Chapter 4 Chapter Four

Every Saturday, at almost 8 o'clock in the evening, there is always a furious person with a short pipe in his mouth, and this person is Antiphere.At this moment, his neighbor, the barge captain Gilda Tregoman, must have had some persuasion, which lasted about an hour before the master blushed.Where did his nameless fire start?The matter was actually very simple: he took out a spherical plan projection from an old atlas, hung it up, and looked for a place, but could not find it. "Damn latitude!" he cried. "Damn it! Even if it goes through mountains of swords and seas of fire, I'll stay with it to the end!"

Maester Antiphere was preparing to put the plan into practice.The latitude line on the chart had been pierced by his hard nails.The map is full of circles and dots, and the holes pierced with two-foot gauges are almost the same as a coffee colander. The latitude that was scolded by the master was recorded on a piece of old yellow parchment.The color of the paper, comparable to that of the Spanish flag, read: Latitude 25°59′N Above the other corner of the parchment, several words were written in red ink. "I wish my son never to forget." Antiphere shouted again: "My good father, don't worry! I will not forget your latitude...never, may my three owners who have held the launching ceremony bless me, I know exactly what to do!"

On the night of February 23, 1862, the master was furious again, and he was seen like a sailor in charge of the mast, and the sail line that had been pulled up slipped from his hand again.He burned oil on the fire and shouted angrily, the small stone in his mouth was bitten and creaked.He used matches to light the pipe that had been extinguished 20 times time and time again, consuming a full box of matches. It was obvious that he was using the smoke to vent his anger. The map was turned to one corner, and the chair was kicked to the other corner.The shells adorning the fireplace were shattered, and he stamped his feet, and the rafters above his head seemed to vibrate.Suddenly, he shouted loudly, like a hurricane descending from the sky:

"Nanon... Enokat!" he yelled into a megaphone made of horse-dung paper. Enochat was knitting, and Nanon was ironing by the kitchen stove.They are all doing these chores attentively. This is an ancient three-story building located in Saint-Malo, built of granite, facing Gaofang Street, with two rooms on the second and third floors, and the ground floor is higher than the road on the city wall behind the house.You look at the courtyard from here: the walls are extraordinarily thick and also made of granite.The windows are not wide, the criss-crossed iron bars; the huge door made of oak heart, with iron decoration on the outside, and a knocking hammer, which can be heard in Saint-Ziervan.The roof was covered with bluestone slabs and skylights were opened, and the retired sailor lived here.In the lens of the telescope, this house, which is half a fort and half a house, is adjacent to a corner of the city wall surrounding the city. From here, you can look around: the embankment on the left, the pier is the mouth of the Langs River, and the Prinal Bay , from Dinard to the pale gray domes of Servan; on the right, the corner of Dabe Sesampire, and Cape Degore and Cape Fraselle.

In the past, St. Malo was an island, and Antifeil probably fantasized about going back to that era to be an islander.But old Arhon became a peninsula, on which he settled.In fact, one should be proud to be a descendant of Almore City.Home to many of France's greats, among them Dugues Trouin, the sailor; La Monet; The mausoleum, the name of this outstanding writer is also engraved on the tombstone. Master Antifel (Pierre Servan Marlowe) is only 46 years old and has retired for 18 months. He lives a relatively wealthy life and is even called a "well-off family". He has an annuity of several thousand francs a year. After the voyage of two or three ships, the annuity is derived from it.These ships are anchored in the port of Saint-Malo.The ship is owned by the Bayf Siere Company and frequently sails in the North Sea, the Baltic Sea, the English Channel and the Mediterranean Sea.Before becoming the captain, Antifel traveled all over the world.He has the courage to take risks and is a good sailor. He is extremely strict with himself and others. He is not afraid of danger and is indomitable. He is a typical Breton character.Doesn't he miss the sea? ...But he retired when he was in his prime?Maybe he really doesn't miss it, maybe some health reason?And by no means, he is as strong as a King Kong.

As long as you approach him, talk and shake hands, you can appreciate a thing or two.He was of medium height, with a free manner, but a very stocky body; his head was large, and his hair stood up like a porcupine.He is like an Indo-European, his brown face has been baked by decades of sea water and the scorching sun at low latitudes, turning it into a bronze color; the beard all over his face has turned gray, and it is connected with his hair; a pair of black jade-like eyes, Like a pair of rubies hidden deep under the eyebrows, the pupils shine like cat's eyes; he has a bulbous nose, and the bridge of the nose is long enough to hang a string of small clips for condiments.There are two deep sockets under the eyes, like the collapsed eye sockets of an old horse; the hard teeth in the mouth are enough to rattle the small stones contained in the mouth.His two furry ears are like a pair of small trumpets, and he wears a copper earring with an anchor on his right earlobe; his upper body is not fat, his legs are strong and strong, his whole body is straight at once, and his legs are spread out at an angle, just keeping Balance, no matter how strong the wind is, no matter how rocking the boat, he is as stable as Mount Tai.When you look at it, you can tell that this man is extremely powerful.He can eat and drink, has a body made of iron, with round and well-developed muscles.Such a strong man with a healthy physique and a warrior-like temperament is registered as an ordinary citizen under the name of Pierre Servan Malo-en-Ferre.How unusually impulsive and fanatical was this?

