第66章
加入书架 A- A+
点击下载App,搜索"MOLL FLANDERS",免费读到尾

  himthere,andgoingforwardtospeaktohim,hesawme,and

  cametowardsme,butnotgivinghimtimetospeakfirst,Isaid,

  smiling,’Idoubt,sir,youhaveforgotus,forIseeyouarevery

  busy。’

  Hereturnedpresently,’Comealongwithme,andyou

  shallsee。’

  Sohetookmeintothegreatcabin,andtheresat

  agoodsortofagentlemanlymanforaseaman,writing,and

  withagreatmanypapersbeforehim。

  ’Here,’saystheboatswaintohimthatwasa-writing,’isthe

  gentlewomanthatthecaptainspoketoyouof’;andturningto

  me,hesaid,’Ihavebeensofarfromforgettingyourbusiness,

  thatIhavebeenupatthecaptain’shouse,andhaverepresented

  faithfullytothecaptainwhatyousaid,relatingtoyoubeing

  furnishedwithbetterconveniencesforyourselfandyour

  husband;andthecaptainhassentthisgentleman,whoismade

  oftheship,downwithme,onpurposetoshowyoueverything,

  andtoaccommodateyoufullytoyourcontent,andbidme

  assureyouthatyoushallnotbetreatedlikewhatyouwereat

  firstexpectedtobe,butwiththesamerespectasotherpassengers

  aretreated。’

  Thematethenspoketome,and,notgivingmetimetothank

  theboatswainforhiskindness,confirmedwhattheboatswain

  hadsaid,andaddedthatitwasthecaptain’sdelighttoshow

  himselfkindandcharitable,especiallytothosethatwere

  underanymisfortunes,andwiththatheshowedmeseveral

  cabinsbuiltup,someinthegreatcabin,andsomepartitioned

  off,outofthesteerage,butopeningintothegreatcabinon

  purposefortheaccommodationofpassengers,andgaveme

  leavetochoosewhereIwould。

  However,Ichoseacabin

  whichopenedintothesteerage,inwhichwasverygood

  conveniencestosetourchestandboxes,andatabletoeaton。

  Thematethentoldmethattheboatswainhadgivensogood

  acharacterofmeandmyhusband,astoourcivilbehaviour,

  thathehadorderstotellmeweshouldeatwithhim,ifwe

  thoughtfit,duringthewholevoyage,onthecommonterms

  ofpassengers;thatwemightlayinsomefreshprovisions,if

  wepleased;orifnot,heshouldlayinhisusualstore,andwe

  shouldhavesharewithhim。

  Thiswasveryrevivingnewsto

  me,aftersomanyhardshipsandafflictionsasIhadgone

  throughoflate。

  Ithankedhim,andtoldhimthecaptainshould

  makehisowntermswithus,andaskedhimleavetogoand

  tellmyhusbandofit,whowasnotverywell,andwasnotyet

  outofhiscabin。

  AccordinglyIwent,andmyhusband,whose

  spiritswerestillsomuchsunkwiththeindignityashe

  understooditofferedhim,thathewasscareyethimself,was

  sorevivedwiththeaccountthatIgavehimofthereception

  wewereliketohaveintheship,thathewasquiteanotherman,

  andnewvigourandcourageappearedinhisverycountenance。

  Sotrueisit,thatthegreatestofspirits,whenoverwhelmed

  bytheirafflictions,aresubjecttothegreatestdejections,and

  arethemostapttodespairandgivethemselvesup。

  Aftersomelittlepausetorecoverhimself,myhusbandcame

  upwithme,andgavethematethanksforthekindness,which

  hehadexpressedtous,andsentsuitableacknowledgmentby

  himtothecaptain,offeringtopayhimbyadvance,whatever

  hedemandedforourpassage,andfortheconvenienceshehad

  helpedusto。

  Thematetoldhimthatthecaptainwouldbeon

  boardintheafternoon,andthathewouldleaveallthattillhe

  came。

  Accordingly,intheafternoonthecaptaincame,andwe

  foundhimthesamecourteous,obligingmanthattheboatswain

  hadrepresentedhimtobe;andhewassowellpleasedwith

  myhusband’sconversation,that,inshort,hewouldnotletus

  keepthecabinwehadchosen,butgaveusonethat,asIsaid

  before,openedintothegreatcabin。

  Norwerehisconditionsexorbitant,orthemancravingand

  eagertomakeapreyofus,butforfifteenguineaswehadour

  wholepassageandprovisionsandcabin,ateatthecaptain’s

  table,andwereveryhandsomelyentertained。

  Thecaptainlayhimselfintheotherpartofthegreatcabin,

  havinglethisroundhouse,astheycallit,toarichplanter

  whowentoverwithhiswifeandthreechildren,whoateby

  themselves。

  Hehadsomeotherordinarypassengers,who

  quarteredinthesteerage,andasforouroldfraternity,they

  werekeptunderthehatcheswhiletheshiplaythere,andcame

  verylittleonthedeck。

  Icouldnotrefrainacquaintingmygovernesswithwhathad

  happened;itwasbutjustthatshe,whowassoreallyconcerned

  forme,shouldhavepartinmygoodfortune。

  Besides,Iwanted

  herassistancetosupplymewithseveralnecessaries,which

  beforeIwasshyoflettinganybodyseemehave,thatitmight

  notbepublic;butnowIhadacabinandroomtosetthingsin,

  Iorderedabundanceofgoodthingsforourcomfortinthe

  voyage,asbrandy,sugar,lemons,etc。,tomakepunch,and

  treatourbenefactor,thecaptain;andabundanceofthingsfor

  eatinganddrinkinginthevoyage;alsoalargerbed,andbedding

  proportionedtoit;sothat,inaword,weresolvedtowantfor

  nothinginthevoyage。

  AllthiswhileIhadprovidednothingforourassistancewhen

  weshouldcometotheplaceandbegintocallourselvesplanters;

