下载辰思小说免费APP
Ilefther，wenttothecuddyanddraggedoutthesmallcanvastarpaulinwhichIusedtocovertheengineatnight。Withthis，acodline，theboathook，andmyoneoarIimprovisedasortofjuryrigwhichItiederectattheforwardendofthecockpit。ThenI
wentaftandtookthewheelagain。Thetarpaulinmadeapoorapologyforasail，butIhopeditmightanswerthepurposewellenoughtokeeptheComfortbeforethewind。
Itdid。Tackingwas，ofcourse，outofthequestion，butwiththegaleasternthelaunchansweredherhelmandslidoverthewavesinsteadofrollingbetweenthem。Isighedinrelief。ThenI
rememberedmypassengersittingsilentbesideme。Shedidnotdeserveconsideration，butIvouchsafedawordofencouragement。
"Don’tbefrightened，"Isaid。"Itisonlyastiffbreezeandthisboatisseaworthy。Weareallrightnow。"
"Butwhydidyoutakeuptheanchor？"
BywayofanswerIpointedaftoverthestern。Inthedarknessthefrothoftheshoalgleamedwhite。Ifelthershudderasshelooked。
"Wherearewegoingnow——please？"sheasked，amomentlater。
"WeareheadedfortheWellmouthshore。Itistheonlydirectionwecantake。Ifthiswindholdsweshalllandinafewhours。Itisalldeepwaternow。Therearenomoreshoals。"
"But，"anxiously，"canwelandwhenwereachthere？Isn’titabadcoast？"
"Notvery。IfwecanmakeMackerelIslandwemaybeabletogetashoreatthelightoranchorintheleeoftheland。Itisallright，MissColton。Iamtellingyouthetruth。Strangeasitmayseemtoyou，Ireallyam。"
Icouldnothelpaddingthelastbitofsarcasm。Sheunderstood。
Shedrewawayonthebenchandaskednomorequestions。
OndrovetheComfort。ThefirstfiercenessofthesquallhadpassedanditwasnowmerelywhatIhadcalledit，astiffbreeze。
Outhereinthemiddleofthebaythewaveswerehigherandweshippedsomesprayoverthequarter。Theairwassharpandthechillpenetratedevenmythickjacket。
"Youmustbecold，"Isaid。"Aren’tyou？"
"No。"
"Butyoumustbe。Takethewheelamoment。"
"Iamnotcold。"
"Takethewheel。"
Shetookit。Igropedaboutinthecuddyagain，gotoutmystormcoat，anoldpeajacketwhichIworeongunningexpeditions，andbroughtittoher。
"Slipthison，"Isaid。
"Idonotcareforit。"
"Putiton。"
"Mr。Paine，"haughtily，"Itellyou……oh！"
Ihadwrappedthecoatabouthershouldersandfastenedtheupperbutton。
"Nowsitdownonthedeckhere，"Iordered。"Here，bymyfeet。
Youwillbebelowtherailthereandoutofthewind。"
Tomysurprisesheobeyedorders，thistimewithoutevenaprotest。
Ismiledgrimly。Toseeherobeysuitedmyhumor。Itservedherright。IenjoyedorderingheraboutasifIweremateofanold—
timeclipperandsheaforemasthand。Shehadinsultedmeoncetoooftenandsheshouldpayforit。Outheresocialpositionandwealthandfamilypridecountedfornothing。HereIwasabsolutemasterofthesituationandsheknewit。Allherlifeshewouldrememberit，thehumiliationofbeingabsolutelydependentuponmeforlifeandsafetyandwarmth。Ilookeddownathercrouchingatmyfeet，andthenawayovertheblackwater。TheComfortclimbedwaveafterwave。
"Mr。Paine。"
ThetonewasverylowbutIheardit。
Icameoutofmywakingdream——itwasnotapleasantone——andanswered。
"Yes？"Isaid。
"Wherearewe？"
"Wearemakingfairprogress，everythingconsidered。Areyouwarmernow？"
"Yes——thankyou。"
Shesaidnomore，nordidI。Exceptforthesplashofthesprayandtheflappingofthelooseendsofthetarpaulin，itwasquietaboardtheComfort。Quiet，exceptforanoddsoundintheshadowbymyknee。Istoopedandlistened。
"MissColton，"Isaid，quickly。"Whatisit？"
Noanswer。YetIheardthesoundagain。
"Whatisit，MissColton？"Irepeated。"Whatisthematter？Whyareyoucrying？"
