end of the tether-第10部分

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the　new　man　in　the　evening。　　What　was　wanted　for　him



was　a　master　with　a　couple　of　hundred　or　so　to　take



an　interest　in　the　ship　on　proper　conditions。　　You　don't



discharge　a　man　for　no　fault；　only　because　of　the　fun



of　telling　him　to　pack　up　his　traps　and　go　ashore；　when



you　know　that　in　that　case　you　are　bound　to　buy　back



his　share。　　On　the　other　hand；　a　fellow　with　an　interest



in　the　ship　is　not　likely　to　throw　up　his　job　in　a　huff



about　a　trifle。　　He　had　told　Massy　that。　　He　had　said：



〃'This　won't　do；　Mr。　Massy。　　We　are　getting　very



sick　of　you　here　in　the　Marine　Office。　　What　you　must



do　now　is　to　try　whether　you　could　get　a　sailor　to　join



you　as　partner。　　That　seems　to　be　the　only　way。'　　And



that　was　sound　advice；　Harry。〃







Captain　Whalley；　leaning　on　his　stick；　was　perfectly



still　all　over；　and　his　hand；　arrested　in　the　act　of　strok…



ing；　grasped　his　whole　beard。　　And　what　did　the　fellow



say　to　that？







The　fellow　had　the　audacity　to　fly　out　at　the　Master…



Attendant。　　He　had　received　the　advice　in　a　most　im…



pudent　manner。　　〃I　didn't　come　here　to　be　laughed　at；〃



he　had　shrieked。　　〃I　appeal　to　you　as　an　Englishman



and　a　shipowner　brought　to　the　verge　of　ruin　by　an



illegal　conspiracy　of　your　beggarly　sailors；　and　all　you



condescend　to　do　for　me　is　to　tell　me　to　go　and　get　a



partner！〃　。　。　。　　The　fellow　had　presumed　to　stamp



with　rage　on　the　floor　of　the　private　office。　　Where　was



he　going　to　get　a　partner？　　Was　he　being　taken　for



a　fool？　　Not　a　single　one　of　that　contemptible　lot　ashore



at　the　〃Home〃　had　twopence　in　his　pocket　to　bless



himself　with。　　The　very　native　curs　in　the　bazaar　knew



that　much。　。　。　。　　〃And　it's　true　enough；　Harry；〃　rum…



bled　Captain　Eliott　judicially。　　〃They　are　much　more



likely　one　and　all　to　owe　money　to　the　Chinamen　in



Denham　Road　for　the　clothes　on　their　backs。　　'Well；'



