end of the tether- 第23部分

Sultan　（though　his　wistful　invasions　were　a　nuisance）



was　really　much　more　acceptable　to　his　fastidious　taste。



But　still　they　were　white；　the　periodical　visits　of　the



ship　made　a　break　in　the　well…filled　sameness　of　the



days　without　disturbing　his　privacy。　　Moreover；　they



were　necessary　from　a　business　point　of　view；　and



through　a　strain　of　preciseness　in　his　nature　he　was



irritated　when　she　failed　to　appear　at　the　appointed



time。







The　cause　of　the　irregularity　was　too　absurd；　and



Massy；　in　his　opinion；　was　a　contemptible　idiot。　　The



first　time　the　Sofala　reappeared　under　the　new　agree…



ment　swinging　out　of　the　bend　below；　after　he　had



almost　given　up　all　hope　of　ever　seeing　her　again；　he



felt　so　angry　that　he　did　not　go　down　at　once　to　the



landing…place。　　His　servants　had　come　running　to　him



with　the　news；　and　he　had　dragged　a　chair　close　against



the　front　rail　of　the　veranda；　spread　his　elbows　out；



rested　his　chin　on　his　hands；　and　went　on　glaring　at



her　fixedly　while　she　was　being　made　fast　opposite　his



house。　　He　could　make　out　easily　all　the　white　faces　on



board。　　Who　on　earth　was　that　kind　of　patriarch　they



had　got　there　on　the　bridge　now？







At　last　he　sprang　up　and　walked　down　the　gravel　path。



It　was　a　fact　that　the　very　gravel　for　his　paths　had



been　imported　by　the　Sofala。　　Exasperated　out　of　his



quiet　superciliousness；　without　looking　at　anyone　right



or　left；　he　accosted　Massy　straightway　in　so　determined



a　manner　that　the　engineer；　taken　aback；　began　to



stammer　unintelligibly。　　Nothing　could　be　heard　but



the　words：　〃Mr。　Van　Wyk　。　。　。　　Indeed；　Mr。　Van



Wyk　。　。　。　　For　the　future；　Mr。　Van　Wyk〃and　by　the



suffusion　of　blood　Massy's　vast　bilious　face　acquired　an



unnatural　orange　tint；　out　of　which　the　disconcerted



coal…black　eyes　shone　in　an　extraordinary　manner。







〃Nonsense。　　I　am　tired　of　this。　　I　wonder　you　have



the　impudence　to　come　alongside　my　jetty　as　if　I　had



it　made　for　your　convenience　alone。〃







Massy　tried　to　protest　earnestly。　　Mr。　Van　Wyk　was



very　angry。　　He　had　a　good　mind　to　ask　that　German



firmthose　people　in　Malaccawhat　was　their　name？



boats　with　green　funnels。　　They　would　be　only　too　glad



of　the　opening　to　put　one　of　their　small　steamers　on



the　run。　　Yes；　Schnitzler；　Jacob　Schnitzler；　would　in　a



moment。　　Yes。　　He　had　decided　to　write　without　delay。







In　his　agitation　Massy　caught　up　his　falling　pipe。







〃You　don't　mean　it；　sir！〃　he　shrieked。







〃You　shouldn't　mismanage　your　business　in　this



ridiculous　manner。〃







Mr。　Van　Wyk　turned　on　his　heel。　　The　other　three



whites　on　the　bridge　had　not　stirred　during　the　scene。



Massy　walked　hastily　from　side　to　side；　puffed　out　his



cheeks；　suffocated。







〃Stuck　up　Dutchman！〃







And　he　moaned　out　feverishly　a　long　tale　of　griefs。



The　efforts　he　had　made　for　all　these　years　to　please



that　man。　　This　was　the　return　you　got　for　it；　eh？



Pretty。　　Write　to　Schnitzlerlet　in　the　green…funnel



boatsget　an　old　Hamburg　Jew　to　ruin　him。　　No；



