第17章

“Oh，she’sallright，“hesaid。“Butitisn’tthat——“Thenhestopped；hecouldn’texplain——especiallywiththatidiotAuntAmythere，who’donlylaughathim，orkisshim，orsomethingelsehorrible。

Afterwards，ashewentslowlyuptobed，hestoppedforamomentinthedarkpassagethinking。Thewholehousewassilentabouthim，onlytheclockswhispering。

WhatatiresomebotherAuntAmywas！Howhewishedthatsheweredead！AndwhataboreitwouldbebeinggoodnowwithMissJones。Atthesametime，therenewedconsciousnessofherpersonaldramamoststrangelymovedhim——herbrotherwhorowed，herneuralgia，herlackofrelations。PerhapsAuntAmyalsohadanexcitinghistory！Perhapsshealsocried！

Theworldseemedtobesuddenlyfilledwithpressing，throngingfigures，allwithbusinessesoftheirown。

Itwasveryodd。

Hepushedbacktheschoolroomdoorandblinkedatthesuddenlight。

CHAPTERV

THESEA-CAPTAIN

I

Veryfewmatter-of-factcitizensofthepresent-dayworldwillunderstandthepartthattheseausedtoplayinouryounglivesthirtyyearsagoinPolchester。

ItisveryeasytolookatthemapandsaythattheseaisaconsiderabledistancefromPolchester，andthatevenifyoustoodonthehighestridgeofthehighestcornfieldabovethetownyouwouldnotbeabletocatchthefaintestglimpseofit。Thatmaybetrue，althoughImyselfcanneverbecompletelyassured，possessingsovividlyasIdoamemoryofadaywhenIstoodwithmynurseattheedgeofMerazionWoodsand，gazingouttothehorizon，sawafleetofshipsfull-sailuponthebluestofseas，andwouldnotbepersuadedthatitwasmerelywrackofclouds。Thatmaybeorno；thefactremainsthatPolchestersniffedtheseafromafar，wascaughtwithseabreezesandbathedinreflectedsea-lights；againandagainofaneveningtheCathedralsailedondustandshadowtowardsthehorizon，agreatwhiteghostofagalleon，andtheyoungcitizensofthetownwithwonderingeyes，watcheditgo。Butthereweremorepositiveinfluencesthanmerecloudandlight。Wehad，inthelowerpartofourtown，sailors，quiteanumberofthem。Thereweretheoldwhite-beardedoneswhowouldsitupontubsandtellsmugglingtales；thesehauntedtheRiverPol，fishedinit，ferriedpeopleacrossit，andletoutboatsforhire。Therewereyoungersailorswho，tiredofthestilllifeoftheirlittlevillagesanddreadingtherealhardworkofalifeatsea，lurchedandslouchedbythePol’sriverbed，fishingalittle，sleeping，eatinganddrinkingagreatdeal。

Andtherewerethetruesailors，passingthroughperhapsontheirwaytoDrymouthtojointheirships，stayinginthetownforadayortwotovisittheirrelations，orsimplystoppingforanhourorsotogazeopen-mouthedattheCathedralandthemarket-placeandtheCanonsandtheoldwomen。Thesemenhadsometimesgoldringsintheirears，andtheirfaceswereoftencolouredadarkrichbrown，andtheycarriedbundlesacrosstheirbacksallinthetraditionalstyle。

Thentherewereinfluencesmoresubtlethaneithercloudsormen。

Thereweretheinfluencesoftheplacesthatwehadourselvesseeninoursummerholidays——RafielandSt。Lowe，MarionBayorBorhaze——

and，ontheothercoast，Newbockwithitsvaststretchofyellowsand，St。BorsewithitswildseasandgiantBorseHead，orSt。

Nails-in-Covewithitscolouredrocksandsparklingshells。Everychildhadhisownplace；myplacewas，likeJeremy’s，Rafiel，andabetter，morebeautifulplace，inthewholeworldyouwillnotfind。

Andeachplacehasitsownlegend：atRafieltheGoldluredPirates，andtheTurnip-Field；atPolwinttheGiantExciseMan；atBorhazetheSmugglersofTrezentRock；atSt。Borsethewreckof“TheGoldenGalleon“intheyear1563，withitswonderfultreasure；andatSt。

MaitsinCovethefamousWitchofSt。MaitsinChurchTownwhoturnedmen’sbonesintowaterandfilledSt。MaitsinChurchwithsnakes。

Backfromonesummerholiday，treasuringthesestoriestogetherwithourcollectionsofshellsandseaweedanddriedflowers，wecame，andsothetalessettledinPolchesterstreetsandcreptintotheheartofthePolchestercobblesandhauntedthePolchestercornersbythefire，andeveninvadedwiththeirromantic，peering，mischievousfacesthesolemnaislesoftheCathedralitself。

