end of the tether-第37章

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〃Mr。　Massy；〃　repeated　the　other　stolidly。







Disheveled；　with　dull　blood…shot　eyes；　a　snuffy；　grimy



shirt；　greasy　trowsers；　naked　feet　thrust　into　ragged



slippers；　he　bolted　in　head　down　directly　Massy　had



made　way　for　him。







The　chief　engineer　looked　around。　　The　deck　was



empty　as　far　as　the　taffrail。　　All　the　native　passengers



had　left　in　Batu　Beru　this　time；　and　no　others　had



joined。　　The　dial　of　the　patent　log　tinkled　periodically



in　the　dark　at　the　end　of　the　ship。　　It　was　a　dead　calm；



and；　under　the　clouded　sky；　through　the　still　air　that



seemed　to　cling　warm；　with　a　seaweed　smell；　to　her　slim



hull；　on　a　sea　of　somber　gray　and　unwrinkled；　the　ship



moved　on　an　even　keel；　as　if　floating　detached　in　empty



space。　　But　Mr。　Massy　slapped　his　forehead；　tottered



a　little；　caught　hold　of　a　belaying…pin　at　the　foot　of



the　mast。







〃I　shall　go　mad；〃　he　muttered；　walking　across　the　deck



unsteadily。　　A　shovel　was　scraping　loose　coal　down　be…



lowa　fire…door　clanged。　　Sterne　on　the　bridge　began



whistling　a　new　tune。







Captain　Whalley；　sitting　on　the　couch；　awake　and　fully



dressed；　heard　the　door　of　his　cabin　open。　　He　did　not



move　in　the　least；　waiting　to　recognize　the　voice；　with



an　appalling　strain　of　prudence。







A　bulkhead　lamp　blazed　on　the　white　paint；　the　crim…



son　plush；　the　brown　varnish　of　mahogany　tops。　　The



white　wood　packing…case　under　the　bed…place　had　re…



mained　unopened　for　three　years　now；　as　though　Cap…



tain　Whalley　had　felt　that；　after　the　Fair　Maid　was



gone；　there　could　be　no　abiding…place　on　earth　for　his



affections。　　His　hands　rested　on　his　knees；　his　hand…



some　head　with　big　eyebrows　presented　a　rigid　profile



to　the　doorway。　　The　expected　voice　spoke　out　at



last。







〃Once　more；　then。　　What　am　I　to　call　you？〃







Ha！　　Massy。　　Again。　　The　weariness　of　it　crushed　his



heartand　the　pain　of　shame　was　almost　more　than　he



could　bear　without　crying　out。







〃Well。　　Is　it　to　be　'partner'　still？〃







〃You　don't　know　what　you　ask。〃







〃I　know　what　I　want　。　。　。〃







Massy　stepped　in　and　closed　the　door。







〃。　。　。　And　I　am　going　to　have　a　try　for　it　with　you



once　more。〃







His　whine　was　half　persuasive；　half　menacing。







〃For　it's　no　manner　of　use　to　tell　me　that　you　are



poor。　　You　don't　spend　anything　on　yourself；　that's



true　enough；　but　there's　another　name　for　that。　　You



think　you　are　going　to　have　what　you　want　out　of　me



for　three　years；　and　then　cast　me　off　without　hearing



what　I　think　of　you。　　You　think　I　would　have　submitted



to　your　airs　if　I　had　known　you　had　only　a　beggarly



five　hundred　pounds　in　the　world。　　You　ought　to　have



told　me。〃







〃Perhaps；〃　said　Captain　Whalley；　bowing　his　head。



〃And　yet　it　has　saved　you。〃　。　。　。　　Massy　laughed



scornfully。　。　。　。　　〃I　have　told　you　often　enough



since。〃







〃And　I　don't　believe　you　now。　　When　I　think　how



I　let　you　lord　it　over　my　ship！　　Do　you　remember　how



you　used　to　bullyrag　me　about　my　coat　and　YOUR　bridge？



It　was　in　his　way。　　HIS　bridge！　　'And　I　won't　be　a



party　to　thisand　I　couldn't　think　of　doing　that。'



