end of the tether-第5部分

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taken　refuge。







Scantily　furnished；　and　with　a　waxed　floor；　it　opened



into　one　of　the　side…verandas。　　The　straggling　building



of　bricks；　as　airy　as　a　bird…cage；　resounded　with　the



incessant　flapping　of　rattan　screens　worried　by　the　wind



between　the　white…washed　square　pillars　of　the　sea…front。



The　rooms　were　lofty；　a　ripple　of　sunshine　flowed　over



the　ceilings；　and　the　periodical　invasions　of　tourists　from



some　passenger　steamer　in　the　harbor　flitted　through　the



wind…swept　dusk　of　the　apartments　with　the　tumult　of



their　unfamiliar　voices　and　impermanent　presences；　like



relays　of　migratory　shades　condemned　to　speed　headlong



round　the　earth　without　leaving　a　trace。　　The　babble



of　their　irruptions　ebbed　out　as　suddenly　as　it　had　arisen；



the　draughty　corridors　and　the　long　chairs　of　the　ve…



randas　knew　their　sight…seeing　hurry　or　their　prostrate



repose　no　more；　and　Captain　Whalley；　substantial　and



dignified；　left　wellnigh　alone　in　the　vast　hotel　by　each



light…hearted　skurry；　felt　more　and　more　like　a　stranded



tourist　with　no　aim　in　view；　like　a　forlorn　traveler　with…



out　a　home。　　In　the　solitude　of　his　room　he　smoked



thoughtfully；　gazing　at　the　two　sea…chests　which　held　all



that　he　could　call　his　own　in　this　world。　　A　thick　roll　of



charts　in　a　sheath　of　sailcloth　leaned　in　a　corner；　the



flat　packing…case　containing　the　portrait　in　oils　and



the　three　carbon　photographs　had　been　pushed　under



the　bed。　　He　was　tired　of　discussing　terms；　of　assisting



at　surveys；　of　all　the　routine　of　the　business。　　What　to



the　other　parties　was　merely　the　sale　of　a　ship　was　to



him　a　momentous　event　involving　a　radically　new　view　of



existence。　　He　knew　that　after　this　ship　there　would



be　no　other；　and　the　hopes　of　his　youth；　the　exercise　of



his　abilities；　every　feeling　and　achievement　of　his　man…



hood；　had　been　indissolubly　connected　with　ships。　　He



had　served　ships；　he　had　owned　ships；　and　even　the



years　of　his　actual　retirement　from　the　sea　had　been　made



bearable　by　the　idea　that　he　had　only　to　stretch　out　his



hand　full　of　money　to　get　a　ship。　　He　had　been　at



liberty　to　feel　as　though　he　were　the　owner　of　all　the



ships　in　the　world。　　The　selling　of　this　one　was　weary



work；　but　when　she　passed　from　him　at　last；　when　he



signed　the　last　receipt；　it　was　as　though　all　the　ships



had　gone　out　of　the　world　together；　leaving　him　on　the



shore　of　inaccessible　oceans　with　seven　hundred　pounds



in　his　hands。







Striding　firmly；　without　haste；　along　the　quay；　Captain



Whalley　averted　his　glances　from　the　familiar　roadstead。



Two　generations　of　seamen　born　since　his　first　day　at



sea　stood　between　him　and　all　these　ships　at　the　anchor…



age。　　His　own　was　sold；　and　he　had　been　asking　him…



self；　What　next？







From　the　feeling　of　loneliness；　of　inward　emptiness；



and　of　loss　too；　as　if　his　very　soul　had　been　taken



out　of　him　forcibly；there　had　sprung　at　first　a　desire



to　start　right　off　and　join　his　daughter。　　〃Here　are　the



last　pence；〃　he　would　say　to　her；　〃take　them；　my　dear。



And　here's　your　old　father：　you　must　take　him　too。〃







His　soul　recoiled；　as　if　afraid　of　what　lay　hidden　at



the　bottom　of　this　impulse。　　Give　up！　　Never！　　When



one　is　thoroughly　weary　all　sorts　of　nonsense　come　into



one's　head。　　A　pretty　gift　it　would　have　been　for　a　poor



womanthis　seven　hundred　pounds　with　the　incumbrance



of　a　hale　old　fellow　more　than　likely　to　last　for　years



and　years　to　come。　　Was　he　not　as　fit　to　die　in　harness



as　any　of　the　youngsters　in　charge　of　these　anchored



ships　out　yonder？　　He　was　as　solid　now　as　ever　he　had



been。　　But　as　to　who　would　give　him　work　to　do；　that



was　another　matter。　　Were　he；　with　his　appearance　and



antecedents；　to　go　about　looking　for　a　junior's　berth；



people；　he　was　afraid；　would　not　take　him　seriously；　or



else　if　he　succeeded　in　impressing　them；　he　would　maybe



obtain　their　pity；　which　would　be　like　stripping　your…



self　naked　to　be　kicked。　　He　was　not　anxious　to　give



himself　away　for　less　than　nothing。　　He　had　no　use



for　anybody's　pity。　　On　the　other　hand；　a　command



the　only　thing　he　could　try　for　with　due　regard　for



