the frozen deep(冰渊)-第5部分
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in your bed？〃
〃I can't rest。 I have not slept all night。 Have you been out yet？〃
〃No。〃
〃Have you seen or heard anything of Richard Wardour？〃
〃What an extraordinary question！〃
〃Answer my question！ Don't trifle with me！〃
〃Compose yourself； Clara。 I have neither seen nor heard anything of
Richard Wardour。 Take my word for it； he is far enough away by this
time。〃
〃No！ He is here！ He is near us！ All night long the presentiment has
pursued meFrank and Richard Wardour will meet。〃
〃My dear child！ what are you thinking of？ T hey are total strangers to
each other。〃
〃Something will happen to bring them together。 I feel it！ I know it！
They will meetthere will be a mortal quarrel between themand I shall
be to blame。 Oh； Lucy！ why didn't I take your advice？ Why was I mad
enough to let Frank know that I loved him？ Are you going to the landing…
stage？ I am all readyI must go with you。〃
〃You must not think of it； Clara。 There will be crowding and confusion
at the water…side。 You are not strong enough to bear it。 WaitI won't be
long awaywait till I come back。〃
〃I must and will go with you！ Crowd？ _He_ will be among the crowd！
Confusion？ In that confusion _he_ will find his way to Frank！ Don't ask
me to wait。 I shall go mad if I wait。 I shall not know a moment's ease until
I have seen Frank； with my own eyes； safe in the boat which takes him to
his ship！ You have got your bonnet on； what are we stopping here for？
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Come！ or I shall go without you。 Look at the clock； we have not a moment
to lose！〃
It was useless to contend with her。 Mrs。 Crayford yielded。 The two
women left the house together。
The landing…stage； as Mrs。 Crayford had predicted； was thronged with
spectators。 Not only the relatives and friends of the Arctic voyagers； but
strangers as well； had assembled in large numbers to see the ships sail。
Clara's eyes wandered affrightedly hither and thither among the strange
faces in the crowd； searching for the one face that she dreaded to see； and
not finding it。 So completely were her nerves unstrung； that she started
with a cry of alarm on suddenly hearing Frank's voice behind her。
〃The _Sea…mew_'s boats are waiting；〃 he said。 〃I must go； darling。
How pale you are looking； Clara！ Are you ill？〃
She never answered。 She questioned him with wild eyes and trembling
lips。
〃Has anything happened to you； Frank？ anything out of the common？〃
Frank laughed at the strange question。
〃Anything out of the common？〃 he repeated。 〃Nothing that I know of；
except sailing for the Arctic seas。 That's out of the common； I suppose
isn't it？〃
〃Has anybody spoken to you since last night？ Has any stranger
followed you in the street？〃
Frank turned in blank amazement to Mrs。 Crayford。
〃What on earth does she mean？〃
Mrs。 Crayford's lively invention supplied her with an answer on the
spur of the moment。
〃Do you believe in dreams； Frank？ Of course you don't！ Clara has
been dreaming about you； and Clara is foolish enough to believe in dreams。
That's allit's not worth talking about。 Hark！ they are calling you。 Say
good…by； or you will be too late for the boat。〃
Frank took Clara's hand。 Long afterwardin the dark Arctic days； in
the dreary Arctic nightshe remembered how coldly and how passively
that hand lay in his。
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〃Courage； Clara！〃 he said； gayly。 〃A sailor's sweetheart must accustom
herself to partings。 The time will soon pass。 Good…by； my darling！ Good…
by； my wife！〃
He kissed the cold hand； he looked his lastfor many a long year；
perhaps！at the pale and beautiful face。 〃How she loves me！〃 he thought。
〃How the parting distresses her！〃 He still held her hand； he would have
lingered longer； if Mrs。 Crayford had not wisely waived all ceremony and
pushed him away。
The two ladies followed him at a safe distance through the crowd； and
saw him step into the boat。 The oars struck the water； Frank waved his cap
to Clara。 In a moment more a vessel at anchor hid the boat from view。
They had seen the last of him on his way to the Frozen Deep！
〃No Richard Wardour in the boat；〃 said Mrs。 Crayford。 〃No Richard
