a house-boat on the styx-第16部分

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permitted　to　cross　the　gangplank。　　Our　husbands　and　brothers　and

friends　go　there；　the　door　closes　on　them；　and　they　are　as　completely

lost　to　us　as　though　they　never　existed。　　We　don't　know　what　goes　on

in　there。　　Socrates　tells　me　that　their　amusements　are　of　a　most

innocent　nature；　but　how　do　I　know　what　he　means　by　that？

Furthermore；　it　keeps　him　from　home；　while　I　have　to　stay　at　home　and

be　entertained　by　my　sons；　whom　the　Encyclopaedia　Britannica　rightly

calls　dull　and　fatuous。　　In　other　words；　club　life　for　him；　and

dulness　and　fatuity　for　me。〃



〃I　think　myself　they're　rather　queer　about　letting　women　into　that

boat；〃　said　Queen　Elizabeth。　　〃But　it　isn't　Sir　Walter's　fault。　　He

told　me　he　tried　to　have　them　establish　a　Ladies'　Day；　and　that　they

agreed　to　do　so；　but　have　since　resisted　all　his　efforts　to　have　a

date　set　for　the　function。〃



〃It　would　be　great　fun　to　steal　in　there　now；　wouldn't　it；〃　giggled

Ophelia。　　〃There　doesn't　seem　to　be　anybody　about　to　prevent　our

doing　so。〃



〃That's　true；〃　said　Xanthippe。　　〃All　the　windows　are　closed；　as　if

there　wasn't　a　soul　there。　　I've　half　a　mind　to　take　a　peep　in　at　the

house。〃



〃I　am　with　you；〃　said　Elizabeth；　her　face　lighting　up　with　pleasure。

It　was　a　great　novelty；　and　an　unpleasant　one　to　her；　to　find　some

place　where　she　could　not　go。　　〃Let's　do　it；〃　she　added。



So　the　three　women　tiptoed　softly　up　the　gang…plank；　and；　silently

boarding　the　house…boat；　peeped　in　at　the　windows。　　What　they　saw

merely　whetted　their　curiosity。



〃I　must　see　more；〃　cried　Elizabeth；　rushing　around　to　the　door；　which

opened　at　her　touch。　　Xanthippe　and　Ophelia　followed　close　on　her

heels；　and　shortly　they　found　themselves；　open…mouthed　in　wondering

admiration；　in　the　billiard…room　of　the　floating　palace；　and　Richard；

the　ghost　of　the　best　billiard…room　attendant　in　or　out　of　Hades；

stood　before　them。



〃Excuse　me；〃　he　said；　very　much　upset　by　the　sudden　apparition　of　the

ladies。　　〃I'm　very　sorry；　but　ladies　are　not　admitted　here。〃



〃We　are　equally　sorry；〃　retorted　Elizabeth；　assuming　her　most

imperious　manner；　〃that　your　masters　have　seen　fit　to　prohibit　our

being　here；　but；　now　that　we　are　here；　we　intend　to　make　the　most　of

the　opportunity；　particularly　as　there　seem　to　be　no　members　about。

What　has　become　of　them　all？〃



Richard　smiled　broadly。　　〃I　don't　know　where　they　are；〃　he　replied；

but　it　was　evident　that　he　was　not　telling　the　exact　truth。



〃Oh；　come；　my　boy；〃　said　the　Queen；　kindly；　〃you　do　know。　　Sir　Walter

told　me　you　knew　everything。　　Where　are　they？〃



〃Well；　if　you　must　know；　ma'am；〃　returned　Richard；　captivated　by　the

Queen's　manner；　〃they've　all　gone　down　the　river　to　see　a　prize…fight

between　Goliath　and　Samson。〃



〃See　there！〃　cried　Xanthippe。　　〃That's　what　this　club　makes　possible。

Socrates　told　me　he　was　coming　here　to　take　luncheon　with　Carlyle；

and　they've　both　of　'em　gone　off　to　a　disgusting　prize…fight！〃



〃Yes；　ma'am；　they　have；〃　said　Richard；　〃and　if　Goliath　wins；　I　don't

