end of the tether-第27部分

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consequence？　　The　new　generation　was　orderly；　peace…



able；　settled　in　prosperous　villages。　　He　could　speak



from　personal　knowledge。　　And　even　the　few　survivors



of　that　timeold　men　nowhad　changed　so　much；　that



it　would　have　been　unkind　to　remember　against　them



that　they　had　ever　slit　a　throat　in　their　lives。　　He　had



one　especially　in　his　mind's　eye：　a　dignified；　venerable



headman　of　a　certain　large　coast　village　about　sixty



miles　sou'west　of　Tampasuk。　　It　did　one's　heart　good



to　see　himto　hear　that　man　speak。　　He　might　have



been　a　ferocious　savage　once。　　What　men　wanted　was



to　be　checked　by　superior　intelligence；　by　superior



knowledge；　by　superior　force　tooyes；　by　force　held　in



trust　from　God　and　sanctified　by　its　use　in　accordance



with　His　declared　will。　　Captain　Whalley　believed　a　dis…



position　for　good　existed　in　every　man；　even　if　the





world　were　not　a　very　happy　place　as　a　whole。　　In　the



wisdom　of　men　he　had　not　so　much　confidence。　　The　dis…



position　had　to　be　helped　up　pretty　sharply　sometimes；



he　admitted。　　They　might　be　silly；　wrongheaded；　un…



happy；　but　naturally　evilno。　　There　was　at　bottom



a　complete　harmlessness　at　least　。　。　。







〃Is　there？〃　Mr。　Van　Wyk　snapped　acrimoniously。







Captain　Whalley　laughed　at　the　interjection；　in　the



good　humor　of　large；　tolerating　certitude。　　He　could



look　back　at　half　a　century；　he　pointed　out。　　The　smoke



oozed　placidly　through　the　white　hairs　hiding　his　kindly



lips。







〃At　all　events；〃　he　resumed　after　a　pause；　〃I　am



glad　that　they've　had　no　time　to　do　you　much　harm　as



yet。〃







This　allusion　to　his　comparative　youthfulness　did　not



offend　Mr。　Van　Wyk；　who　got　up　and　wriggled　his



shoulders　with　an　enigmatic　half…smile。　　They　walked



out　together　amicably　into　the　starry　night　towards



the　river…side。　　Their　footsteps　resounded　unequally　on



the　dark　path。　　At　the　shore　end　of　the　gangway　the



lantern；　hung　low　to　the　handrail；　threw　a　vivid　light



on　the　white　legs　and　the　big　black　feet　of　Mr。　Massy



waiting　about　anxiously。　　From　the　waist　upwards　he



remained　shadowy；　with　a　row　of　buttons　gleaming　up



to　the　vague　outline　of　his　chin。







〃You　may　thank　Captain　Whalley　for　this；〃　Mr。　Van



Wyk　said　curtly　to　him　before　turning　away。







The　lamps　on　the　veranda　flung　three　long　squares



of　light　between　the　uprights　far　over　the　grass。　　A　bat



flitted　before　his　face　like　a　circling　flake　of　velvety



blackness。　　Along　the　jasmine　hedge　the　night　air



seemed　heavy　with　the　fall　of　perfumed　dew；　flower…



beds　bordered　the　path；　the　clipped　bushes　uprose　in



dark　rounded　clumps　here　and　there　before　the　house；



the　dense　foliage　of　creepers　filtered　the　sheen　of　the



lamplight　within　in　a　soft　glow　all　along　the　front；



and　everything　near　and　far　stood　still　in　a　great　im…



mobility；　in　a　great　sweetness。







Mr。　Van　Wyk　（a　few　years　before　he　had　had　occasion



to　imagine　himself　treated　more　badly　than　anybody



alive　had　ever　been　by　a　woman）　felt　for　Captain



Whalley's　optimistic　views　the　disdain　of　a　man　who



had　once　been　credulous　himself。　　His　disgust　with　the



world　（the　woman　for　a　time　had　filled　it　for　him　com…



pletely）　had　taken　the　form　of　activity　in　retirement；



because；　though　capable　of　great　depth　of　feeling；　he



was　energetic　and　essentially　practical。　　But　there　was



in　that　uncommon　old　sailor；　drifting　on　the　outskirts



of　his　busy　solitude；　something　that　fascinated　his



skepticism。　　His　very　simplicity　（amusing　enough）　was



like　a　delicate　refinement　of　an　upright　character。　　The



striking　dignity　of　manner　could　be　nothing　else；　in　a



man　reduced　to　such　a　humble　position；　but　the　ex…



pression　of　something　essentially　noble　in　the　character。



With　all　his　trust　in　mankind　he　was　no　fool；　the　seren…



ity　of　his　temper　at　the　end　of　so　many　years；　since　it



could　not　obviously　have　been　appeased　by　success；　wore



an　air　of　profound　wisdom。　　Mr。　Van　Wyk　was　amused



at　it　sometimes。　　Even　the　very　physical　traits　of　the



old　captain　of　the　Sofala；　his　powerful　frame；　his　re…



poseful　mien；　his　intelligent；　handsome　face；　the　big



