end of the tether- 第3部分

stupor；　of　incredulity；　of　indignation；　he　had　to　accept



the　fact　that　he　had　nothing　to　speak　of　to　leave。







Upon　that；　as　if　he　had　only　waited　for　this　catas…



trophe；　the　unlucky　man；　away　there　in　Melbourne；　gave



up　his　unprofitable　game；　and　sat　downin　an　invalid's



bath…chair　at　that　too。　　〃He　will　never　walk　again；〃



wrote　the　wife。　　For　the　first　time　in　his　life　Captain



Whalley　was　a　bit　staggered。







The　Fair　Maid　had　to　go　to　work　in　bitter　earnest　now。



It　was　no　longer　a　matter　of　preserving　alive　the　memory



of　Dare…devil　Harry　Whalley　in　the　Eastern　Seas；　or



of　keeping　an　old　man　in　pocket…money　and　clothes；　with；



perhaps；　a　bill　for　a　few　hundred　first…class　cigars



thrown　in　at　the　end　of　the　year。　　He　would　have　to



buckle…to；　and　keep　her　going　hard　on　a　scant　allowance



of　gilt　for　the　ginger…bread　scrolls　at　her　stem　and



stern。







This　necessity　opened　his　eyes　to　the　fundamental



changes　of　the　world。　　Of　his　past　only　the　familiar



names　remained；　here　and　there；　but　the　things　and　the



men；　as　he　had　known　them；　were　gone。　　The　name　of



Gardner；　Patteson；　&　Co。　was　still　displayed　on　the



walls　of　warehouses　by　the　waterside；　on　the　brass　plates



and　window…panes　in　the　business　quarters　of　more　than



one　Eastern　port；　but　there　was　no　longer　a　Gardner



or　a　Patteson　in　the　firm。　　There　was　no　longer　for　Cap…



tain　Whalley　an　arm…chair　and　a　welcome　in　the　private



office；　with　a　bit　of　business　ready　to　be　put　in　the　way



of　an　old　friend；　for　the　sake　of　bygone　services。　　The



husbands　of　the　Gardner　girls　sat　behind　the　desks　in



that　room　where；　long　after　he　had　left　the　employ；　he



had　kept　his　right　of　entrance　in　the　old　man's　time。



Their　ships　now　had　yellow　funnels　with　black　tops；



and　a　time…table　of　appointed　routes　like　a　confounded



service　of　tramways。　　The　winds　of　December　and　June



were　all　one　to　them；　their　captains　（excellent　young



men　he　doubted　not）　were；　to　be　sure；　familiar　with



Whalley　Island；　because　of　late　years　the　Government



had　established　a　white　fixed　light　on　the　north　end　（with



a　red　danger　sector　over　the　Condor　Reef）；　but　most　of



them　would　have　been　extremely　surprised　to　hear　that



a　flesh…and…blood　Whalley　still　existedan　old　man



going　about　the　world　trying　to　pick　up　a　cargo　here



and　there　for　his　little　bark。







And　everywhere　it　was　the　same。　　Departed　the　men



who　would　have　nodded　appreciatively　at　the　mention



of　his　name；　and　would　have　thought　themselves　bound



in　honor　to　do　something　for　Dare…devil　Harry　Whalley。



Departed　the　opportunities　which　he　would　have　known



how　to　seize；　and　gone　with　them　the　white…winged　flock



of　clippers　that　lived　in　the　boisterous　uncertain　life　of



the　winds；　skimming　big　fortunes　out　of　the　foam　of



the　sea。　　In　a　world　that　pared　down　the　profits　to　an



irreducible　minimum；　in　a　world　that　was　able　to　count



its　disengaged　tonnage　twice　over　every　day；　and　in



which　lean　charters　were　snapped　up　by　cable　three



months　in　advance；　there　were　no　chances　of　fortune　for



an　individual　wandering　haphazard　with　a　little　bark



hardly　indeed　any　room　to　exist。







He　found　it　more　difficult　from　year　to　year。　　He　suf…



fered　greatly　from　the　smallness　of　remittances　he　was



able　to　send　his　daughter。　　Meantime　he　had　given　up



good　cigars；　and　even　in　the　matter　of　inferior　cheroots



limited　himself　to　six　a　day。　　He　never　told　her　of　his



difficulties；　and　she　never　enlarged　upon　her　struggle



to　live。　　Their　confidence　in　each　other　needed　no　ex…



planations；　and　their　perfect　understanding　endured



without　protestations　of　gratitude　or　regret。　　He　would



have　been　shocked　if　she　had　taken　it　into　her　head　to



thank　him　in　so　many　words；　but　he　found　it　perfectly



natural　that　she　should　tell　him　she　needed　two　hundred



pounds。







He　had　come　in　with　the　Fair　Maid　in　ballast　to　look



for　a　freight　in　the　Sofala's　port　of　registry；　and　her



letter　met　him　there。　　Its　tenor　was　that　it　was　no　use



mincing　matters。　　Her　only　resource　was　in　opening　a



boarding…house；　for　which　the　prospects；　she　judged；



were　good。　　Good　enough；　at　any　rate；　to　make　her　tell



him　frankly　that　with　two　hundred　pounds　she　could



make　a　start。　　He　had　torn　the　envelope　open；　hastily；



on　deck；　where　it　was　handed　to　him　by　the　ship…



chandler's　runner；　who　had　brought　his　mail　at　the　mo…



ment　of　anchoring。　　For　the　second　time　in　his　life　he



was　appalled；　and　remained　stock…still　at　the　cabin　door



with　the　paper　trembling　between　his　fingers。　　Open　a



boarding…house！　　Two　hundred　pounds　for　a　start！　　The



