end of the tether-第6章

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antecedents；　to　go　about　looking　for　a　junior's　berth；



people；　he　was　afraid；　would　not　take　him　seriously；　or



else　if　he　succeeded　in　impressing　them；　he　would　maybe



obtain　their　pity；　which　would　be　like　stripping　your…



self　naked　to　be　kicked。　　He　was　not　anxious　to　give



himself　away　for　less　than　nothing。　　He　had　no　use



for　anybody's　pity。　　On　the　other　hand；　a　command



the　only　thing　he　could　try　for　with　due　regard　for



common　decencywas　not　likely　to　be　lying　in　wait　for



him　at　the　corner　of　the　next　street。　　Commands　don't



go　a…begging　nowadays。　　Ever　since　he　had　come　ashore



to　carry　out　the　business　of　the　sale　he　had　kept　his



ears　open；　but　had　heard　no　hint　of　one　being　vacant



in　the　port。　　And　even　if　there　had　been　one；　his　suc…



cessful　past　itself　stood　in　his　way。　　He　had　been　his



own　employer　too　long。　　The　only　credential　he　could



produce　was　the　testimony　of　his　whole　life。　　What



better　recommendation　could　anyone　require？　　But



vaguely　he　felt　that　the　unique　document　would　be



looked　upon　as　an　archaic　curiosity　of　the　Eastern



waters；　a　screed　traced　in　obsolete　wordsin　a　half…for…



gotten　language。











IV











Revolving　these　thoughts；　he　strolled　on　near　the　rail…



ings　of　the　quay；　broad…chested；　without　a　stoop；　as



though　his　big　shoulders　had　never　felt　the　burden　of



the　loads　that　must　be　carried　between　the　cradle　and



the　grave。　　No　single　betraying　fold　or　line　of　care



disfigured　the　reposeful　modeling　of　his　face。　　It　was



full　and　untanned；　and　the　upper　part　emerged；　mas…



sively　quiet；　out　of　the　downward　flow　of　silvery　hair；



with　the　striking　delicacy　of　its　clear　complexion　and



the　powerful　width　of　the　forehead。　　The　first　cast　of



his　glance　fell　on　you　candid　and　swift；　like　a　boy's；



but　because　of　the　ragged　snowy　thatch　of　the　eyebrows



the　affability　of　his　attention　acquired　the　character　of



a　dark　and　searching　scrutiny。　　With　age　he　had　put



on　flesh　a　little；　had　increased　his　girth　like　an　old　tree



presenting　no　symptoms　of　decay；　and　even　the　opulent；



lustrous　ripple　of　white　hairs　upon　his　chest　seemed　an



attribute　of　unquenchable　vitality　and　vigor。







Once　rather　proud　of　his　great　bodily　strength；　and



even　of　his　personal　appearance；　conscious　of　his　worth；



and　firm　in　his　rectitude；　there　had　remained　to　him；



like　the　heritage　of　departed　prosperity；　the　tranquil



bearing　of　a　man　who　had　proved　himself　fit　in　every



sort　of　way　for　the　life　of　his　choice。　　He　strode　on



squarely　under　the　projecting　brim　of　an　ancient　Panama



hat。　　It　had　a　low　crown；　a　crease　through　its　whole



diameter；　a　narrow　black　ribbon。　　Imperishable　and　a



little　discolored；　this　headgear　made　it　easy　to　pick　him



out　from　afar　on　thronged　wharves　and　in　the　busy



streets。　　He　had　never　adopted　the　comparatively　modern



fashion　of　pipeclayed　cork　helmets。　　He　disliked　the



form；　and　he　hoped　he　could　manage　to　keep　a　cool



head　to　the　end　of　his　life　without　all　these　contrivances



for　hygienic　ventilation。　　His　hair　was　cropped　close；



his　linen　always　of　immaculate　whiteness；　a　suit　of　thin



gray　flannel；　worn　threadbare　but　scrupulously　brushed；



floated　about　his　burly　limbs；　adding　to　his　bulk　by　the



looseness　of　its　cut。　　The　years　had　mellowed　the　good…



humored；　imperturbable　audacity　of　his　prime　into　a



temper　carelessly　serene；　and　the　leisurely　tapping　of



his　iron…shod　stick　accompanied　his　footfalls　with　a　self…



confident　sound　on　the　flagstones。　　It　was　impossible　to



connect　such　a　fine　presence　and　this　unruffled　aspect



with　the　belittling　troubles　of　poverty；　the　man's　whole



existence　appeared　to　pass　before　you；　facile　and　large；