  andIwasfarfrombeingignorantofwhatwasneedfulonthat

  occasion;particularlyallsortsoftoolsfortheplanter’swork,

  andforbuilding;andallkindsoffurnitureforourdwelling,

  which,iftobeboughtinthecountry,mustnecessarilycost

  doubletheprice。

  SoIdiscoursedthatpointwithmygoverness,andshewent

  andwaiteduponthecaptain,andtoldhimthatshehopedways

  mightbefoundoutforhertwounfortunatecousins,asshe

  calledus,toobtainourfreedomwhenwecameintothecountry,

  andsoenteredintoadiscoursewithhimaboutthemeansand

  termsalso,ofwhichIshallsaymoreinitsplace;andafter

  thussoundingthecaptain,shelethimknow,thoughwewere

  unhappyinthecircumstancesthatoccasionedourgoing,yet

  thatwewerenotunfurnishedtosetourselvestoworkinthe

  country,andweresolvedtosettleandlivethereasplanters,

  ifwemightbeputinawayhowtodoit。

  Thecaptainreadily

  offeredhisassistance,toldherthemethodofenteringupon

  suchbusiness,andhoweasy,nay,howcertainitwasfor

  industriouspeopletorecovertheirfortunesinsuchamanner。

  ’Madam,’sayshe,’’tisnoreproachtoanymanyinthatcountry

  tohavebeensentoverinworsecircumstancesthanIperceive

  yourcousinsarein,providedtheydobutapplywithdiligence

  andgoodjudgmenttothebusinessofthatplacewhenthey

  comethere。’

  Shetheninquiredofhimwhatthingsitwasnecessarywe

  shouldcarryoverwithus,andhe,likeaveryhonestaswell

  asknowingman,toldherthus:

  ’Madam,yourcousinsinthe

  firstplacemustprocuresomebodytobuythemasservants,

  inconformitytotheconditionsoftheirtransportation,and

  then,inthenameofthatperson,theymaygoaboutwhatthey

  will;theymayeitherpurchasesomeplantationsalreadybegun,

  ortheymaypurchaselandoftheGovernmentofthecountry,

  andbeginwheretheyplease,andbothwillbedonereasonably。’

  Shebespokehisfavourinthefirstarticle,whichhepromised

  tohertotakeuponhimself,andindeedfaithfullyperformed

  it,andastotherest,hepromisedtorecommendustosuchas

  shouldgiveusthebestadvice,andnottoimposeuponus,

  whichwasasmuchascouldbedesired。

  Shethenaskedhimifitwouldnotbenecessarytofurnishus

  withastockoftoolsandmaterialsforthebusinessofplanting,

  andhesaid,’Yes,byallmeans。’

  Andthenshebeggedhis

  assistanceinit。

  Shetoldhimshewouldfurnishuswith

  everythingthatwasconvenientwhateveritcosther。

  He

  accordinglygaveheralongparticularofthingsnecessaryfor

  aplanter,which,byhisaccount,cametoaboutfourscoreor

  ahundredpounds。

  And,inshort,shewentaboutasdexterously

  tobuythem,asifshehadbeenanoldVirginiamerchant;only

  thatshebought,bymydirection,abovetwiceasmuchof

  everythingashehadgivenheralistof。

  Thesesheputonboardinherownname,tookhisbillsof

  loadingforthem,andendorsedthosebillsofloadingtomy

  husband,insuringthecargoafterwardsinherownname,by

  ourorder;sothatwewereprovidedforallevents,andfor

  alldisasters。

  Ishouldhavetoldyouthatmyhusbandgaveherallhiswhole

  stockof#108,which,asIhavesaid,hehadabouthimingold,

  tolayoutthus,andIgaveheragoodsumbesides;sotthatI

  didnotbreakintothestockwhichIhadleftinherhandsat

  all,butafterwehadsortedoutourwholecargo,wehadyet

  near#200inmoney,whichwasmorethanenoughforour

  purpose。

  Inthiscondition,verycheerful,andindeedjoyfulatbeingso

  happilyaccommodatedaswewere,wesetsailfromBugby’s

  HoletoGravesend,wheretheshiplayabouttenmoredays,

  andwherethecaptaincameonboardforgoodandall。

  Here

  thecaptainofferedusacivility,whichindeedwehadnoreason

  toexpect,namely,toletusgoonshoreandrefreshourselves,

  upongivingourwordsinasolemnmannerthatwewouldnot

  gofromhim,andthatwewouldreturnpeaceablyonboard

  again。

  Thiswassuchanevidenceofhisconfidenceinus,

  thatitovercamemyhusband,who,inamereprincipleof

  gratitude,toldhim,ashecouldnotbeinanycapacitytomake

  asuitablereturnforsuchafavour,sohecouldnotthinkof

  acceptingofit,norcouldhebeeasythatthecaptainshould

  runsucharisk。

  Aftersomemutualcivilities,Igavemy

  husbandapurse,inwhichwaseightyguineas,andheputin

  intothecaptain’shand。

  ’There,captain,’sayshe,’there’s

  partofapledgeforourfidelity;ifwedealdishonestlywith

  youonanyaccount,’tisyourown。’

  Andonthiswewent

  onshore。

点击下载App,搜索"MOLL FLANDERS",免费读到尾