only　resource！　　And　he　did　not　know　where　to　lay　his



hands　on　two　hundred　pence。







All　that　night　Captain　Whalley　walked　the　poop　of



his　anchored　ship；　as　though　he　had　been　about　to　close



with　the　land　in　thick　weather；　and　uncertain　of　his



position　after　a　run　of　many　gray　days　without　a　sight



of　sun；　moon；　or　stars。　　The　black　night　twinkled　with



the　guiding　lights　of　seamen　and　the　steady　straight



lines　of　lights　on　shore；　and　all　around　the　Fair　Maid



the　riding　lights　of　ships　cast　trembling　trails　upon　the



water　of　the　roadstead。　　Captain　Whalley　saw　not　a



gleam　anywhere　till　the　dawn　broke　and　he　found　out



that　his　clothing　was　soaked　through　with　the　heavy



dew。







His　ship　was　awake。　　He　stopped　short；　stroked　his



wet　beard；　and　descended　the　poop　ladder　backwards；



with　tired　feet。　　At　the　sight　of　him　the　chief　officer；



lounging　about　sleepily　on　the　quarterdeck；　remained



open…mouthed　in　the　middle　of　a　great　early…morning



yawn。







〃Good　morning　to　you；〃　pronounced　Captain　Whal…



ley　solemnly；　passing　into　the　cabin。　　But　he　checked



himself　in　the　doorway；　and　without　looking　back；　〃By



the　bye；〃　he　said；　〃there　should　be　an　empty　wooden



case　put　away　in　the　lazarette。　　It　has　not　been　broken



uphas　it？〃







The　mate　shut　his　mouth；　and　then　asked　as　if　dazed；



〃What　empty　case；　sir？〃







〃A　big　flat　packing…case　belonging　to　that　painting　in



my　room。　　Let　it　be　taken　up　on　deck　and　tell　the



carpenter　to　look　it　over。　　I　may　want　to　use　it　before



long。〃







The　chief　officer　did　not　stir　a　limb　till　he　had　heard



the　door　of　the　captain's　state…room　slam　within　the



cuddy。　　Then　he　beckoned　aft　the　second　mate　with　his



forefinger　to　tell　him　that　there　was　something　〃in　the



wind。〃







When　the　bell　rang　Captain　Whalley's　authoritative



voice　boomed　out　through　a　closed　door；　〃Sit　down　and



don't　wait　for　me。〃　　And　his　impressed　officers　took　their



places；　exchanging　looks　and　whispers　across　the　table。



What！　　No　breakfast？　　And　after　apparently　knock…



ing　about　all　night　on　deck；　too！　　Clearly；　there　was



something　in　the　wind。　　In　the　skylight　above　their



heads；　bowed　earnestly　over　the　plates；　three　wire　cages



rocked　and　rattled　to　the　restless　jumping　of　the　hungry



canaries；　and　they　could　detect　the　sounds　of　their　〃old



man's〃　deliberate　movements　within　his　state…room。　　Cap…



tain　Whalley　was　methodically　winding　up　the　chro…



nometers；　dusting　the　portrait　of　his　late　wife；　getting



a　clean　white　shirt　out　of　the　drawers；　making　himself



ready　in　his　punctilious　unhurried　manner　to　go　ashore。



He　could　not　have　swallowed　a　single　mouthful　of　food



that　morning。　　He　had　made　up　his　mind　to　sell　the



Fair　Maid。











III











Just　at　that　time　the　Japanese　were　casting　far　and



wide　for　ships　of　European　build；　and　he　had　no　diffi…



culty　in　finding　a　purchaser；　a　speculator　who　drove　a



hard　bargain；　but　paid　cash　down　for　the　Fair　Maid；



with　a　view　to　a　profitable　resale。　　Thus　it　came　about



that　Captain　Whalley　found　himself　on　a　certain　after…



noon　descending　the　steps　of　one　of　the　most　important



post…offices　of　the　East　with　a　slip　of　bluish　paper　in　his



hand。　　This　was　the　receipt　of　a　registered　letter　en…



closing　a　draft　for　two　hundred　pounds；　and　addressed



to　Melbourne。　　Captain　Whalley　pushed　the　paper　into



his　waistcoat…pocket；　took　his　stick　from　under　his　arm；



and　walked　down　the　street。







It　was　a　recently　opened　and　untidy　thoroughfare　with



rudimentary　side…walks　and　a　soft　layer　of　dust　cushion…



ing　the　whole　width　of　the　road。　　One　end　touched　the



slummy　street　of　Chinese　shops　near　the　harbor；　the　other



drove　straight　on；　without　houses；　for　a　couple　of　miles；



through　patches　of　jungle…like　vegetation；　to　the　yard



gates　of　the　new　Consolidated　Docks　Company。　　The



crude　frontages　of　the　new　Government　buildings　alter…



nated　with　the　blank　fencing　of　vacant　plots；　and　the



view　of　the　sky　seemed　to　give　an　added　spaciousness　to



the　broad　vista。　　It　was　empty　and　shunned　by　natives



after　business　hours；　as　though　they　had　expected　to



see　one　of　the　tigers　from　the　neighborhood　of　the　New



Waterworks　on　the　hill　coming　at　a　loping　canter　down



the　middle　to　get　a　Chinese　shopkeeper　for　supper。　　Cap…



tain　Whalley　was　not　dwarfed　by　the　solitude　of　the



grandly　planned　street。　　He　had　too　fine　a　presence　for



that。　　He　was　only　a　lonely　figure　walking　purposefully；



with　a　great　white　beard　like　a　pilgrim；　and　with　a　thick



stick　that　resembled　a　weapon。　　On　one　side　the　new



Courts　of　Justice　had　a　low　and　unadorned　portico