Похищенный
Chapter 7
Theywerearoughlotindeed,assailorsmostlyare:beingmenrootedoutofallthekindlypartsoflife,andcondemnedtotosstogetherontheroughseas,withmastersnolesscruel.Thereweresomeamongthemthathadsailedwiththepiratesandseenthingsitwouldbeashameeventospeakof;somewerementhathadrunfromtheking’sships,andwentwithahalterroundtheirnecks,ofwhichtheymadenosecret;andall,asthesayinggoes,were“atawordandablow”withtheirbestfriends.YetIhadnotbeenmanydaysshutupwiththembeforeIbegantobeashamedofmyfirstjudgment,whenIhaddrawnawayfromthemattheFerrypier,asthoughtheyhadbeenuncleanbeasts.Noclassofmanisaltogetherbad,buteachhasitsownfaultsandvirtues;andtheseshipmatesofminewerenoexceptiontotherule.Roughtheywere,sureenough;andbad,Isuppose;buttheyhadmanyvirtues.Theywerekindwhenitoccurredtothem,simpleevenbeyondthesimplicityofacountryladlikeme,andhadsomeglimmeringsofhonesty.
Therewasoneman,ofmaybeforty,thatwouldsitonmyberthsideforhoursandtellmeofhiswifeandchild.Hewasafisherthathadlosthisboat,andthusbeendriventothedeep-seavoyaging.Well,itisyearsagonow:butIhaveneverforgottenhim.Hiswife(whowas“youngbyhim,”asheoftentoldme)waitedinvaintoseehermanreturn;hewouldneveragainmakethefireforherinthemorning,noryetkeepthebairnwhenshewassick.