"I——IamNOTcrying，"indignantly。Andontheveryheelsofthedenialcameastifledsob。
Thatsobwenttomyheart。Agreatlumproseinmyownthroat。Mybrainseemedtobeturningtopsy—turvy。Amomentbeforeithadbeenfilledwithbitternessandresentmentandvengefulthoughts。
Nowthesehadvanishedandintheirplacecamecrowdingotherandvastlydifferentfeelings。Shewascrying，sobbingtherealoneinthedarkatmyfeet。AndIhadtreatedherlikeabrute！
"MissColton，"Ipleaded，inanagonyofrepentance，"whatisit？
IsthereanythingIcando？Areyoustillcold？Takethisothercoat，theoneIhaveon。Idon’tneedit，really。Iamquitewarm。"
"Iamnotcold。"
"But——"
"Oh，pleasedon’tspeaktome！PLEASE！"
Iclosedmylipstightlyandclutchedthewheelwithbothhands。
Oh，Ihadbeenabrute，abrute！Ishouldhaveknownthatshewasnotherself，thatshewasfrightenedandnervousanddistraught。I
shouldhavebeenconsiderateandforbearing。Ishouldhaverememberedthatshewasonlyagirl，hystericalandweak。InsteadIhad——
"MissColton，"Ibegged，"pleasedon’t。Please！"
Noanswer；onlyanothersob。Itriedagain。
"Ihavebeenacad，"Icried。"Ihavetreatedyouabominably。I
don’texpectyoutoforgiveme，but——"
"I——Iamsofrightened！"Theconfessionwasasoliloquy，Ithink；
notaddressedtomeatall。ButIhearditandforgoteverythingelse。Iletgoofthewheelaltogetherandbentoverher，bothhandsoutstretched，to——theLordknowswhat。Iwasnotresponsiblejustthen。
ButwhileIstillhesitated，whilemyhandswerestillintheairaboveher，beforetheytouchedher，Iwasbroughtbacktosanitywitharudeshock。Abarrelorsoofcoldwatercamepouringovertherailanddrenchedusboth。Thelaunch，beingleftwithoutahelmsman，hadswungintothetroughoftheseaandthiswastheresult。
Iamnotreallysurewhathappenedinthenextfewseconds。I
must，Iimagine，haveseizedthewheelwithonehandandmypassengerwiththeother。Atanyrate，whenthesmoke，sotospeak，hadcleared，theComfortwasheadedonheroldcourseoncemore，Iwasbackonthebenchbythewheel，MabelColton’sheadwasonmyshoulder，andIwastellingheroverandoverthatitwasallrightnow，therewasnodanger，wewereperfectlysafe，andvariousinanitiesofthatsort。
Shewasbreathingquickly，butshesobbednomore。Iwasgladofthat。
"Youaresureyouarenothurt？"Iasked，anxiously。
"Yes——yes，Ithinkso，"sheanswered，faintly。"Whatwasit？I——I
thoughtweweresinking。"
"SodidIforamoment。Itwasallmyfault，asusual。Iletgothewheel。"
"Didyou？Why？"
"Idon’tknowwhy。"Thiswasuntrue；Idid。"Butyouarewetthrough，"Iadded，remorsefully。"AndIhaven’tanotherdrywrapaboard。"
"Nevermind。YouareaswetasIam。"
"Yes，but_I_don’tmind。Iamusedtoit。Butyou——"
"Iamallright。Iwasalittlefaint，atfirst，Ithink，butIambetternow。"Sheraisedherheadandsatup。"Wherearewe？"sheasked。
"WearewithinafewmilesoftheWellmouthshore。ThatlightaheadistheMackerelIslandlight。Weshallbethereinalittlewhile。Thedangerisalmostover。"
Sheshivered。
"Youarecold！"Icried。"Ofcourseyouare！IfIonlyhadanothercoatorsomething。Itisallmyfault。"
"Don’tsaythat，"reproachfully。"WhereshouldIhavebeenifithadnotbeenforyou？Iwaspaddlingdirectlyouttowardthosedreadfulshoals。Thenyoucame，justasyouhavedonebefore，andsavedme。And，"inawonderingwhisper，"Iknewitwasyou！"
Ididnotaskherwhatshemeant；Iseemedtounderstandperfectly。
"Yes，"Isaid。
"ButItellyouIknewitwasyou，"sherepeated。"Ididnotknow——
Ididnotsuspectuntilthemomentbeforethecollision，beforethelaunchcameinsight——then，allatonce，Iknew。"
"Yes。ThatwaswhenIknew。"
Sheturnedandgazedatme。
"YOUknew？"shegasped，hyst
后续内容为VIP可读请开通VIP，或购买此章节
