end of the tether-第29章

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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；　〃Aren't　we　going　to　have　any



chow　this　evening　at　all？〃　then　turned　violently　to



Captain　Whalley；　who　waited；　grave　and　patient；　at



the　head　of　the　table；　smoothing　his　beard　in　silence



now　and　then　with　a　forbearing　gesture。







〃You　don't　seem　to　care　what　happens　to　me。　　Don't



you　see　that　this　affects　your　interests　as　much　as　mine？



It's　no　joking　matter。〃







He　took　the　foot　of　the　table　growling　between　his



teeth。







〃Unless　you　have　a　few　thousands　put　away　some…



where。　　I　haven't。〃







Mr。　Van　Wyk　dined　in　his　thoroughly　lit…up　bunga…



low；　putting　a　point　of　splendor　in　the　night　of　his



clearing　above　the　dark　bank　of　the　river。　　Afterwards



he　sat　down　to　his　piano；　and　in　a　pause　he　became　aware



of　slow　footsteps　passing　on　the　path　along　the　front。



A　plank　or　two　creaked　under　a　heavy　tread；　he　swung



half　round　on　the　music…stool；　listening　with　his　finger…



tips　at　rest　on　the　keyboard。　　His　little　terrier　barked



violently；　backing　in　from　the　veranda。　　A　deep　voice



apologized　gravely　for　〃this　intrusion。〃　　He　walked　out



quickly。







At　the　head　of　the　steps　the　patriarchal　figure；　who



was　the　new　captain　of　the　Sofala　apparently　（he　had



seen　a　round　dozen　of　them；　but　not　one　of　that　sort）；



towered　without　advancing。　　The　little　dog　barked　un…



ceasingly；　till　a　flick　of　Mr。　Van　Wyk's　handkerchief



made　him　spring　aside　into　silence。　　Captain　Whalley；



opening　the　matter；　was　met　by　a　punctiliously　polite



but　determined　opposition。







They　carried　on　their　discussion　standing　where　they



had　come　face　to　face。　　Mr。　Van　Wyk　observed　his



visitor　with　attention。　　Then　at　last；　as　if　forced　out　of



his　reserve







〃I　am　surprised　that　you　should　intercede　for　such　a



confounded　fool。〃







This　outbreak　was　almost　complimentary；　as　if　its



meaning　had　been；　〃That　such　a　man　as　you　should



intercede！〃　　Captain　Whalley　let　it　pass　by　without



flinching。　　One　would　have　thought　he　had　heard　noth…



ing。　　He　simply　went　on　to　state　that　he　was　personally



interested　in　putting　things　straight　between　them。



Personally　。　。　。







But　Mr。　Van　Wyk；　really　carried　away　by　his　disgust



with　Massy；　became　very　incisive







〃Indeedif　I　am　to　be　frank　with　youhis　whole



character　does　not　seem　to　me　particularly　estimable　or



trustworthy　。　。　。〃







Captain　Whalley；　always　straight；　seemed　to　grow　an



inch　taller　and　broader；　as　if　the　girth　of　his　chest　had



suddenly　expanded　under　his　beard。







〃My　dear　sir；　you　don't　think　I　came　here　to　discuss



a　man　with　whom　I　amI　amh'mclosely　asso…



ciated。〃







A　sort　of　solemn　silence　lasted　for　a　moment。　　He　was



not　used　to　asking　favors；　but　the　importance　he　at…



tached　to　this　affair　had　made　him　willing　to　try。　。　。　。



Mr。　Van　Wyk；　favorably　impressed；　and　suddenly　mol…



lified　by　a　desire　to　laugh；　interrupted







〃That's　all　right　if　you　make　it　a　personal　matter；



but　you　can　do　no　less　than　sit　down　and　smoke　a　cigar



with　me。〃







A　slight　pause；　then　Captain　Whalley　stepped　forward



heavily。　　As　to　the　regularity　of　the　service；　for　the



future　he　made　himself　responsible　for　it；　and　his　name



was　Whalleyperhaps　to　a　sailor　（he　was　speaking　to



a　sailor；　was　he　not？）　not　altogether　unfamiliar。　　There



was　a　lighthouse　now；　on　an　island。　　Maybe　Mr。　Van



Wyk　himself　。　。　。







〃Oh　yes。　　Oh　indeed。〃　　Mr。　Van　Wyk　caught　on　at



once。　　He　indicated　a　chair。　　How　very　interesting。



For　his　own　part　he　had　seen　some　service　in　the　last



Acheen　War；　but　had　never　been　so　far　East。　　Whalley



