Bî ʈri belz ɖt mornñ ɖe wr ol stŕñ ɖer stumps; fr ɖr wz a big sī runñ; n Tūtlz, ɖ boṣn, wz amñ ɖm, wɖ a rop’s end in hiz hand n ćuwñ tbaco. Ɖe ol dond pîṛtcloɖz cut of at ɖ ni, śevd smartli, n tumbld p, wɖ ɖ tru nōticl rol n hićñ ɖer trǎzrz.
It nīd nt b sd hu wz ɖ captin. Nibz n Jon wr frst n secnd mêt. Ɖr wz a wmn abōrd. Ɖ rest wr tarz bfr ɖ māst, n livd in ɖ focsl. Pītr hd olrdi laśt himslf t ɖ ẃīl; bt h pîpt ol handz n dlivrd a śort adres t ɖm; sd h hopt ɖe wd d ɖer dyti lîc gaḷnt hartiz, bt ɖt h ń ɖe wr ɖ scum v Rio n ɖ Gold Cǒst, n f ɖe snapt at him h wd ter ɖm. Ɖ bluf strîdnt wrdz struc ɖ not sêlrz unḍstd, n ɖe ćird him lusṭli. Ɖen a fy śarp ordrz wr gvn, n ɖe trnd ɖ śip rnd, n nozd hr fr ɖ mênḷnd.
Captin Pan calkletd, aftr cnsultñ ɖ śip’s ćart, ɖt f ɖs weɖr lastd ɖe śd strîc ɖ Azorz abt ɖ 21st v Jūn, aftr ẃć it wd sev tîm t flî.
Sm v ɖm wontd it t b an onist śip n uɖrz wr in fevr v cīpñ it a pîṛt; bt ɖ captin trītd ɖm az dogz, n ɖe derd nt xpres ɖer wśz t him īvn in a rǎnd robin. Instnt obīdịns wz ɖ onli sef ʈñ. Slîtli got a duzn fr lcñ pplext ẃn tld t tec sǎndñz. Ɖ jenṛl fīlñ wz ɖt Pītr wz onist jst nǎ t lul Wndi’z sspiśnz, bt ɖt ɖr mt b a ćenj ẃn ɖ ny sūt wz redi, ẃć, agnst hr wl, ś wz mcñ fr him ǎt v sm v Hc’s wic̣dist garmnts. It wz afṭwdz ẃisprd amñ ɖm ɖt on ɖ frst nît h wòr ɖs sūt h sat loñ in ɖ cabin wɖ Hc’s sgarholdr in hiz mǎʈ n wn hand clenćt, ol bt fr ɖ fōrfngr, ẃć h bnt n hld ʈreṭnñli aloft lîc a hc.
Instd v woćñ ɖ śip, hvr, w mst nǎ rtrn t ɖt dezḷt hom fṛm ẃć ʈri v ǎr caṛctrz hd tecn hartlis flît so loñ ago. It sīmz a śem t hv nglectd Nu 14 ol ɖs tîm; n yt w me b śr ɖt Msz Darlñ dz nt blem s. F w hd rtrnd snr t lc wɖ soṛfl simṗʈi at hr, ś wd probbli hv craid, “D’nt b sili; ẃt d I matr? D g bac n cīp an î on ɖ ćildṛn.” So loñ az muɖrz r lîc ɖs ɖer ćildṛn wl tec advantij v ɖm; n ɖe me le t ɖt.
Īvn nǎ w vnćr intu ɖt fmiłr nrṣri onli bcz its lwfl okpnts r on ɖer we hom; w r mirli huriyñ on in advans v ɖm t si ɖt ɖer bedz r proprli erd n ɖt Mr n Msz Darlñ d nt g ǎt fr ɖ īvnñ. W r no mor ɖn srvnts. Ẃ on rʈ śd ɖer bedz b proprli erd, siyñ ɖt ɖe left ɖm in sć a ʈanclis huri? Wd it nt srv ɖm joli wel rît f ɖe cem bac n faund ɖt ɖer peṛnts wr spendñ ɖ wīcend in ɖ cuntri? It wd b ɖ moṛl lésn ɖe hv bn in nīd v evr sins w met ɖm; bt f w cntrîvd ʈñz in ɖs we Msz Darlñ wd nvr fgiv s.
