end of the tether-第2章

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the　Gulf　of　Petchili）；　had　married　off　his　daughter　to



the　man　of　her　unlucky　choice；　and　had　lost　more　than



an　ample　competence　in　the　crash　of　the　notorious　Tra…



vancore　and　Deccan　Banking　Corporation；　whose　down…



fall　had　shaken　the　East　like　an　earthquake。　　And　he



was　sixty…five　years　old。











II











His　age　sat　lightly　enough　on　him；　and　of　his　ruin



he　was　not　ashamed。　　He　had　not　been　alone　to　believe



in　the　stability　of　the　Banking　Corporation。　　Men　whose



judgment　in　matters　of　finance　was　as　expert　as　his　sea…



manship　had　commended　the　prudence　of　his　invest…



ments；　and　had　themselves　lost　much　money　in　the　great



failure。　　The　only　difference　between　him　and　them　was



that　he　had　lost　his　all。　　And　yet　not　his　all。　　There



had　remained　to　him　from　his　lost　fortune　a　very　pretty



little　bark；　Fair　Maid；　which　he　had　bought　to　occupy



his　leisure　of　a　retired　sailor〃to　play　with；〃　as　he　ex…



pressed　it　himself。







He　had　formally　declared　himself　tired　of　the　sea　the



year　preceding　his　daughter's　marriage。　　But　after　the



young　couple　had　gone　to　settle　in　Melbourne　he　found



out　that　he　could　not　make　himself　happy　on　shore。　　He



was　too　much　of　a　merchant　sea…captain　for　mere　yacht…



ing　to　satisfy　him。　　He　wanted　the　illusion　of　affairs；



and　his　acquisition　of　the　Fair　Maid　preserved　the　con…



tinuity　of　his　life。　　He　introduced　her　to　his　acquaint…



ances　in　various　ports　as　〃my　last　command。〃　　When



he　grew　too　old　to　be　trusted　with　a　ship；　he　would



lay　her　up　and　go　ashore　to　be　buried；　leaving　directions



in　his　will　to　have　the　bark　towed　out　and　scuttled



decently　in　deep　water　on　the　day　of　the　funeral。　　His



daughter　would　not　grudge　him　the　satisfaction　of



knowing　that　no　stranger　would　handle　his　last　command



after　him。　　With　the　fortune　he　was　able　to　leave　her；



the　value　of　a　500…ton　bark　was　neither　here　nor　there。



All　this　would　be　said　with　a　jocular　twinkle　in　his　eye：



the　vigorous　old　man　had　too　much　vitality　for　the　sen…



timentalism　of　regret；　and　a　little　wistfully　withal；　be…



cause　he　was　at　home　in　life；　taking　a　genuine　pleasure



in　its　feelings　and　its　possessions；　in　the　dignity　of　his



reputation　and　his　wealth；　in　his　love　for　his　daughter；



and　in　his　satisfaction　with　the　shipthe　plaything　of



his　lonely　leisure。







He　had　the　cabin　arranged　in　accordance　with　his



simple　ideal　of　comfort　at　sea。　　A　big　bookcase　（he　was



a　great　reader）　occupied　one　side　of　his　stateroom；　the



portrait　of　his　late　wife；　a　flat　bituminous　oil…painting



representing　the　profile　and　one　long　black　ringlet　of



a　young　woman；　faced　his　bedplace。　　Three　chronometers



ticked　him　to　sleep　and　greeted　him　on　waking　with



the　tiny　competition　of　their　beats。　　He　rose　at　five　every



day。　　The　officer　of　the　morning　watch；　drinking　his



early　cup　of　coffee　aft　by　the　wheel；　would　hear　through



the　wide　orifice　of　the　copper　ventilators　all　the　splash…



ings；　blowings；　and　splutterings　of　his　captain's　toilet。



These　noises　would　be　followed　by　a　sustained　deep



murmur　of　the　Lord's　Prayer　recited　in　a　loud　earnest



voice。　　Five　minutes　afterwards　the　head　and　shoulders



of　Captain　Whalley　emerged　out　of　the　companion…



hatchway。　　Invariably　he　paused　for　a　while　on　the



stairs；　looking　all　round　at　the　horizon；　upwards　at　the



trim　of　the　sails；　inhaling　deep　draughts　of　the　fresh



air。　　Only　then　he　would　step　out　on　the　poop；　acknowl…



edging　the　hand　raised　to　the　peak　of　the　cap　with　a



majestic　and　benign　〃Good　morning　to　you。〃　　He



walked　the　deck　till　eight　scrupulously。　　Sometimes；　not



above　twice　a　year；　he　had　to　use　a　thick　cudgel…like



