第3章 THE VILLAGE(3)

"Now,ma'am,"said the captain,"it don't signify a cent to you where I was born,except--"But here the shadow of some one entering fell upon the captain's figure,and he broke off to double himself up,slap both his legs,and ejaculate,"Never knew such a thing in all my life!Here he is again!How are you?"These words referred to the young fellow who had so taken Captain Jorgan's fancy down at the pier.To make it all quite complete he came in accompanied by the sweetheart whom the captain had detected looking over the wall.A prettier sweetheart the sun could not have shone upon that shining day.As she stood before the captain,with her rosy lips just parted in surprise,her brown eyes a little wider open than was usual from the same cause,and her breathing a little quickened by the ascent (and possibly by some mysterious hurry and flurry at the parlour door,in which the captain had observed her face to be for a moment totally eclipsed by the Sou'wester hat),she looked so charming,that the captain felt himself under a moral obligation to slap both his legs again.She was very simply dressed,with no other ornament than an autumnal flower in her bosom.She wore neither hat nor bonnet,but merely a scarf or kerchief,folded squarely back over the head,to keep the sun off,--according to a fashion that may be sometimes seen in the more genial parts of England as well as of Italy,and which is probably the first fashion of head-dress that came into the world when grasses and leaves went out.

"In my country,"said the captain,rising to give her his chair,and dexterously sliding it close to another chair on which the young fisherman must necessarily establish himself,--"in my country we should call Devonshire beauty first-rate!"Whenever a frank manner is offensive,it is because it is strained or feigned;for there may be quite as much intolerable affectation in plainness as in mincing nicety.All that the captain said and did was honestly according to his nature;and his nature was open nature and good nature;therefore,when he paid this little compliment,and expressed with a sparkle or two of his knowing eye,"I see how it is,and nothing could be better,"he had established a delicate confidence on that subject with the family.

"I was saying to your worthy mother,"said the captain to the young man,after again introducing himself by name and occupation,--"I was saying to your mother (and you're very like her)that it didn't signify where I was born,except that I was raised on question-asking ground,where the babies as soon as ever they come into the world,inquire of their mothers,'Neow,how old may you be,and wa'at air you a goin'to name me?'--which is a fact."Here he slapped his leg."Such being the case,I may be excused for asking you if your name's Alfred?""Yes,sir,my name is Alfred,"returned the young man.

"I am not a conjurer,"pursued the captain,"and don't think me so,or I shall right soon undeceive you.Likewise don't think,if you please,though I do come from that country of the babies,that I am asking questions for question-asking's sake,for I am not.Somebody belonging to you went to sea?""My elder brother,Hugh,"returned the young man.He said it in an altered and lower voice,and glanced at his mother,who raised her hands hurriedly,and put them together across her black gown,and looked eagerly at the visitor.

"No!For God's sake,don't think that!"said the captain,in a solemn way;"I bring no good tidings of him."There was a silence,and the mother turned her face to the fire and put her hand between it and her eyes.The young fisherman slightly motioned toward the window,and the captain,looking in that direction,saw a young widow,sitting at a neighbouring window across a little garden,engaged in needlework,with a young child sleeping on her bosom.The silence continued until the captain asked of Alfred,-"How long is it since it happened?"

"He shipped for his last voyage better than three years ago.""Ship struck upon some reef or rock,as I take it,"said the captain,"and all hands lost?""Yes."

"Wa'al!"said the captain,after a shorter silence,"Here I sit who may come to the same end,like enough.He holds the seas in the hollow of His hand.We must all strike somewhere and go down.Our comfort,then,for ourselves and one another is to have done our duty.I'd wager your brother did his!""He did!"answered the young fisherman."If ever man strove faithfully on all occasions to do his duty,my brother did.My brother was not a quick man (anything but that),but he was a faithful,true,and just man.We were the sons of only a small tradesman in this county,sir;yet our father was as watchful of his good name as if he had been a king.""A precious sight more so,I hope--bearing in mind the general run of that class of crittur,"said the captain."But I interrupt.""My brother considered that our father left the good name to us,to keep clear and true.""Your brother considered right,"said the captain;"and you couldn't take care of a better legacy.But again I interrupt.""No;for I have nothing more to say.We know that Hugh lived well for the good name,and we feel certain that he died well for the good name.And now it has come into my keeping.And that's all.""Well spoken!"cried the captain."Well spoken,young man!

Concerning the manner of your brother's death,"--by this time the captain had released the hand he had shaken,and sat with his own broad,brown hands spread out on his knees,and spoke aside,--"concerning the manner of your brother's death,it may be that Ihave some information to give you;though it may not be,for I am far from sure.Can we have a little talk alone?"The young man rose;but not before the captain's quick eye had noticed that,on the pretty sweetheart's turning to the window to greet the young widow with a nod and a wave of the hand,the young widow had held up to her the needlework on which she was engaged,with a patient and pleasant smile.So the captain said,being on his legs,-"What might she be making now?"

"What is Margaret making,Kitty?"asked the young fisherman,--with one of his arms apparently mislaid somewhere.

As Kitty only blushed in reply,the captain doubled himself up as far as he could,standing,and said,with a slap of his leg,-"In my country we should call it wedding-clothes.Fact!We should,I do assure you."But it seemed to strike the captain in another light too;for his laugh was not a long one,and he added,in quite a gentle tone,-"And it's very pretty,my dear,to see her--poor young thing,with her fatherless child upon her bosom--giving up her thoughts to your home and your happiness.It's very pretty,my dear,and it's very good.May your marriage be more prosperous than hers,and be a comfort to her too.May the blessed sun see you all happy together,in possession of the good name,long after I have done ploughing the great salt field that is never sown!"Kitty answered very earnestly,"O!Thank you,sir,with all my heart!"And,in her loving little way,kissed her hand to him,and possibly by implication to the young fisherman,too,as the latter held the parlour-door open for the captain to pass out.