limbs；　the　benign　courtesy；　the　touch　of　rugged　severity



in　the　shaggy　eyebrows；　made　up　a　seductive　person…



ality。　　Mr。　Van　Wyk　disliked　littleness　of　every　kind；



but　there　was　nothing　small　about　that　man；　and　in



the　exemplary　regularity　of　many　trips　an　intimacy　had



grown　up　between　them；　a　warm　feeling　at　bottom　under



a　kindly　stateliness　of　forms　agreeable　to　his　fastidious…



ness。







They　kept　their　respective　opinions　on　all　worldly



matters。　　His　other　convictions　Captain　Whalley　never



intruded。　　The　difference　of　their　ages　was　like　another



bond　between　them。　　Once；　when　twitted　with　the　un…



charitableness　of　his　youth；　Mr。　Van　Wyk；　running　his



eye　over　the　vast　proportions　of　his　interlocutor；　re…



torted　in　friendly　banter







〃Oh。　　You'll　come　to　my　way　of　thinking　yet。　　You'll



have　plenty　of　time。　　Don't　call　yourself　old：　you　look



good　for　a　round　hundred。〃







But　he　could　not　help　his　stinging　incisiveness；　and



though　moderating　it　by　an　almost　affectionate　smile；



he　added







〃And　by　then　you　will　probably　consent　to　die　from



sheer　disgust。〃







Captain　Whalley；　smiling　too；　shook　his　head。　　〃God



forbid！〃







He　thought　that　perhaps　on　the　whole　he　deserved



something　better　than　to　die　in　such　sentiments。　　The



time　of　course　would　have　to　come；　and　he　trusted　to



his　Maker　to　provide　a　manner　of　going　out　of　which



he　need　not　be　ashamed。　　For　the　rest　he　hoped　he



would　live　to　a　hundred　if　need　be：　other　men　had　been



known；　it　would　be　no　miracle。　　He　expected　no　miracles。







The　pronounced；　argumentative　tone　caused　Mr。　Van



Wyk　to　raise　his　head　and　look　at　him　steadily。　　Cap…



tain　Whalley　was　gazing　fixedly　with　a　rapt　expression；



as　though　he　had　seen　his　Creator's　favorable　decree



written　in　mysterious　characters　on　the　wall。　　He　kept



perfectly　motionless　for　a　few　seconds；　then　got　his　vast



bulk　on　to　his　feet　so　impetuously　that　Mr。　Van　Wyk



was　startled。







He　struck　first　a　heavy　blow　on　his　inflated　chest：　and；



throwing　out　horizontally　a　big　arm　that　remained



steady；　extended　in　the　air　like　the　limb　of　a　tree　on



a　windless　day







〃Not　a　pain　or　an　ache　there。　　Can　you　see　this　shake



in　the　least？〃







His　voice　was　low；　in　an　awing；　confident　contrast　with



the　headlong　emphasis　of　his　movements。　　He　sat　down



abruptly。







〃This　isn't　to　boast　of　it；　you　know。　　I　am　nothing；〃



he　said　in　his　effortless　strong　voice；　that　seemed　to



come　out　as　naturally　as　a　river　flows。　　He　picked　up　the



stump　of　the　cigar　he　had　laid　aside；　and　added　peace…



fully；　with　a　slight　nod；　〃As　it　happens；　my　life　is



necessary；　it　isn't　my　own；　it　isn'tGod　knows。〃







He　did　not　say　much　for　the　rest　of　the　evening；　but



several　times　Mr。　Van　Wyk　detected　a　faint　smile　of



assurance　flitting　under　the　heavy　mustache。







Later　on　Captain　Whalley　would　now　and　then　consent



to　dine　〃at　the　house。〃　　He　could　even　be　induced　to



drink　a　glass　of　wine。　　〃Don't　think　I　am　afraid　of　it；



my　good　sir；〃　he　explained。　　〃There　was　a　very　good



reason　why　I　should　give　it　up。〃







On　another　occasion；　leaning　back　at　ease；　he　remarked；



〃You　have　treated　me　mostmost　humanely；　my　dear



Mr。　Van　Wyk；　from　the　very　first。〃







〃You'll　admit　there　was　some　merit；〃　Mr。　Van　Wyk



hinted　slyly。　　〃An　associate　of　that　excellent　Massy。



。　。　。　　Well；　well；　my　dear　captain；　I　won't　say　a　word



against　him。〃







〃It　would　be　no　use　your　saying　anything　against



him；〃　Captain　Whalley　affirmed　a　little　moodily。　　〃As



I've　told　you　before；　my　lifemy　work；　is　necessary；　not



for　myself　alone。　　I　can't　choose〃　。　。　。　　He　paused；



turned　the　glass　before　him　right　round。　。　。　。　　〃I　have



an　only　childa　daughter。〃







The　ample　downward　sweep　of　his　arm　over　the　table



seemed　to　suggest　a　small　girl　at　a　vast　distance。　　〃I



hope　to　see　her　once　more　before　I　die。　　Meantime　it's



enough　to　know　that　she　has　me　sound　and　solid；　thank



God。　　You　can't　understand　how　one　feels。　　Bone　of　my



bone；　flesh　of　my　flesh；　the　very　image　of　my　poor　wife。



Well；　she　。　。　。〃







Again　he　paused；　then　pronounced　stoically　the　words；



〃Sh