Тайный сообщник
I
“Godonlyknowswhytheylockedmeineverynight.Toseesomeoftheirfacesyou’dhavethoughttheywereafraidI’dgoaboutatnightstranglingpeople.AmIamurderingbrute?DoIlookit?ByJove!IfIhadbeenhewouldn’thavetrustedhimselflikethatintomyroom.You’llsayImighthavechuckedhimasideandboltedout,thereandthen—itwasdarkalready.Well,no.AndforthesamereasonIwouldn’tthinkoftryingtosmashthedoor.Therewouldhavebeenarushtostopmeatthenoise,andIdidnotmeantogetintoaconfoundedscrimmage.Somebodyelsemighthavegotkilled—forIwouldnothavebrokenoutonlytogetchuckedback,andIdidnotwantanymoreofthatwork.Herefused,lookingmoresickthanever.Hewasafraidofthemen,andalsoofthatoldsecondmateofhiswhohadbeensailingwithhimforyears—agray-headedoldhumbug;andhissteward,too,hadbeenwithhimdevilknowshowlong—seventeenyearsormore—adogmaticsortofloaferwhohatedmelikepoison,justbecauseIwasthechiefmate.NochiefmateevermademorethanonevoyageintheSephora,youknow.Thosetwooldchapsrantheship.Devilonlyknowswhattheskipperwasn’tafraidof(allhisnervewenttopiecesaltogetherinthathellishspellofbadweatherwehad)—ofwhatthelawwoulddotohim—ofhiswife,perhaps.Oh,yes!she’sonboard.ThoughIdon’tthinkshewouldhavemeddled.Shewouldhavebeenonlytoogladtohavemeoutoftheshipinanyway.The‘brandofCain’business,don’tyousee.That’sallright.