Wn ʈñ I śd lîc t d imnsli, n ɖt z t tel hr, in ɖ we oʈrz hv, ɖt ɖ ćildṛn r cmñ bac, ɖt indd ɖe wl b hir on Ʈrzde wīc. Ɖs wd spôl so cmplitli ɖ s’prîz t ẃć Wndi n Jon n Mîcl r lcñ fwd. Ɖe hv bn planñ it ǎt on ɖ śip: muɖr’z rapćr, faɖr’z śǎt v jô, Nana’z līp ʈru ɖ er t imbres ɖm frst, ẃn ẃt ɖe òt t b priperd fr z a gd hîdñ. Hǎ dliśs t spôl it ol bî brecñ ɖ nyz in advans; so ɖt ẃn ɖe entr grandli Msz Darlñ me nt īvn ofr Wndi hr mǎʈ, n Mr Darlñ me xclem petiśli, “Daś it ol, hir r ɖoz bôz agn.” Hvr, w śd gt no ʈancs īvn fr ɖs. W r bginñ t nǒ Msz Darlñ bî ɖs tîm, n me b śr ɖt ś wd upbrêd s fr dprîvñ ɖ ćildṛn v ɖer litl pleźr.
“Bt, mî dir madm, it z ten dez tl Ʈrzde wīc; so ɖt bî telñ y ẃt’s ẃt, w cn sev y ten dez v unhapinis.”
“Yes, bt at ẃt a cost! Bî dprîvñ ɖ ćildṛn v ten minits v dlît.”
“Ǒ, f y lc at it in ɖt we!”
“Ẃt uɖr we z ɖr in ẃć t lc at it?”
Y si, ɖ wmn hd no propr spirit. I hd mnt t se xtrordnṛli nîs ʈñz abt hr; bt I dspîz hr, n nt wn v ɖm wl I se nǎ. Ś dz nt riyli nīd t b tld t hv ʈñz redi, fr ɖe r redi. Ol ɖ bedz r erd, n ś nvr līvz ɖ hǎs, n obzrv, ɖ windo z opn. Fr ol ɖ ys w r t hr, w mt wel g bac t ɖ śip. Hvr, az w r hir w me az wel ste n lc on. Ɖt z ol w r, lcrz-on. Nbdi riyli wonts s. So let s woć n se jagi ʈñz, in ɖ hop ɖt sm v ɖm wl hrt.
Ɖ onli ćenj t b sìn in ɖ nîtnrṣri z ɖt btwn nîn n six ɖ cenl z no longr ɖr. Ẃn ɖ ćildṛn flù awe, Mr Darlñ flt in hiz bonz ɖt ol ɖ blem wz hiz fr hvñ ćend Nana p, n ɖt fṛm frst t last ś hd bn wîzr ɖn h. V cors, az w hv sìn, h wz qt a simpl man; indd h mt hv pást fr a bô agn f h hd bn ebl t tec hiz bòldnis of; bt h hd olso a nobl sns v justis n a layn’z curij t d ẃt sīmd rît t him; n hvñ ʈt ɖ matr ǎt wɖ añśs cer aftr ɖ flît v ɖ ćildṛn, h wnt dǎn on ol forz n crōld intu ɖ cenl. T ol Msz Darlñ’z dir invteśnz t him t cm ǎt h rplaid sadli bt frmli:
“No, mî ǒn wn, ɖs z ɖ ples fr m.”
In ɖ bitrnis v hiz rmors h swòr ɖt h wd nvr līv ɖ cenl untl hiz ćildṛn cem bac. V cors ɖs wz a piti; bt ẃtvr Mr Darlñ dd h hd t d in xes, uɖ̇wz h sn gev p dwñ it. N ɖr nvr wz a mor humbl man ɖn ɖ wns prǎd Jorj Darlñ, az h sat in ɖ cenl v an īvnñ tōcñ wɖ hiz wîf v ɖer ćildṛn n ol ɖer priti wez.
Vri tućñ wz hiz defṛns t Nana. H wd nt let hr cm intu ɖ cenl, bt on ol uɖr matrz h foloud hr wśz impliṣtli.
