Читать «Cup of Gold (Золотая чаша)» онлайн - страница 117

"That is so," broke in the other. "You do not know-you are not sure of yourself any more. Once you were one man. It is possible to trust one man. But now you are several men. If we should trust one of you, we should be in fear of the others."

Sir Henry laughed. "That is more or less true. It is not my fault, but it is true. Civilization will split up a character, and he who refuses to split goes under."

"We have forgotten about civilization, thanks to our Mother," Antoine muttered fiercely.

"What a pity to hang you."

"But is it so necessary to hang us, sir? Could we not escape or be pardoned?"

"No, you must be hanged. I am sorry, but it must be so. Such is my duty."

"But duty to your friends, sir-to the men who bore arms with you, who mixed their blood with yours-"

"Listen, Other Burgundian; there are two kinds of duty, and you would know that if you remembered your France. You mentioned one species, and it is the weaker kind. The other, the giant duty-that which will not be overlooked-might be called the duty of appearances. I do not hang you because you are pirates, but because I am expected to hang pirates. I am sorry for you. I would like to send you to your cells with saws in your pockets, but I cannot. As long as I do what is expected of me, I shall remain the Judge. When I change, for whatever motive, I may myself be hanged."

"That is so, sir. I remember." He turned to his friend who stood shaking in the grip of horror. "You see, such is the case, Emil. He does not like to tell us this thing because it hurts him. Perhaps he punishes himself in this manner for something he had done or failed to do. Perhaps he remembers Chagres, Emil."

"Chagres!" Sir Henry bent forward with excitement. "What happened after I sailed away? Tell me!"

"You were cursed, sir, as it is given to few men to be cursed. You were tortured in men's minds. They feasted on your heart and sent your soul to hell. I enjoyed the scene rarely, because I knew that every man there envied you while he reviled you. I was proud of you, sir."

"And they scattered?"

"They scattered and died, poor little children."

"Anyway, I should have hated to fall in with those poor little children! Tell me," Sir Henry's voice had become wistful, "tell me about Panama. We did go there, didn't we? We really captured Panama, didn't we, and looted it? It was I who led you, wasn't it?"

"It was so. It was a grand fight and an ocean of plunder-but, after all, you know more about that last than we do."

"Sometimes I doubt whether this body ever went to Panama. I am sure this brain did not. I would like to stay and talk to you of that old time, but my wife expects me. She is apt to fuss if I am late for luncheon."

He spoke jocosely. "When would you like to be hanged?"

The Burgundians were whispering together.

"Ah, there is that 'hanged' again. When would we like to be hanged? Any time, sir. We do not wish to put you to the trouble, but if you insist-any time there is a man and a rope idle." Antoine approached the table. "Emil wishes to offer one last compliment. It is a gift for your wife-a gift the history of which alone would make it valuable.