That night, he made a lot of noise and raged again, and the strong house shook, which was enough to make people believe: this is a big tide sweeping half the city!Probably over 50 feet tall. Nanon, 48 years old, the elder sister of the strong man, the widow of Goat. Her husband was a minor nobleman who used to be an accountant of the Buff Steamship Company. He died young. They had a daughter named Anokat.It was Uncle Antiphere who brought him up to be her protector.Nanon is kind-hearted and loves her brother very much, but she is a little afraid of him. Whenever he loses his temper, she always obeys.

Love Nokat, charming and charming.Blonde hair, blue eyes, delicate skin.His face is full of wisdom, and he is naturally romantic.She was much more courageous than her mother, and even sometimes dared to contradict his terrible protector. The strong man liked this niece very much, and he thought she was the most beautiful and happiest girl in Saint-Malo.That girl's understanding of happiness was different from his. Two women emerge from the threshold of the room.The old one is carrying a hot iron, and the young one is holding a sweater needle. "Oh! what's the matter?" asked Nanon.

"My latitude . . . damn it!" Antiphere replied. He then slapped his head fiercely, and only the gods gave him that solid skull, and it would have creaked with anyone else. "Uncle," said Enocat, "you are troubled by that latitude, why waste this room? ... It's not very good!" So she picked up the map, and Nanon picked up the bomb that exploded like gunpowder. Slices of shells. "Uncle, did you smash it just now?" "Yes, girl, it will be the same for others at this unlucky time." "Does it have to be thrown on the ground again?"

"My hands are itchy!" "That shell is a gift from your brother-in-law." Nanon said, "You really shouldn't..." "What's the matter, you said I shouldn't do it until tomorrow, it's broken too!" "What will my cousin Jewel say?" exclaimed Enocat. "I don't care what he says, it's better if he doesn't say it!" Antiphere argued.Now that there were two women standing in front of him, he seemed a little helpless because he couldn't vent further.Added: "Where's Jewel?" "Uncle, you don't know that he went to Nantes?"

