's elect, child, chosen instruments to be unrelenting extirpation of evil and the ungodly, be it by exhortation, supplication or extermination, by round shot or thrust o' steel. But now, Ursula, needs must thou be chidden for thy naughty doing ... to stoop for such vile, pestiferous company as—"
"Nay, sirs," cried I, drawing them near to speak above buffeting wind, "'tis rather for me to chide ye both that ye should speak, and behind my back, of marriage and to your detested Captain Japhet—"
"But your honour demands he right you by wedlock—"
"Ay!" bellowed old Lovepeace. "Your good name commands it."
"And myself," cried I, "utterly refuse to think o' such union—honour or no!"
"God bless my soul!" ejaculated Master Penryn.
"Lord save us!" boomed Lovepeace, and they both looked at me and each other in such dismayed perplexity that I began to laugh, trill on trill, in the midst of which up the ladder comes Captain Japhet, to catch me at it (and this the first time I had so such as smiled since finding myself in his hateful ship) and, staring on me 'neath the vivid neckerchief tied about his head in place of hat and wig:
"I should advise you go below, ma'm," quoth he. "How's she lie now, Penryn?"
"Sir," cried I indignantly. "You insult me—"
"No!" said he, with his quirking leer. "I enquire our course of Mr. Penryn, officer o' the watch."
"West and by south, sir!" answered Penryn.
"Hold her so, sir. And now, ma'm, I bid you get below. The wind's rising and this deck is no place for you." Here Penryn and Lovepeace made their bows to me and walked away together.
"Well, sir," I retorted, "I love the wind so shall tarry here a while."
"On the contrary, ma'm, you'll obey and instantly, or demme, I'll bundle ye over my shoulder and carry ye."
"Odious wretch!" I shouted at him, high above bellowing wind.
"Ma'm," shouted he, "your futile repetitions weary me—begone!" And because of the brutal look of him, I went, though at my leisure.
Reaching the companion or gangway, I paused for final glance about me and saw with some little qualm how the seas had risen while the wind seemed now to pipe an angrier note. So I descended the stair, though mighty awkwardly by reason of the violent lurchings of the ship, so that, reaching the cabin, I all but fell into Deborah's arms.
"Lord, Mis' Ursula, ma'm," gasped she, as we clung together, "you and me has seen rough weather aboard my father's boat ere now but ... naught the like o' this!"
"No matter," I answered, as we stumbled to the cushioned locker; "we shall not suffer this to daunt us."
"No, ma'm—leastways, I hope not!" But, despite these brave words, my apprehensions grew, what with the shrill, fierce clamour of the wind and the shock and buffet of the thunderous, hissing seas that smote the labouring vessel until we thought it great wonder she could endure. And each moment the cruel power of howling wind and boisterous wave increased upon us, or so it seemed to poor me, threatening our sure destruction; and bethinking me by whose wicked will I must needs suffer all this and my life now in such dire hazard, my anger 'gainst Captain Japhet flamed anew, casting out fear. Insomuch that girding on my heavy riding cloak, I put aside Deborah's detaining arms and made my way up the companion, to find the door shut but, opening this with no little to-do, I stumbled out into a bellowing riotous wind that seemed as 'twould blow me overboard; but setting my teeth, I fought my way to a corner sheltered from its fury and here seated, knees to chin, I looked about me with an awed, fearsome joy.... Before me loomed the ship with dim lights here and there, her great yards close-reefed, her lofty masts swaying dizzily against a whirling cloud wrack, whence peeped a fitful moon whose fugitive beams showed mighty billows that foamed up and were gone, a wild sea wherein the labouring vessel drove furiously, her mighty bows soaring up to poise suspended, then plunging in clouds of flying spray, down and down, until I held my breath lest she dive headlong into these awful deeps....
Suddenly from somewhere near by a bell rang in mellow chime and the shadowy decks that had seemed so deserted were thronged with men dim seen, who laughed and shouted cheerily to each other and so vanished again in the shadows. Then one came clambering up the nearest ladder and, knowing him, despite storm gear and great sea boots, I crouched back amid the shadows instinctively.
