end of the tether-第21部分

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Sterne　scratched　at　the　door　softly；　then；　putting　his



lips　to　the　rose　of　the　ventilator；　said







〃I　must　speak　to　you；　Mr。　Massy。　　Just　give　me　a



minute　or　two。〃







〃I　am　busy。　　Go　away　from　my　door。〃







〃But　pray；　Mr。　Massy　。　。　。〃







〃You　go　away。　　D'you　hear？　　Take　yourself　off　alto…



getherto　the　other　end　of　the　shipquite　away　。　。　。〃



The　voice　inside　dropped　low。　　〃To　the　devil。〃







Sterne　paused：　then　very　quietly







〃It's　rather　pressing。　　When　do　you　think　you　will



be　at　liberty；　sir？〃







The　answer　to　this　was　an　exasperated　〃Never〃；　and



at　once　Sterne；　with　a　very　firm　expression　of　face；



turned　the　handle。







Mr。　Massy's　staterooma　narrow；　one…berth　cabin



smelt　strongly　of　soap；　and　presented　to　view　a　swept；



dusted；　unadorned　neatness；　not　so　much　bare　as　barren；



not　so　much　severe　as　starved　and　lacking　in　humanity；



like　the　ward　of　a　public　hospital；　or　rather　（owing　to



the　small　size）　like　the　clean　retreat　of　a　desperately



poor　but　exemplary　person。　　Not　a　single　photograph



frame　ornamented　the　bulkheads；　not　a　single　article　of



clothing；　not　as　much　as　a　spare　cap；　hung　from　the



brass　hooks。　　All　the　inside　was　painted　in　one　plain



tint　of　pale　blue；　two　big　sea…chests　in　sailcloth　covers



and　with　iron　padlocks　fitted　exactly　in　the　space　under



the　bunk。　　One　glance　was　enough　to　embrace　all　the



strip　of　scrubbed　planks　within　the　four　unconcealed



corners。　　The　absence　of　the　usual　settee　was　striking；



the　teak…wood　top　of　the　washing…stand　seemed　hermeti…



cally　closed；　and　so　was　the　lid　of　the　writing…desk；



which　protruded　from　the　partition　at　the　foot　of　the



bed…place；　containing　a　mattress　as　thin　as　a　pancake



under　a　threadbare　blanket　with　a　faded　red　stripe；　and



a　folded　mosquito…net　against　the　nights　spent　in　harbor。



There　was　not　a　scrap　of　paper　anywhere　in　sight；　no



boots　on　the　floor；　no　litter　of　any　sort；　not　a　speck　of



dust　anywhere；　no　traces　of　pipe…ash　even；　which；　in



a　heavy　smoker；　was　morally　revolting；　like　a　manifesta…



tion　of　extreme　hypocrisy；　and　the　bottom　of　the　old



wooden　arm…chair　（the　only　seat　there）；　polished　with



much　use；　shone　as　if　its　shabbiness　had　been　waxed。



The　screen　of　leaves　on　the　bank；　passing　as　if　unrolled



endlessly　in　the　round　opening　of　the　port；　sent　a　waver…



ing　network　of　light　and　shade　into　the　place。







Sterne；　holding　the　door　open　with　one　hand；　had　thrust



in　his　head　and　shoulders。　　At　this　amazing　intrusion



Massy；　who　was　doing　absolutely　nothing；　jumped　up



speechless。







〃Don't　call　names；〃　murmured　Sterne　hurriedly。　　〃I



won't　be　called　names。　　I　think　of　nothing　but　your



good；　Mr。　Massy。〃







A　pause　as　of　extreme　astonishment　followed。　　They



both　seemed　to　have　lost　their　tongues。　　Then　the　mate



went　on　with　a　discreet　glibness。







〃You　simply　couldn't　conceive　what's　going　on　on



board　your　ship。　　It　wouldn't　enter　your　head　for　a



moment。　　You　are　too　goodtootoo　upright；　Mr。



Massy；　to　suspect　anybody　of　such　a　。　。　。　　It's　enough



to　make　your　hair　stand　on　end。〃







He　watched　for　the　effect：　Massy　seemed　dazed；　un…



comprehending。　　He　only　passed　the　palm　of　his　hand



on　the　coal…black　wisps　plastered　across　the　top　of　his



head。　　In　a　tone　suddenly　changed　to　confidential　au…



dacity　Sterne　hastened　on。







〃Remember　that　there's　only　six　weeks　left　to



run　。　。　。〃　　The　other　was　looking　at　him　stonily　。　。　。



〃so　anyhow　you　shall　require　a　captain　for　the　ship



before　long。〃







Then　only；　as　if　that　suggestion　had　scarified　his　flesh



in　the　manner　of　red…hot　iron；　Massy　gave　a　start　and



seemed　ready　to　shriek。　　He　contained　himself　by　a



great　effort。







〃Require　a　captain；〃　he　repeated　with　scathing　slow…



ness。　　〃Who　requires　a　captain？　　You　dare　to　tell　me



that　I　need　any　of　you　humbugging　sailors　to　run　my



ship。　　You　and　your　likes　have　been　fattening　on　me



for　years。　　It　would　have　hurt　me　less　to　throw



my　money　overboard。　　Pampered　useless



f…f…f…frauds。　　The　old　ship　knows　as　much　as　the　best



of　you。〃　　He　snapped　his　teeth　audibly　and　growled