Evri mornñ ɖ cenl wz carid wɖ Mr Darlñ in it t a cab, ẃć cnveid him t hiz ofis, n h rtrnd hom in ɖ sem we at six. Smʈñ v ɖ streñʈ v caṛctr v ɖ man wl b sìn f w rmembr hǎ snṣtiv h wz t ɖ opińn v nebrz: ɖs man huz evri muvmnt nǎ atractd s’prîzd atnśn. Inẉdli h mst hv sufrd torćr; bt h prizrvd a cām xtirịr īvn ẃn ɖ yuñ criṭsîzd hiz litl hom, n h olwz liftd hiz hat crtịsli t eni ledi hu lct insd.
It me hv bn Qixotic, bt it wz mgnifisnt. Sn ɖ inwd mīnñ v it līct ǎt, n ɖ gret hart v ɖ public wz tućt. Crǎdz foloud ɖ cab, ćirñ it lusṭli; ćarmñ grlz sceld it t gt hiz ōṭgraf; inṭvyz apird in ɖ betr clas v peprz, n ssayti invîtd him t dinr n add, “D cm in ɖ cenl.”
On ɖt ivntfl Ʈrzde wīc, Msz Darlñ wz in ɖ nît-nrṣri awêtñ Jorj’z rtrn hom; a vri sad-aid wmn. Nǎ ɖt w lc at hr closli n rmembr ɖ geyti v hr in ɖ old dez, ol gn nǎ jst bcz ś hz lost hr bebz, I fînd I w’nt b ebl t se nasti ʈñz abt hr aftr ol. F ś wz tù fond v hr ruḅśñ ćildṛn, ś cd’nt hlp it. Lc at hr in hr ćer, ẃr ś hz fōḷn aslip. Ɖ cornr v hr mǎʈ, ẃr wn lcs frst, z olmst wiɖrd p. Hr hand muvz restlisli on hr brest az f ś hd a pen ɖr. Sm lîc Pītr bst, n sm lîc Wndi bst, bt I lîc hr bst. S’poz, t mc hr hapi, w ẃispr t hr in hr slīp ɖt ɖ brats r cmñ bac. Ɖe r riyli wɖn tū mîlz v ɖ windo nǎ, n flayñ stroñ, bt ol w nīd ẃispr z ɖt ɖe r on ɖ we. Let’s.
It z a piti w dd it, fr ś hz startd p, cōlñ ɖer nemz; n ɖr z nwn in ɖ rūm bt Nana.
“O Nana, I dremt mî dir wnz hd cm bac.”
Nana hd filmi îz, bt ol ś cd d wz pt hr pw jntli on hr mistris’z lap; n ɖe wr sitñ tgɖr ɖus ẃn ɖ cenl wz bròt bac. Az Mr Darlñ pts hiz hed ǎt t cis hiz wîf, w si ɖt hiz fes z mor wòrn ɖn v yor, bt hz a softr xpreśn.
H gev hiz hat t Lîza, hu tc it scornḟli; fr ś hd no imaɉneśn, n wz qt inceṗbl v unḍstandñ ɖ motivz v sć a man. Ǎtsd, ɖ crǎd hu hd acumṗnid ɖ cab hom wr stl ćirñ, n h wz naćṛli nt unmuvd.
“Lisn t ɖm,” h sd; “it z vri graṭfayñ.”
“Lots v litl bôz,” snird Lîza.
“Ɖr wr sevṛl adults tde,” h aśurd hr wɖ a fent fluś; bt ẃn ś tóst hr hed h hd nt a wrd v rprūf fr hr. Sośl s’xes hd nt spôlt him; it hd md him swītr. Fr sm tîm h sat wɖ hiz hed ǎt v ɖ cenl, tōcñ wɖ Msz Darlñ v ɖs s’xes, n presñ hr hand ri’śurñli ẃn ś sd ś hopt hiz hed wd nt b trnd bî it.
“Bt f I hd bn a wìc man,” h sd. “Gd hevnz, f I hd bn a wìc man!”
“N, Jorj,” ś sd timidli, “y r az fl v rmors az evr, r’nt y?”
“Fl v rmors az evr, dirist! Si mî puniśmnt: livñ in a cenl.”
