benito cereno-第15章

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ce；　nor　for　the　present　did　Don　Benito　appear　disposed　to　renew　any。　　　　　Setting　down　his　basin；　the　Negro　searched　among　the　razors；　as　for　the　sharpest；　and　having　found　it；　gave　it　an　additional　edge　by　expertly　stropping　it　on　the　firm；　smooth；　oily　skin　of　his　open　palm；　he　then　made　a　gesture　as　if　to　begin；　but　midway　stood　suspended　for　an　instant；　one　hand　elevating　the　razor；　the　other　professionally　dabbling　among　the　bubbling　suds　on　the　Spaniard's　lank　neck。　Not　unaffected　by　the　close　sight　of　the　gleaming　steel；　Don　Benito　nervously　shuddered；　his　usual　ghastliness　was　heightened　by　the　lather；　which　lather；　again；　was　intensified　in　its　hue　by　the　sootiness　of　the　Negro's　body。　Altogether　the　scene　was　somewhat　peculiar；　at　least　to　Captain　Delano；　nor；　as　he　saw　the　two　thus　postured；　could　he　resist　the　vagary；　that　in　the　black　he　saw　a　headsman；　and　in　the　white；　a　man　at　the　block。　But　this　was　one　of　those　antic　conceits；　appearing　and　vanishing　in　a　breath；　from　which；　perhaps；　the　best　regulated　mind　is　not　free。　　　　　Meantime　the　agitation　of　the　Spaniard　had　a　little　loosened　the　bunting　from　around　him；　so　that　one　broad　fold　swept　curtain…like　over　the　chair…arm　to　the　floor；　revealing；　amid　a　profusion　of　armorial　bars　and　ground…colours…　black；　blue　and　yellow…　a　closed　castle　in　a　blood…red　field　diagonal　with　a　lion　rampant　in　a　white。　　　　　〃The　castle　and　the　lion；〃　exclaimed　Captain　Delano…　〃why；　Don　Benito；　this　is　the　flag　of　Spain　you　use　here。　It's　well　it's　only　I；　and　not　the　King；　that　sees　this；〃　he　added　with　a　smile；　〃but〃…　turning　toward　the　black；…　〃it's　all　one；　I　suppose；　so　the　colours　be　gay；〃　which　playful　remark　did　not　fail　somewhat　to　tickle　the　Negro。　　　　　〃Now；　master；〃　he　said；　readjusting　the　flag；　and　pressing　the　head　gently　further　back　into　the　crotch　of　the　chair；　〃now　master；〃　and　the　steel　glanced　nigh　the　throat。　　　　　Again　Don　Benito　faintly　shuddered。　　　　　〃You　must　not　shake　so；　master。…　See；　Don　Amasa；　master　always　shakes　when　I　shave　him。　And　yet　master　knows　I　never　yet　have　drawn　blood；　though　it's　true；　if　master　will　shake　so；　I　may　some　of　these　times。　Now；　master；〃　he　continued。　〃And　now；　Don　Amasa；　please　go　on　with　your　talk　about　the　gale；　and　all　that；　master　can　hear；　and　between　times　master　can　answer。〃　　　　　〃Ah　yes；　these　gales；〃　said　Captain　Delano；　〃but　the　more　I　think　of　your　voyage；　Don　Benito；　the　more　I　wonder；　not　at　the　gales；　terrible　as　they　must　have　been；　but　at　the　disastrous　interval　following　them。　For　here；　by　your　account；　have　you　been　these　two　months　and　more　getting　from　Cape　Horn　to　St。　Maria；　a　distance　which　I　myself；　with　a　good　wind；　have　sailed　in　a　few　days。　True；　you　had　calms；　and　long　ones；　but　to　be　becalmed　for　two　months；　that　is；　at　least；　unusual。　Why；　Don　Benito；　had　almost　any　other　gentleman　told　me　such　a　story；　I　should　have　been　half　disposed　to　a　little　incredulity。〃　　　　　Here　an　involuntary　expression　came　over　the　Spaniard；　similar　to　that　just　before　on　the　deck；　and　whether　it　was　the　start　he　gave；　or　a　sudden　gawky　roll　of　the　hull　in　the　calm；　or　a　momentary　unsteadiness　of　the　servant's　hand；　however　it　was；　just　then　the　razor　drew　blood；　spots　of　which　stained　the　creamy　lather　under　the　throat；　immediately　the　black　barber　drew　back　his　steel；　and　remaining　in　his　professional　attitude；　back　to　Captain　Delano；　and　face　to　Don　Benito；　held　up　the　trickling　razor；　saying；　with　a　sort　of　half　humorous　sorrow；　〃See；　master；…　you　shook　so…　here's　Babo's　first　blood。