end of the tether-第26章

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by　the　expiring　flames　of　sunset。







〃Want　to　see　me　on　business？　　What　business？　　I　am



doing　no　business。　　Can't　you　see　that　this　ship　is　laid



up？〃　　Massy　had　turned　at　bay　before　the　pursuing



irony　of　his　disaster。　　Afterwards　he　could　not　believe



his　ears。　　What　was　that　old　fellow　getting　at？　　Things



don't　happen　that　way。　　It　was　a　dream。　　He　would



presently　wake　up　and　find　the　man　vanished　like　a



shape　of　mist。　　The　gravity；　the　dignity；　the　firm　and



courteous　tone　of　that　athletic　old　stranger　impressed



Massy。　　He　was　almost　afraid。　　But　it　was　no　dream。



Five　hundred　pounds　are　no　dream。　　At　once　he　became



suspicious。　　What　did　it　mean？　　Of　course　it　was　an



offer　to　catch　hold　of　for　dear　life。　　But　what　could



there　be　behind？







Before　they　had　parted；　after　appointing　a　meeting



in　a　solicitor's　office　early　on　the　morrow；　Massy　was



asking　himself；　What　is　his　motive？　　He　spent　the　night



in　hammering　out　the　clauses　of　the　agreementa



unique　instrument　of　its　sort　whose　tenor　got　bruited



abroad　somehow　and　became　the　talk　and　wonder　of　the



port。







Massy's　object　had　been　to　secure　for　himself　as　many



ways　as　possible　of　getting　rid　of　his　partner　without



being　called　upon　at　once　to　pay　back　his　share。　　Cap…



tain　Whalley's　efforts　were　directed　to　making　the　money



secure。　　Was　it　not　Ivy's　moneya　part　of　her　fortune



whose　only　other　asset　was　the　time…defying　body　of　her



old　father？　　Sure　of　his　forbearance　in　the　strength　of



his　love　for　her；　he　accepted；　with　stately　serenity；



Massy's　stupidly　cunning　paragraphs　against　his　in…



competence；　his　dishonesty；　his　drunkenness；　for　the　sake



of　other　stringent　stipulations。　　At　the　end　of　three



years　he　was　at　liberty　to　withdraw　from　the　partner…



ship；　taking　his　money　with　him。　　Provision　was　made



for　forming　a　fund　to　pay　him　off。　　But　if　he　left　the



Sofala　before　the　term；　from　whatever　cause　（barring



death）；　Massy　was　to　have　a　whole　year　for　paying。



〃Illness？〃　the　lawyer　had　suggested：　a　young　man



fresh　from　Europe　and　not　overburdened　with　business；



who　was　rather　amused。　　Massy　began　to　whine　unctu…



ously；　〃How　could　he　be　expected？　。　。　。〃







〃Let　that　go；〃　Captain　Whalley　had　said　with　a



superb　confidence　in　his　body。　　〃Acts　of　God；〃　he



added。　　In　the　midst　of　life　we　are　in　death；　but　he



trusted　his　Maker　with　a　still　greater　fearlessnesshis



Maker　who　knew　his　thoughts；　his　human　affections；　and



his　motives。　　His　Creator　knew　what　use　he　was　making



of　his　healthhow　much　he　wanted　it　。　。　。　　〃I　trust



my　first　illness　will　be　my　last。　　I've　never　been　ill　that



I　can　remember；〃　he　had　remarked。　　〃Let　it　go。〃







But　at　this　early　stage　he　had　already　awakened



Massy's　hostility　by　refusing　to　make　it　six　hundred



instead　of　five。　　〃I　cannot　do　that；〃　was　all　he　had　said；



simply；　but　with　so　much　decision　that　Massy　desisted



at　once　from　pressing　the　point；　but　had　thought　to



himself；　〃Can't！　　Old　curmudgeon。　　WON'T！　　He　must



have　lots　of　money；　but　he　would　like　to　get　hold　of　a



soft　berth　and　the　sixth　part　of　my　profits　for　nothing



if　he　only　could。〃







And　during　these　years　Massy's　dislike　grew　under　the



restraint　of　something　resembling　fear。　　The　simplicity



of　that　man　appeared　dangerous。　　Of　late　he　had



changed；　however；　had　appeared　less　formidable　and



with　a　lessened　vigor　of　life；　as　though　he　had　received



a　secret　wound。　　But　still　he　remained　incomprehensible



in　his　simplicity；　fearlessness；　and　rectitude。　　And　when



Massy　learned　that　he　meant　to　leave　him　at　the　end　of



the　time；　to　leave　him　confronted　with　the　problem　of