common　decencywas　not　likely　to　be　lying　in　wait　for



him　at　the　corner　of　the　next　street。　　Commands　don't



go　a…begging　nowadays。　　Ever　since　he　had　come　ashore



to　carry　out　the　business　of　the　sale　he　had　kept　his



ears　open；　but　had　heard　no　hint　of　one　being　vacant



in　the　port。　　And　even　if　there　had　been　one；　his　suc…



cessful　past　itself　stood　in　his　way。　　He　had　been　his



own　employer　too　long。　　The　only　credential　he　could



produce　was　the　testimony　of　his　whole　life。　　What



better　recommendation　could　anyone　require？　　But



vaguely　he　felt　that　the　unique　document　would　be



looked　upon　as　an　archaic　curiosity　of　the　Eastern



waters；　a　screed　traced　in　obsolete　wordsin　a　half…for…



gotten　language。











IV











Revolving　these　thoughts；　he　strolled　on　near　the　rail…



ings　of　the　quay；　broad…chested；　without　a　stoop；　as



though　his　big　shoulders　had　never　felt　the　burden　of



the　loads　that　must　be　carried　between　the　cradle　and



the　grave。　　No　single　betraying　fold　or　line　of　care



disfigured　the　reposeful　modeling　of　his　face。　　It　was



full　and　untanned；　and　the　upper　part　emerged；　mas…



sively　quiet；　out　of　the　downward　flow　of　silvery　hair；



with　the　striking　delicacy　of　its　clear　complexion　and



the　powerful　width　of　the　forehead。　　The　first　cast　of



his　glance　fell　on　you　candid　and　swift；　like　a　boy's；



but　because　of　the　ragged　snowy　thatch　of　the　eyebrows



the　affability　of　his　attention　acquired　the　character　of



a　dark　and　searching　scrutiny。　　With　age　he　had　put



on　flesh　a　little；　had　increased　his　girth　like　an　old　tree



presenting　no　symptoms　of　decay；　and　even　the　opulent；



lustrous　ripple　of　white　hairs　upon　his　chest　seemed　an



attribute　of　unquenchable　vitality　and　vigor。







Once　rather　proud　of　his　great　bodily　strength；　and



even　of　his　personal　appearance；　conscious　of　his　worth；



and　firm　in　his　rectitude；　there　had　remained　to　him；



like　the　heritage　of　departed　prosperity；　the　tranquil



bearing　of　a　man　who　had　proved　himself　fit　in　every



sort　of　way　for　the　life　of　his　choice。　　He　strode　on



squarely　under　the　projecting　brim　of　an　ancient　Panama



hat。　　It　had　a　low　crown；　a　crease　through　its　whole



diameter；　a　narrow　black　ribbon。　　Imperishable　and　a



little　discolored；　this　headgear　made　it　easy　to　pick　him



out　from　afar　on　thronged　wharves　and　in　the　busy



streets。　　He　had　never　adopted　the　comparatively　modern



fashion　of　pipeclayed　cork　helmets。　　He　disliked　the



form；　and　he　hoped　he　could　manage　to　keep　a　cool



head　to　the　end　of　his　life　without　all　these　contrivances



for　hygienic　ventilation。　　His　hair　was　cropped　close；



his　linen　always　of　immaculate　whiteness；　a　suit　of　thin



gray　flannel；　worn　threadbare　but　scrupulously　brushed；



floated　about　his　burly　limbs；　adding　to　his　bulk　by　the



looseness　of　its　cut。　　The　years　had　mellowed　the　good…



humored；　imperturbable　audacity　of　his　prime　into　a



temper　carelessly　serene；　and　the　leisurely　tapping　of



his　iron…shod　stick　accompanied　his　footfalls　with　a　self…



confident　sound　on　the　flagstones。　　It　was　impossible　to



connect　such　a　fine　presence　and　this　unruffled　aspect



with　the　belittling　troubles　of　poverty；　the　man's　whole



existence　appeared　to　pass　before　you；　facile　and　large；



in　the　freedom　of　means　as　ample　as　the　clothing　of　his



body。







The　irrational　dread　of　having　to　break　into　his　five



hundred　pounds　for　personal　expenses　in　the　hotel　dis…



turbed　the　steady　poise　of　his　mind。　　There　was　no



time　to　lose。　　The　bill　was　running　up。　　He　nourished



the　hope　that　this　five　hundred　would　perhaps　be　the



means；　if　everything　else　failed；　of　obtaining　some　work



which；　keeping　his　body　and　soul　together　（not　a　matter



of　great　outlay）；　would　enable　him　to　be　of　use　to　his



daughter。　　To　his　mind　it　was　her　own　money　which　he



employed；　as　it　were；　in　backing　her　father　and　solely



for　her　benefit。　　Once　at　work；　he　would　help　her　with



the　greater　part　of　his　earnings；　he　was　good　for　many



years　yet；　and　this　boarding…house　business；　he　argued



to　himself；　whatever　the　prospects；　could　not　be　much　of



a　gold…mine　from　the　first　start。　　But　what　work？　　He



was　ready　to　lay　hold　of　anything　in　an　honest　way