stick　on　account　of　a　stiffness　in　the　hipa　slight　touch



of　rheumatism；　he　supposed。　　Otherwise　he　knew　nothing



of　the　ills　of　the　flesh。　　At　the　ringing　of　the　breakfast



bell　he　went　below　to　feed　his　canaries；　wind　up　the



chronometers；　and　take　the　head　of　the　table。　　From



there　he　had　before　his　eyes　the　big　carbon　photographs



of　his　daughter；　her　husband；　and　two　fat…legged　babies



his　grandchildrenset　in　black　frames　into　the　maple…



wood　bulkheads　of　the　cuddy。　　After　breakfast　he　dusted



the　glass　over　these　portraits　himself　with　a　cloth；　and



brushed　the　oil　painting　of　his　wife　with　a　plumate　kept



suspended　from　a　small　brass　hook　by　the　side　of　the



heavy　gold　frame。　　Then　with　the　door　of　his　state…



room　shut；　he　would　sit　down　on　the　couch　under　the



portrait　to　read　a　chapter　out　of　a　thick　pocket　Bible



her　Bible。　　But　on　some　days　he　only　sat　there　for



half　an　hour　with　his　finger　between　the　leaves　and　the



closed　book　resting　on　his　knees。　　Perhaps　he　had　re…



membered　suddenly　how　fond　of　boat…sailing　she　used



to　be。







She　had　been　a　real　shipmate　and　a　true　woman　too。



It　was　like　an　article　of　faith　with　him　that　there　never



had　been；　and　never　could　be；　a　brighter；　cheerier　home



anywhere　afloat　or　ashore　than　his　home　under　the　poop…



deck　of　the　Condor；　with　the　big　main　cabin　all　white



and　gold；　garlanded　as　if　for　a　perpetual　festival　with



an　unfading　wreath。　　She　had　decorated　the　center　of



every　panel　with　a　cluster　of　home　flowers。　　It　took　her



a　twelvemonth　to　go　round　the　cuddy　with　this　labor



of　love。　　To　him　it　had　remained　a　marvel　of　painting；



the　highest　achievement　of　taste　and　skill；　and　as　to



old　Swinburne；　his　mate；　every　time　he　came　down　to



his　meals　he　stood　transfixed　with　admiration　before　the



progress　of　the　work。　　You　could　almost　smell　these



roses；　he　declared；　sniffing　the　faint　flavor　of　turpentine



which　at　that　time　pervaded　the　saloon；　and　（as　he　con…



fessed　afterwards）　made　him　somewhat　less　hearty　than



usual　in　tackling　his　food。　　But　there　was　nothing　of



the　sort　to　interfere　with　his　enjoyment　of　her　singing。



〃Mrs。　Whalley　is　a　regular　out…and…out　nightingale；



sir；〃　he　would　pronounce　with　a　judicial　air　after　listen…



ing　profoundly　over　the　skylight　to　the　very　end　of　the



piece。　　In　fine　weather；　in　the　second　dog…watch；　the　two



men　could　hear　her　trills　and　roulades　going　on　to　the



accompaniment　of　the　piano　in　the　cabin。　　On　the　very



day　they　got　engaged　he　had　written　to　London　for　the



instrument；　but　they　had　been　married　for　over　a　year



before　it　reached　them；　coming　out　round　the　Cape。



The　big　case　made　part　of　the　first　direct　general　cargo



landed　in　Hongkong　harboran　event　that　to　the　men



who　walked　the　busy　quays　of　to…day　seemed　as　hazily



remote　as　the　dark　ages　of　history。　　But　Captain　Whal…



ley　could　in　a　half　hour　of　solitude　live　again　all　his



life；　with　its　romance；　its　idyl；　and　its　sorrow。　　He　had



to　close　her　eyes　himself。　　She　went　away　from　under



the　ensign　like　a　sailor's　wife；　a　sailor　herself　at　heart。



He　had　read　the　service　over　her；　out　of　her　own　prayer…



book；　without　a　break　in　his　voice。　　When　he　raised　his



eyes　he　could　see　old　Swinburne　facing　him　with　his　cap



pressed　to　his　breast；　and　his　rugged；　weather…beaten；



impassive　face　streaming　with　drops　of　water　like　a



lump　of　chipped　red　granite　in　a　shower。　　It　was　all



very　well　for　that　old　sea…dog　to　cry。　　He　had　to　read



on　to　the　end；　but　after　the　splash　he　did　not　remember



much　of　what　happened　for　the　next　few　days。　　An



elderly　sailor　of　the　crew；　deft　at　needlework；　put　to…



gether　a　mourning　frock　for　the　child　out　of　one　of



her　black　skirts。







He　was　not　likely　to　forget；　but　you　cannot　dam　up



life　li