really　he　could　laugh。　。　。　。　　He　laughed　sobbingly。　。　。　。



Ha！　ha！　ha！　　And　make　him　carry　the　letter　in　his　own



ship　presumably。







He　stumbled　across　a　grating　and　swore。　　He　would



not　hesitate　to　fling　the　Dutchman's　correspondence



overboardthe　whole　confounded　bundle。　　He　had



never；　never　made　any　charge　for　that　accommodation。



But　Captain　Whalley；　his　new　partner；　would　not　let



him　probably；　besides；　it　would　be　only　putting　off　the



evil　day。　　For　his　own　part　he　would　make　a　hole　in　the



water　rather　than　look　on　tamely　at　the　green　funnels



overrunning　his　trade。







He　raved　aloud。　　The　China　boys　hung　back　with　the



dishes　at　the　foot　of　the　ladder。　　He　yelled　from　the



bridge　down　at　the　deck；　〃Aren't　we　going　to　have　any



chow　this　evening　at　all？〃　then　turned　violently　to



Captain　Whalley；　who　waited；　grave　and　patient；　at



the　head　of　the　table；　smoothing　his　beard　in　silence



now　and　then　with　a　forbearing　gesture。







〃You　don't　seem　to　care　what　happens　to　me。　　Don't



you　see　that　this　affects　your　interests　as　much　as　mine？



It's　no　joking　matter。〃







He　took　the　foot　of　the　table　growling　between　his



teeth。







〃Unless　you　have　a　few　thousands　put　away　some…



where。　　I　haven't。〃







Mr。　Van　Wyk　dined　in　his　thoroughly　lit…up　bunga…



low；　putting　a　point　of　splendor　in　the　night　of　his



clearing　above　the　dark　bank　of　the　river。　　Afterwards



he　sat　down　to　his　piano；　and　in　a　pause　he　became　aware



of　slow　footsteps　passing　on　the　path　along　the　front。



A　plank　or　two　creaked　under　a　heavy　tread；　he　swung



half　round　on　the　music…stool；　listening　with　his　finger…



tips　at　rest　on　the　keyboard。　　His　little　terrier　barked



violently；　backing　in　from　the　veranda。　　A　deep　voice



apologized　gravely　for　〃this　intrusion。〃　　He　walked　out



quickly。







At　the　head　of　the　steps　the　patriarchal　figure；　who



was　the　new　captain　of　the　Sofala　apparently　（he　had



seen　a　round　dozen　of　them；　but　not　one　of　that　sort）；



towered　without　advancing。　　The　little　dog　barked　un…



ceasingly；　till　a　flick　of　Mr。　Van　Wyk's　handkerchief



made　him　spring　aside　into　silence。　　Captain　Whalley；



opening　the　matter；　was　met　by　a　punctiliously　polite



but　determined　opposition。







They　carried　on　their　discussion　standing　where　they



had　come　face　to　face。　　Mr。　Van　Wyk　observed　his



visitor　with　attention。　　Then　at　last；　as　if　forced　out　of



his　reserve







〃I　am　surprised　that　you　should　intercede　for　such　a



confounded　fool。〃







This　outbreak　was　almost　complimentary；　as　if　its



meaning　had　been；　〃That　such　a　man　as　you　should



intercede！〃　　Captain　Whalley　let　it　pass　by　without



flinching。　　One　would　have　thought　he　had　heard　noth…



ing。　　He　simply　went　on　to　state　that　he　was　personally



interested　in　putting　things　straight　between　them。



Personally　。　。　。







But　Mr。　Van　Wyk；　really　carried　away　by　his　disgust



with　Massy；　became　very　incisive







〃Indeedif　I　am　to　be　frank　with　youhis　whole



character　does　not　seem　to　me　particularly　estimable　or



trustworthy　。　。　。〃







