end of the tether-第28章

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also　parcels　of　new　musicthough　the　piano　（it　had



come　years　ago　by　the　Sofala　in　the　damp　atmosphere



of　the　forests　was　generally　out　of　tune。　　It　was　vexing



to　be　cut　off　from　everything　for　sixty　days　at　a　stretch



sometimes；　without　any　means　of　knowing　what　was　the



matter。　　And　when　the　Sofala　reappeared　Mr。　Van　Wyk



would　descend　the　steps　of　the　veranda　and　stroll　over



the　grass　plot　in　front　of　his　house；　down　to　the　water…



side；　with　a　frown　on　his　white　brow。







〃You've　been　laid　up　after　an　accident；　I　presume。〃







He　addressed　the　bridge；　but　before　anybody　could



answer　Massy　was　sure　to　have　already　scrambled　ashore



over　the　rail　and　pushed　in；　squeezing　the　palms　of　his



hands　together；　bowing　his　sleek　head　as　if　gummed　all



over　the　top　with　black　threads　and　tapes。　　And　he



would　be　so　enraged　at　the　necessity　of　having　to　offer



such　an　explanation　that　his　moaning　would　be　posi…



tively　pitiful；　while　all　the　time　he　tried　to　compose



his　big　lips　into　a　smile。







〃No；　Mr。　Van　Wyk。　　You　would　not　believe　it。　　I



couldn't　get　one　of　those　wretches　to　take　the　ship　out。



Not　a　single　one　of　the　lazy　beasts　could　be　induced；



and　the　law；　you　know；　Mr。　Van　Wyk　。　。　。〃







He　moaned　at　great　length　apologetically；　the　words



conspiracy；　plot；　envy；　came　out　prominently；　whined



with　greater　energy。　　Mr。　Van　Wyk；　examining　with



a　faint　grimace　his　polished　finger…nails；　would　say；



〃H'm。　　Very　unfortunate；〃　and　turn　his　back　on　him。







Fastidious；　clever；　slightly　skeptical；　accustomed　to　the



best　society　（he　had　held　a　much…envied　shore　appoint…



ment　at　the　Ministry　of　Marine　for　a　year　preceding



his　retreat　from　his　profession　and　from　Europe）；　he



possessed　a　latent　warmth　of　feeling　and　a　capacity　for



sympathy　which　were　concealed　by　a　sort　of　haughty；



arbitrary　indifference　of　manner　arising　from　his　early



training；　and　by　a　something　an　enemy　might　have



called　foppish；　in　his　aspectlike　a　distorted　echo　of



past　elegance。　　He　managed　to　keep　an　almost　mili…



tary　discipline　amongst　the　coolies　of　the　estate　he　had



dragged　into　the　light　of　day　out　of　the　tangle　and



shadows　of　the　jungle；　and　the　white　shirt　he　put



on　every　evening　with　its　stiff　glossy　front　and　high



collar　looked　as　if　he　had　meant　to　preserve　the　decent



ceremony　of　evening…dress；　but　had　wound　a　thick　crim…



son　sash　above　his　hips　as　a　concession　to　the　wilderness；



once　his　adversary；　now　his　vanquished　companion。







Moreover；　it　was　a　hygienic　precaution。　　Worn　wide



open　in　front；　a　short　jacket　of　some　airy　silken　stuff



floated　from　his　shoulders。　　His　fluffy；　fair　hair；　thin



at　the　top；　curled　slightly　at　the　sides；　a　carefully　ar…



ranged　mustache；　an　ungarnished　forehead；　the　gleam



of　low　patent　shoes　peeping　under　the　wide　bottom　of



trowsers　cut　straight　from　the　same　stuff　as　the　gossa…



mer　coat；　completed　a　figure　recalling；　with　its　sash；　a



pirate　chief　of　romance；　and　at　the　same　time　the　ele…



gance　of　a　slightly　bald　dandy　indulging；　in　seclusion；



a　taste　for　unorthodox　costume。







It　was　his　evening　get…up。　　The　proper　time　for　the



Sofala　to　arrive　at　Batu　Beru　was　an　hour　before　sun…



set；　and　he　looked　picturesque；　and　somehow　quite　cor…



rect　too；　walking　at　the　water's　edge　on　the　background



of　grass　slope　crowned　with　a　low　long　bungalow　with



an　immensely　steep　roof　of　palm　thatch；　and　clad　to　the



eaves　in　flowering　creepers。　　While　the　Sofala　was　being



made　fast　he　strolled　in　the　shade　of　the　few　trees　left



near　the　landing…place；　waiting　till　he　could　go　on



board。　　Her　white　men　were　not　of　his　kind。　　The　old