think　Mr。　Socrates　will　get　home　this　evening。〃



〃Betting；　eh？〃　said　Xanthippe；　scornfully。



〃Yes；　ma'am；〃　returned　Richard。



〃More　club！〃　cried　Xanthippe。



〃Oh　no；　ma'am；〃　said　Richard。　　〃Betting　is　not　allowed　in　the　club；

they're　very　strict　about　that。　　But　the　shore　is　only　ten　feet　off；

ma'am；　and　the　gentlemen　always　go　ashore　and　make　their　bets。〃



During　this　little　colloquy　Elizabeth　and　Ophelia　were　wandering

about；　admiring　everything　they　saw。



〃I　do　wish　Lucretia　Borgia　and　Calpurnia　could　see　this。　　I　wonder　if

the　Caesars　are　on　the　telephone；〃　Elizabeth　said。　　Investigation

showed　that　both　the　Borgias　and　the　Caesars　were　on　the　wire；　and　in

short　order　the　two　ladies　had　been　made　acquainted　with　the　state　of

affairs　at　the　house…boat；　and　as　they　were　both　quite　as　anxious　to

see　the　interior　of　the　much…talked…of　club…house　as　the　others；　they

were　not　long　in　arriving。　　Furthermore；　they　brought　with　them　half

a　dozen　more　ladies；　among　whom　were　Desdemona　and　Cleopatra；　and

then　began　the　most　extraordinary　session　the　house…boat　ever　knew。

A　meeting　was　called；　with　Elizabeth　in　the　chair；　and　all　the　best

ladies　of　the　Stygian　realms　were　elected　members。　　Xanthippe；　amid

the　greatest　applause；　moved　that　every　male　member　of　the

organization　be　expelled　for　conduct　unworthy　of　a　gentleman　in

attending　a　prize…fight；　and　encouraging　two　such　horrible　creatures

as　Goliath　and　Samson　in　their　nefarious　pursuits。　　Desdemona

seconded　the　motion；　and　it　was　carried　without　a　dissenting　voice；

although　Mrs。　Caesar；　with　becoming　dignity；　merely　smiled　approval；

not　caring　to　take　part　too　actively　in　the　proceedings。



The　men　having　thus　been　disposed　of　in　a　summary　fashion；　Richard

was　elected　Janitor　in　Charon's　place；　and　the　club　was　entirely

reorganized；　with　Cleopatra　as　permanent　President。　　The　meeting　then

adjourned；　and　the　invaders　set　about　enjoying　their　newly　acquired

privileges。　　The　smoking…room　was　thronged　for　a　few　moments；　but

owing　to　the　extraordinary　strength　of　the　tobacco　which　the　faithful

Richard　shovelled　into　the　furnace；　it　developed　no　enduring

popularity；　Xanthippe；　with　a　suddenly　acquired　pallor；　being　the

first　to　renounce　the　pastime　as　revolting。



So　fast　and　furious　was　the　enjoyment　of　these　thirsty　souls；　so　long

deprived　of　their　rights；　that　night　came　on　without　their　observing

it；　and　with　the　night　was　brought　the　great　peril　into　which　they

were　thrown；　and　from　which　at　the　moment　of　writing　they　had　not

been　extricated；　and　which；　to　my　regret；　has　cut　me　off　for　the

present　from　any　further　information　connected　with　the　Associated

Shades　and　their　beautiful　lounging…place。　　Had　they　not　been　so

intent　upon　the　inner　beauties　of　the　House…boat　on　the　Styx　they

might　have　observed　approaching；　under　the　shadow　of　the　westerly

shore；　a　long；　rakish　craft　propelled　by　oars；　which　dipped　softly

and　silently　and　with　trained　precision　in　the　now　jet…black　waters

of　the　Styx。　　Manning　the　oars　were　a　dozen　evil…visaged　ruffians；

while　in　the　stern　of　the　approaching　vessel　there　sat　a　grim…faced；

