end of the tether-第28部分

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Well；　she　。　。　。〃







Again　he　paused；　then　pronounced　stoically　the　words；



〃She　has　a　hard　struggle。〃







And　his　head　fell　on　his　breast；　his　eyebrows　remained



knitted；　as　by　an　effort　of　meditation。　　But　generally　his



mind　seemed　steeped　in　the　serenity　of　boundless　trust



in　a　higher　power。　　Mr。　Van　Wyk　wondered　sometimes



how　much　of　it　was　due　to　the　splendid　vitality　of　the



man；　to　the　bodily　vigor　which　seems　to　impart　some…



thing　of　its　force　to　the　soul。　　But　he　had　learned　to



like　him　very　much。











XIII







This　was　the　reason　why　Mr。　Sterne's　confidential　com…



munication；　delivered　hurriedly　on　the　shore　alongside



the　dark　silent　ship；　had　disturbed　his　equanimity。　　It



was　the　most　incomprehensible　and　unexpected　thing



that　could　happen；　and　the　perturbation　of　his　spirit



was　so　great　that；　forgetting　all　about　his　letters；　he　ran



rapidly　up　the　bridge　ladder。







The　portable　table　was　being　put　together　for　dinner



to　the　left　of　the　wheel　by　two　pig…tailed　〃boys；〃　who



as　usual　snarled　at　each　other　over　the　job；　while　another；



a　doleful；　burly；　very　yellow　Chinaman；　resembling　Mr。



Massy；　waited　apathetically　with　the　cloth　over　his　arm



and　a　pile　of　thick　dinner…plates　against　his　chest。　　A



common　cabin　lamp　with　its　globe　missing；　brought　up



from　below；　had　been　hooked　to　the　wooden　framework



of　the　awning；　the　side…screens　had　been　lowered　all



round；　Captain　Whalley　filling　the　depths　of　the　wicker…



chair　seemed　to　sit　benumbed　in　a　canvas　tent　crudely



lighted；　and　used　for　the　storing　of　nautical　objects；　a



shabby　steering…wheel；　a　battered　brass　binnacle　on　a



stout　mahogany　stand；　two　dingy　life…buoys；　an　old　cork



fender　lying　in　a　corner；　dilapidated　deck…lockers　with



loops　of　thin　rope　instead　of　door…handles。







He　shook　off　the　appearance　of　numbness　to　return



Mr。　Van　Wyk's　unusually　brisk　greeting；　but　relapsed



directly　afterwards。　　To　accept　a　pressing　invitation　to



dinner　〃up　at　the　house〃　cost　him　another　very　visible



physical　effort。　　Mr。　Van　Wyk；　perplexed；　folded　his



arms；　and　leaning　back　against　the　rail；　with　his　little；



black；　shiny　feet　well　out；　examined　him　covertly。







〃I've　noticed　of　late　that　you　are　not　quite　yourself；



old　friend。〃







He　put　an　affectionate　gentleness　into　the　last　two



words。　　The　real　intimacy　of　their　intercourse　had　never



been　so　vividly　expressed　before。







〃Tut；　tut；　tut！〃







The　wicker…chair　creaked　heavily。







〃Irritable；〃　commented　Mr。　Van　Wyk　to　himself；　and



aloud；　〃I'll　expect　to　see　you　in　half　an　hour；　then；〃　he



said　negligently；　moving　off。







〃In　half　an　hour；〃　Captain　Whalley's　rigid　silvery



head　repeated　behind　him　as　if　out　of　a　trance。







Amidships；　below；　two　voices；　close　against　the　engine…



room；　could　be　heard　answering　each　otherone　angry



and　slow；　the　other　alert。







〃I　tell　you　the　beast　has　locked　himself　in　to　get



drunk。〃







〃Can't　help　it　now；　Mr。　Massy。　　After　all；　a　man　has



a　right　to　shut　himself　up　in　his　cabin　in　his　own　time。〃







〃Not　to　get　drunk。〃







〃I　heard　him　swear　that　the　worry　with　the　boilers



was　enough　to　drive　any　man　to　drink；〃　Sterne　said



maliciously。







Massy　hissed　out　something　about　bursting　the　door



in。　　Mr。　Van　Wyk；　to　avoid　them；　crossed　in　the　dark



to　the　other　side　of　the　deserted　deck。　　The　planking



of　the　little　wharf　rattled　faintly　under　his　hasty　feet。







〃Mr。　Van　Wyk！　　Mr。　Van　Wyk！〃







He　walked　on：　somebody　was　running　on　the　path。



〃You've　forgotten　to　get　your　mail。〃







Sterne；　holding　a　bundle　of　papers　in　his　hand；　caught



up　with　him。







〃Oh；　thanks。〃







But；　as　the　other　continued　at　his　elbow；　Mr。　Van



Wyk　stopped　short。　　The　overhanging　eaves；　descend…



ing　low　upon　the　lighted　front　of　the　bungalow；　threw



their　black　straight…edged　shadow　into　the　great　body



of　the　night　on　that　side。　　Everything　was　very　still。



A　tinkle　of　cutlery　and　a　slight　jingle　of　glasses　were



heard。　　Mr。　Van　Wyk's　servants　were　laying　the　table



for　two　on　the　veranda。