“Bt it z puniśmnt, z’nt it, Jorj? Y r śr y r nt injoyñ it?”
“Mî luv!”
Y me b śr ś begd hiz pardn; n ɖen, fīlñ drǎzi, h crld rnd in ɖ cenl.
“W’nt y ple m t slīp,” h asct, “on ɖ nrṣripiano?” n az ś wz crosñ t ɖ dênrṣri h add ʈtlisli, “N śut ɖt windo. I fīl a dráft.”
“O Jorj, nvr asc m t d ɖt. Ɖ windo mst olwz b left opn fr ɖm, olwz, olwz.”
Nǎ it wz hiz trn t beg hr pardn; n ś wnt intu ɖ dênrṣri n pleid, n sn h wz aslip; n ẃl h slept, Wndi n Jon n Mîcl flù intu ɖ rūm.
Ǒ No. W hv ritn it so, bcz ɖt wz ɖ ćarmñ arenjmnt pland bî ɖm bfr w left ɖ śip; bt smʈñ mst hv hapnd sins ɖen, fr it z nt ɖe hu hv floun in, it z Pītr n Tncr Bel.
Pītr’z frst wrdz tel ol.
“Qc Tnc,” h ẃisprd, “cloz ɖ windo; bar it! Ɖt’s rît. Nǎ y n I mst gt awe bî ɖ dor; n ẃn Wndi cmz ś wl ʈnc hr muɖr hz bàrd hr ǎt; n ś wl hv t g bac wɖ m.”
Nǎ I unḍstand ẃt hd hiɖrtu puzld m, ẃ ẃn Pītr hd xtrṃnetd ɖ pîṛts h dd nt rtrn t ɖ îḷnd n līv Tnc t escort ɖ ćildṛn t ɖ mênḷnd. Ɖs tric hd bn in hiz hed ol ɖ tîm.
Instd v fīlñ ɖt h wz bhevñ badli h danst wɖ gli; ɖen h pīpt intu ɖ dênrṣri t si hu wz pleyñ. H ẃisprd t Tnc, “It’s Wndi’z muɖr! Ś z a priti ledi, bt nt so priti az mî muɖr. Hr mǎʈ z fl v ʈimblz, bt nt so fl az mî muɖr’z wz.”
V cors h ń nʈñ ẃtvr abt hiz muɖr; bt h smtmz bragd abt hr.
H dd nt nǒ ɖ tyn, ẃć wz “Hom, Swīt Hom,” bt h ń it wz seyñ, “Cm bac, Wndi, Wndi, Wndi”; n h craid xultntli, “Y wl nvr si Wndi agn, ledi, fr ɖ windo z bàrd!”
H pīpt in agn t si ẃ ɖ ḿzic hd stopt, n nǎ h sw ɖt Msz Darlñ hd leid hr hed on ɖ box, n ɖt tū tirz wr sitñ on hr îz.
“Ś wonts m t unbar ɖ windo,” ʈt Pītr, “bt I w’nt, nt I!”
H pīpt agn, n ɖ tirz wr stl ɖr, or anɖr tū hd tecn ɖer ples.
“Ś’z ōḟli fond v Wndi,” h sd t himslf. H wz angri wɖ hr nǎ fr nt siyñ ẃ ś cd nt hv Wndi.
Ɖ rīzn wz so simpl: “I’m fond v hr tù. W c’nt bʈ hv hr, ledi.”
Bt ɖ ledi wd nt mc ɖ bst v it, n h wz unhapi. H sīst t lc at hr, bt īvn ɖen ś wd nt let g v him. H scipt abt n md funi fesz, bt ẃn h stopt it wz jst az f ś wr insd him, nocñ.
“Ǒ, ol rît,” h sd at last, n gulpt. Ɖen h unbàrd ɖ windo. “Cm on, Tnc,” h craid, wɖ a frîtfl snir at ɖ lwz v nećr; “w d’nt wont eni sili muɖrz;” n h flù awe.
Ɖus Wndi n Jon n Mîcl faund ɖ windo opn fr ɖm aftr ol, ẃć v cors wz mor ɖn ɖe dzrvd. Ɖe alîtd on ɖ flor, qt un’śemd v ɖmslvz, n ɖ yungist wn hd olrdi fgotn hiz hom.
