jamesclavell.noblehouse-第74部分

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　〃Seriously；　why？〃
　〃I　was　serious。〃　Dunross　shrugged。　〃She　hated　her　father　and　wanted　us　all　to　be　reminded　about　our　heritage。〃
　Casey　frowned；　then　motioned　at　a　portrait　on　the　opposite　wall。　〃That's　her？〃
　〃Yes。　It　was　done　just　after　she　was　married。〃　The　girl　in　the　painting　was　slim；　about　seventeen；　pale　blue　eyes；　fair　hair。　She　wore　a　low…cut　ball　gown　…　tiny　waist；　budding　bosom　…　an　ornate　green　necklace　encircling　her　throat。
　They　stood　there　looking　at　the　picture　for　a　moment。　There　was　no　name　on　the　little　brass　plaque　on　the　bottom　of　the　ornate　gilt　frame；　just　the　years；　1824…1917。　Casey　said；　〃It's　an　ordinary　face；　pretty　but　ordinary；　except　for　the　lips。　They're　thin　and　tight　and　disapproving　…　and　tough。　The　artist　captured　a　lot　of　strength　there。　It's　a　Quance？〃
　〃No。　We　don't　know　who　painted　it。　It　was　supposed　to　be　her　favorite　portrait。　There's　a　Quance　of　her　in　the　Struan　penthouse；　painted　about　the　same　time。　It's　quite　different；　yet　very　much　the　same。〃
　〃Did　she　ever　have　a　portrait　done　in　later　life？〃
　〃Three。　She　destroyed　them　all；　the　moment　they　were　finished。〃
　〃Are　there　any　photos　of　her？〃
　〃Not　to　my　knowledge。　She　hated　cameras　…　wouldn't　have　one　in　the　house。〃　Dunross　laughed　and　she　saw　the　tiredness　in　him。　〃Once　a　reporter　for　the　China　Guardian　took　her　picture；　just　before　the　Great　War。　Within　an　hour　she　sent　an　armed　crew　from　one　of　our　merchantmen　into　their　offices　with　orders　to　burn　the　place　if　she　didn't　get　the　negative　and　all　copies　back；　and　if　the　editor　didn't　promise　to　'cease　and　desist　from　harassing　her。'　He　promised。〃
　〃Surely　you　can't　do　that　and　get　away　with　it？〃
　〃No；　you　can't　…　unless　you're　tai…pan　of　the　Noble　House。　Besides；　everyone　knew　that　Hag　Struan　didn't　want　her　picture　taken　and　this　cocky　young　bastard　had　broken　the　rule。　She　was　like　the　Chinese。　She　believed　every　time　your　picture's　taken　you　lose　part　of　your　soul。〃
　Casey　peered　at　the　necklace。　〃Is　that　jade？〃　she　asked。
　〃Emeralds。〃
　She　gasped。　〃That　must　have　been　worth　a　fortune。〃
　〃Dirk　Struan　willed　the　necklace　to　her　…　it　was　never　to　leave　Asia　…　it　was　to　belong　to　the　wife　of　each　tai…pan　of　the　Noble　House；　an　heirloom　to　be　passed　on　from　lady　to　lady。〃　He　smiled　oddly。　〃Hag　Struan　kept　the　necklace　all　her　life；　and；　when　she　died；　she　ordered　it　burned　with　her。〃
　〃Jesus！　Was　it？〃
　〃Yes。〃
　〃What　a　waste！〃
