end of the tether-第31章

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his　Maker　to　provide　a　manner　of　going　out　of　which



he　need　not　be　ashamed。　　For　the　rest　he　hoped　he



would　live　to　a　hundred　if　need　be：　other　men　had　been



known；　it　would　be　no　miracle。　　He　expected　no　miracles。







The　pronounced；　argumentative　tone　caused　Mr。　Van



Wyk　to　raise　his　head　and　look　at　him　steadily。　　Cap…



tain　Whalley　was　gazing　fixedly　with　a　rapt　expression；



as　though　he　had　seen　his　Creator's　favorable　decree



written　in　mysterious　characters　on　the　wall。　　He　kept



perfectly　motionless　for　a　few　seconds；　then　got　his　vast



bulk　on　to　his　feet　so　impetuously　that　Mr。　Van　Wyk



was　startled。







He　struck　first　a　heavy　blow　on　his　inflated　chest：　and；



throwing　out　horizontally　a　big　arm　that　remained



steady；　extended　in　the　air　like　the　limb　of　a　tree　on



a　windless　day







〃Not　a　pain　or　an　ache　there。　　Can　you　see　this　shake



in　the　least？〃







His　voice　was　low；　in　an　awing；　confident　contrast　with



the　headlong　emphasis　of　his　movements。　　He　sat　down



abruptly。







〃This　isn't　to　boast　of　it；　you　know。　　I　am　nothing；〃



he　said　in　his　effortless　strong　voice；　that　seemed　to



come　out　as　naturally　as　a　river　flows。　　He　picked　up　the



stump　of　the　cigar　he　had　laid　aside；　and　added　peace…



fully；　with　a　slight　nod；　〃As　it　happens；　my　life　is



necessary；　it　isn't　my　own；　it　isn'tGod　knows。〃







He　did　not　say　much　for　the　rest　of　the　evening；　but



several　times　Mr。　Van　Wyk　detected　a　faint　smile　of



assurance　flitting　under　the　heavy　mustache。







Later　on　Captain　Whalley　would　now　and　then　consent



to　dine　〃at　the　house。〃　　He　could　even　be　induced　to



drink　a　glass　of　wine。　　〃Don't　think　I　am　afraid　of　it；



my　good　sir；〃　he　explained。　　〃There　was　a　very　good



reason　why　I　should　give　it　up。〃







On　another　occasion；　leaning　back　at　ease；　he　remarked；



〃You　have　treated　me　mostmost　humanely；　my　dear



Mr。　Van　Wyk；　from　the　very　first。〃







〃You'll　admit　there　was　some　merit；〃　Mr。　Van　Wyk



hinted　slyly。　　〃An　associate　of　that　excellent　Massy。



。　。　。　　Well；　well；　my　dear　captain；　I　won't　say　a　word



against　him。〃







〃It　would　be　no　use　your　saying　anything　against



him；〃　Captain　Whalley　affirmed　a　little　moodily。　　〃As



I've　told　you　before；　my　lifemy　work；　is　necessary；　not



for　myself　alone。　　I　can't　choose〃　。　。　。　　He　paused；



turned　the　glass　before　him　right　round。　。　。　。　　〃I　have



an　only　childa　daughter。〃







The　ample　downward　sweep　of　his　arm　over　the　table



seemed　to　suggest　a　small　girl　at　a　vast　distance。　　〃I



hope　to　see　her　once　more　before　I　die。　　Meantime　it's



enough　to　know　that　she　has　me　sound　and　solid；　thank



God。　　You　can't　understand　how　one　feels。　　Bone　of　my



bone；　flesh　of　my　flesh；　the　very　image　of　my　poor　wife。



Well；　she　。　。　。〃







Again　he　paused；　then　pronounced　stoically　the　words；



〃She　has　a　hard　struggle。〃







And　his　head　fell　on　his　breast；　his　eyebrows　remained



knitted；　as　by　an　effort　of　meditation。　　But　generally　his



mind　seemed　steeped　in　the　serenity　of　boundless　trust



in　a　higher　power。　　Mr。　Van　Wyk　wondered　sometimes



how　much　of　it　was　due　to　the　splendid　vitality　of　the



man；　to　the　bodily　vigor　which　seems　to　impart　some…



thing　of　its　force　to　the　soul。　　But　he　had　learned　to



like　him　very　much。











XIII







This　was　the　reason　why　Mr。　Sterne's　confidential　com…



munication；　delivered　hurriedly　on　the　shore　alongside



the　dark　silent　ship；　had　disturbed　his　equanimity。　　It



was　the　most　incomprehensible　and　unexpected　thing



that　could　happen；　and　the　perturbation　of　his　spirit



was　so　great　that；　forgetting　all　about　his　letters；　he　ran