"Aft there," he bellowed, "how's her head?" To this a voice presently wailed in hoarse reply which seemed to please him for:
"Ay, ay!" he roars. "She rides sweet to 't! Keep her so, Ben." Whereat the voice wailed again and he set to marching back and forth, despite the swaying deck, so that I yearned some obstacle might catch and trip the hatefully assured legs of him and was even looking round for some means whereby I might bring this about, when he espied me and came clumping in his great boots.
"So, 'tis yourself again. Madam Mischief!" says he, stooping to peer down at me and his face all wet with spray. "What do ye here?"
"Watch!" said I. "And wait for death!"
"And with eyes bright with the joy o' life!" said he, peering closer. "And why must you be ever defying your Captain?" he demanded.
"You are no Captain of me, thank God!" I retorted scornfully. "And take heed, sir, should this cruel wind wreck your ship and yon ravening sea swallow me this night, I call heaven to witness you are my murderer."
"Oho!" quoth he, and sat down beside me on my coil of rope, whereupon I instantly made to rise, but:
"Pray be seated, ma'm," said he, and with rude hand plucked me down again, "for since you are here, let us talk!"
"Not a word!" cried I.
"Good!" he nodded, "for I will! And first 'tis no cruel wind this, but a jolly, sailorman's wind; and as for dying, I'll vow in all your ladyship's ladylike days you was never so much alive. Also 'tis become so evident you love my ship, I protest were you gentlewoman of gentler nature I could wed you, since I must, with better heart." Here he paused as expecting me to retort on him, but finding me silent, he went on:
"And now, ma'm, since we must, alas! to matrimony anon, if you will continue to keep thy chatterbox tongue thus wonderfully still, I'll forthwith tell thee somewhat of thy spouse-elect—in fine, myself, ma'm, this poor Japhet, what he was, is and would be—ay, and wherefore—"
"I had rather hearken to this howling wind!"
"The which is manifest lie!" quoth he. "For, ma'm Ursula, you are passionate to know the who, how and what of me." Here I made a second and more determined effort to rise, only to find his odious arm about me that forced me brutally to panting, outraged submission.
"Beastly fellow, loose me!"
"Tender ma'm, bide you still and suffer thy poor, humble Japhet discourse o' Japhet."
"Not a word!"
"Then alack for thee, ma'am, for now will I sing instead." And sure enough while sea and wind raged about this sheltered corner, he begins his fool song of "Heave yo-ho with a rumbleow" and the like senselessness whiles I sat, as if unaware of him, my patient gaze uplift to the flying clouds which were rent suddenly, torn and scattered, and out shone the bright moon to show me such scene as for the moment lifted me beyond all mere thoughts of myself ... and this a sea of raging billows that seemed hurling us to destruction. But seeing how this brave ship met their thunderous onset and rode their fury, waging such bitter battle for our very lives, I must have cried out my admiration, for I heard my companion laugh joyously; then his arm was about me, had swept me to him and holding me thus detestably prisoned breast to breast, he laughed again joyously.
"Faith, now!" said he. "Mine's none so bad a bargain; thou'rt fit mate for a sailorman!" And now, reading his purpose in his eyes, I strove to free my clenched hands; then he had loosed me and I, leaping to my feet, was staggered by the furious wind that cast me into his arms again, whereat cries he:
"Nay, fie, ma'm, not again so soon! Do not cuddle your man too often ... learn a coy restraint, ma'm."
"Odious!" cried I, flashing my eyes at him through my wind-blown hair. "Do not speak! Do not touch me!"
"Ay, ay, ma'm! Then make fast to my girdle here, lest the wind puff ye overboard." And what with the gale and tumbling deck, I must needs endure his aid (to my bitter mortification) and not another word until I had reached the companionway. Then:
"Pleasant dreams, Ursula ma'm," said he; "ay, dream thou'rt cuddling poor Japhet—" At this I left him and finding Deborah fast asleep, undressed and put myself to bed, and hearkening to the hiss and tumult of the great seas that raged so near, grew drowsy none the less with pleasant sense of well-being, though my last conscious thought was this—whether, indeed, this so hated man would indeed have kissed me? And ... if so ...