Captain　Whalley；　always　straight；　seemed　to　grow　an



inch　taller　and　broader；　as　if　the　girth　of　his　chest　had



suddenly　expanded　under　his　beard。







〃My　dear　sir；　you　don't　think　I　came　here　to　discuss



a　man　with　whom　I　amI　amh'mclosely　asso…



ciated。〃







A　sort　of　solemn　silence　lasted　for　a　moment。　　He　was



not　used　to　asking　favors；　but　the　importance　he　at…



tached　to　this　affair　had　made　him　willing　to　try。　。　。　。



Mr。　Van　Wyk；　favorably　impressed；　and　suddenly　mol…



lified　by　a　desire　to　laugh；　interrupted







〃That's　all　right　if　you　make　it　a　personal　matter；



but　you　can　do　no　less　than　sit　down　and　smoke　a　cigar



with　me。〃







A　slight　pause；　then　Captain　Whalley　stepped　forward



heavily。　　As　to　the　regularity　of　the　service；　for　the



future　he　made　himself　responsible　for　it；　and　his　name



was　Whalleyperhaps　to　a　sailor　（he　was　speaking　to



a　sailor；　was　he　not？）　not　altogether　unfamiliar。　　There



was　a　lighthouse　now；　on　an　island。　　Maybe　Mr。　Van



Wyk　himself　。　。　。







〃Oh　yes。　　Oh　indeed。〃　　Mr。　Van　Wyk　caught　on　at



once。　　He　indicated　a　chair。　　How　very　interesting。



For　his　own　part　he　had　seen　some　service　in　the　last



Acheen　War；　but　had　never　been　so　far　East。　　Whalley



Island？　　Of　course。　　Now　that　was　very　interesting。



What　changes　his　guest　must　have　seen　since。







〃I　can　look　further　back　evenon　a　whole　half…



century。〃







Captain　Whalley　expanded　a　bit。　　The　flavor　of　a



good　cigar　（it　was　a　weakness）　had　gone　straight　to　his



heart；　also　the　civility　of　that　young　man。　　There　was



something　in　that　accidental　contact　of　which　he　had



been　starved　in　his　years　of　struggle。







The　front　wall　retreating　made　a　square　recess　fur…



nished　like　a　room。　　A　lamp　with　a　milky　glass　shade；



suspended　below　the　slope　of　the　high　roof　at　the　end



of　a　slender　brass　chain；　threw　a　bright　round　of　light



upon　a　little　table　bearing　an　open　book　and　an　ivory



paper…knife。　　And；　in　the　translucent　shadows　beyond；



other　tables　could　be　seen；　a　number　of　easy…chairs　of



various　shapes；　with　a　great　profusion　of　skin　rugs



strewn　on　the　teakwood　planking　all　over　the　veranda。



The　flowering　creepers　scented　the　air。　　Their　foliage



clipped　out　between　the　uprights　made　as　if　several



frames　of　thick　unstirring　leaves　reflecting　the　lamp…



light　in　a　green　glow。　　Through　the　opening　at　his



elbow　Captain　Whalley　could　see　the　gangway　lantern



of　the　Sofala　burning　dim　by　the　shore；　the　shadowy



masses　of　the　town　beyond　the　open　lustrous　darkness



of　the　river；　and；　as　if　hung　along　the　straight　edge



of　the　projecting　eaves；　a　narrow　black　strip　of　the



night　sky　full　of　starsresplendent。　　The　famous　cigar



in　hand　he　had　a　moment　of　complacency。







〃A　trifle。　　Somebody　must　lead　the　way。　　I　just



showed　that　the　thing　could　be　done；　but　you　men



brought　up　to　the　use　of　steam　cannot　conceive　the



vast　importance　of　my　bit　of　venturesomeness　to



the　Eastern　trade　of　the　time。　　Why；　that　new　route



reduced　the　average　time　of　a　southern　passage　by



eleven　days　for　more　than　half　the