Island？　　Of　course。　　Now　that　was　very　interesting。



What　changes　his　guest　must　have　seen　since。







〃I　can　look　further　back　evenon　a　whole　half…



century。〃







Captain　Whalley　expanded　a　bit。　　The　flavor　of　a



good　cigar　（it　was　a　weakness）　had　gone　straight　to　his



heart；　also　the　civility　of　that　young　man。　　There　was



something　in　that　accidental　contact　of　which　he　had



been　starved　in　his　years　of　struggle。







The　front　wall　retreating　made　a　square　recess　fur…



nished　like　a　room。　　A　lamp　with　a　milky　glass　shade；



suspended　below　the　slope　of　the　high　roof　at　the　end



of　a　slender　brass　chain；　threw　a　bright　round　of　light



upon　a　little　table　bearing　an　open　book　and　an　ivory



paper…knife。　　And；　in　the　translucent　shadows　beyond；



other　tables　could　be　seen；　a　number　of　easy…chairs　of



various　shapes；　with　a　great　profusion　of　skin　rugs



strewn　on　the　teakwood　planking　all　over　the　veranda。



The　flowering　creepers　scented　the　air。　　Their　foliage



clipped　out　between　the　uprights　made　as　if　several



frames　of　thick　unstirring　leaves　reflecting　the　lamp…



light　in　a　green　glow。　　Through　the　opening　at　his



elbow　Captain　Whalley　could　see　the　gangway　lantern



of　the　Sofala　burning　dim　by　the　shore；　the　shadowy



masses　of　the　town　beyond　the　open　lustrous　darkness



of　the　river；　and；　as　if　hung　along　the　straight　edge



of　the　projecting　eaves；　a　narrow　black　strip　of　the



night　sky　full　of　starsresplendent。　　The　famous　cigar



in　hand　he　had　a　moment　of　complacency。







〃A　trifle。　　Somebody　must　lead　the　way。　　I　just



showed　that　the　thing　could　be　done；　but　you　men



brought　up　to　the　use　of　steam　cannot　conceive　the



vast　importance　of　my　bit　of　venturesomeness　to



the　Eastern　trade　of　the　time。　　Why；　that　new　route



reduced　the　average　time　of　a　southern　passage　by



eleven　days　for　more　than　half　the　year。　　Eleven　days！



It's　on　record。　　But　the　remarkable　thingspeaking



to　a　sailorI　should　say　was　。　。　。〃







He　talked　well；　without　egotism；　professionally。　　The



powerful　voice；　produced　without　effort；　filled　the



bungalow　even　into　the　empty　rooms　with　a　deep　and



limpid　resonance；　seemed　to　make　a　stillness　outside；



and　Mr。　Van　Wyk　was　surprised　by　the　serene　quality



of　its　tone；　like　the　perfection　of　manly　gentleness。



Nursing　one　small　foot；　in　a　silk　sock　and　a　patent



leather　shoe；　on　his　knee；　he　was　immensely　entertained。



It　was　as　if　nobody　could　talk　like　this　now；　and　the



overshadowed　eyes；　the　flowing　white　beard；　the　big



frame；　the　serenity；　the　whole　temper　of　the　man；　were



an　amazing　survival　from　the　prehistoric　times　of　the



world　coming　up　to　him　out　of　the　sea。







Captain　Whalley　had　been　also　the　pioneer　of　the　early



trade　in　the　Gulf　of　Pe…tchi…li。　　He　even　found　occasion



to　mention　that　he　had　buried　his　〃dear　wife〃　there



six…and…twenty　years　ago。　　Mr。　Van　Wyk；　impassive；



could　not　help　speculating　in　his　mind　swiftly　as　to



the　sort　of　woman　that　would　mate　with　such　a　man。



Did　they　make　an　adventurous　and　well…matched　pair？



No。　　Very　possible　she　had　been　small；　frail；　no　doubt



very　feminineor　most　likely　commonplace　with　do…



mestic　instincts；　utterly　insignificant。　　But　Captain



Whalley　was　no　garrulous　bore；　and　shaking　his　head



as　if　to　dissipate　the　momentary　gloom　that　had　settled



on　his　handsome　old　face；　he　alluded　conversationally　to



Mr。　Van　Wyk's　solitude。







Mr。　Van　Wyk　affirmed　that　sometimes　he　had　more



company　than　he　wanted。　　He　mentioned　smilingly



some　of　the　peculiarities　of　his　intercourse　with　〃My



Sultan。〃　　He　made　his　visits　in　force。　　Those　people



damaged　his　grass　plot　in　front　（it　was　not　easy　to



obtain　so