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第34章

end of the tether-第34章

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Have you ever watched the ebbing sea on an open



stretch of sands withdrawing farther and farther away



from you?  It is like thisonly there will be no flood



to follow。  Never。  It is as if the sun were growing



smaller; the stars going out one by one。  There can't be



many left that I can see by this。  But I haven't had the



courage to look of late 。 。 。〃  He must have been able



to make out Mr。 Van Wyk; because he checked him by



an authoritative gesture and a stoical







〃I can get about alone yet。〃







It was as if he had taken his line; and would accept no



help from men; after having been cast out; like a pre…



sumptuous Titan; from his heaven。  Mr。 Van Wyk; ar…



rested; seemed to count the footsteps right out of ear…



shot。  He walked between the tables; tapping smartly



with his heels; took up a paper…knife; dropped it after



a vague glance along the blade; then happening upon



the piano; struck a few chords again and again; vigor…



ously; standing up before the keyboard with an atten…



tive poise of the head like a piano…tuner; closing it; he



pivoted on his heels brusquely; avoided the little terrier



sleeping trustfully on crossed forepaws; came upon the



stairs next; and; as though he had lost his balance on



the top step; ran down headlong out of the house。  His



servants; beginning to clear the table; heard him mutter



to himself (evil words no doubt) down there; and then



after a pause go away with a strolling gait in the direc…



tion of the wharf。







The bulwarks of the Sofala lying alongside the bank



made a low; black wall on the undulating contour of the



shore。  Two masts and a funnel uprose from behind it



with a great rake; as if about to fall: a solid; square



elevation in the middle bore the ghostly shapes of white



boats; the curves of davits; lines of rail and stanchions;



all confused and mingling darkly everywhere; but low



down; amidships; a single lighted port stared out on



the night; perfectly round; like a small; full moon;



whose yellow beam caught a patch of wet mud; the



edge of trodden grass; two turns of heavy cable



wound round the foot of a thick wooden post in the



ground。







Mr。 Van Wyk; peering alongside; heard a muzzy



boastful voice apparently jeering at a person called



Prendergast。  It mouthed abuse thickly; choked; then



pronounced very distinctly the word 〃Murphy;〃 and



chuckled。  Glass tinkled tremulously。  All these sounds



came from the lighted port。  Mr。 Van Wyk hesitated;



stooped; it was impossible to look through unless he



went down into the mud。







〃Sterne;〃 he said; half aloud。







The drunken voice within said gladly







〃Sterneof course。  Look at him blink。  Look at



him!  Sterne; Whalley; Massy。  Massy; Whalley;



Sterne。  But Massy's the best。  You can't come over



him。  He would just love to see you starve。〃







Mr。 Van Wyk moved away; made out farther forward



a shadowy head stuck out from under the awnings as



if on the watch; and spoke quietly in Malay; 〃Is the



mate asleep?〃







〃No。  Here; at your service。〃







In a moment Sterne appeared; walking as noiselessly



as a cat on the wharf。







〃It's so jolly dark; and I had no idea you would be



down to…night。〃







〃What's this horrible raving?〃 asked Mr。 Van Wyk;



as if to explain the cause of a shudder than ran over



him audibly。







〃Jack's broken out on a drunk。  That's our second。



It's his way。  He will be right enough by to…morrow



afternoon; only Mr。 Massy will keep on worrying up



and down the deck。  We had better get away。〃







He muttered suggestively of a talk 〃up at the house。〃



He had long desired to effect an entrance there; but Mr。



Van Wyk nonchalantly demurred: it would not; he



feared; be quite prudent; perhaps; and the opaque



black shadow under one of the two big trees left at the



landing…place swallowed them up; impenetrably dense;



by the side of the wide river; that seemed to spin into



threads of glitter the light of a few big stars dropped



here and there upon its outspread and flowing stillness。







〃The situation is grave beyond doubt;〃 Mr。 Van Wyk



said。  Ghost…like in their white clothes they could not



distinguish each others' features; and their feet made



no sound on the soft earth。  A sort of purring was



heard。  Mr。 Sterne felt gratified by such a beginning。







〃I thought; Mr。 Van Wyk; a gentleman of your sort



would see at once how awkwardly I was situated。〃







〃Yes; very。  Obviously his health is bad。  Perhaps



he's breaking up。  I see; and he himself is well aware



I assume I am speaking to a man of sensehe is well



aware that his legs are giving out。〃







〃His legsah!〃  Mr。 Sterne was disconcerted; and



then turned sulky。  〃You may call it his legs if you



like; what I want to know is whether he intends to clear



out quietly。  That's a good one; too!  His legs!



Pooh!〃







〃Why; yes。  Only look at the way he walks。〃  Mr。



Van Wyk took him up in a perfectly cool and undoubt…



ing tone。  〃The question; however; is whether your



sense of duty does not carry you too far from your true



interest。  After all; I too could do something to serve



you。  You know who I am。〃







〃Everybody along the Straits has heard of you; sir。〃







Mr。 Van Wyk presumed that this meant something



favorable。  Sterne had a soft laugh at this pleasantry。



He should think so!  To the opening statement; that



the partnership agreement was to expire at the end of



this very trip; he gave an attentive assent。  He was



aware。  One heard of nothing else on board all the



blessed day long。  As to Massy; it was no secret that he



was in a jolly deep hole with these worn…out boilers。



He would have to borrow somewhere a couple of hun…



dred first of all to pay off the captain; and then he



would have to raise money on mortgage upon the ship



for the new boilersthat is; if he could find a lender at



all。  At best it meant loss of time; a break in the trade;



short earnings for the yearand there was always the



danger of having his connection filched away from him



by the Germans。  It was whispered about that he had



already tried two firms。  Neither would have anything



to do with him。  Ship too old; and the man too well



known in the place。 。 。 。  Mr。 Sterne's final rapid wink…



ing remained buried in the deep darkness sibilating with



his whispers。







〃Supposing; then; he got the loan;〃 Mr。 Van Wyk



resumed in a deliberate undertone; 〃on your own show…



ing he's more than likely to get a mortgagee's man



thrust upon him as captain。  For my part; I know that



I would make that very stipulation myself if I had to



find the money。  And as a matter of fact I am thinking



of doing so。  It would be worth my while in many ways。



Do you see how this would bear on the case under dis…



cussion?〃







〃Thank you; sir。  I am sure you couldn't get any…



body that would care more for your interests。〃







〃Well; it suits my interest that Captain Whalley



should finish his time。  I shall probably take a passage



with you down the Straits。  If that can be done; I'll be



on the spot when all these changes take place; and in a



position to look after YOUR interests。〃







〃Mr。 Van Wyk; I want nothing better。  I am sure



I am infinitely 。 。 。〃







〃I take it; then; that this may be done without any



trouble。〃







〃Well; sir; what risk there is can't

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