Wardour on the shore。 Let this be a lesson to you； my dear。 Never be
foolish enough to believe in presentiments again。〃
Clara's eyes still wandered suspiciously to and fro among the crowd。
〃Are you not satisfied yet？〃 asked Mrs。 Crayford。
〃No；〃 Clara answered； 〃I am not satisfied yet。〃
〃What！ still looking for him？ This is really too absurd。 Here is my
husband coming。 I shall tell him to call a cab； and send you home。〃
Clara drew back a few steps。
〃I won't be in the way； Lucy； while you are taking leave of your good
husband；〃 she said。 〃I will wait here。〃
〃Wait here！ What for？〃
〃For something which I may yet see； or for something which I may
still hear。〃
〃Richard Wardour？〃
〃Richard Wardour。〃
Mrs。 Crayford turned to her husband without another word。 Clara's
infatuation was beyond the reach of remonstrance。
The boats of the _Wanderer_ took the place at the landing…stage
vacated by the boats of the _Sea…mew_。 A burst of cheering among the
outer ranks of the crowd announced the arrival of the commander of the
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expedition on the scene。 Captain Helding appeared； looking right and left
for his first lieutenant。 Finding Crayford with his wife； the captain made
his apologies for interfering； with his best grace。
〃Give him up to his professional duties for one minute； Mrs。 Crayford；
and you shall have him back again for half an hour。 The Arctic expedition
is to blame； my dear ladynot the captainfor parting man and wife。 In
Crayford's place； I should have left it to the bachelors to find the
Northwest Passage； and have stopped at home with you！〃
Excusing himself in those bluntly complimentary terms； Captain
Helding drew the lieutenant aside a few steps； accidentally taking a
direction that led the two officers close to the place at which Clara was
standing。 Both the captain and the lieutenant were too completely
absorbed in their professional business to notice her。 Neither the one nor
the other had the faintest suspicion that she could and did hear every word
of the talk that passed between them。
〃You received my note this morning？〃 the captain began。
〃Certainly； Captain Helding； or I should have been on board the ship
before this。〃
〃I am going on board myself at once；〃 the captain proceeded； 〃but I
must ask you to keep your boat waiting for half an hour more。 You will be
all the longer with your wife； you know。 I thought of that； Crayford。〃
〃I am much obliged to you； Captain Helding。 I suppose there is some
other reason for inverting the customary order of things； and keeping the
lieutenant on shore after the captain is on board？〃
〃Quite true！ there _is_ another reason。 I want you to wait for a
volunteer who has just joined us。〃
〃A volunteer！〃
〃Yes。 He has his outfit to get in a hurry； and he may be half an hour
late。〃
〃It's rather a sudden appointment； isn't it？〃
〃No doubt。 Very sudden。〃
〃Andpardon meit's rather a long time （as we are situated） to keep
the ships waiting for one man？〃
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〃Quite true； again。 But a man who is worth having is worth waiting for。
This man is worth having； this man is worth his weight in gold to such an
expedition as ours。 Seasoned to all climates and all fatiguesa strong
fellow； a brave fellow； a clever fellowin short； an excellent officer。 I
know him well； or I should never have taken him。 The country gets plenty
of work out of my new volunteer； Crayford。 He only returned yesterday
from foreign service。〃
〃He only returned yesterday from foreign service！ And he volunteers
this morning to join the Arctic expedition？ You astonish me。〃
〃I dare say I do！ You can't be more astonished than I was； when he
presented himself at my hotel and told me what he wanted。 'Why； my good
fellow； you have just got home；' I said。 'Are you weary of your freedom；
after only a few hours' experience of it？' His answer rather startled me。 He
said； 'I am weary of my life； sir。 I have come home and found a trouble to
welcome me； which goes near to break my heart。 If I don't take refuge in
absence and hard work； I am a lost man。 Will you give me a refuge？'
That's what he said； Crayford； word for word。〃
〃Did you ask him to explain himself further？〃
〃Not I！ I knew his value； an
