登陆注册
15422900000168

第168章

He went to see his friend Captain Mitchell -- and the thing was done as Dr Monygham had related to Mrs Gould. When the project was mooted to the Garibaldino, something like the faint reflection, the dim ghost of a very ancient smile, stole under the white and enormous moustaches of the old hater of kings and ministers. His daughters were the object of his anxious care. The younger, especially. Linda, with her mother's voice, had taken more her mother's place. Her deep, vibrating `Eh, Padre?' seemed, but for the change of the word, the very echo of the impassioned, remonstrating `Eh, Giorgio?' of poor Signora Teresa. It was his fixed opinion that the town was no proper place for his girls. The infatuated but guileless Ramirez was the object of his profound aversion, as resuming the sins of the country whose people were blind, vile esclavos .

On his return from his next voyage, Captain Fidanza found the Violas settled in the light-keeper's cottage. His knowledge of Giorgio's idiosyncrasies had not played him false. The Garibaldino had refused to entertain the idea of any companion whatever, except his girls. And Captain Mitchell, anxious to please his poor Nostromo, with that felicity of inspiration which only true affection can give, had formally appointed Linda Viola as under-keeper of the Isabel's Light.

`The light is private property,' he used to explain. `It belongs to my Company. I've the power to nominate whom I like, and Viola it shall be. It's about the only thing Nostromo -- a man worth his weight in gold, mind you -- has ever asked me to do for him.'

Directly his schooner was anchored opposite the New Custom House, with its sham air of a Greek temple, flat-roofed, with a colonnade, Captain Fidanza went pulling his small boat out of the harbour, bound for the Great Isabel, openly in the light of a declining day, before all men's eyes, with a sense of having mastered the fates. He must establish a regular position. He would ask him for his daughter now. He thought of Giselle as he pulled. Linda loved him, perhaps, but the old man would be glad to keep the eldest, who had his wife's voice.

He did not pull for the narrow strand where he had landed with Decoud, and afterwards alone on his first visit to the treasure. He made for the beach at the other end, and walked up the regular and gentle slope of the wedge-shaped island. Giorgio Viola, whom he saw from afar, sitting on a bench under the front wall of the cottage, lifted his arm slightly to his loud hail. He walked up. Neither of the girls appeared.

`It is good here,' said the old man, in his austere, far-away manner.

Nostromo nodded; then, after a short silence:

`You saw my schooner pass in not two hours ago? Do you know why I am here before, so to speak, my anchor has fairly bitten into the ground of this port of Sulaco?'

`You are welcome like a son,' the old man declared, quietly, staring away upon the sea.

`Ah! thy son. I know. I am what thy son would have been. It is well, viejo. It is a very good welcome. Listen, I have come to ask you for--'

A sudden dread came upon the fearless and incorruptible Nostromo. He dared not utter the name in his mind. The slight pause only imparted a marked weight and solemnity to the changed end of the phrase.

`For my wife!' . . . His heart was beating fast. `It is time you--'

The Garibaldino arrested him with an extended arm. `That was left for you to judge.'

He got up slowly. His beard, unclipped since Teresa's death, thick, snow-white, covered his powerful chest. He turned his head to the door, and called out in his strong voice:

`Linda.'

Her answer came sharp and faint from within; and the appalled Nostromo stood up, too, but remained mute, gazing at the door. He was afraid. He was not afraid of being refused the girl he loved -- no mere refusal could stand between him and a woman he desired -- but the shining spectre of the treasure rose before him, claiming his allegiance in a silence that could not be gainsaid. He was afraid, because, neither dead nor alive, like the gringos on Azuera, he belonged body and soul to the unlawfulness of his audacity. He was afraid of being forbidden the island. He was afraid, and said nothing.

Seeing the two men standing up side by side to await her, Linda stopped in the doorway. Nothing could alter the passionate dead whiteness of her face; but her black eyes seemed to catch and concentrate all the light of the low sun in a flaming spark within the black depths, covered at once by the slow descent of heavy eyelids.

`Behold thy husband, master, and benefactor.' Old Viola's voice resounded with a force that seemed to fill the whole gulf.

She stepped forward with her eyes nearly closed, like a sleepwalker in a beatific dream.

Nostromo made a superhuman effort. `It is time, Linda, we two were betrothed,'

he said, steadily, in his level, careless, unbending tone.

She put her hand into his offered palm, lowering her head, dark with bronze glints, upon which her father's hand rested for a moment.

`And so the soul of the dead is satisfied.'

This came from Giorgio Viola, who went on talking for a while of his dead wife; while the two, sitting side by side, never looked at each other.

Then the old man ceased; and Linda, motionless, began to speak.

`Ever since I felt I lived in the world, I have lived for you alone, Gian' Battista. And that you knew! You knew it . . . Battistino.'

She pronounced the name exactly with her mother's intonation. A gloom as of the grave covered Nostromo's heart.

`Yes. I knew,' he said.

The heroic Garibaldino sat on the same bench bowing his hoary head, his old soul dwelling alone with its memories, tender and violent, terrible and dreary -- solitary on the earth full of men.