〃I'm　afraid　you　give　me　no　credit　whatever　for　my



good　intentions　in　the　matter　I've　spoken　to　you　about；〃



said　Sterne。







〃I　simply　don't　understand　you。〃







〃Captain　Whalley　is　a　very　audacious　man；　but　he



will　understand　that　his　game　is　up。　　That's　all　that



anybody　need　ever　know　of　it　from　me。　　Believe　me；　I



am　very　considerate　in　this；　but　duty　is　duty。　　I　don't



want　to　make　a　fuss。　　All　I　ask　you；　as　his　friend；　is



to　tell　him　from　me　that　the　game's　up。　　That　will　be



sufficient。〃







Mr。　Van　Wyk　felt　a　loathsome　dismay　at　this　queer



privilege　of　friendship。　　He　would　not　demean　himself



by　asking　for　the　slightest　explanation；　to　drive　the



other　away　with　contumely　he　did　not　think　prudent



as　yet；　at　any　rate。　　So　much　assurance　staggered　him。



Who　could　tell　what　there　could　be　in　it；　he　thought？



His　regard　for　Captain　Whalley　had　the　tenacity　of



a　disinterested　sentiment；　and　his　practical　instinct　com…



ing　to　his　aid；　he　concealed　his　scorn。







〃I　gather；　then；　that　this　is　something　grave。〃







〃Very　grave；〃　Sterne　assented　solemnly；　delighted　at



having　produced　an　effect　at　last。　　He　was　ready　to　add



some　effusive　protestations　of　regret　at　the　〃unavoida…



ble　necessity；〃　but　Mr。　Van　Wyk　cut　him　shortvery



civilly；　however。







Once　on　the　veranda　Mr。　Van　Wyk　put　his　hands　in　his



pockets；　and；　straddling　his　legs；　stared　down　at　a



black　panther　skin　lying　on　the　floor　before　a　rocking…



chair。　　〃It　looks　as　if　the　fellow　had　not　the　pluck



to　play　his　own　precious　game　openly；〃　he　thought。







This　was　true　enough。　　In　the　face　of　Massy's　last



rebuff　Sterne　dared　not　declare　his　knowledge。　　His



object　was　simply　to　get　charge　of　the　steamer　and



keep　it　for　some　time。　　Massy　would　never　forgive　him



for　forcing　himself　on；　but　if　Captain　Whalley　left



the　ship　of　his　own　accord；　the　command　would　devolve



upon　him　for　the　rest　of　the　trip；　so　he　hit　upon　the



brilliant　idea　of　scaring　the　old　man　away。　　A　vague



menace；　a　mere　hint；　would　be　enough　in　such　a　brazen



case；　and；　with　a　strange　admixture　of　compassion；　he



thought　that　Batu　Beru　was　a　very　good　place　for



throwing　up　the　sponge。　　The　skipper　could　go　ashore



quietly；　and　stay　with　that　Dutchman　of　his。　　Weren't



these　two　as　thick　as　thieves　together？　　And　on　reflec…



tion　he　seemed　to　see　that　there　was　a　way　to　work　the



whole　thing　through　that　great　friend　of　the　old　man's。



This　was　another　brilliant　idea。　　He　had　an　inborn



preference　for　circuitous　methods。　　In　this　particular



case　he　desired　to　remain　in　the　background　as　much



as　possible；　to　avoid　exasperating　Massy　needlessly。



No　fuss！　　Let　it　all　happen　naturally。







Mr。　Van　Wyk　all　through　the　dinner　was　conscious



of　a　sense　of　isolation　that　invades　sometimes　the　close…



ness　of　human　intercourse。　　Captain　Whalley　failed



lamentably　and　obviously　in　his　attempts　to　eat　some…



thing。　　He　seemed　overcome　by　a　strange　absent…



mindedness。　　His　hand　would　hover　irresolutely；　as　if



left　without　guidance　by　a　preoccupied　mind。　　Mr。　Van



Wyk　had　heard　him　coming　up　from　a　long　way　off　in



the　profound　stillness　of　the　river…side；　and　had　noticed



the　irresolute　character　of　the　footfalls。　　The　toe　of　his



boot　had　struck　the　bottom　stair　as　though　he　had　come



along　mooning　with　his　head　in　the　air　right　up　to　the



steps　of　the　veranda。　　Had　the　captain　of　the　Sofala



been　another　sort　of　man　he　would　have　suspected　the



work　of　age　there。　　But　one　glance　at　him　was　enough。



Timeafter；　indeed；　marking　him　for　its　ownhad



given　him　up　to　his　usefulness；　in　which　his　simple



faith　would　see　a　proof　of　Divine　mercy。　　〃How　could



I　contrive　to　warn　him？〃　Mr。　Van　Wyk　wondered；　as



if　Captain　Whalley　had　been　miles　and　miles　away；　out



of　sight　and　earshot　of　all　evil。　　He　was　sickened　by



an　immense　disgust　of　Sterne。　　To　even　mention　his



threat　to　a　man　like　Whalley　would　be　positively　inde…



cent。　　There　was　something　more　vile　and　insulting　in



its　hint　than　in　a　definite　charge　of　crimethe　debasing



taint　of　blackmailing。　　〃What　could　anyone　bring



against　him？〃　he　asked　himself。　　This　was　a　limpid



personality。