　Dunross　looked　back　at　the　portrait。　〃No；〃　he　said；　his　voice　different。　〃She　kept　Struan's　the　Noble　House　of　Asia　for　almost　seventy…five　years。　She　was　the　tai…pan；　the　real　tai…pan；　though　others　had　the　title。　Hag　Struan　fought　off　enemies　and　catastrophes　and　kept　faith　with　Dirk's　legacy　and　smashed　the　Brocks　and　did　whatever　was　necessary。　So　what's　a　pretty　bauble　that　probably　cost　nothing　in　the　first　place？　It　was　probably　pirated　from　the　treasury　of　some　Mandarin　who　stole　it　from　someone　else；　whose　peasants　paid　for　it　with　sweat。〃
　Casey　watched　him　staring　at　the　face；　almost　past　it　into　another　dimension。　〃I　only　hope　I　can　do　as　well；〃　he　muttered　absently；　and　it　seemed　to　Casey　he　was　saying　it　to　her；　to　the　girl　in　the　picture。
　Her　eyes　strayed　beyond　Dunross　to　the　portrait　of　Dirk　Struan　and　she　saw　again　the　marvelous　likeness。　There　was　a　strong　family　resemblance　in　all　the　ten　large　portraits　…　nine　men　and　the　girl　…　that　hung　on　the　walls　amid　landscapes　of　all　sizes　of　Hong　Kong　and　Shanghai　and　Tiensin　and　many　seascapes　of　the　elegant　Struan　clipper　ships　and　some　of　their　merchantmen。　Below　the　portrait　of　each　tai…pan　was　a　small　brass　plaque　with　his　name　and　the　years　of　his　life：　〃Dirk　Dunross；　4th　Tai…pan；　1852…1894；　lost　at　sea　in　the　India　Ocean　with　all　hands　in　Sunset　Cloud〃　。。。　〃Sir　Lochlin　Struan；　3rd　Tai…pan；　1841…1915〃　。。。　〃Alastair　Struan；　9th　Tai…pan；　1900…〃　。。。　〃Dirk　Struan；　1797…1841〃　。。。　〃Ross　Lechie　Struan；　6th　Tai…pan；　1887…1915；　Captain　Royal　Scots　Regiment；　killed　in　action　at　Ypres〃　。。。
　〃So　much　history。〃　she　said；　judging　it　time　to　break　his　thought　pattern。
　〃Yes。　Yes　it　is；〃　he　said；　looking　at　her　now。
　〃You're　the　10th　tai…pan？〃
　〃Yes。〃
　〃Have　you　had　your　portrait　done　yet？〃
　〃No。〃
　〃You'll　have　to；　won't　you？〃
　〃Yes；　yes　in　due　course。　There's　no　hurry。〃
　〃How　do　you　bee　tai…pan；　Ian？〃
　〃You　have　to　be　chosen　by　the　previous　one。　It's　his　decision。〃
　〃Have　you　chosen　who'll　follow　you？〃
　〃No；〃　he　said；　but　Casey　thought　that　he　had。　Why　should　he　tell　me；　she　asked　herself。　And　why　are　you　asking　him　so　many　questions？
　She　looked　away　from　him。　A　small　portrait　caught　her　attention。　〃Who's　that？〃　she　asked；　disquieted。　The　man　was　misshapen；　a　hunchbacked　dwarf；　his　eyes　curious　and　his　smile　sardonic。　〃Was　he　a　tai…pan　too？〃
　〃No。　That's　Stride　Orlov；　he　was　Dirk's　chief　captain。　After　the　tai…pan　was　killed　in　the　great　typhoon　and　Culum　took　over；　Stride　Orlov　became　master　of　our　clipper　fleet。　Legend　has　it　he　was　a　great　seaman。〃
　After　a　pause　she　said；　〃Sorry　but　there's　something　about　him　that　gives　me　the　creeps。〃　There　were　pistols　in　Orlov's　belt　and　a　clipper　ship　in　the　background。　〃It's　a　frightening　face；〃　she　said。
　〃He　had　that　effect　on　everyone　…　except　the　tai…pan　and　Hag　Struan　…　even　Culum　was　supposed　to　have　hated　him。〃　Dunross　turned　and　studied　her　and　she　felt　his　probing。　It　made　her　feel　warm　and　at　the　same　time　unsettled。
　〃Why　did　she　like　him？〃　she　asked。
