下载辰思小说免费APP
"Iassureyouitisn’tlate。It’sdarkatsix，wedinedbeforeseven，thatmakesthenightlongandIamnotaverygoodsleeper；thatis，Icannotgotosleeptilllateinthenight。"
"Ienvyyou，"saidMr。Travers，speakingwithasortofdrowsyapathy。"Iamalwaysdroppingoffandtheawakeningsarehorrible。"
D’Alcacer，raisinghiseyes，noticedthatMrs。TraversandLingardhadvanishedfromthelight。Theyhadgonetotherailwhered’Alcacercouldnotseethem。SomepitymingledwithhisvexationatMr。Travers’snatchywakefulness。Therewassomethingweirdabouttheman，hereflected。"Jorgenson，"hebeganaloud。
"What’sthat？"snappedMr。Travers。
"It’sthenameofthatlankyoldstore—keeperwhoisalwaysaboutthedecks。"
"Ihaven’tseenhim。Idon’tseeanybody。Idon’tknowanybody。I
prefernottonotice。"
"Iwasonlygoingtosaythathegavemeapackofcards；wouldyoulikeagameofpiquet？"
"Idon’tthinkIcouldkeepmyeyesopen，"saidMr。Traversinanunexpectedlyconfidentialtone。"Isn’titfunny，d’Alcacer？AndthenIwakeup。It’stooawful。"
D’AlcacermadenoremarkandMr。Traversseemednottohaveexpectedany。
"WhenIsaidmywifewasmad，"hebegan，suddenly，causingd’Alcacertostart，"Ididn’tmeanitliterally，ofcourse。"Histonesoundedslightlydogmaticandhedidn’tseemtobeawareofanyintervalduringwhichhehadappearedtosleep。D’Alcacerwasconvincedmorethaneverthathehadbeenshamming，andresignedhimselfwearilytolisten，foldinghisarmsacrosshischest。
"WhatImeant，really，"continuedMr。Travers，"wasthatsheisthevictimofacraze。Societyissubjecttocrazes，asyouknowverywell。Theyarenotreprehensibleinthemselves，buttheworstofmywifeisthathercrazesareneverlikethoseofthepeoplewithwhomshenaturallyassociates。Theygenerallyruncountertothem。Thispeculiarityhasgivenmesomeanxiety，youunderstand，inthepositionweoccupy。Peoplewillbegintosaythatsheiseccentric。Doyouseeheranywhere，d’Alcacer？"
D’Alcacerwasthankfultobeabletosaythathedidn’tseeMrs。
Travers。Hedidn’tevenhearanymurmurs，thoughhehadnodoubtthateverybodyonboardtheEmmawaswideawakebynow。ButMr。
Traversinspiredhimwithinvinciblemistrustandhethoughtitprudenttoadd：
"Youforgetthatyourwifehasaroominthedeckhouse。"
Thiswasasfarashewouldgo，forheknewverywellthatshewasnotinthedeckhouse。Mr。Travers，completelyconvincedbythestatement，madenosound。Butneitherdidheliedownagain。
D’Alcacergavehimselfuptomeditation。Thenightseemedextremelyoppressive。AtLingard’sshoutforJorgenson，thatintheprofoundsilencestruckhisearsominously，heraisedhiseyesandsawMrs。TraversoutsidethedooroftheCage。Hestartedforwardbutshewasalreadywithin。Hesawshewasmoved。
Sheseemedoutofbreathandasifunabletospeakatfirst。
"Hadn’twebettershutthedoor？"suggestedd’Alcacer。
"CaptainLingard’scomingin，"shewhisperedtohim。"Hehasmadeuphismind。"
"That’sanexcellentthing，"commentedd’Alcacer，quietly。"I
concludefromthisthatweshallhearsomething。"
"Youshallhearitallfromme，"breathedoutMrs。Travers。
"Ah！"exclaimedd’Alcacerverylow。
BythattimeLingardhadentered，too，andthedecksoftheEmmawereallastirwithmovingfigures。Jorgenson’svoicewasalsoheardgivingdirections。FornearlyaminutethefourpersonswithintheCageremainedmotionless。AshadowyMalayinthegangwaysaidsuddenly："Sudah，Tuan，"andLingardmurmured，"Ready，Mrs。Travers。"
Sheseizedd’Alcacer’sarmandledhimtothesideoftheCagefurthestfromthecornerinwhichMr。Travers’bedwasplaced，whileLingardbusiedhimselfinprickingupthewickoftheCagelanternasifithadsuddenlyoccurredtohimthatthis，whateverhappened，shouldnotbeadeedofdarkness。Mr。Traversdidnothingbutturnhisheadtolookoverhisshoulder。
"Onemoment，"saidd’Alcacer，inalowtoneandsmilingatMrs。
