end of the tether-第7章

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They　lived　through　each　other；　this　Malay　he　had　never



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



to　be　resting　after　a　long　journey。　　And　of　all　the　ships



in　sight；　near　and　far；　each　was　provided　with　a　man；



the　man　without　whom　the　finest　ship　is　a　dead　thing；



a　floating　and　purposeless　log。







After　his　one　glance　at　the　roadstead　he　went　on；　since



there　was　nothing　to　turn　back　for；　and　the　time　must



be　got　through　somehow。　　The　avenues　of　big　trees　ran



straight　over　the　Esplanade；　cutting　each　other　at　di…



verse　angles；　columnar　below　and　luxuriant　above。　　The



interlaced　boughs　high　up　there　seemed　to　slumber；　not



a　leaf　stirred　overhead：　and　the　reedy　cast…iron　lamp…



posts　in　the　middle　of　the　road；　gilt　like　scepters；



diminished　in　a　long　perspective；　with　their　globes　of



white　porcelain　atop；　resembling　a　barbarous　decoration



of　ostriches'　eggs　displayed　in　a　row。　　The　flaming　sky



kindled　a　tiny　crimson　spark　upon　the　glistening　sur…



face　of　each　glassy　shell。







With　his　chin　sunk　a　little；　his　hands　behind　his　back；



and　the　end　of　his　stick　marking　the　gravel　with　a　faint



wavering　line　at　his　heels；　Captain　Whalley　reflected



that　if　a　ship　without　a　man　was　like　a　body　without



a　soul；　a　sailor　without　a　ship　was　of　not　much　more



account　in　this　world　than　an　aimless　log　adrift　upon　the



sea。　　The　log　might　be　sound　enough　by　itself；　tough



of　fiber；　and　hard　to　destroybut　what　of　that！　　And



a　sudden　sense　of　irremediable　idleness　weighted　his　feet



like　a　great　fatigue。







A　succession　of　open　carriages　came　bowling　along　the



newly　opened　sea…road。　　You　could　see　across　the　wide



grass…plots　the　discs　of　vibration　made　by　the　spokes。



The　bright　domes　of　the　parasols　swayed　lightly　out…



wards　like　full…blown　blossoms　on　the　rim　of　a　vase；　and



the　quiet　sheet　of　dark…blue　water；　crossed　by　a　bar　of



purple；　made　a　background　for　the　spinning　wheels　and



the　high　action　of　the　horses；　whilst　the　turbaned　heads



of　the　Indian　servants　elevated　above　the　line　of　the　sea



horizon　glided　rapidly　on　the　paler　blue　of　the　sky。　　In



an　open　space　near　the　little　bridge　each　turn…out　trotted



smartly　in　a　wide　curve　away　from　the　sunset；　then　pull…



ing　up　sharp；　entered　the　main　alley　in　a　long　slow…



moving　file　with　the　great　red　stillness　of　the　sky　at



the　back。　　The　trunks　of　mighty　trees　stood　all　touched



with　red　on　the　same　side；　the　air　seemed　aflame　under



the　high　foliage；　the　very　ground　under　the　hoofs　of　the



horses　was　red。　　The　wheels　turned　solemnly；　one　after



another　the　sunshades　drooped；　folding　their　colors　like



gorgeous　flowers　shutting　their　petals　at　the　end　of　the



day。　　In　the　whole　half…mile　of　human　beings　no　voice



uttered　a　distinct　word；　only　a　faint　thudding　noise　went



on　mingled　with　slight　jingling　sounds；　and　the　motion…



less　heads　and　shoulders　of　men　and　women　sitting　in



couples　emerged　stolidly　above　the　lowered　hoodsas　if



wooden。　　But　one　carriage　and　pair　coming　late　did　not



join　the　line。







It　fled　along　in　a　noiseless　roll；　but　on　entering　the



avenue　one　of　the　dark　bays　snorted；　arching　his　neck



and　shying　against　the　steel…tipped　pole；　a　flake　of



foam　fell　from　the　bit　upon　the　point　of　a　satiny　shoul…



der；　and　the　dusky　face　of　the　coachman　leaned　for…



ward　at　once　over　the　hands　taking　a　fresh　grip　of　the



reins。　　It　was　a　long　dark…green　landau；　having　a　digni…



fied　and　buoyant　motion　between　the　sharply　curved



C…springs；　and　a　sort　of　strictly　official　majesty　in　its



supreme　elegance。　　It　seemed　more　roomy　than　is　usual；



its　horses　seemed　slightly　bigger；　the　appointments　a



shade　more　perfect；　the　servants　perched　somewhat