“Jon,” h sd, lcñ arnd him dǎtḟli, “I ʈnc I hv bn hir bfr.”
“V cors y hv, y sili. Ɖr z yr old bed.”
“So it z,” Mîcl sd, bt nt wɖ mć cnvix́n.
“I se,” craid Jon, “ɖ cenl!” n h daśt acrs t lc intu it.
“Phps Nana z insd it,” Wndi sd.
Bt Jon ẃisld. “Hlo,” h sd, “ɖr’z a man insd it.”
“It’s faɖr!” xclemd Wndi.
“Let m si faɖr,” Mîcl begd īgrli, n h tc a gd lc. “H z nt so big az ɖ pîṛt I cild,” h sd wɖ sć franc dis’pôntmnt ɖt I am glad Mr Darlñ wz aslip; it wd hv bn sad f ɖoz hd bn ɖ frst wrdz h hŕd hiz litl Mîcl se.
Wndi n Jon hd bn tecn abac smẃt at fîndñ ɖer faɖr in ɖ cenl.
“Śrli,” sd Jon, lîc wn hu hd lost feʈ in hiz meṃri, “h yst nt t slīp in ɖ cenl?”
“Jon,” Wndi sd fōlṭrñli, “phps w d’nt rmembr ɖ old lîf az wel az w ʈt w dd.”
A ćil fél upn ɖm; n srv ɖm rît.
“It z vri cerlis v muɖr,” sd ɖt yuñ scǎndṛl Jon, “nt t b hir ẃn w cm bac.”
It wz ɖen ɖt Msz Darlñ bgan pleyñ agn.
“It’s muɖr!” craid Wndi, pīpñ.
“So it z!” sd Jon.
“Ɖen r y nt riyli ǎr muɖr, Wndi?” asct Mîcl, hu wz śrli slīpi.
“Ǒ dir!” xclemd Wndi, wɖ hr frst riyl twinj v rmors, “it wz qt tîm w cem bac.”
“Let s crīp in,” Jon sjstd, “n pt ǎr handz ovr hr îz.”
Bt Wndi, hu sw ɖt ɖe mst brec ɖ joys nyz mor jntli, hd a betr plan.
“Let s ol slip intu ǎr bedz, n b ɖr ẃn ś cmz in, jst az f w hd nvr bn awe.”
N so ẃn Msz Darlñ wnt bac t ɖ nîtnrṣri t si f hr huzbnd wz aslip, ol ɖ bedz wr okpaid. Ɖ ćildṛn wêtd fr hr crî v jô, bt it dd nt cm. Ś sw ɖm, bt ś dd nt b’liv ɖe wr ɖr. Y si, ś sw ɖm in ɖer bedz so ofn in hr drīmz ɖt ś ʈt ɖs wz jst ɖ drīm haññ arnd hr stl.
Ś sat dǎn in ɖ ćer bî ɖ fîr, ẃr in ɖ old dez ś hd nrst ɖm.
Ɖe cd nt unḍstand ɖs, n a cold fir fél upn ol ɖ ʈri v ɖm.
“Muɖr!” Wndi craid.
“Ɖt’s Wndi,” ś sd, bt stl ś wz śr it wz ɖ drīm.
“Muɖr!”
“Ɖt’s Jon,” ś sd.
“Muɖr!” craid Mîcl. H ń hr nǎ.
“Ɖt’s Mîcl,” ś sd, n ś strećt ǎt hr armz fr ɖ ʈri litl slfiś ćildṛn ɖe wd nvr enveḷp agn. Yes, ɖe dd, ɖe wnt rnd Wndi n Jon n Mîcl, hu hd slipt ǎt v bed n run t hr.
“Jorj, Jorj!” ś craid ẃn ś cd spīc; n Mr Darlñ wouc t śer hr blis, n Nana cem ruśñ in. Ɖr cd nt hv bn a luvlịr sît; bt ɖr wz nn t si it xpt a litl bô hu wz stẹrñ in at ɖ windo. H hd hd xṭsiz ińmṛbl ɖt uɖr ćildṛn cn nvr nǒ; bt h wz lcñ ʈru ɖ windo at ɖ wn jô fṛm ẃć h mst b fr evr bàrd.
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