end of the tether-第32章

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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



sufficient。〃







Mr。　Van　Wyk　felt　a　loathsome　dismay　at　this　queer



privilege　of　friendship。　　He　would　not　demean　himself



by　asking　for　the　slightest　explanation；　to　drive　the



other　away　with　contumely　he　did　not　think　prudent



as　yet；　at　any　rate。　　So　much　assurance　staggered　him。



Who　could　tell　what　there　could　be　in　it；　he　thought？



His　regard　for　Captain　Whalley　had　the　tenacity　of



a　disinterested　sentiment；　and　his　practical　instinct　com…



ing　to　his　aid；　he　concealed　his　scorn。







〃I　gather；　then；　that　this　is　something　grave。〃







〃Very　grave；〃　Sterne　assented　solemnly；　delighted　at



having　produced　an　effect　at　last。　　He　was　ready　to　add



some　effusive　protestations　of　regret　at　the　〃unavoida…



ble　necessity；〃　but　Mr。　Van　Wyk　cut　him　shortvery



civilly；　however。







Once　on　the　veranda　Mr。　Van　Wyk　put　his　hands　in　his



pockets；　and；　straddling　his　legs；　stared　down　at　a



black　panther　skin　lying　on　the　floor　before　a　rocking…



chair。　　〃It　looks　as　if　the　fellow　had　not　the　pluck



to　play　his　own　precious　game　openly；〃　he　thought。







This　was　true　enough。　　In　the　face　of　Massy's　last



rebuff　Sterne　dared　not　declare　his　knowledge。　　His



object　was　simply　to　get　charge　of　the　steamer　and



keep　it　for　some　time。　　Massy　would　never　forgive　him



for　forcing　himself　on；　but　if　Captain　Whalley　left



the　ship　of　his　own　accord；　the　command　would　devolve



upon　him　for　the　rest　of　the　trip；　so　he　hit　upon　the



brilliant　idea　of　scaring　the　old　man　away。　　A　vague



menace；　a　mere　hint；　would　be　enough　in　such　a　brazen



case；　and；　with　a　strange　admixture　of　compassion；　he



thought　that　Batu　Beru　was　a　very　good　place　for



throwing　up　the　sponge。　　The　skipper　could　go　ashore



quietly；　and　stay　with　that　Dutchman　of　his。　　Weren't



these　two　as　thick　as　thieves　together？　　And　on　reflec…



tion　he　seemed　to　see　that　there　was　a　way　to　work　the



whole　thing　through　that　great　friend　of　the　old　man's。



This　was　another　brilliant　idea。　　He　had　an　inborn



preference　for　circuitous　methods。　　In　this　particular



case　he　desired　to　remain　in　the　background　as　much



as　possible；　to　avoid　exasperating　Massy　needlessly。



No　fuss！　　Let　it　all　happen　naturally。







Mr。　Van　Wyk　all　through　the　dinner　was　conscious



of　a　sense　of　isolation　that　invades　sometimes　the　close…



ness　of　human　intercourse。　　Captain　Whalley　failed



lamentably　and　obviously　in　his　attempts　to　eat　some…



thing。　　He　seemed　overcome　by　a　strange　absent…



mindedness。　　His　hand　would　hover　irresolutely；　as　if



left　without　guidance　by　a　preoccupied　mind。　　Mr。　Van



Wyk　had　heard　him　coming　up　from　a　long　way　off　in



the　profound　stillness　of　the　river…side；　and　had　noticed



the　irresolute　character　of　the　footfalls。　　The　toe　of　his



boot　had　struck　the　bottom　stair　as　though　he　had　come



along　mooning　with　his　head　in　the　air　right　up　to　the



steps　of　the　veranda。　　Had　the　captain　of　the　Sofala



been　another　sort　of　man　he　would　have　suspected　the



work　of　age　there。　　But　one　glance　at　him　was　enough。



Timeafter；　indeed；　marking　him　for　its　ownhad



given　him　up　to　his　usefulness；　in　which　his　simple



faith　would　see　a　proof　of　Divine　mercy。　　〃How　could



I　contrive　to　warn　him？〃　Mr。　Van　Wyk　wondered；　as



if　Captain　Whalley　had　been　miles　and　miles　away；　out



of　sight　and　earshot　of　all　evil。　　He　was　sickened　by



an　immense　disgust　of　Sterne。　　To　even　mention　his



threat　to　a　man　like　Whalley　would　be　positively　inde…



cent。　　There　was　something　more　vile　and　insulting　in



its　hint　than　in　a　definite　charge　of　crimethe　debasing



