Таємний спільник
II
“I’llbeondeckdirectly.”
Iwasgoingouttomaketheacquaintanceofmyship.BeforeIleftthecabinoureyesmet—theeyesoftheonlytwostrangersonboard.Ipointedtotherecessedpartwherethelittlecampstoolawaitedhimandlaidmyfingeronmylips.Hemadeagesture—somewhatvague—alittlemysterious,accompaniedbyafaintsmile,asifofregret.
Thisisnottheplacetoenlargeuponthesensationsofamanwhofeelsforthefirsttimeashipmoveunderhisfeettohisownindependentword.Inmycasetheywerenotunalloyed.Iwasnotwhollyalonewithmycommand;fortherewasthatstrangerinmycabin.Orrather,Iwasnotcompletelyandwhollywithher.Partofmewasabsent.Thatmentalfeelingofbeingintwoplacesatonceaffectedmephysicallyasifthemoodofsecrecyhadpenetratedmyverysoul.Beforeanhourhadelapsedsincetheshiphadbeguntomove,havingoccasiontoaskthemate(hestoodbymyside)totakeacompassbearingofthepagoda,Icaughtmyselfreachinguptohisearinwhispers.IsayIcaughtmyself,butenoughhadescapedtostartletheman.Ican’tdescribeitotherwisethanbysayingthatheshied.Agrave,preoccupiedmanner,asthoughhewereinpossessionofsomeperplexingintelligence,didnotleavehimhenceforth.AlittlelaterImovedawayfromtherailtolookatthecompasswithsuchastealthygaitthatthehelmsmannoticedit—andIcouldnothelpnoticingtheunusualroundnessofhiseyes.Thesearetriflinginstances,thoughit’stonocommander’sadvantagetobesuspectedofludicrouseccentricities.