Sultan　（though　his　wistful　invasions　were　a　nuisance）



was　really　much　more　acceptable　to　his　fastidious　taste。



But　still　they　were　white；　the　periodical　visits　of　the



ship　made　a　break　in　the　well…filled　sameness　of　the



days　without　disturbing　his　privacy。　　Moreover；　they



were　necessary　from　a　business　point　of　view；　and



through　a　strain　of　preciseness　in　his　nature　he　was



irritated　when　she　failed　to　appear　at　the　appointed



time。







The　cause　of　the　irregularity　was　too　absurd；　and



Massy；　in　his　opinion；　was　a　contemptible　idiot。　　The



first　time　the　Sofala　reappeared　under　the　new　agree…



ment　swinging　out　of　the　bend　below；　after　he　had



almost　given　up　all　hope　of　ever　seeing　her　again；　he



felt　so　angry　that　he　did　not　go　down　at　once　to　the



landing…place。　　His　servants　had　come　running　to　him



with　the　news；　and　he　had　dragged　a　chair　close　against



the　front　rail　of　the　veranda；　spread　his　elbows　out；



rested　his　chin　on　his　hands；　and　went　on　glaring　at



her　fixedly　while　she　was　being　made　fast　opposite　his



house。　　He　could　make　out　easily　all　the　white　faces　on



board。　　Who　on　earth　was　that　kind　of　patriarch　they



had　got　there　on　the　bridge　now？







At　last　he　sprang　up　and　walked　down　the　gravel　path。



It　was　a　fact　that　the　very　gravel　for　his　paths　had



been　imported　by　the　Sofala。　　Exasperated　out　of　his



quiet　superciliousness；　without　looking　at　anyone　right



or　left；　he　accosted　Massy　straightway　in　so　determined



a　manner　that　the　engineer；　taken　aback；　began　to



stammer　unintelligibly。　　Nothing　could　be　heard　but



the　words：　〃Mr。　Van　Wyk　。　。　。　　Indeed；　Mr。　Van



Wyk　。　。　。　　For　the　future；　Mr。　Van　Wyk〃and　by　the



suffusion　of　blood　Massy's　vast　bilious　face　acquired　an



unnatural　orange　tint；　out　of　which　the　disconcerted



coal…black　eyes　shone　in　an　extraordinary　manner。







〃Nonsense。　　I　am　tired　of　this。　　I　wonder　you　have



the　impudence　to　come　alongside　my　jetty　as　if　I　had



it　made　for　your　convenience　alone。〃







Massy　tried　to　protest　earnestly。　　Mr。　Van　Wyk　was



very　angry。　　He　had　a　good　mind　to　ask　that　German



firmthose　people　in　Malaccawhat　was　their　name？



boats　with　green　funnels。　　They　would　be　only　too　glad



of　the　opening　to　put　one　of　their　small　steamers　on



the　run。　　Yes；　Schnitzler；　Jacob　Schnitzler；　would　in　a



moment。　　Yes。　　He　had　decided　to　write　without　delay。







In　his　agitation　Massy　caught　up　his　falling　pipe。







〃You　don't　mean　it；　sir！〃　he　shrieked。







〃You　shouldn't　mismanage　your　business　in　this



ridiculous　manner。〃







Mr。　Van　Wyk　turned　on　his　heel。　　The　other　three



whites　on　the　bridge　had　not　stirred　during　the　scene。



Massy　walked　hastily　from　side　to　side；　puffed　out　his



cheeks；　suffocated。







〃Stuck　up　Dutchman！〃







And　he　moaned　out　feverishly　a　long　tale　of　griefs。



The　efforts　he　had　made　for　all　these　years　to　please



that　man。　　This　was　the　return　you　got　for　it；　eh？



Pretty。　　Write　to　Schnitzlerlet　in　the　green…funnel



boatsget　an　old　Hamburg　Jew　to　ruin　him。　　No；



really　he　could　laugh。　。　。　。　　He　laughed　sobbingly。　。　。　。



Ha！　ha！　ha！　　And　make　him　carry　the　letter　in　his　own



ship　presumably。







He　stumbled　across　a　grating　and　swore。　　He　would



not　hesitate　to　fling　the　Dutchman's　correspondence



overboardthe　whole　confounded　bundle。　　He　had



never；　never　made　any　charge　for　that　accommodation。



But　Captain　Whalley；　his　new　partner；　would　not　let



him　probably；　besides；　it　would　be　only　putting　off　the



evil　day。　　For　his　own　part　he　would　make　a　hole　in　the



water　rather　than　look　on　tamely　at　the　green　funnels



overrunning　his　trade。







He　raved　aloud。　　The　China　boys　hung　back　with　the



dishes　at　the　foot　of　the　ladder。　　He　yelled　from　the



bridge　down　at　the　deck