benito cereno-第11章

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ng　water…balconies　previously　mentioned；　retreats　cut　off　from　the　deck。　As　his　foot　pressed　the　half…damp；　half…dry　sea…mosses　matting　the　place；　and　a　chance　phantom　cat's…paw…　an　islet　of　breeze；　unheralded；　unfollowed…　as　this　ghostly　cat's…paw　came　fanning　his　cheek；　his　glance　fell　upon　the　row　of　small；　round　dead…lights；　all　closed　like　coppered　eyes　of　the　coffined；　and　the　state…cabin　door；　once　connecting　with　the　gallery；　even　as　the　dead…lights　had　once　looked　out　upon　it；　but　now　caulked　fast　like　a　sarcophagus　lid；　to　a　purple…black；　tarred…over　panel；　threshold；　and　post；　and　he　bethought　him　of　the　time；　when　that　state…cabin　and　this　state…balcony　had　heard　the　voices　of　the　Spanish　king's　officers；　and　the　forms　of　the　Lima　viceroy's　daughters　had　perhaps　leaned　where　he　stood…　as　these　and　other　images　flitted　through　his　mind；　as　the　cat's…paw　through　the　calm；　gradually　he　felt　rising　a　dreamy　inquietude；　like　that　of　one　who　alone　on　the　prairie　feels　unrest　from　the　repose　of　the　noon。　　　　　He　leaned　against　the　carved　balustrade；　again　looking　off　toward　his　boat；　but　found　his　eye　falling　upon　the　ribboned　grass；　trailing　along　the　ship's　water…line；　straight　as　a　border　of　green　box；　and　parterres　of　sea…weed；　broad　ovals　and　crescents；　floating　nigh　and　far；　with　what　seemed　long　formal　alleys　between；　crossing　the　terraces　of　swells；　and　sweeping　round　as　if　leading　to　the　grottoes　below。　And　overhanging　all　was　the　balustrade　by　his　arm；　which；　partly　stained　with　pitch　and　partly　embossed　with　moss；　seemed　the　charred　ruin　of　some　summer…house　in　a　grand　garden　long　running　to　waste。　　　　　Trying　to　break　one　charm；　he　was　but　becharmed　anew。　Though　upon　the　wide　sea；　he　seemed　in　some　far　inland　country；　prisoner　in　some　deserted　chateau；　left　to　stare　at　empty　grounds；　and　peer　out　at　vague　roads；　where　never　wagon　or　wayfarer　passed。　　　　　But　these　enchantments　were　a　little　disenchanted　as　his　eye　fell　on　the　corroded　main…chains。　Of　an　ancient　style；　massy　and　rusty　in　link；　shackle　and　bolt；　they　seemed　even　more　fit　for　the　ship's　present　business　than　the　one　for　which　probably　she　had　been　built。　　　　　Presently　he　thought　something　moved　nigh　the　chains。　He　rubbed　his　eyes；　and　looked　hard。　Groves　of　rigging　were　about　the　chains；　and　there；　peering　from　behind　a　great　stay；　like　an　Indian　from　behind　a　hemlock；　a　Spanish　sailor；　a　marlingspike　in　his　hand；　was　seen；　who　made　what　seemed　an　imperfect　gesture　toward　the　balcony…　but　immediately；　as　if　alarmed　by　some　advancing　step　along　the　deck　within；　vanished　into　the　recesses　of　the　hempen　forest；　like　a　poacher。　　　　　What　meant　this？　Something　the　man　had　sought　to　communicate；　unbeknown　to　any　one；　even　to　his　captain？　Did　the　secret　involve　aught　unfavourable　to　his　captain？　Were　those　previous　misgivings　of　Captain　Delano's　about　to　be　verified？　Or；　in　his　haunted　mood　at　the　moment；　had　some　random；　unintentional　motion　of　the　man；　while　busy　with　the　stay；　as　if　repairing　it；　been　mistaken　for　a　significant　beckoning？　　　　　Not　unbewildered；　again　he　gazed　off　for　his　boat。　But　it　was　temporarily　hidden　by　a　rocky　spur　of　the　isle。　As　with　some　eagerness　he　bent　forward；　watching　for　the　first　shooting　view　of　its　beak；　the　balustrade　gave　way　before　him　like　charcoal。　Had　he　not　clutched　an　outreaching　rope　he　would　have　fallen　into　the　sea。　The　crash；　though　feeble；　and　the　fall；　though　hollow；　of　the　rotten　fragments；　must　have　been　overheard。　He　glanced　up。　