rapidly　up　the　bridge　ladder。







The　portable　table　was　being　put　together　for　dinner



to　the　left　of　the　wheel　by　two　pig…tailed　〃boys；〃　who



as　usual　snarled　at　each　other　over　the　job；　while　another；



a　doleful；　burly；　very　yellow　Chinaman；　resembling　Mr。



Massy；　waited　apathetically　with　the　cloth　over　his　arm



and　a　pile　of　thick　dinner…plates　against　his　chest。　　A



common　cabin　lamp　with　its　globe　missing；　brought　up



from　below；　had　been　hooked　to　the　wooden　framework



of　the　awning；　the　side…screens　had　been　lowered　all



round；　Captain　Whalley　filling　the　depths　of　the　wicker…



chair　seemed　to　sit　benumbed　in　a　canvas　tent　crudely



lighted；　and　used　for　the　storing　of　nautical　objects；　a



shabby　steering…wheel；　a　battered　brass　binnacle　on　a



stout　mahogany　stand；　two　dingy　life…buoys；　an　old　cork



fender　lying　in　a　corner；　dilapidated　deck…lockers　with



loops　of　thin　rope　instead　of　door…handles。







He　shook　off　the　appearance　of　numbness　to　return



Mr。　Van　Wyk's　unusually　brisk　greeting；　but　relapsed



directly　afterwards。　　To　accept　a　pressing　invitation　to



dinner　〃up　at　the　house〃　cost　him　another　very　visible



physical　effort。　　Mr。　Van　Wyk；　perplexed；　folded　his



arms；　and　leaning　back　against　the　rail；　with　his　little；



black；　shiny　feet　well　out；　examined　him　covertly。







〃I've　noticed　of　late　that　you　are　not　quite　yourself；



old　friend。〃







He　put　an　affectionate　gentleness　into　the　last　two



words。　　The　real　intimacy　of　their　intercourse　had　never



been　so　vividly　expressed　before。







〃Tut；　tut；　tut！〃







The　wicker…chair　creaked　heavily。







〃Irritable；〃　commented　Mr。　Van　Wyk　to　himself；　and



aloud；　〃I'll　expect　to　see　you　in　half　an　hour；　then；〃　he



said　negligently；　moving　off。







〃In　half　an　hour；〃　Captain　Whalley's　rigid　silvery



head　repeated　behind　him　as　if　out　of　a　trance。







Amidships；　below；　two　voices；　close　against　the　engine…



room；　could　be　heard　answering　each　otherone　angry



and　slow；　the　other　alert。







〃I　tell　you　the　beast　has　locked　himself　in　to　get



drunk。〃







〃Can't　help　it　now；　Mr。　Massy。　　After　all；　a　man　has



a　right　to　shut　himself　up　in　his　cabin　in　his　own　time。〃







〃Not　to　get　drunk。〃







〃I　heard　him　swear　that　the　worry　with　the　boilers



was　enough　to　drive　any　man　to　drink；〃　Sterne　said



maliciously。







Massy　hissed　out　something　about　bursting　the　door



in。　　Mr。　Van　Wyk；　to　avoid　them；　crossed　in　the　dark



to　the　other　side　of　the　deserted　deck。　　The　planking



of　the　little　wharf　rattled　faintly　under　his　hasty　feet。







〃Mr。　Van　Wyk！　　Mr。　Van　Wyk！〃







He　walked　on：　somebody　was　running　on　the　path。



〃You've　forgotten　to　get　your　mail。〃







Sterne；　holding　a　bundle　of　papers　in　his　hand；　caught



up　with　him。







〃Oh；　thanks。〃







But；　as　the　other　continued　at　his　elbow；　Mr。　Van



Wyk　stopped　short。　　The　overhanging　eaves；　descend…



ing　low　upon　the　lighted　front　of　the　bungalow；　threw



their　black　straight…edged　shadow　into　the　great　body



of　the　night　on　that　side。　　Everything　was　very　still。



A　tinkle　of　cutlery　and　a　slight　jingle　of　glasses　were



heard。　　Mr。　Van　Wyk's　servants　were　laying　the　table



for　two　on　the　veranda。







〃I'm　afraid　you　give　me　no　credit　whatever　for　my



good　intentions　in　the　matter　I've　spoken　to　you　about；〃



said　Sterne。







〃I　simply　don't　understand　you。〃







〃Captain　Whalley　is　a　very　audacious　man；　but　he



will　understand　that　his　game　is　up。　　That's　all　that



anybody　need　ever　know　of　it　from　me。　　Believe　me；　I



am　very　considerate　in　this；　but　duty　is　duty。　　I　don't



want　to　make　a　fuss。　　All　I　ask　you；　as　his　friend；　is



to　tell　him　from　me　that　the　game's　up。　　That　will　be