"Nantes . . . that's another matter! . . . What was he doing in Nantes?" "Uncle! You sent him there...how did you forget...the ocean-going captain's exam..." "Ocean-sea captain... oh! Ocean-goer captain," he said to himself, "isn't it okay to be an offshore captain, just like me?" "My brother!" Nanon reminded timidly, "this is according to your wishes... You don't want to..." "Well, well... good reason!... I want him to be an ocean-going captain... Shouldn't he go to Nantes if I don't want to?... Look! If he fails..." "No! Uncle." Everyone understands that it is really impossible to get along with someone like him.On the one hand, he said that he didn't want people to take the exam, but on the other hand, he said that if Jeweler's name was lost, he would be reprimanded.It is inevitable to bring a few words such as stupid donkey examiner, businessman-like navigator and so on. But Enokat firmly believed that his cousin would not fail the exam.First of all, he is her cousin, young, smart, hardworking, and they are still a couple in love.Beauty is in the eye of the beholder! It needs to be explained that Jewell was born to a dead mother, and his father was a naval captain.She also died a few years after her mother's death.He was raised and supervised by his uncle Antifel when he was young.He'll be at the top, and it's only logical that he'll be a seaman.But in Ainokat's mind, he could get the ocean-going captain's certificate at his fingertips.Uncle didn't really doubt this either, it's just that he was still angry and didn't want to go along with it. Whether Jewele can be named on the gold list is extremely important to the young girl, because she and her cousin have already made an agreement.Only when he got the ocean-going captain's certificate was the wedding night in the bridal chamber.They love each other sincerely, and pure love will bring them happiness.The whole family has long been looking forward to the union of the two young people as soon as possible. The closer the wedding day is, the more Nanon likes it in his heart.Is there any obstacle? Didn't the parents who combined uncle and guardian agree? ... Or, the condition put forward by the master of everything is to be the captain of the ship before he can get married.This is nothing to Jewell.He has learned all about the industry.He has been an intern, a sailor cadet, a sailor, and a merchant ship mate. He has both theory and practice. The guardian is actually proud of his nephew from the bottom of his heart.Naturally, it is not ruled out that he once thought of marrying a rich man for his nephew, the young man is indeed a rare talent; perhaps he also hopes that his niece can marry a rich nobleman, because there is no such cute girl in the whole city. "Even in Ill-Verin, you can't find a second one!" He frowned, repeating, and he even wanted to extend this conclusion to the whole of Brittany. Now that he has an annuity of 5,000 francs, he is already very happy. What will happen to him once he becomes a millionaire? . . . he often indulged in these wild thoughts in this way. Nanon, mother and daughter, are tidying up the room where the frightening person lives.Maybe he should clear his brain too.Here, there is really greasy, dust, moths, and spiders that need to be cleaned up. Antiphere was pacing up and down, his eyes were rolling and rolling, which indicated that the anger had not been dispelled, and lightning and thunder might happen at any time.When he saw the barometer on the wall, he seemed to be angry again, because the pointer of the instrument did not move or change. "Jeule hasn't come back yet!" he asked his niece. "No, uncle." "It's already 12 o'clock." "Uncle, you haven't arrived yet." "He must have missed the train." "No, uncle." Despite Nanon's repeated gestures, the girl still tried her best to complain for her cousin.Disagree with the unreasonable accusations made by this rude uncle against his cousin. Lightning and thunder are not far away, isn't there a lightning rod to drain the electricity accumulated on the strong man?might have. "Find Tregoman for me." The mother and daughter hurriedly obeyed, trotting all the way to find the captain of the barge. "God bless, if he's home!" they said to each other.Thank goodness he's home. Five minutes later, he came in front of the strong man Antifel. Gilda Tregoman, 51 years old, has many similarities with his neighbors: both are bachelors, both worked as sailors and captains; people.But the difference is in terms of thought and temperament: Gilda is quiet and introverted; Antifel is lively and cheerful.One is philosophical and approachable; the other is furious and difficult to get along with.Physically, the two brothers are also quite different.But the two of them are close friends.Antifil was particularly concerned about their friendship, while Gilda Tregoman was less.Everyone knows that being a friend of a strong man is not a good thing. Although Gilda had also been a sailor, his experience in aviation was far worse than that of Antifell. Because he was the son of a widow, he was exempted from military service and had never been a sailor, so he had never seen the sea.He had seen the English Channel from the heights of Hécale, from Cape Frehelle, but had never sailed there.He was born in the cabin of the barge, and spent his passing years on the barge.At first he worked as an inland river port officer, and later he became the ship owner of the "Lovely Amelie", swimming around on the Rance River.From Dinard to Dinant, to Promocca, and back down the river, carrying planks, wine, coal, etc.He had a little knowledge of the rivers of the Norte-Maritimes and the Il-Veland region.This one is a gentle river sailor and that one is the fiercest sailor at sea—a seafaring captain.Tregoman naturally respected his neighbor very much, and this neighbor deserved it. Gilda lived in a small, handsome house about a hundred paces from the Antipheres' house.At the end of Toushens Street.Against the city wall.The house faces the estuary of the Rance River on one side and the open sea on the other.He has a thick back and a shoulder width of nearly one meter. He is 5 feet 6 inches tall. His upper body is as thick as a wall. He always wears a large double-breasted waistcoat and a thick fleece blouse with discounted back and sleeves. , very neat.Two thick and strong arms are as thick as the thighs of ordinary people, and a pair of big palms are almost as big as the feet of ancient guards.It can be seen that Tregoman, with such well-developed limbs and muscles, must be as powerful as a god.But this kind Hercules, he never abused his divine power.Even when shaking hands with others, only the index finger and thumb are used, for fear of breaking their fingers.He never showed off, never hit anyone. Comparing him to a machine, he is more like a hydraulic press that cold-presses steel plates.This strength comes from his greatness and generosity, his slow and unobtrusive temperament. He had a big round head resting on his shoulders, and he wore a wide-brimmed top hat. He had flat hair, thin beards on his cheeks, and a snub-nosed nose.The mouth is always smiling, the upper lip is inward, the lower lip is inward, the teeth are white, and the double chin is thick.It's just that the upper right front tooth has fallen off, so I can't hold the cigarette holder, so that the teeth will not be polluted by smoke.His eyebrows were reddish brown and bushy, and his eyes were bright and kind.He had a rosy complexion which he owed to the cool breeze of the Rance. This is Gilda Tregoman, a helpful person.Whether you come to him at noon or call him at two o'clock, he is always ready to help you.Therefore, he is a rock that cannot be broken by the fury of a strong man.When their neighbors got angry and sent for him, he still went to bear the waves of the fierce god. The ex-captain of the "Lovely Amélie" was the most beloved figure in the Antifil family.Nanon regarded him as a backer, Joule treated him like a father, and Enocat kissed his cheeks and forehead without restraint—the face said that his appearance can tell that he has a gentle nature, Easy going. Nearly 4:30, the barge captain climbed the escalator to the second floor.The stairs creaked under that heavy footstep.Then, he opened the door and came to his old friend.