taint　of　blackmailing。　　〃What　could　anyone　bring



against　him？〃　he　asked　himself。　　This　was　a　limpid



personality。　　〃And　for　what　object？〃　　The　Power



that　man　trusted　had　thought　fit　to　leave　him　nothing



on　earth　that　envy　could　lay　hold　of；　except　a　bare　crust



of　bread。







〃Won't　you　try　some　of　this？〃　he　asked；　pushing　a



dish　slightly。　　Suddenly　it　seemed　to　Mr。　Van　Wyk　that



Sterne　might　possibly　be　coveting　the　command　of　the



Sofala。　　His　cynicism　was　quite　startled　by　what　looked



like　a　proof　that　no　man　may　count　himself　safe　from



his　kind　unless　in　the　very　abyss　of　misery。　　An　in…



trigue　of　that　sort　was　hardly　worth　troubling　about；



he　judged；　but　still；　with　such　a　fool　as　Massy　to　deal





with；　Whalley　ought　to　and　must　be　warned。







At　this　moment　Captain　Whalley；　bolt　upright；　the



deep　cavities　of　the　eyes　overhung　by　a　bushy　frown；



and　one　large　brown　hand　resting　on　each　side　of　his



empty　plate；　spoke　across　the　tablecloth　abruptly







〃Mr。　Van　Wyk；　you've　always　treated　me　with　the



most　humane　consideration。〃







〃My　dear　captain；　you　make　too　much　of　a　simple



fact　that　I　am　not　a　savage。〃　　Mr。　Van　Wyk；　utterly



revolted　by　the　thought　of　Sterne's　obscure　attempt；



raised　his　voice　incisively；　as　if　the　mate　had　been　hiding



somewhere　within　earshot。　　〃Any　consideration　I　have



been　able　to　show　was　no　more　than　the　rightful　due



of　a　character　I've　learned　to　regard　by　this　time　with



an　esteem　that　nothing　can　shake。〃







A　slight　ring　of　glass　made　him　lift　his　eyes　from　the



slice　of　pine…apple　he　was　cutting　into　small　pieces　on



his　plate。　　In　changing　his　position　Captain　Whalley



had　contrived　to　upset　an　empty　tumbler。







Without　looking　that　way；　leaning　sideways　on　his



elbow；　his　other　hand　shading　his　brow；　he　groped



shakily　for　it；　then　desisted。　　Van　Wyk　stared　blankly；



as　if　something　momentous　had　happened　all　at　once。



He　did　not　know　why　he　should　feel　so　startled；　but　he



forgot　Sterne　utterly　for　the　moment。







〃Why；　what's　the　matter？〃







And　Captain　Whalley；　half…averted；　in　a　deadened；



agitated　voice；　muttered







〃Esteem！〃







〃And　I　may　add　something　more；〃　Mr。　Van　Wyk；



very　steady…eyed；　pronounced　slowly。







〃Hold！　　Enough！〃　　Captain　Whalley　did　not



change　his　attitude　or　raise　his　voice。　　〃Say　no　more！



I　can　make　you　no　return。　　I　am　too　poor　even　for　that



now。　　Your　esteem　is　worth　having。　　You　are　not　a



man　that　would　stoop　to　deceive　the　poorest　sort　of　devil



on　earth；　or　make　a　ship　unseaworthy　every　time　he



takes　her　to　sea。〃







Mr。　Van　Wyk；　leaning　forward；　his　face　gone　pink



all　over；　with　the　starched　table…napkin　over　his　knees；



was　inclined　to　mistrust　his　senses；　his　power　of　com…



prehension；　the　sanity　of　his　guest。







〃Where？　　Why？　　In　the　name　of　God！what's　this？



What　ship？　　I　don't　understand　who　。　。　。〃







〃Then；　in　the　name　of　God；　it　is　I！　　A　ship's　unsea…



worthy　when　her　captain　can't　see。　　I　am　going　blind。〃







Mr。　Van　Wyk　made　a　slight　movement；　and　sat　very



still　afterwards　for　a　few　seconds；　then；　with　the



thought　of　Sterne's　〃The　game's　up；〃　he　ducked　under



the　table　to　pick　up　the　napkin　which　had　slipped　off



his　knees。　　This　was　the　game　that　was　up。　　And　at



the　same　time　the　muffled　voice　of　Captain　Whalley



passed　over　him







〃I've　deceived　them　all。　　Nobody　knows。〃







He　emerged　flushed　to　the　eyes。　　Captain　Whalley；



motionless　under　the　full　blaze　of　the　lamp；　shaded　his



face　with　his　hand。







〃And　you　had　that　courage？〃







〃Call　it　by　what　name　you　like。　　But　you　are　a　hu…



mane　manaagentleman；　Mr。　Van　Wyk。　　You　may



have　asked　me　what　I　had　done　with　my　co