And Linda, his best-loved daughter, was saying, `I was yours ever since I can remember. I had only to think of you for the earth to become empty to my eyes. When you were there, I could see no one else. I was yours.

同类推荐
热门推荐
  • Angel的心

    Angel的心

    一个失去心的女孩也许在宇宙的深处,有一个属于我的星球,一个与世隔绝的世界,静静地躺在那里沉睡,像睡美人,等待着自己的王子,去拯救那一颗心……
  • 重生之最强药剂师

    重生之最强药剂师

    2216年,伴随着人类踏入星空、源能的发现,古老的修行,开始焕发出来了新的生命力来!王思危,一个原本混吃等死的药剂师学生,意外觉醒前世九阶药剂师的记忆,从此开始走上了一条突飞猛进的修炼之路来。强者为尊应让我,英雄至此敢争先!
  • 恶魔专属,腹黑校草太傲娇

    恶魔专属,腹黑校草太傲娇

    “落景逸!你干嘛亲我!我允许了吗!”沐小公主愤恨的瞪着他,可是某个恶魔只是动弹了一下身子,慵懒的看她一眼,“你人都快是我的了,亲一下怎么了,嗯~我可爱的未婚妻!”可沐小公主却彻底炸毛了,大声嚷嚷着:“我要跟你解除婚约!”落景逸勾唇一笑,玩味的看着她“看来你是想让我惩罚你啊。”听完这句话,沐小公主赶紧捂住嘴,口里嘟囔着“臭流氓,就知道欺负我”…
  • 真的是王子哟

    真的是王子哟

    打开冰箱的那一刻,红红的马赛克盖满了冰箱里不和谐的画面。那一冰箱的都是神马跟神马啊,啊啊啊,我想说,都是吸血鬼,你老人家怎么就当得那么奇怪啊,如果你们吸血鬼都是这样,早就没有少女喜欢吸血鬼了,极度没有存在感的平凡少女奇奇怪怪的吸血鬼之恋,一切都从三包被呕出来的血染红的卫生纸开始。传说中的吸血鬼王子让,德古拉是一个不打伞就不愿意出门的超级怪人。还有他的那几个狐朋狗友——讨厌狗的狼人明石,极度的雪人宝竹以及……从传说中的三流中学来的强人类绝伦殿下。这样怪怪的四个人组成的人类调查所爆笑开张。
  • 爱了就不放手

    爱了就不放手

    陈小雨介绍自己的名字时说:“我妈是个很懒的女人,她说生我那天,雨很大,于是给我取名字叫大雨,登记户口时,人家一听是女孩,很好心的给改成小雨了。幸好我爸姓陈我妈没有搞错。”···················一群青春少年少女的爱情,简单而又复杂,夹杂着我们快乐的大专生活。
  • 军婚在上:面瘫中校难扑倒

    军婚在上:面瘫中校难扑倒

    小时候:“我长大了要做你的新娘”小女孩天真般的一句话让少年脸瞬间黑了下来。长大后:老首长家最头疼的长孙,军区最年轻的中校大人,两杠二星,让京都人都知道司空战这个面瘫加木头的剩男。而她一个叫陈莎莎的女孩子却是闯入他的生活,用尽各种招数要当他的老婆,屡战屡败,屡败屡战。“你娶我吧!你看我上得厅堂下得厨房,还暖的了床。”瞬间让他面瘫的脸黑了下来,感叹真是一个小女孩。N久之后“我这么爱你,可你一点也不喜欢我,我不要在爱你了!”女孩哭着跑了,独留下男人僵硬的身子矗立在原地。“战哥哥我要结婚了”一句话让木头加面瘫的中校大人不淡定了,黑着脸扛起女孩就走。“干嘛?”“去民政局领证,军婚在上,你休想嫁给别人。”
  • 火影之新生君麻吕

    火影之新生君麻吕

    “大蛇丸大人!!!!!!”君麻吕如是大声喊道。骨锥的尖端已经刺到了我爱罗的瞳孔前,君麻吕咳出一大口血,骨头硬化,他保持住那个姿势,再也不动了。“大蛇丸大人,我尽力了...."君麻吕喃喃道。还记得当年看动画片,看到这里伤心的哭了。只是觉得君麻吕很不值,也有为他英年早逝而感到悲哀。当君麻吕拥有了重新来过的机会,他...会怎么做。
  • 与阮芸台宫保论文书

    与阮芸台宫保论文书

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 都市打怪系统

    都市打怪系统

    充值成功!寿命:-1s,时间币:+1,恭喜获得首充大礼包!【多活十年的意义很大么?你最多只能比别人多活八十岁或者九十岁那十年,又不是二十岁的十年……】
  • 网游之天战无双

    网游之天战无双

    神奇少年叶云天,横空出世,以绝世武功威震天下,神秘师傅五行道人,身世显赫,位于世界的巅峰,怪力少女叶小玉,骄横任性,…………当他们进入网游“天战”时,天赋异禀。叶云天本是一个有坚定信念的人,但当他身边出现的美女时,他也把控不住了。…………正当他过着美好生活的时候,“天战”中又出现了一些事…………