With　sober　curiosity　peering　down　upon　him　was　one　of　the　old　oakum…pickers；　slipped　from　his　perch　to　an　outside　boom；　while　below　the　old　Negro…　and；　invisible　to　him；　reconnoitring　from　a　port…hole　like　a　fox　from　the　mouth　of　its　den…　crouched　the　Spanish　sailor　again。　From　something　suddenly　suggested　by　the　man's　air；　the　mad　idea　now　darted　into　Captain　Delano's　mind：　that　Don　Benito's　plea　of　indisposition；　in　withdrawing　below；　was　but　a　pretence：　that　he　was　engaged　there　maturing　some　plot；　of　which　the　sailor；　by　some　means　gaining　an　inkling；　had　a　mind　to　warn　the　stranger　against；　incited；　it　may　be；　by　gratitude　for　a　kind　word　on　first　boarding　the　ship。　Was　it　from　foreseeing　some　possible　interference　like　this；　that　Don　Benito　had；　beforehand；　given　such　a　bad　character　of　his　sailors；　while　praising　the　Negroes；　though；　indeed；　the　former　seemed　as　docile　as　the　latter　the　contrary？　The　whites；　too；　by　nature；　were　the　shrewder　race。　A　man　with　some　evil　design；　would　not　he　be　likely　to　speak　well　of　that　stupidity　which　was　blind　to　his　depravity；　and　malign　that　intelligence　from　which　it　might　not　be　hidden？　Not　unlikely；　perhaps。　But　if　the　whites　had　dark　secrets　concerning　Don　Benito；　could　then　Don　Benito　be　any　way　in　complicity　with　the　blacks？　But　they　were　too　stupid。　Besides；　who　ever　heard　of　a　white　so　far　a　renegade　as　to　apostatize　from　his　very　species　almost；　by　leaguing　in　against　it　with　Negroes？　These　difficulties　recalled　former　ones。　Lost　in　their　mazes；　Captain　Delano；　who　had　now　regained　the　deck；　was　uneasily　advancing　along　it；　when　he　observed　a　new　face：　an　aged　sailor　seated　cross…legged　near　the　main　hatchway。　His　skin　was　shrunk　up　with　wrinkles　like　a　pelican's　empty　pouch；　his　hair　frosted；　his　countenance　grave　and　composed。　His　hands　were　full　of　ropes；　which　he　was　working　into　a　large　knot。　Some　blacks　were　about　him　obligingly　dipping　the　strands　for　him；　here　and　there；　as　the　exigencies　of　the　operation　demanded。　　　　　Captain　Delano　crossed　over　to　him；　and　stood　in　silence　surveying　the　knot；　his　mind；　by　a　not　uncongenial　transition；　passing　from　its　own　entanglements　to　those　of　the　hemp。　For　intricacy　such　a　knot　he　had　never　seen　in　an　American　ship；　or　indeed　any　other。　The　old　man　looked　like　an　Egyptian　priest；　making　Gordian　knots　for　the　temple　of　Ammon。　The　knot　seemed　a　combination　of　double…bowline…knot；　treble…crown…knot；　back…handed…well…knot；　knot…in…and…out…knot；　and　jamming…knot。　　　　　At　last；　puzzled　to　comprehend　the　meaning　of　such　a　knot；　Captain　Delano；　addressed　the　knotter：…　　　　　〃What　are　you　knotting　there；　my　man？〃　　　　　〃The　knot；〃　was　the　brief　reply；　without　looking　up。　　　　　〃So　it　seems；　but　what　is　it　for？〃　　　　　〃For　some　one　else　to　undo；〃　muttered　back　the　old　man；　plying　his　fingers　harder　than　ever；　the　knot　being　now　nearly　completed。　　　　　While　Captain　Delano　stood　watching　him；　suddenly　the　old　man　threw　the　knot　toward　him；　and　said　in　broken　English；…　the　first　heard　in　the　ship；…　something　to　this　effect…　〃Undo　it；　cut　it；　quick。〃　It　was　said　lowly；　but　with　such　condensation　of　rapidity；　that　the　long；　slow　words　in　Spanish；　which　had　preceded　and　followed；　almost　operated　as　covers　to　the　brief　English　between。　　　　　For　a　moment；　knot　in　hand；　and　knot　in　head；　Captain　Delano　stood　mute；　while；　without　further　heeding　him；　the　old　man　was　now　intent　upon　other　ropes。　Presently　there　was　a　slight　stir　behind　Captain　Delano。　Turning；　he　saw　the　chained　Negro；　Atufal；　standing　quietly　there。　The　next　moment　the　old　sailor　rose；　muttering；　and；　followed　by　his　subordinate　Negroes；　removed　to　the　forward　part　of　the　ship；　where　in　the　crowd　he　disappeared。　　　　　An　elderly　Negro；　in　a　clout