said　I；　'you　make　too　much　noise　over　it　for　my　taste；



Mr。　Massy。　　Good　morning。'　　He　banged　the　door　after



him；　he　dared　to　bang　my　door；　confound　his　cheek！〃







The　head　of　the　Marine　department　was　out　of　breath



with　indignation；　then　recollecting　himself　as　it　were；







〃I'll　end　by　being　late　to　dinneryarning　with　you



here　。　。　。　wife　doesn't　like　it。〃







He　clambered　ponderously　into　the　trap；　leaned　out



sideways；　and　only　then　wondered　wheezily　what　on



earth　Captain　Whalley　could　have　been　doing　with



himself　of　late。　　They　had　had　no　sight　of　each　other



for　years　and　years　till　the　other　day　when　he　had　seen



him　unexpectedly　in　the　office。







What　on　earth　。　。　。







Captain　Whalley　seemed　to　be　smiling　to　himself　in　his



white　beard。







〃The　earth　is　big；〃　he　said　vaguely。







The　other；　as　if　to　test　the　statement；　stared　all　round



from　his　driving…seat。　　The　Esplanade　was　very　quiet；



only　from　afar；　from　very　far；　a　long　way　from　the　sea…



shore；　across　the　stretches　of　grass；　through　the　long



ranges　of　trees；　came　faintly　the　toottoottoot　of



the　cable　car　beginning　to　roll　before　the　empty　peristyle



of　the　Public　Library　on　its　three…mile　journey　to　the



New　Harbor　Docks。







〃Doesn't　seem　to　be　so　much　room　on　it；〃　growled　the



Master…Attendant；　〃since　these　Germans　came　along



shouldering　us　at　every　turn。　　It　was　not　so　in　our



time。〃







He　fell　into　deep　thought；　breathing　stertorously；　as



though　he　had　been　taking　a　nap　open…eyed。　　Perhaps



he　too；　on　his　side；　had　detected　in　the　silent　pilgrim…



like　figure；　standing　there　by　the　wheel；　like　an　arrested



wayfarer；　the　buried　lineaments　of　the　features　belong…



ing　to　the　young　captain　of　the　Condor。　　Good　fellow



Harry　Whalleynever　very　talkative。　　You　never



knew　what　he　was　up　toa　bit　too　off…hand　with　people



of　consequence；　and　apt　to　take　a　wrong　view　of　a　fel…



low's　actions。　　Fact　was　he　had　a　too　good　opinion　of



himself。　　He　would　have　liked　to　tell　him　to　get　in　and



drive　him　home　to　dinner。　　But　one　never　knew。　　Wife



would　not　like　it。







〃And　it's　funny　to　think；　Harry；〃　he　went　on　in　a



big；　subdued　drone；　〃that　of　all　the　people　on　it　there



seems　only　you　and　I　left　to　remember　this　part　of　the



world　as　it　used　to　be　。　。　。〃







He　was　ready　to　indulge　in　the　sweetness　of　a　senti…



mental　mood　had　it　not　struck　him　suddenly　that　Cap…



tain　Whalley；　unstirring　and　without　a　word；　seemed



to　be　awaiting　somethingperhaps　expecting　。　。　。　　He



gathered　the　reins　at　once　and　burst　out　in　bluff；　hearty



growls







〃Ha！　　My　dear　boy。　　The　men　we　have　knownthe



ships　we've　saileday！　and　the　things　we've　done　。　。　。〃







The　pony　plungedthe　syce　skipped　out　of　the　way。



Captain　Whalley　raised　his　arm。







〃Good…by。〃











VI







The　sun　had　set。　　And　when；　after　drilling　a　deep　hole



with　his　stick；　he　moved　from　that　spot　the　night　had



massed　its　army　of　shadows　under　the　trees。　　They



filled　the　eastern　ends　of　the　avenues　as　if　only　waiting



the　signal　for　a　general　advance　upon　the　open　spaces



of　the　world；　they　were　gathering　low　between　the　deep



stone…faced　banks　of　the　canal。　　The　Malay　prau；　half…



concealed　under　the　arch　of　the　bridge；　had　not　altered



its　position　a　quarter　of　an　inch。　　For　a　long　time　Cap…



tain　Whalley　stared　down　over　the　parapet；　till　at　last



the　floating　immobility　of　that　beshrouded　thing　seemed



to　grow　upon　him　into　something　inexplicable　and



alarming。　　The　twilight　abandoned　the　zenith；　its　re…



flected　gleams　left　the　world　below；　and　the　water　of　the



canal　seemed　to　turn　into　pitch。　　Captain　Whalley



crossed　it。







The　turning　to　the　right；　which　was　his　way　to　his



hotel；　was　only　a　very　few　steps　farther。　　He　stopped



again　（all　the　houses　of　the　sea…front　were　shut　up；　the



quayside　was　deserted；　but　for　one　or　two　figures　of



natives　walking　in　the　distance）　and　began　to　reckon　the



amount　of　his　bill。　　So　many　days　in　the　hotel　at　so



many　dollars　a　day。　　To　count　the　days　he　used　his



fingers：　plunging　one　hand　into　his　pocket；　he　jingled　a



few　silver　coins。　　All　right　for　three　days　more；　and



then；　unless　something　turned　up；　he　must　break　into



the　five　hundredIvy's　moneyinvested　in　her　father。



It　seemed　to　him　that　the　first　meal　coming　out　of　that



reserve　would　choke　himfor　certain。　　Reason　was　of



no　use。　　It　was　a　matter　of　feeling。　　His　feelings　had



never　played　him　false。







He　did　not　turn　to　the　right。　　He　walked　on；　as　if



there　still　had　been　a　ship　in　the　roadstead　to　which



he　could　get　himself　pulled　off　in　the　evening。　　Far



away；　beyond　the　houses；　on　the　slope　of　an　indigo



promontory　closing　the　view　of　the　quays；　the　slim



column　of　a　factory…chimney　smoked　quietly　straight



up　into　the　clear　air。　　A　Chinaman；　curled　down　in　the



stern　of　one　of　the　half…dozen　sampans　floating　off　the



end　of　the　jetty；　caught　sight　of　a　beckoning　hand。



He　jumped　up；　rolled　his　pigtail　round　his　head　swiftly；



tucked　in　two　rapid　movements　his　wide　dark　trousers



high　up　his　yellow　thighs；　and　by　a　single；　noiseless；　fin…



like　stir　of　the　oars；　sheered　the　sampan　alongside　the



steps　with　the　ease　and　precision　of　a　swimming



fish。







〃Sofala；〃　articulated　Captain　Whalley　from　above；



and　the　Chinaman；　a　new　emigrant　probably；　stared



upwards　with　a　tense　attention　as　if　waiting　to　see　the



queer　word　fall　visibly　from　the　white　man's　lips。



〃Sofala；〃　Captain　Whalley　repeated；　and　suddenly　his



heart　failed　him。　　He　paused。　　The　shores；　the　islets；　the



high　ground；　the　low　points；　were　dark：　the　horizon　had



grown　somber；　and　across　the　eastern　sweep　of　the　shore



the　white　obelisk；　marking　the　landing…place　of　the



telegraph…cable；　stood　like　a　pale　ghost　on　the　beach



before　the　dark　spread　of　uneven　roofs；　intermingled



with　palms；　of　the　native　town。　　Captain　Whalley　be…



gan　again。







〃Sofala。　　Savee　So…fa…la；　John？〃







This　time　the　Chinaman　made　out　that　bizarre　sound；



and　grunted　his　assent　uncouthly；　low　down　in　his　bare



throat。　　With　the　first　yellow　twinkle　of　a　star　that　ap…



peared　like　the　head　of　a　pin　stabbed　deep　into　the



smooth；　pale；　shimmering　fabric　of　the　sky；　the　edge



of　a　keen　chill　seemed　to　cleave　through　the　warm　air



of　the　earth。　　At　the　moment　of　stepping　into　the　sam…



pan　to　go　and　try　for　the　command　of　the　Sofala　Cap…



tain　Whalley　shivered