Theseawasattheheartofallofthem，andwheneverasea-breezeblewdownthestreetcarryingwithitwispsofstrawfromthefield，ordandelionseeds，orsmellofsea-pinks，wechildrenliftedournosesandsniffedandsniffedandsawthewavescurlinacrosstheshore，orbreakersburstupontherock，andwhisperedtooneanotheroftheSmugglersofTrezentortheGold-lacedPiratesofRafiel。

ButIthinkthatnoneofusadoredtheseaasJeremydid。Fromthatfirstmomentwhen，asasmallbaby，hehadbeenheldupinRafielCovetoseethetopsofthewavescatchthemorninglightastheyrolledovertoshore，hehadadoredit。Hehadneverfeltanyfearofit；hehadbeenabletoswimsincehecouldremember，andhesimplylivedforthosedaysattheendofJulywhentheywouldall，inafrantichurryandconfusion，takethetrainforRafielandarriveatCowFarmintheevening，withtheroaroftheseacomingacrossthequietfieldstominglewiththelowingofthecowsandthebleatingofthesheep。Hehadinhisbedroomawonderfulcollectionofdustyandstickysea-shells，andthesehewouldturnoverandover，lettingthemrunthroughhisfingersasaminercountshisgold。

Lethimcatchthefaintestglimpseofashadowofasailorinthestreetandhewasafterit，andhehadonce，whenhewasonlyfourorfive，beencaughtbytheterrifiedJampot，onlyjustintime，walkingawayconfidentlydownthemarket-place，hishandinthehugegraspofavillainouslookingmariner。Hewasexceedinglyhappyinhishome，buthedidoftenwonderwhetherhewouldnotrunawaytosea；ofcourse，hewasgoingtobeasailor，butitseemedsolongtowaituntilhewasthirteenorfourteen，andtherewastheseaallthetimerollinginandoutandinvitinghimtocome。

Mrs。ColewarnedMissJonesofthistasteofJeremy’s：“Neverlethimspeaktoasailor，MissJones。Therearesomehorriblemeninthetown，andJeremysimplyisnottobetrustedwhensailorsareconcerned。“

MissJones，however，couldnotbealwaysonherguard，andFateisstrongerthananygoverness……

EarlyinFebruarytherecameoneofthosehintsofspringthatinGlebeshiremorethaninanyotherplaceintheworldthrillandstirtheheart。Generallytheygiveverylittleinactualrewardandarefollowedbyweeksofhailandsleetandwind，butforthatreasonalonetheirburningpromiseisbeyondallotherpromisesbeguiling。

Jeremygotuponemorningtofeelthatsomewherebehindthethickwetmistsoftheearlyhourstherewasablazingsun。Afterbreakfast，openingthewindowandleaningout，hecouldseetheleavesofthegardenstillshiningwiththeirearlyglitterandtheearthchannelledintofissuresandbreaks，darkandhardunderthesilver-threadedfrost；beneaththerindofthesoilhecouldfeelthepushing，heavinglifestrugglingtoanswerthecallofthesunaboveit。FardowntheroadtowardstheOrchardsadimveilofgoldwasspreadingbehindthewallsofmist；thesparrowsonthealmondtreenearhiswindowchatteredlikethegirlsoftheHighSchool，andblueshadowsstoleintothedimgreysky，justaslightbreaksuponanearlymorningsea；theairwaswarmbehindtheouterwallofthefrostymorning，andthefaintgoldofthefirstcrocusbeneaththegardenwallnearthepantrydoor，wherealwaysthefirstcrocusescame，caughthiseye。Evenashewatchedthesunburstthemist，thetreeschangedfromdimgreytosharpblack，thebluefloodedthesky，andtheCathedralbeyondthetreesshonelikeahouseofcrystal。

Allthismeantspring，andspringmeanthuntingforsnowdropsintheMeads。JeremyinformedMissJones，andMissJoneswas，ofcourse，agreeable。Theywouldwalkthatwayafterluncheon。

TheMeadsfallinabroadgreenslopefromtheoldCathedralbattlementdowntotheRiverPol。Theirlongstretchesofmeadowarescatteredwithtrees，someoftheoldestoaksinGlebeshire，andtheyarefinallyboundedbythewindingpathoftheRopeWalkthatskirtstheriverbank。AlongtheRopeWalkinMarchandAprilthedaffodilsfirst，andtheprimrosesafterwards，aresothickthat，fromtheCathedralwalls，theRopeWalklooksasthoughitwanderedbetweenpoolsandlakesofgold。IntheOrchardsonthehillalsotheyrunlikerivers。

