第17部分(第1/7 頁)

amant。　〃He　whisper　it　in　my　ear。　Cap'n；　can　I　have　a　box　for　him？　Can　I　have　a　box　for　my　mous'；　so　he　can　sleep　in　here　wit　me？〃　His　voice　began　to　fall　into　wheedling　tones　I　had　heard　a　thousand　times　before。　〃I　put　him　under　my　bunk　and　he　never　be　a　scrid　of　trouble；　not　one。〃

〃Your　English　gets　a　hell　of　a　lot　better　when　you　want　something；〃　I　said；　stalling　for　time。

〃Oh…oh；〃　Harry　murmured；　nudging　me。　〃Here　es　trouble。〃

But　Percy　didn't　look　like　trouble　to　me；　not　that　night。　He　wasn't　running　his　hands　through　his　hair　or　fiddling　with　that　baton　of　his；　and　the　top　button　of　his　uniform　shirt　was　actually　undone。　It　was　the　first　time　I'd　seen　him　that　way；　and　it　was　amazing；　what　a　change　a　little　thing　like　that　could　make。　Mostly；　though；　what　struck　me　was　the　expression　on　his　face。　There　was　a　calmness　there。　Not　serenity　…　I　don't　think　Percy　Wetmore　had　a　serene　bone　in　his　body　…　but　the　look　of　a　man　who　has　discovered　he　can　wait　for　the　things　he the　young　man　I'd　had　to　threaten　with　Brutus　Howell's　fists　only　a　few　days　before。

Delacroix　didn't　see　the　change；　though；　he　cringed　against　the　wall　of　his　cell；　drawing　his　knees　up　to　his　chest。　His　eyes　seemed　to　grow　until　they　were　taking　up　half　his　face。　The　mouse　scampered　up　on　his　bald　pate　and　sat　there。　I　don't　know　if　he　remembered　that　he　also　had　reason　to　distrust　Percy；　but　it　certainly　looked　as　if　he　did。　Probably　it　was　just　smelling　the　little　Frenchman's　fear；　and　reacting　off　that。

〃Well；　well；〃　Percy　said。　〃Looks　like　you　found　yourself　a　friend；　Eddie。〃

Delacroix　tried　to　reply…some　hollow　defiance　about　what　would　happen　to　Percy　if　Percy　hurt　his　new　pal　would　have　been　my　guess　…　but　nothing　came　out。　His　lower　lip　trembled