through　them；　〃The　silly　law　requires　a　captain。〃







Sterne　had　taken　heart　of　grace　meantime。







〃And　the　silly　insurance　people　too；　as　well；〃　he　said



lightly。　　〃But　never　mind　that。　　What　I　want　to　ask



is：　Why　shouldn't　_I_　do；　sir？　　I　don't　say　but　you　could



take　a　steamer　about　the　world　as　well　as　any　of　us



sailors。　　I　don't　pretend　to　tell　YOU　that　it　is　a　very



great　trick　。　。　。〃　　He　emitted　a　short；　hollow　guffaw；



familiarly　。　。　。　　〃I　didn't　make　the　lawbut　there　it



is；　and　I　am　an　active　young　fellow！　　I　quite　hold　with



your　ideas；　I　know　your　ways　by　this　time；　Mr。　Massy。



I　wouldn't　try　to　give　myself　airs　like　thatthater



lazy　specimen　of　an　old　man　up　there。〃







He　put　a　marked　emphasis　on　the　last　sentence；　to



lead　Massy　away　from　the　track　in　case　。　。　。　but　he



did　not　doubt　of　now　holding　his　success。　　The　chief



engineer　seemed　nonplused；　like　a　slow　man　invited　to



catch　hold　of　a　whirligig　of　some　sort。







〃What　you　want；　sir；　is　a　chap　with　no　nonsense　about



him；　who　would　be　content　to　be　your　sailing…master。



Quite　right；　too。　　Well；　I　am　fit　for　the　work　as　much



as　that　Serang。　　Because　that's　what　it　amounts　to。



Do　you　know；　sir；　that　a　dam'　Malay　like　a　monkey　is



in　charge　of　your　shipand　no　one　else。　　Just　listen



to　his　feet　pit…patting　above　us　on　the　bridgereal



officer　in　charge。　　He's　taking　her　up　the　river　while



the　great　man　is　wallowing　in　the　chairperhaps　asleep；



and　if　he　is；　that　would　not　make　it　much　worse　either



take　my　word　for　it。〃







He　tried　to　thrust　himself　farther　in。　　Massy；　with



lowered　forehead；　one　hand　grasping　the　back　of　the



arm…chair；　did　not　budge。







〃You　think；　sir；　that　the　man　has　got　you　tight　in



his　agreement　。　。　。〃　　Massy　raised　a　heavy　snarling



face　at　this　。　。　。　　〃Well；　sir；　one　can't　help　hearing



of　it　on　board。　　It's　no　secret。　　And　it　has　been　the



talk　on　shore　for　years；　fellows　have　been　making　bets



about　it。　　No；　sir！　　It's　YOU　who　have　got　him　at　your



mercy。　　You　will　say　that　you　can't　dismiss　him　for



indolence。　　Difficult　to　prove　in　court；　and　so　on。　　Why；



yes。　　But　if　you　say　the　word；　sir；　I　can　tell　you　some…



thing　about　his　indolence　that　will　give　you　the　clear



right　to　fire　him　out　on　the　spot　and　put　me　in　charge



for　the　rest　of　this　very　tripyes；　sir；　before　we　leave



Batu　Beruand　make　him　pay　a　dollar　a　day　for　his



keep　till　we　get　back；　if　you　like。　　Now；　what　do　you



think　of　that？　　Come；　sir。　　Say　the　word。　　It's　really



well　worth　your　while；　and　I　am　quite　ready　to　take



your　bare　word。　　A　definite　statement　from　you　would



be　as　good　as　a　bond。〃







His　eyes　began　to　shine。　　He　insisted。　　A　simple　state…



ment；and　he　thought　to　himself　that　he　would　man…



age　somehow　to　stick　in　his　berth　as　long　as　it　suited



him。　　He　would　make　himself　indispensable；　the　ship



had　a　bad　name　in　her　port；　it　would　be　easy　to　scare



the　fellows　off。　　Massy　would　have　to　keep　him。







〃A　definite　statement　from　me　would　be　enough；〃



Massy　repeated　slowly。







〃Yes；　sir。　　It　would。〃　　Sterne　stuck　out　his　chin



cheerily　and　blinked　at　close　quarters　with　that　uncon…



scious　impudence　which　had　the　power　to　enrage　Massy



beyond　anything。







The　engineer　spoke　very　distinctly。







〃Listen　well　to　me；　then；　Mr。　Sterne：　I　wouldn't



d'ye　hear？I　wouldn't　promise　you　the　value　of　two



pence　for　anything　YOU　can　tell　me。〃







He　struck　Sterne's　arm　away　with　a　smart　blow；　and



catching　hold　of　the　handle　pulled　the　door　to。　　The



terrific　slam　darkened　the　cabin　instantaneously　to　his



eye　as　if　after　the　flash　of　an　explosion。　　At　once　he



dropped　into　the　chair。　　〃Oh；　no！　　You　don't！〃　he



whispered　faintly。







The　ship　had　in　that　place　to　shave　the　bank　so　close



that　the　gigantic　wall　of　leaves　came　gliding　like　a



shutter　against　the　port；　the　darkness　of　the　primeval



forest　seemed　to　flow　into　that　bare　cabin　with　the　odor



of　rotting　leaves；　of　sodden　soilthe　strong　muddy　smell



of　the　living　earth　steaming　uncovered　after　the　pass…



ing　of　a　deluge。　　The　bushes　swished　loudly　alongside；



above　there　was　a　series　of　crackling　sounds；　with　a