weather…beaten　spirit；　armed　to　the　teeth；　his　coat　sleeves　bearing

the　skull　and　cross…bones；　the　insignia　of　piracy。



This　boat；　stealing　up　the　river　like　a　thief　in　the　night；　contained

Captain　Kidd　and　his　pirate　crew；　and　their　mission　was　a　mission　of

vengeance。　　To　put　the　matter　briefly　and　plainly；　Captain　Kidd　was

smarting　under　the　indignity　which　the　club　had　recently　put　upon

him。　　He　had　been　unanimously　blackballed；　even　his　proposer　and

seconder；　who　had　been　browbeaten　into　nominating　him　for　membership；

voting　against　him。



〃I　may　be　a　pirate；〃　he　cried；　when　he　heard　what　the　club　had　done；

〃but　I　have　feelings；　and　the　Associated　Shades　will　repent　their

action。　　The　time　will　come　when　they'll　find　that　I　have　their　club…

house；　and　they　haveits　debts。〃



It　was　for　this　purpose　that　the　great　terror　of　the　seas　had　come

upon　this；　the　first　favorable　opportunity。　　Kidd　knew　that　the

house…boat　was　unguarded；　his　spies　had　told　him　that　the　members　had

every　one　gone　to　the　fight；　and　he　resolved　that　the　time　had　come

to　act。　　He　did　not　know　that　the　Fates　had　helped　to　make　his

vengeance　all　the　more　terrible　and　withering　by　putting　the　most

attractive　and　fashionable　ladies　of　the　Stygian　country　likewise　in

his　power；　but　so　it　was；　and　they；　poor　souls；　while　this　fiend；

relentless　and　cruel；　was　slowly　approaching；　sang　on　and　danced　on

in　blissful　unconsciousness　of　their　peril。



In　less　than　five　minutes　from　the　time　when　his　sinister…craft

rounded　the　bend　Kidd　and　his　crew　had　boarded　the　house…boat；　cut

her　loose　from　her　moorings；　and　in　ten　minutes　she　had　sailed　away

into　the　great　unknown；　and　with　her　went　some　of　the　most　precious

gems　in　the　social　diadem　of　Hades。



The　rest　of　my　story　is　soon　told。　　The　whole　country　was　aroused

when　the　crime　was　discovered；　but　up　to　the　date　of　this　narrative

no　word　has　been　received　of　the　missing　craft　and　her　precious

cargo。　　Raleigh　and　Caesar　have　had　the　seas　scoured　in　search　of

her；　Hamlet　has　offered　his　kingdom　for　her　return；　but　unavailingly；

and　the　men　of　Hades　were　cast　into　a　gloom　from　which　there　seems　to

be　no　relief。



Socrates　alone　was　unaffected。



〃They'll　come　back　some　day；　my　dear　Raleigh；〃　he　said；　as　the　knight

buried　his　face；　weeping；　in　his　hands。　　〃So　why　repine？　　I'll　never

lose　my　Xanthippepermanently；　that　is。　　I　know　that；　for　I　am　a

philosopher；　and　I　know　there　is　no　such　thing　as　luck。　　And　we　can

start　another　club。〃



〃Very　likely；〃　sighed　Raleigh；　wiping　his　eyes。　　〃I　don't　mind　the

club　so　much；　but　to　think　of　those　poor　women〃



〃Oh；　they're　all　right；〃　returned　Socrates；　with　a　laugh。　　〃Caesar's

wife　is　along；　and　you　can't　dispute　the　fact　that　she's　a　good

chaperon。　　Give　the　ladies　a　chance。　　They've　been　after　our　club　for

years；　now　let　'em　have　it；　and　let　us　hope　that　they　like　it。　　Order

me　up　a　hemlock　sour；　and　let's　drink　to　their　enjoyment　of　club

life。〃



Which　was　done；　and　I；　in　spirit；　drank　with　them；　for　I　sincerely

hope　that　the　〃New　Women〃　of　Hades　are　having　a　good　time。











End