end of the tether-第12章

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there　still　had　been　a　ship　in　the　roadstead　to　which



he　could　get　himself　pulled　off　in　the　evening。　　Far



away；　beyond　the　houses；　on　the　slope　of　an　indigo



promontory　closing　the　view　of　the　quays；　the　slim



column　of　a　factory…chimney　smoked　quietly　straight



up　into　the　clear　air。　　A　Chinaman；　curled　down　in　the



stern　of　one　of　the　half…dozen　sampans　floating　off　the



end　of　the　jetty；　caught　sight　of　a　beckoning　hand。



He　jumped　up；　rolled　his　pigtail　round　his　head　swiftly；



tucked　in　two　rapid　movements　his　wide　dark　trousers



high　up　his　yellow　thighs；　and　by　a　single；　noiseless；　fin…



like　stir　of　the　oars；　sheered　the　sampan　alongside　the



steps　with　the　ease　and　precision　of　a　swimming



fish。







〃Sofala；〃　articulated　Captain　Whalley　from　above；



and　the　Chinaman；　a　new　emigrant　probably；　stared



upwards　with　a　tense　attention　as　if　waiting　to　see　the



queer　word　fall　visibly　from　the　white　man's　lips。



〃Sofala；〃　Captain　Whalley　repeated；　and　suddenly　his



heart　failed　him。　　He　paused。　　The　shores；　the　islets；　the



high　ground；　the　low　points；　were　dark：　the　horizon　had



grown　somber；　and　across　the　eastern　sweep　of　the　shore



the　white　obelisk；　marking　the　landing…place　of　the



telegraph…cable；　stood　like　a　pale　ghost　on　the　beach



before　the　dark　spread　of　uneven　roofs；　intermingled



with　palms；　of　the　native　town。　　Captain　Whalley　be…



gan　again。







〃Sofala。　　Savee　So…fa…la；　John？〃







This　time　the　Chinaman　made　out　that　bizarre　sound；



and　grunted　his　assent　uncouthly；　low　down　in　his　bare



throat。　　With　the　first　yellow　twinkle　of　a　star　that　ap…



peared　like　the　head　of　a　pin　stabbed　deep　into　the



smooth；　pale；　shimmering　fabric　of　the　sky；　the　edge



of　a　keen　chill　seemed　to　cleave　through　the　warm　air



of　the　earth。　　At　the　moment　of　stepping　into　the　sam…



pan　to　go　and　try　for　the　command　of　the　Sofala　Cap…



tain　Whalley　shivered　a　little。











When　on　his　return　he　landed　on　the　quay　again　Venus；



like　a　choice　jewel　set　low　on　the　hem　of　the　sky；　cast



a　faint　gold　trail　behind　him　upon　the　roadstead；　as



level　as　a　floor　made　of　one　dark　and　polished　stone。



The　lofty　vaults　of　the　avenues　were　blackall　black



overheadand　the　porcelain　globes　on　the　lamp…posts



resembled　egg…shaped　pearls；　gigantic　and　luminous；



displayed　in　a　row　whose　farther　end　seemed　to　sink



in　the　distance；　down　to　the　level　of　his　knees。　　He　put



his　hands　behind　his　back。　　He　would　now　consider



calmly　the　discretion　of　it　before　saying　the　final　word



to…morrow。　　His　feet　scrunched　the　gravel　loudlythe



discretion　of　it。　　It　would　have　been　easier　to　appraise



had　there　been　a　workable　alternative。　　The　honesty　of



it　was　indubitable：　he　meant　well　by　the　fellow；　and



periodically　his　shadow　leaped　up　intense　by　his　side　on



the　trunks　of　the　trees；　to　lengthen　itself；　oblique　and



dim；　far　over　the　grassrepeating　his　stride。







The　discretion　of　it。　　Was　there　a　choice？　　He　seemed



already　to　have　lost　something　of　himself；　to　have　given



up　to　a　hungry　specter　something　of　his　truth　and　dig…



nity　in　order　to　live。　　But　his　life　was　necessary。　　Let



poverty　do　its　worst　in　exacting　its　toll　of　humiliation。



It　was　certain　that　Ned　Eliott　had　rendered　him；　with…



out　knowing　it；　a　service　for　which　it　would　have　been



impossible　to　ask。　　He　hoped　Ned　would　not　think　there



had　been　something　underhand　in　his　action。　　He　sup…



posed　that　now　when　he　heard　of　it　he　would　understand



or　perhaps　he　would　only　think　Whalley　an　eccentric



old　fool。　　What　would　have　been　the　good　of　telling



himany　more　than　of　blurting　the　whole　tale　to　that



man　Massy？　　Five　hundred　pounds　ready　to　invest。　　Let



