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Elisha Cuthbert Photos Books: Martin Eden The Pickwick Papers The Sea Wolf |
always to the strong. We have not the strength with
which to fight this man; we must dissimulate, and win, if win we
can, by craft. If you will be advised by me, this is what you will
do. I know my position is perilous, and I may say frankly that
yours is even more perilous. We must stand together, without
appearing to do so, in secret alliance. I shall not be able to
side with you openly, and, no matter what indignities may be put
upon me, you are to remain likewise silent. We must provoke no
scenes with this man, nor cross his will. And we must keep smiling
faces and be friendly with him no matter how repulsive it may be."
She brushed her hand across her forehead in a puzzled way, saying,
"Still I do not understand."
"You must do as I say," I interrupted authoritatively, for I saw
Wolf Larsens gaze wandering toward us from where he paced up and
down with Latimer amidships. "Do as I say, and ere long you will
find I am right."
"What shall I do, then?" she asked, detecting the anxious glance I
had shot at the object of our conversation, and impressed, I
flatter myself, with the earnestness of my manner.
"Dispense with all the moral courage you can," I said briskly.
"Dont arouse this mans animosity. Be quite friendly with him,
talk with him, discuss literature and art with him--he is fond of
such things. You will find him an interested listener and no fool.
And for your own sake try to avoid witnessing, as much as you can,
the brutalities of the ship. It will make it easier for you to act
your part."
"I am to lie," she said in steady, rebellious tones, "by speech and
action to lie."
Wolf Larsen had separated from Latimer and was coming toward us. I
was desperate.
"Please, please understand me," I said hurriedly, lowering my
voice. "All your experience of men and things is worthless here.
You must begin over again. I know,--I can see it--you have, among
other ways, been used to managing people with your eyes, letting
your moral courage speak out through them, as it were. You have
already managed me with your eyes, commanded me with them. But
dont try it on Wolf Larsen. You could as easily control a lion,
while he would make a mock of you. He would--I have always been
proud of the fact that I discovered him," I said, turning the
conversation as Wolf Larsen stepped on the poop and joined us.
"The editors were afraid of him and the publishers would have none
of him. But I knew, and his genius and my judgment were vindicated
when he made that magnificent hit with his Forge."
"And it was a newspaper poem," she said glibly.
"It did happen to see the light in a newspaper," I replied, "but
not because the magazine editors had been denied a glimpse at it."
"We were talking of Harris," I said to Wolf Larsen.
"Oh, yes," he acknowledged. "I remember the Forge. Filled with
pretty sentiments and an almighty faith in human illusions. By the
way, Mr. Van Weyden, youd better look in on Cooky. Hes
complaining and restless."
Thus was I bluntly dismissed from the poop, only to find Mugridge
sleeping soundly from the morphine I had given him. I made no
haste to return on deck, and when I did I was gratified to see Miss
Brewster in animated conversation with Wolf Larsen. As I say, the
sight gratified me. She was following my advice. And yet I was
conscious of a slight shock or hurt in that she was able to do the
thing I had begged her to do and which she had notably disliked.
CHAPTER XXIII Brave winds, blowing fair, swiftly drove the Ghost northward into the seal herd. We encountered it well up to the forty-fourth parallel, in a raw and stormy sea across which the wind harried the fog-banks in eternal flight. For days at a time we could never see the sun nor take an observation; then the wind would sweep the face of the ocean clean, the waves would ripple and flash, and we would learn where we were. A day of clear weather might follow, or three days or four, and then the fog would The Sea Wolf page 82 The Sea Wolf page 84 |