〃　　　　　No　sword　drawn　before　James　the　First　of　England；　no　assassination　in　that　timid　King's　presence；　could　have　produced　a　more　terrified　aspect　than　was　now　presented　by　Don　Benito。　　　　　Poor　fellow；　thought　Captain　Delano；　so　nervous　he　can't　even　bear　the　sight　of　barber's　blood；　and　this　unstrung；　sick　man；　is　it　credible　that　I　should　have　imagined　he　meant　to　spill　all　my　blood；　who　can't　endure　the　sight　of　one　little　drop　of　his　own？　Surely；　Amasa　Delano；　you　have　been　beside　yourself　this　day。　Tell　it　not　when　you　get　home；　sappy　Amasa。　Well；　well；　he　looks　like　a　murderer；　doesn't　he？　More　like　as　if　himself　were　to　be　done　for。　Well；　well；　this　day's　experience　shall　be　a　good　lesson。　　　　　Meantime；　while　these　things　were　running　through　the　honest　seaman's　mind；　the　servant　had　taken　the　napkin　from　his　arm；　and　to　Don　Benito　had　said：　〃But　answer　Don　Amasa；　please；　master；　while　I　wipe　this　ugly　stuff　off　the　razor；　and　strop　it　again。〃　　　　　As　he　said　the　words；　his　face　was　turned　half　round；　so　as　to　be　alike　visible　to　the　Spaniard　and　the　American；　and　seemed　by　its　expression　to　hint；　that　he　was　desirous；　by　getting　his　master　to　go　on　with　the　conversation；　considerately　to　withdraw　his　attention　from　the　recent　annoying　accident。　As　if　glad　to　snatch　the　offered　relief；　Don　Benito　resumed；　rehearsing　to　Captain　Delano；　that　not　only　were　the　calms　of　unusual　duration；　but　the　ship　had　fallen　in　with　obstinate　currents　and　other　things　he　added；　some　of　which　were　but　repetitions　of　former　statements；　to　explain　how　it　came　to　pass　that　the　passage　from　Cape　Horn　to　St。　Maria　had　been　so　exceedingly　long；　now　and　then　mingling　with　his　words；　incidental　praises；　less　qualified　than　before；　to　the　blacks；　for　their　general　good　conduct。　　　　　These　particulars　were　not　given　consecutively；　the　servant　now　and　then　using　his　razor；　and　so；　between　the　intervals　of　shaving；　the　story　and　panegyric　went　on　with　more　than　usual　huskiness。　　　　　To　Captain　Delano's　imagination；　now　again　not　wholly　at　rest；　there　was　something　so　hollow　in　the　Spaniard's　manner；　with　apparently　some　reciprocal　hollowness　in　the　servant's　dusky　comment　of　silence；　that　the　idea　flashed　across　him；　that　possibly　master　and　man；　for　some　unknown　purpose；　were　acting　out；　both　in　word　and　deed；　nay；　to　the　very　tremor　of　Don　Benito's　limbs；　some　juggling　play　before　him。　Neither　did　the　suspicion　of　collusion　lack　apparent　support；　from　the　fact　of　those　whispered　conferences　before　mentioned。　But　then；　what　could　be　the　object　of　enacting　this　play　of　the　barber　before　him？　At　last；　regarding　the　notion　as　a　whimsy；　insensibly　suggested；　perhaps；　by　the　theatrical　aspect　of　Don　Benito　in　his　harlequin　ensign；　Captain　Delano　speedily　banished　it。　　　　　The　shaving　over；　the　servant　bestirred　himself　with　a　small　bottle　of　scented　waters；　pouring　a　few　drops　on　the　head；　and　then　diligently　rubbing；　the　vehemence　of　the　exercise　causing　the　muscles　of　his　face　to　twitch　rather　strangely。　　　　　His　next　operation　was　with　comb；　scissors　and　brush；　going　round　and　round；　smoothing　a　curl　here；　clipping　an　unruly　whisker…hair　there；　giving　a　graceful　sweep　to　the　temple…lock；　with　other　impromptu　touches　evincing　the　hand　of　a　master；　while；　like　any　resigned　gentleman　in　barber's　hands；　Don　Benito　bore　all；　much　less　uneasily；　at　least；　than　he　had　done　the　razoring；　indeed；　he　sat　so　pale　and　rigid　now；　that　the　Negro　seemed　a　Nubian　sculptor　finishing　off　a　white　statue…head。　　　　　All　being　over　at　last；　the　standard　of　Spain　removed；　tumbled　up；　and　tossed　back　into　the　flag…locker；　the　Negro's　warm　breath　blowing　away　any　stray　hair　which　might　have　lodged