him　make　the　best　of　that。　　Let　him　wonder。　　You　want



a　captainI　want　a　ship。　　That's　enough。　　B…r…r…r…r。



What　a　disagreeable　impression　that　empty；　dark；



echoing　steamer　had　made　upon　him。　。　。　。







A　laid…up　steamer　was　a　dead　thing　and　no　mistake；



a　sailing…ship　somehow　seems　always　ready　to　spring



into　life　with　the　breath　of　the　incorruptible　heaven；



but　a　teamer；　thought　Captain　Whalley；　with　her　fires



out；　without　the　warm　whiffs　from　below　meeting　you　on



her　decks；　without　the　hiss　of　steam；　the　clangs　of　iron



in　her　breastlies　there　as　cold　and　still　and　pulseless　as



a　corpse。







In　the　solitude　of　the　avenue；　all　black　above　and



lighted　below；　Captain　Whalley；　considering　the　dis…



cretion　of　his　course；　met；　as　it　were　incidentally；　the



thought　of　death。　　He　pushed　it　aside　with　dislike　and



contempt。　　He　almost　laughed　at　it；　and　in　the　un…



quenchable　vitality　of　his　age　only　thought　with　a　kind



of　exultation　how　little　he　needed　to　keep　body　and　soul



together。　　Not　a　bad　investment　for　the　poor　woman



this　solid　carcass　of　her　father。　　And　for　the　restin



case　of　anythingthe　agreement　should　be　clear：　the



whole　five　hundred　to　be　paid　back　to　her　integrally



within　three　months。　　Integrally。　　Every　penny。　　He



was　not　to　lose　any　of　her　money　whatever　else　had



to　goa　little　dignitysome　of　his　self…respect。　　He



had　never　before　allowed　anybody　to　remain　under　any



sort　of　false　impression　as　to　himself。　　Well；　let　that



gofor　her　sake。　　After　all；　he　had　never　SAID　any…



thing　misleadingand　Captain　Whalley　felt　himself



corrupt　to　the　marrow　of　his　bones。　　He　laughed　a　little



with　the　intimate　scorn　of　his　worldly　prudence。



Clearly；　with　a　fellow　of　that　sort；　and　in　the　peculiar



relation　they　were　to　stand　to　each　other；　it　would　not



have　done　to　blurt　out　everything。　　He　did　not　like　the



fellow。　　He　did　not　like　his　spells　of　fawning　loquacity



and　bursts　of　resentfulness。　　In　the　enda　poor　devil。



He　would　not　have　liked　to　stand　in　his　shoes。　　Men



were　not　evil；　after　all。　　He　did　not　like　his　sleek　hair；



his　queer　way　of　standing　at　right　angles；　with　his　nose



in　the　air；　and　glancing　along　his　shoulder　at　you。　　No。



On　the　whole；　men　were　not　badthey　were　only　silly



or　unhappy。







Captain　Whalley　had　finished　considering　the　discre…



tion　of　that　stepand　there　was　the　whole　long　night



before　him。　　In　the　full　light　his　long　beard　would



glisten　like　a　silver　breastplate　covering　his　heart；　in



the　spaces　between　the　lamps　his　burly　figure　passed　less



distinct；　loomed　very　big；　wandering；　and　mysterious。



No；　there　was　not　much　real　harm　in　men：　and　all　the



time　a　shadow　marched　with　him；　slanting　on　his　left



handwhich　in　the　East　is　a　presage　of　evil。







　。　　　　　　。　　　　　　。　　　　　　。　　　　　　。　　　　　　。　　　　　　。







〃Can　you　make　out　the　clump　of　palms　yet；　Serang？〃



asked　Captain　Whalley　from　his　chair　on　the　bridge　of



the　Sofala　approaching　the　bar　of　Batu　Beru。







〃No；　Tuan。　　By…and…by　see。〃　　The　old　Malay；　in　a



blue　dungaree　suit；　planted　on　his　bony　dark　feet　under



the　bridge　awning；　put　his　hands　behind　his　back　and



stared　ahead　out　of　the　innumerable　wrinkles　at　the



corners　of　his　eyes。







Captain　Whalley　sat　still；　without　lifting　his　head　to



look　for　himself。　　Three　yearsthirty…six　times。　　He



had　made　these　palms　thirty…six　times　from　the　south…



ward。　　They　would　come　into　view　at　the　proper　time。



Thank　God；　the　old　ship　made　her　courses　and　distances



trip　after　trip；　as　correct　as　clockwork。　　At　last　he　mur…



mured　again







〃In　sight　yet？〃







〃The　sun　makes　a　very　great　glare；　Tuan。〃







〃Watch　well；　Serang。〃







〃Ya；　Tuan。〃







A　white　man　had　ascende