Honest　man！　　And　now　it　all　comes　out。　　'I　am　poor；



and　I　can't。　　I　have　only　this　five　hundred　in　the　world。'〃







He　contemplated　the　immobility　of　Captain　Whalley；



that　seemed　to　present　an　inconquerable　obstacle　in



his　path。　　His　face　took　a　mournful　cast。







〃You　are　a　hard　man。〃







〃Enough；〃　said　Captain　Whalley；　turning　upon　him。



〃You　shall　get　nothing　from　me；　because　I　have　noth…



ing　of　mine　to　give　away　now。〃







〃Tell　that　to　the　marines！〃







Mr。　Massy；　going　out；　looked　back　once；　then　the　door



closed；　and　Captain　Whalley；　alone；　sat　as　still　as　before。



He　had　nothing　of　his　owneven　his　past　of　honor；



of　truth；　of　just　pride；　was　gone。　　All　his　spotless　life



had　fallen　into　the　abyss。　　He　had　said　his　last　good…by



to　it。　　But　what　belonged　to　HER；　that　he　meant　to　save。



Only　a　little　money。　　He　would　take　it　to　her　in　his　own



handsthis　last　gift　of　a　man　that　had　lasted　too　long。



And　an　immense　and　fierce　impulse；　the　very　passion　of



paternity；　flamed　up　with　all　the　unquenched　vigor　of



his　worthless　life　in　a　desire　to　see　her　face。







Just　across　the　deck　Massy　had　gone　straight　to　his



cabin；　struck　a　light；　and　hunted　up　the　note　of　the



dreamed　number　whose　figures　had　flamed　up　also　with



the　fierceness　of　another　passion。　　He　must　contrive



somehow　not　to　miss　a　drawing。　　That　number　meant



something。　　But　what　expedient　could　he　contrive　to



keep　himself　going？







〃Wretched　miser！〃　he　mumbled。







If　Mr。　Sterne　could　at　no　time　have　told　him　anything



new　about　his　partner；　he　could　have　told　Mr。　Sterne



that　another　use　could　be　made　of　a　man's　affliction　than



just　to　kick　him　out；　and　thus　defer　the　term　of　a　diffi…



cult　payment　for　a　year。　　To　keep　the　secret　of　the



affliction　and　induce　him　to　stay　was　a　better　move。　　If



without　means；　he　would　be　anxious　to　remain；　and　that



settled　the　question　of　refunding　him　his　share。　　He　did



not　know　exactly　how　much　Captain　Whalley　was　dis…



abled；　but　if　it　so　happened　that　he　put　the　ship　ashore



somewhere　for　good　and　all；　it　was　not　the　owner's　fault



was　it？　　He　was　not　obliged　to　know　that　there　was



anything　wrong。　　But　probably　nobody　would　raise



such　a　point；　and　the　ship　was　fully　insured。　　He　had



had　enough　self…restraint　to　pay　up　the　premiums。　　But



this　was　not　all。　　He　could　not　believe　Captain　Whalley



to　be　so　confoundedly　destitute　as　not　to　have　some　more



money　put　away　somewhere。　　If　he；　Massy；　could　get



hold　of　it；　that　would　pay　for　the　boilers；　and　every…



thing　went　on　as　before。　　And　if　she　got　lost　in　the



end；　so　much　the　better。　　He　hated　her：　he　loathed　the



troubles　that　took　his　mind　off　the　chances　of　fortune。



He　wished　her　at　the　bottom　of　the　sea；　and　the　in…



surance　money　in　his　pocket。　　And　as；　baffled；　he　left



Captain　Whalley's　cabin；　he　enveloped　in　the　same



hatred　the　ship　with　the　worn…out　boilers　and　the　man



with　the　dimmed　eyes。







And　our　conduct　after　all　is　so　much　a　matter　of　outside



suggestion；　that　had　it　not　been　for　his　Jack's　drunken



gabble　he　would　have　there　and　then　had　it　out　with　this



miserable　man；　who　would　neither　help；　nor　stay；　nor



yet　lose　the　ship。　　The　old　fraud！　　He　longed　to　kick



him　out。　　But　he　restrained　himself。　　Time　enough　for



thatwhen　he　liked。　　There　was　a　fearful　new　thought



put　into　his　head。　　Wasn't　he　up　to　it　after　all？　　How



that　beast　Jack　had　raved！　　〃Find　a　safe　trick　to　get



rid　of　her。〃　　Well；　Jack　was　not　so　far　wrong。　　A　very



clever　trick　had　occurred　to　him。　　Aye！　　But　what　of



the　risk？







A　feeling　of　pridethe　pride　of　superiority　to　com…



mon　prejudicescrept　into　his　breast；　made　his　heart



beat　fast；　his　mouth　turn　dry。　　Not　everybody　would



dare；　but　he　was　Massy；　and　he　was　up　to　it！







Six　bells　were　struck　on　deck。　　Eleven！　　He　drank　a



glass　of　water；　and　sat　down　for　ten　minutes　or　so　to



calm　himself。　　Then　he　got　out　of　his　chest　a　small



bull's…eye　lantern　of　his　own　and　lit　it。







Almost　opposite　his　berth；　across　the　narrow　passage



under　the　bridge；　there　was；　in　the　iron　deck…structure



covering　the　stokehold　fiddle　and　the　boiler…space；　a



storeroom　with　iron　sides；　iron　roof；　iron…plated　floor；



too；　on　accoun