boilers；　his　dislike　blazed　up　secretly　into　hate。







It　had　made　him　so　clear…eyed　that　for　a　long　time　now



Mr。　Sterne　could　have　told　him　nothing　he　did　not



know。　　He　had　much　ado　in　trying　to　terrorize　that



mean　sneak　into　silence；　he　wanted　to　deal　alone　with



the　situation；　andincredible　as　it　might　have　ap…



peared　to　Mr。　Sternehe　had　not　yet　given　up　the　de…



sire　and　the　hope　of　inducing　that　hated　old　man　to



stay。　　Why！　there　was　nothing　else　to　do；　unless　he　were



to　abandon　his　chances　of　fortune。　　But　now；　suddenly；



since　the　crossing　of　the　bar　at　Batu　Beru　things



seemed　to　be　coming　rapidly　to　a　point。　　It　disquieted



him　so　much　that　the　study　of　the　winning　numbers



failed　to　soothe　his　agitation：　and　the　twilight　in　the



cabin　deepened；　very　somber。







He　put　the　list　away；　muttering　once　more；　〃Oh；　no；



my　boy；　you　don't。　　Not　if　I　know　it。〃　　He　did　not



mean　the　blinking；　eavesdropping　humbug　to　force　his



action。　　He　took　his　head　again　into　his　hands；　his　im…



mobility　confined　in　the　darkness　of　this　shut…up　little



place　seemed　to　make　him　a　thing　apart　infinitely　re…



moved　from　the　stir　and　the　sounds　of　the　deck。







He　heard　them：　the　passengers　were　beginning　to



jabber　excitedly；　somebody　dragged　a　heavy　box



past　his　door。　　He　heard　Captain　Whalley's　voice



above







〃Stations；　Mr。　Sterne。〃　　And　the　answer　from　some…



where　on　deck　forward







〃Ay；　ay；　sir。〃







〃We　shall　moor　head　up　stream　this　time；　the　ebb



has　made。〃







〃Head　up　stream；　sir。〃







〃You　will　see　to　it；　Mr。　Sterne。〃







The　answer　was　covered　by　the　autocratic　clang　on　the



engine…room　gong。　　The　propeller　went　on　beating



slowly：　one；　two；　three；　one；　two；　threewith　pauses　as



if　hesitating　on　the　turn。　　The　gong　clanged　time　after



time；　and　the　water　churned　this　way　and　that　by　the



blades　was　making　a　great　noisy　commotion　alongside。



Mr。　Massy　did　not　move。　　A　shore…light　on　the　other



bank；　a　quarter　of　a　mile　across　the　river；　drifted；　no



bigger　than　a　tiny　star；　passing　slowly　athwart　the　cir…



cle　of　the　port。　　Voices　from　Mr。　Van　Wyk's　jetty　an…



swered　the　hails　from　the　ship；　ropes　were　thrown　and



missed　and　thrown　again；　the　swaying　flame　of　a　torch



carried　in　a　large　sampan　coming　to　fetch　away　in　state



the　Rajah　from　down　the　coast　cast　a　sudden　ruddy



glare　into　his　cabin；　over　his　very　person。　　Mr。　Massy



did　not　move。　　After　a　few　last　ponderous　turns　the



engines　stopped；　and　the　prolonged　clanging　of　the



gong　signified　that　the　captain　had　done　with　them。　　A



great　number　of　boats　and　canoes　of　all　sizes　boarded



the　off…side　of　the　Sofala。　　Then　after　a　time　the　tumult



of　splashing；　of　cries；　of　shuffling　feet；　of　packages



dropped　with　a　thump；　the　noise　of　the　native　passen…



gers　going　away；　subsided　slowly。　　On　the　shore；　a



voice；　cultivated；　slightly　authoritative；　spoke　very



close　alongside







〃Brought　any　mail　for　me　this　time？〃







〃Yes；　Mr。　Van　Wyk。〃　　This　was　from　Sterne；　an…



swering　over　the　rail　in　a　tone　of　respectful　cordiality。



〃Shall　I　bring　it　up　to　you？〃







But　the　voice　asked　again







〃Where's　the　captain？〃







〃Still　on　the　bridge；　I　believe。　　He　hasn't　left　his



chair。　　Shall　I　。　。　。〃







The　voice　interrupted　negligently。







〃I　will　come　on　board。〃







〃Mr。　Van　Wyk；〃　Sterne　suddenly　broke　out　with　an



eager　effort；　〃will　you　do　me　the　favor　。　。　。〃







The　mate　walked　away　quickly　towards　the　gangway。



A　silence　fell。　　Mr。　Massy　in　the　dark　did　not　move。







He　did　not　move　even　when　he　heard　slow　shuffling



footsteps　pass　his　cabin　lazily。　　He　contented　himself



to　bellow　out　through　the　closed　door







〃YouJack！〃







The　f