Моби Дик/Moby Dick (Герман Мелвилл). Страница 21 из 297

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The

wife

of

a

whaling

captain

had

provided

the

chapel

with

a

handsome

pair

of

red

worsted

man-ropes

for

this

ladder

,

which

,

being

itself

nicely

headed

,

and

stained

with

a

mahogany

color

,

the

whole

contrivance

,

considering

what

manner

of

chapel

it

was

,

seemed

by

no

means

in

bad

taste

.

Halting

for

an

instant

at

the

foot

of

the

ladder

,

and

with

both

hands

grasping

the

ornamental

knobs

of

the

man-ropes

,

Father

Mapple

cast

a

look

upwards

,

and

then

with

a

truly

sailor-like

but

still

reverential

dexterity

,

hand

over

hand

,

mounted

the

steps

as

if

ascending

the

main-top

of

his

vessel

.

The

perpendicular

parts

of

this

side

ladder

,

as

is

usually

the

case

with

swinging

ones

,

were

of

cloth-covered

rope

,

only

the

rounds

were

of

wood

,

so

that

at

every

step

there

was

a

joint

.

At

my

first

glimpse

of

the

pulpit

,

it

had

not

escaped

me

that

however

convenient

for

a

ship

,

these

joints

in

the

present

instance

seemed

unnecessary

.

For

I

was

not

prepared

to

see

Father

Mapple

after

gaining

the

height

,

slowly

turn

round

,

and

stooping

over

the

pulpit

,

deliberately

drag

up

the

ladder

step

by

step

,

till

the

whole

was

deposited

within

,

leaving

him

impregnable

in

his

little

Quebec

.

I

pondered

some

time

without

fully

comprehending

the

reason

for

this

.

Father

Mapple

enjoyed

such

a

wide

reputation

for

sincerity

and

sanctity

,

that

I

could

not

suspect

him

of

courting

notoriety

by

any

mere

tricks

of

the

stage

.

No

,

thought

I

,

there

must

be

some

sober

reason

for

this

thing

;

furthermore

,

it

must

symbolize

something

unseen

.

Can

it

be

,

then

,

that

by

that

act

of

physical

isolation

,

he

signifies

his

spiritual

withdrawal

for

the

time

,

from

all

outward

worldly

ties

and

connexions

?

Yes

,

for

replenished

with

the

meat

and

wine

of

the

word

,

to

the

faithful

man

of

God

,

this

pulpit

,

I

see

,

is

a

self-containing

stronghold

--

a

lofty

Ehrenbreitstein

,

with

a

perennial

well

of

water

within

the

walls

.

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But

the

side

ladder

was

not

the

only

strange

feature

of

the

place

,

borrowed

from

the

chaplain

's

former

sea-farings

.

Between

the

marble

cenotaphs

on

either

hand

of

the

pulpit

,

the

wall

which

formed

its

back

was

adorned

with

a

large

painting

representing

a

gallant

ship

beating

against

a

terrible

storm

off

a

lee

coast

of

black

rocks

and

snowy

breakers

.

But

high

above

the

flying

scud

and

dark-rolling

clouds

,

there

floated

a

little

isle

of

sunlight

,

from

which

beamed

forth

an

angel

's

face

;

and

this

bright

face

shed

a

distant

spot

of

radiance

upon

the

ship

's

tossed

deck

,

something

like

that

silver

plate

now

inserted

into

Victory

's

plank

where

Nelson

fell

.

"

Ah

,

noble

ship

,

"

the

angel

seemed

to

say

,

"

beat

on

,

beat

on

,

thou

noble

ship

,

and

bear

a

hardy

helm

;

for

lo

!

the

sun

is

breaking

through

;

the

clouds

are

rolling

off

--

serenest

azure

is

at

hand

.

"

Nor

was

the

pulpit

itself

without

a

trace

of

the

same

sea-taste

that

had

achieved

the

ladder

and

the

picture

.

Its

panelled

front

was

in

the

likeness

of

a

ship

's

bluff

bows

,

and

the

Holy

Bible

rested

on

a

projecting

piece

of

scroll

work

,

fashioned

after

a

ship

's

fiddle-headed

beak

.

What

could

be

more

full

of

meaning

?

--

for

the

pulpit

is

ever

this

earth

's

foremost

part

;

all

the

rest

comes

in

its

rear

;

the

pulpit

leads

the

world

.

From

thence

it

is

the

storm

of

God

's

quick

wrath

is

first

descried

,

and

the

bow

must

bear

the

earliest

brunt

.

From

thence

it

is

the

God

of

breezes

fair

or

foul

is

first

invoked

for

favorable

winds

.

Yes

,

the

world

's

a

ship

on

its

passage

out

,

and

not

a

voyage

complete

;

and

the

pulpit

is

its

prow

.

Father

Mapple

rose

,

and

in

a

mild

voice

of

unassuming

authority

ordered

the

scattered

people

to

condense

.

"

Star

board

gangway

,

there

!

side

away

to

larboard

--

larboard

gangway

to

starboard

!

Midships

!

midships

!

"

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There

was

a

low

rumbling

of

heavy

sea-boots

among

the

benches

,

and

a

still

slighter

shuffling

of

women

's

shoes

,

and

all

was

quiet

again

,

and

every

eye

on

the

preacher

.

He

paused

a

little

;

then

kneeling

in

the

pulpit

's

bows

,

folded

his

large

brown

hands

across

his

chest

,

uplifted

his

closed

eyes

,

and

offered

a

prayer

so

deeply

devout

that

he

seemed

kneeling

and

praying

at

the

bottom

of

the

sea

.

This

ended

,

in

prolonged

solemn

tones

,

like

the

continual

tolling

of

a

bell

in

a

ship

that

is

foundering

at

sea

in

a

fog

--

in

such

tones

he

commenced

reading

the

following

hymn

;

but

changing

his

manner

towards

the

concluding

stanzas

,

burst

forth

with

a

pealing

exultation

and

joy

--

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