Travers’agitation。"Beforeyoutellmeanythingletmeaskyou：
’HaveYOUmadeupyourmind？’"Hesawwithmuchsurpriseawideningofhereyes。Wasitindignation？Apauseasofsuspicionfellbetweenthosetwopeople。Thend’Alcacersaidapologetically："PerhapsIoughtnottohaveaskedthatquestion，"andLingardcaughtMrs。Travers’words，"Oh，Iamnotafraidtoanswerthatquestion。"
Thentheirvoicessank。Lingardhungthelampupagainandstoodidleintherevivedlight；butalmostimmediatelyheheardd’Alcacercallinghimdiscreetly。
"CaptainLingard！"
Hemovedtowardthematonce。AtthesameinstantMr。Travers’
headpivotedawayfromthegrouptoitsfrontalposition。
D’Alcacer，veryserious，spokeinafamiliarundertone。
"Mrs。TraverstellsmethatwemustbedelivereduptothoseMoorsonshore。"
"Yes，thereisnothingelseforit，"saidLingard。
"IconfessIamabitstartled，"saidd’Alcacer；butexceptforaslightlyhurriedutterancenobodycouldhaveguessedatanythingresemblingemotion。
"Ihavearighttomygoodname，"saidLingard，alsoverycalm，whileMrs。Traversnearhim，withhalf—veiledeyes，listenedimpassivelikeapresidinggenius。
"Iwouldn’tquestionthatforamoment，"concededd’Alcacer。"A
pointofhonourisnottobediscussed。Butthereissuchathingashumanity，too。Tobedelivereduphelplessly……"
"Perhaps！"interruptedLingard。"Butyouneedn’tfeelhopeless。I
amnotatlibertytogiveupmylifeforyourown。Mrs。Traversknowswhy。That，too，isengaged。"
"Alwaysonyourhonour？"
"Idon’tknow。Apromiseisapromise。"
"Nobodycanbeheldtotheimpossible，"remarkedd’Alcacer。
"Impossible！Whatisimpossible？Idon’tknowit。Iamnotamantotalkoftheimpossibleordodgebehindit。Ididnotbringyouhere。"
D’Alcacerloweredhisheadforamoment。"Ihavefinished，"hesaid，gravely。"ThatmuchIhadtosay。Ihopeyoudon’tthinkI
haveappearedundulyanxious。"
"It’sthebestpolicy，too。"Mrs。Traversmadeherselfheardsuddenly。Nothingofhermovedbutherlips，shedidnotevenraisehereyes。"It’stheonlypossiblepolicy。Youbelieveme，Mr。d’Alcacer？……"Hemadeanalmostimperceptiblemovementofthehead……"Well，then，Iputallmyhopeinyou，Mr。
d’Alcacer，togetthisoveraseasilyaspossibleandsaveusallfromsomeodiousscene。YouthinkperhapsthatitisIwhooughtto……"
"No，no！Idon’tthinkso，"interruptedd’Alcacer。"Itwouldbeimpossible。"
"Iamafraiditwould，"sheadmitted，nervously。
D’AlcacermadeagestureasiftobeghertosaynomoreandatoncecrossedovertoMr。Travers’sideoftheCage。Hedidnotwanttogivehimselftimetothinkabouthistask。Mr。Traverswassittinguponthecampbedsteadwithalightcottonsheetoverhislegs。Hestaredatnothing，andonapproachinghimd’Alcacerdisregardedtheslightsinkingofhisownheartatthisaspectwhichseemedtobethatofextremeterror。"Thisisawful，"hethought。Themankeptasstillasahareinitsform。
Theimpressedd’Alcacerhadtomakeanefforttobringhimselftotaphimlightlyontheshoulder。
"Themomenthascome，Travers，toshowsomefortitude，"hesaidwitheasyintimacy。Mr。Traverslookedupswiftly。"Ihavejustbeentalkingtoyourwife。ShehadacommunicationfromCaptainLingardforusboth。Itremainsforusnowtopreserveasmuchaspossibleourdignity。Ihopethatifnecessarywewillbothknowhowtodie。"
Inamomentofprofoundstillness，d’Alcacerhadtimetowonderwhetherhisfacewasasstonyinexpressionastheoneupturnedtohim。Butsuddenlyasmileappearedonit，whichwascertainlythelastthingd’Alcacerexpectedtosee。Anindubitablesmile。A
slightlycontemptuoussmile。
"Mywifehasbeenstuffingyourheadwithsomemoreofhernonsense。"Mr。Traversspokeinavoicewhichastonishedd’Alcacerasmuchasthesmile，avoicethatwasnotirritablenorpeevish，buthadadistinctnoteofindulgence。"Mydeard’Alcacer，thatcrazehasgotsuchaholdofherthatshewouldtelly