Uponthisafternoontherewereonlythetrees，faintlypink，alongtheriverandthewideunbrokencarpetofgreen。MissJoneswalkedupanddowntheRopeWalk，whilstMarytoldheranendlessandexceedinglyconfusedstorythathadbegunmorethanaweekagoandhadreachedbynowsuchastateof“Tobecontinuedinournext“

thatMissJoneshadonlythevaguestideaofwhatitwasallabout。

Hermindthereforewandered，asindeed，didalwaysthemindsofMary’saudiences，andMarynevernoticedbutstaredwiththeraptgazeofthecreatorthroughherenormousglasses，outintoanenchantedworldofgoldenprincesses，whiteelephantsandropesandropesofrubies。MissJonesmeanwhilethoughtofheryoungdays，herillnessesandacertainhatthatshehadseeninThornley’swindowsintheHighStreet。Jeremy，attendedbyHamlet，huntedamongstthetreesforsnowdrops。

Hamlethadbeenworriedeversincehecouldrememberbyatheoryaboutrabbits。Hehadbeentold，ofcourse，aboutrabbitsbyhisparents，andithadevenbeensuggestedtohimthathewouldbeamightyhunterofthesamewhenhegrewtoacertainage。Hehadnowreachedthatage，butneverarabbitasyethadheencountered。HemightevenhaveconcludedthatthewholeRabbitstorywasamythandalegendwereitnotthatcertainscentsandodourswereforevertantalisinghisnosethatcould，hisinstincttoldhim，meanRabbitandonlyRabbit。Thesescentsmethimatthemosttantalisingtimes，pullinghimthiswayandthat，excitingthewildesthopesinhim，afterwardscondemnedtosterility；asghostshaunttheconvincedandtrustingspiritualist，sodidrabbitshauntHamlet。HedreamtofRabbitsatnight，hetastedRabbitsinhisfood，hesawthemscaletheairandswimthestream——now，hewascloseontheirtrail，nowhehadthemroundthattree，upthathill，downthathole……

sittingtranquillyinfrontoftheschoolroomfirehewouldscentthem；alwaystheyeludedhim，laughedathim，mockedhimwiththeirstumpytails。Theywererapidlybecomingtheobsessionofhisnightsanddays。

UponthisafternoontheairwasfullofRabbit。TheMeadsseemedtobreatheRabbit。Helefthismaster，rushedhitherandthither，barkedandwhined，scratchedthesoil，ranroundthetrees，laycautiouslymotionlesswaitingforhisfoes，andnowandthensatandlaughedathimselfforaludicrousrabbit-bemusedidiot。Hehadadelightfulafternoon……

Jeremythenwasleftentirelytohimselfandwanderedabout，lookingforsnowdropsunderthetrees，talkingtohimself，lostinachainofideasthatincludedfoodandtheseaandcatapultsandasorefingerandwhatschoolwouldbelikeandwhetherhecouldknockdowntheDean’syoungest，Ernest，whomhehatedwithoutknowingwhy。

Hewaslostinthesethoughts，andhadindeedwanderedalmostintothelittlewoodthatliesatthefootoftheOrchards，whenheheardadeeprichvoicesay：

“Isupposeyou’aven’tsuchathingasamatchuponyouanywhere，younggentleman？“

Helikedtobeaskedforamatch，amanlythingtobesupposedtopossess，but，ofcourse，hehadn’tone，owingtothestupidityofelderlyrelations，sohelookedupandsaidpolitely：“No，I’mafraidIhaven’t。“Thenhowhisheartwhackedbeneathhiswaistcoat！

There，standinginfrontofhim，wastheveryfigureofhisdreams！

LookingdownuponJeremywasagentlemanofmiddle-agewhomexperiencedmenoftheworldwouldhavemostcertainlydescribedas“seedy。“

Jeremydidnotseehis“seediness。“Hesawfirsthisface，whichwasofadeepbrowncoppercolour，turninghereandtheretoahandsomepurple；ill-shaved，perhaps，butwithafineroundnoseandalargesmilingmouth。Hesawblackcurlinghairandayachtingcap，fadedthislastandthewhiteofitadirtygreybutsetonjauntilyatamagnificentangle。Hesawasuitofdarknavyblue，thisagainfaded，spottedtoowithmanystains，raggedatthetrouser-endsandeventorninoneplaceabovetheelbow，fittingalsosocloselytothefigurethatitmusthavebeenatburstingpoint。Hesawroundtheneckadarknavyhandkerchief，anddownthefrontofthecoatbrassbuttonsthatshookandtrembledastheirowner’schestheaved。