higher　on　the　box。　　The　dresses　of　three　womentwo



young　and　pretty；　and　one；　handsome；　large；　of　mature



ageseemed　to　fill　completely　the　shallow　body　of　the



carriage。　　The　fourth　face　was　that　of　a　man；　heavy



lidded；　distinguished　and　sallow；　with　a　somber；　thick；



iron…gray　imperial　and　mustaches；　which　somehow　had



the　air　of　solid　appendages。　　His　Excellency







The　rapid　motion　of　that　one　equipage　made　all　the



others　appear　utterly　inferior；　blighted；　and　reduced　to



crawl　painfully　at　a　snail's　pace。　　The　landau　distanced



the　whole　file　in　a　sort　of　sustained　rush；　the　features



of　the　occupant　whirling　out　of　sight　left　behind　an



impression　of　fixed　stares　and　impassive　vacancy；　and



after　it　had　vanished　in　full　flight　as　it　were；　notwith…



standing　the　long　line　of　vehicles　hugging　the　curb　at



a　walk；　the　whole　lofty　vista　of　the　avenue　seemed　to　lie



open　and　emptied　of　life　in　the　enlarged　impression　of



an　august　solitude。







Captain　Whalley　had　lifted　his　head　to　look；　and　his



mind；　disturbed　in　its　meditation；　turned　with　wonder



（as　men's　minds　will　do）　to　matters　of　no　importance。



It　struck　him　that　it　was　to　this　port；　where　he　had



just　sold　his　last　ship；　that　he　had　come　with　the　very



first　he　had　ever　owned；　and　with　his　head　full　of　a　plan



for　opening　a　new　trade　with　a　distant　part　of　the



Archipelago。　　The　then　governor　had　given　him　no　end



of　encouragement。　　No　Excellency　hethis　Mr。　Den…



hamthis　governor　with　his　jacket　off；　a　man　who



tended　night　and　day；　so　to　speak；　the　growing　pros…



perity　of　the　settlement　with　the　self…forgetful　devotion



of　a　nurse　for　a　child　she　loves；　a　lone　bachelor　who



lived　as　in　a　camp　with　the　few　servants　and　his　three



dogs　in　what　was　called　then　the　Government　Bungalow：



a　low…roofed　structure　on　the　half…cleared　slope　of　a



hill；　with　a　new　flagstaff　in　front　and　a　police　orderly



on　the　veranda。　　He　remembered　toiling　up　that　hill



under　a　heavy　sun　for　his　audience；　the　unfurnished



aspect　of　the　cool　shaded　room；　the　long　table　covered



at　one　end　with　piles　of　papers；　and　with　two　guns；　a



brass　telescope；　a　small　bottle　of　oil　with　a　feather　stuck



in　the　neck　at　the　otherand　the　flattering　attention



given　to　him　by　the　man　in　power。　　It　was　an　under…



taking　full　of　risk　he　had　come　to　expound；　but　a　twenty



minutes'　talk　in　the　Government　Bungalow　on　the　hill



had　made　it　go　smoothly　from　the　start。　　And　as　he



was　retiring　Mr。　Denham；　already　seated　before　the



papers；　called　out　after　him；　〃Next　month　the　Dido



starts　for　a　cruise　that　way；　and　I　shall　request　her



captain　officially　to　give　you　a　look　in　and　see　how



you　get　on。〃　　The　Dido　was　one　of　the　smart　frigates　on



the　China　stationand　five…and…thirty　years　make　a　big



slice　of　time。　　Five…and…thirty　years　ago　an　enterprise



like　his　had　for　the　colony　enough　importance　to　be



looked　after　by　a　Queen's　ship。　　A　big　slice　of　time。



Individuals　were　of　some　account　then。　　Men　like　him…



self；　men；　too；　like　poor　Evans；　for　instance；　with　his



red　face；　his　coal…black　whiskers；　and　his　restless　eyes；



who　had　set　up　the　first　patent　slip　for　repairing　small



ships；　on　the　edge　of　the　forest；　in　a　lonely　bay　three



miles　up　the　coast。　　Mr。　Denham　had　encouraged　that



enterprise　too；　and　yet　somehow　poor　Evans　had　ended



by　dying　at　home　deucedly　hard　up。　　His　son；　they　said；



was　squeezing　oil　out　of　cocoa…nuts　for　a　living　on　some



God…forsaken　islet　of　the　Indian　Ocean；　but　it　was　from



that　patent　slip　in　a　lonely　wooded　bay　that　had　sprung



the　workshops　of　the　Consolidated　Docks　Company；　with



its　three　graving　basins　carved　out　of　solid　rock；　its



wharves；　its　jetties；　its　electric…light　plant；　its　steam…



power　houseswith