The Gadfly by Ethel Voynich (top fiction books of all time .txt) 📕

He walked along the canal bank, and came out upon the tiny square by the Medici palace. It was here that Gemma had run up to him with her vivid face, her outstretched hands. Here was the little flight of wet stone steps leading down to the moat; and there the fortress scowling across the strip of dirty water. He had never noticed before how squat and mean it looked.

Passing through the narrow streets he reached the Darsena shipping-basin, where he took off his hat and flung it into the water. It would be found, of course, when they dragged for his body. Then he walked on along the water’s edge, considering perplexedly what to do next. He must contrive to hide on some ship; but it was a difficult thing to do. His only chance would be to get on to the huge old Medici breakwater and walk along to the further end of it. There was a low-class tavern on the point; probably he should find some sailor there who could be bribed.

But the dock gates were closed. How should he get past them, and past the customs officials? His stock of money would not furnish the high bribe that they would demand for letting him through at night and without a passport. Besides they might recognize him.

As he passed the bronze statue of the Four Moors, a man’s figure emerged from an old house on the opposite side of the shipping basin and approached the bridge. Arthur slipped at once into the deep shadow behind the group of statuary and crouched down in the darkness, peeping cautiously round the corner of the pedestal.

It was a soft spring night, warm and starlit. The water lapped against the stone walls of the basin and swirled in gentle eddies round the steps with a sound as of low laughter. Somewhere near a chain creaked, swinging slowly to and fro. A huge iron crane towered up, tall and melancholy in the dimness. Black on a shimmering expanse of starry sky and pearly cloud-wreaths, the figures of the fettered, struggling slaves stood out in vain and vehement protest against a merciless doom.

The man approached unsteadily along the water side, shouting an English street song. He was evidently a sailor returning from a carouse at some tavern. No one else was within sight. As he drew near, Arthur stood up and stepped into the middle of the roadway. The sailor broke off in his song with an oath, and stopped short.

“I want to speak to you,” Arthur said in Italian. “Do you understand me?”

The man shook his head. “It’s no use talking that patter to me,” he said; then, plunging into bad French, asked sullenly: “What do you want? Why can’t you let me pass?”

“Just come out of the light here a minute; I want to speak to you.”

“Ah! wouldn’t you like it? Out of the light! Got a knife anywhere about you?”

“No, no, man! Can’t you see I only want your help? I’ll pay you for it?”

“Eh? What? And dressed like a swell, too⁠—” The sailor had relapsed into English. He now moved into the shadow and leaned against the railing of the pedestal.

“Well,” he said, returning to his atrocious French; “and what is it you want?”

“I want to get away from here⁠—”

“Aha! Stowaway! Want me to hide you? Been up to something, I suppose. Stuck a knife into somebody, eh? Just like these foreigners! And where might you be wanting to go? Not to the police station, I fancy?”

He laughed in his tipsy way, and winked one eye.

“What vessel do you belong to?”

“Carlotta⁠—Leghorn to Buenos Aires; shipping oil one way and hides the other. She’s over there”⁠—pointing in the direction of the breakwater⁠—“beastly old hulk!”

“Buenos Aires⁠—yes! Can you hide me anywhere on board?”

“How much can you give?”

“Not very much; I have only a few paoli.”

“No. Can’t do it under fifty⁠—and cheap at that, too⁠—a swell like you.”

“What do you mean by a swell? If you like my clothes you may change with me, but I can’t give you more money than I have got.”

“You have a watch there. Hand it over.”

Arthur took out a lady’s gold watch, delicately chased and enamelled, with the initials “G. B.” on the back. It had been his mother’s⁠—but what did that matter now?

“Ah!” remarked the sailor with a quick glance at it. “Stolen, of course! Let me look!”

Arthur drew his hand away. “No,” he said. “I will give you the watch when we are on board; not before.”

“You’re not such a fool as you look, after all! I’ll bet it’s your first scrape, though, eh?”

“That is my business. Ah! there comes the watchman.”

They crouched down behind the group of statuary and waited till the watchman had passed. Then the sailor rose, and, telling Arthur to follow him, walked on, laughing foolishly to himself. Arthur followed in silence.

The sailor led him back to the little irregular square by the Medici palace; and, stopping in a dark corner, mumbled in what was intended for a cautious whisper:

“Wait here; those soldier fellows will see you if you come further.”

“What are you going to do?”

“Get you some clothes. I’m not going to take you on board with that bloody coatsleeve.”

Arthur glanced down at the sleeve which had been torn by the window grating. A little blood from the grazed hand had fallen upon it. Evidently the man thought him a murderer. Well, it was of no consequence what people thought.

After some time the sailor came back, triumphant, with a bundle under his arm.

“Change,” he whispered; “and make haste about it. I must get back, and that old Jew has kept me bargaining and haggling for half an hour.”

Arthur obeyed, shrinking with instinctive disgust at the first touch of secondhand clothes. Fortunately these, though rough and coarse, were fairly clean. When he stepped into the light in his new attire, the sailor looked at him with tipsy solemnity and