　〃The　story　is　that　right　after　the　great　typhoon　when　everyone　in　Hong　Kong　was　picking　up　the　pieces；　Culum　included；　Devil　Tyler　started　to　take　over　the　Noble　House。　He　gave　orders；　assumed　control；　treated　Culum　and　Tess　like　children　。。。　he　sent　Tess　aboard　his　ship；　the　White　Witch；　and　told　Culum　to　be　aboard　by　sunset　or　else。　As　far　as　Tyler　was　concerned　the　Noble　House　was　now　Brock…Struan　and　he　was　the　tai…pan！　Somehow　or　other　…　no　one　knows　why　or　how　Culum　got　the　courage　…　my　God；　Culum　was　only　twenty…one　then　and　Tess　sixteen　…　but　Culum　ordered　Orlov　to　go　aboard　the　White　Witch　and　fetch　his　wife　ashore。　Orlov　went　alone；　at　once　…　Tyler　was　still　ashore　at　the　time。　Orlov　brought　her　back　and　in　his　wake　left　one　man　dead　and　another　half　a　dozen　with　broken　heads　or　limbs。〃　Dunross　was　looking　at　her　and　she　recognized　the　same　half…mocking；　half…violent；　half…devilish　smile　that　was　on　the　tai…pan's　face。　〃Ever　afterwards；　Tess　…　Hag　Struan　to　be　…　loved　him；　so　they　say。　Orlov　served　our　fleet　well　until　he　vanished。　He　was　a　fine　man；　and　a　great　seaman；　for　all　his　ugliness。〃
　〃He　vanished？　He　was　lost　at　sea？〃
　〃No。　Hag　Struan　said　he　went　ashore　one　day　in　Singapore　and　never　returned。　He　was　always　threatening　to　leave　and　go　home　to　Norway。　So　perhaps　he　went　home。　Perhaps　he　was　knifed。　Who　knows；　Asia's　a　violent　place；　though　Hag　Struan　swore　no　man　could　kill　Stride　Orlov　and　that　it　must　have　been　a　woman。　Perhaps　Tyler　ambushed　him。　Who　knows？〃
　Inexorably　her　eyes　went　back　to　Tyler　Brock。　She　was　fascinated　by　the　face　and　the　implications　of　the　knife。　〃Why　did　she　do　that　to　her　father's　image？〃
　〃One　day　I'll　tell　you　but　not　tonight；　except　to　say　that　she　hammered　the　knife　into　the　wall　with　my　grandfather's　cricket　bat　and　cursed　before　God　and　the　devil　anyone　who　took　her　knife　out　of　her　wall。〃　He　smiled　at　Casey　and　again　she　noticed　an　extraordinary　tiredness　in　him　and　was　glad　because　her　own　tiredness　was　creeping　up　on　her　and　she　did　not　want　to　make　any　mistakes　now。　He　put　out　his　hand。　〃We　have　to　shake　on　a　deal。〃
　〃No；〃　Casey　said　calmly；　glad　to　begin。　〃Sorry；　I　have　to　cancel　out。〃
　His　smile　evaporated。　〃What？〃
　〃Yes。　Linc　told　me　the　changes　you　want。　It's　a　two…year　deal　…　that　ups　our　ante　so　I　can't　approve　it。〃
　〃Oh？〃
　〃No。〃　She　continued　in　the　same　flat　but　pleasant　tone；　〃Sorry；　20　million's　my　limit　so　you'll　have　to　close　with　Linc。　He's　waiting　in　the　bar。〃
　Understanding　flashed　over　his　face　for　an　instant　…　and　relief；　she　thought　…　and　then　he　was　calm　again。　〃Is　he　now？〃　he　said　softly；　watching　her。
　〃Yes。〃　She　felt　a　wave　of　heat　go　through　her；　her　cheeks　began　to　burn　and　she　wondered　if　the　color　showed。
　〃So　we　can't　s