in　the　freedom　of　means　as　ample　as　the　clothing　of　his



body。







The　irrational　dread　of　having　to　break　into　his　five



hundred　pounds　for　personal　expenses　in　the　hotel　dis…



turbed　the　steady　poise　of　his　mind。　　There　was　no



time　to　lose。　　The　bill　was　running　up。　　He　nourished



the　hope　that　this　five　hundred　would　perhaps　be　the



means；　if　everything　else　failed；　of　obtaining　some　work



which；　keeping　his　body　and　soul　together　（not　a　matter



of　great　outlay）；　would　enable　him　to　be　of　use　to　his



daughter。　　To　his　mind　it　was　her　own　money　which　he



employed；　as　it　were；　in　backing　her　father　and　solely



for　her　benefit。　　Once　at　work；　he　would　help　her　with



the　greater　part　of　his　earnings；　he　was　good　for　many



years　yet；　and　this　boarding…house　business；　he　argued



to　himself；　whatever　the　prospects；　could　not　be　much　of



a　gold…mine　from　the　first　start。　　But　what　work？　　He



was　ready　to　lay　hold　of　anything　in　an　honest　way　so



that　it　came　quickly　to　his　hand；　because　the　five　hun…



dred　pounds　must　be　preserved　intact　for　eventual　use。



That　was　the　great　point。　　With　the　entire　five　hundred



one　felt　a　substance　at　one's　back；　but　it　seemed　to　him



that　should　he　let　it　dwindle　to　four…fifty　or　even　four…



eighty；　all　the　efficiency　would　be　gone　out　of　the　money；



as　though　there　were　some　magic　power　in　the　round



figure。　　But　what　sort　of　work？







Confronted　by　that　haunting　question　as　by　an　uneasy



ghost；　for　whom　he　had　no　exorcising　formula；　Captain



Whalley　stopped　short　on　the　apex　of　a　small　bridge



spanning　steeply　the　bed　of　a　canalized　creek　with



granite　shores。　　Moored　between　the　square　blocks　a　sea…



going　Malay　prau　floated　half　hidden　under　the　arch



of　masonry；　with　her　spars　lowered　down；　without　a　sound



of　life　on　board；　and　covered　from　stem　to　stern　with　a



ridge　of　palm…leaf　mats。　　He　had　left　behind　him　the



overheated　pavements　bordered　by　the　stone　frontages



that；　like　the　sheer　face　of　cliffs；　followed　the　sweep



of　the　quays；　and　an　unconfined　spaciousness　of　orderly



and　sylvan　aspect　opened　before　him　its　wide　plots　of



rolled　grass；　like　pieces　of　green　carpet　smoothly　pegged



out；　its　long　ranges　of　trees　lined　up　in　colossal　porticos



of　dark　shafts　roofed　with　a　vault　of　branches。







Some　of　these　avenues　ended　at　the　sea。　　It　was　a　ter…



raced　shore；　and　beyond；　upon　the　level　expanse；　pro…



found　and　glistening　like　the　gaze　of　a　dark…blue　eye；



an　oblique　band　of　stippled　purple　lengthened　itself　in…



definitely　through　the　gap　between　a　couple　of　verdant



twin　islets。　　The　masts　and　spars　of　a　few　ships　far



away；　hull　down　in　the　outer　roads；　sprang　straight　from



the　water　in　a　fine　maze　of　rosy　lines　penciled　on　the



clear　shadow　of　the　eastern　board。　　Captain　Whalley



gave　them　a　long　glance。　　The　ship；　once　his　own；　was



anchored　out　there。　　It　was　staggering　to　think　that　it



was　open　to　him　no　longer　to　take　a　boat　at　the　jetty



and　get　himself　pulled　off　to　her　when　the　evening　came。



To　no　ship。　　Perhaps　never　more。　　Before　the　sale　was



concluded；　and　till　the　purchase…money　had　been　paid；



he　had　spent　daily　some　time　on　board　the　Fair　Maid。



The　money　had　been　paid　this　very　morning；　and　now；



all　at　once；　there　was　positively　no　ship　that　he　could



go　on　board　of　when　he　liked；　no　ship　that　would　need



his　presence　in　order　to　do　her　workto　live。　　It　seemed



an　incredible　state　of　affairs；　something　too　bizarre　to



last。　　And　the　sea　was　full　of　craft　of　all　sorts。　　There



was　that　prau　lying　so　still　swathed　in　her　shroud　of



sewn　palm…leavesshe　too　had　her　indispensable　man。



They　lived　through　each　other；　this　Malay　he　had　never



seen；　and　this　high…sterned　thing　of　no　size　that　seemed



to　be　resting