end of the tether-第15节
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years。〃
His dogmatic reproachful whine stopped。 He brooded
profoundly； after the manner of crafty and unintelli…
gent men。 It seemed inconceivable that Captain
Whalley should not laugh at the expression of disgust
that overspread the heavy； yellow countenance。 But
Captain Whalley never raised his eyessitting in his
arm…chair； outraged； dignified； and motionless。
〃Much good it was to me；〃 Massy remonstrated
monotonously； 〃to insert a clause for dismissal for in…
temperance against a man who drinks nothing but water。
And you looked so upset； too； when I read my draft in
the lawyer's office that morning； Captain Whalley；
you looked so crestfallen； that I made sure I had gone
home on your weak spot。 A shipowner can't be too
careful as to the sort of skipper he gets。 You must
have been laughing at me in your sleeve all the blessed
time。 。 。 。 Eh？ What are you going to say？〃
Captain Whalley had only shuffled his feet slightly。
A dull animosity became apparent in Massy's sideways
stare。
〃But recollect that there are other grounds of dis…
missal。 There's habitual carelessness； amounting to in…
competencethere's gross and persistent neglect of
duty。 I am not quite as big a fool as you try to make
me out to be。 You have been careless of lateleaving
everything to that Serang。 Why！ I've seen you let…
ting that old fool of a Malay take bearings for you；
as if you were too big to attend to your work yourself。
And what do you call that silly touch…and…go manner
in which you took the ship over the bar just now？ You
expect me to put up with that？〃
Leaning on his elbow against the ladder abaft the
bridge； Sterne； the mate； tried to hear； blinking the
while from the distance at the second engineer； who had
come up for a moment； and stood in the engine…room
companion。 Wiping his hands on a bunch of cotton
waste； he looked about with indifference to the right
and left at the river banks slipping astern of the
Sofala steadily。
Massy turned full at the chair。 The character of his
whine became again threatening。
〃Take care。 I may yet dismiss you and freeze to your
money for a year。 I may 。 。 。〃
But before the silent； rigid immobility of the man
whose money had come in the nick of time to save him
from utter ruin； his voice died out in his throat。
〃Not that I want you to go；〃 he resumed after a si…
lence； and in an absurdly insinuating tone。 〃I want
nothing better than to be friends and renew the agree…
ment； if you will consent to find another couple of hun…
dred to help with the new boilers； Captain Whalley。
I've told you before。 She must have new boilers； you
know it as well as I do。 Have you thought this over？〃
He waited。 The slender stem of the pipe with its
bulky lump of a bowl at the end hung down from his
thick lips。 It had gone out。 Suddenly he took it from
between his teeth and wrung his hands slightly。
〃Don't you believe me？〃 He thrust the pipe bowl
into the pocket of his shiny black jacket。
〃It's like dealing with the devil；〃 he said。 〃Why
don't you speak？ At first you were so high and mighty
with me I hardly dared to creep about my own deck。
Now I can't get a word from you。 You don't seem to
see me at all。 What does it mean？ Upon my soul； you
terrify me with this deaf and dumb trick。 What's go…
ing on in that head of yours？ What are you plotting
against me there so hard that you can't say a word？
You will never make me believe that youyoudon't
know where to lay your hands on a couple of hundred。
You have made me curse the day I was born。 。 。 。〃
〃Mr。 Massy；〃 said Captain Whalley suddenly； with…
out stirring。
The engineer started violently。
〃If that is so I can only beg you to forgive me。〃
〃Starboard；〃 muttered the Serang to the helmsman；
and the Sofala began to swing round the bend into the
second reach。
〃Ough！〃 Massy shuddered。 〃You make my blood
run cold。 What made you come here？ What made you
come aboard that evening all of a sudden； with your
high talk and your moneytempting me？ I always
wondered what was your motive？ You fastened yourself
on me to have easy times and grow fat on my life blood；
I tell you。 Was that it？ I believe you are the greatest
miser in the world； or else why 。 。 。〃
〃No。 I am only poor；〃 interrupted Captain Whalley；
stonily。
〃Steady；〃 murmured the Serang。 Massy turned away
with his chin on his shoulder。
〃I don't believe it；〃 he said in his dogmatic tone。
Captain Whalley made no movement。 〃There you sit
like a gorged vultureexactly like a vulture。〃
He embraced the middle of the reach and both the
banks in one blank unseeing circular glance； and left the
bridge slowly。
IX
On turning to descend Massy perceived the head of
Sterne the mate loitering； with his sly confident smile；
his red mustaches and blinking eyes； at the foot of the
ladder。
Sterne had been a junior in one of the larger shipping
concerns before joining the Sofala。 He had thrown up
his berth； he said； 〃on general principles。〃 The pro…
motion in the employ was very slow； he complained； and
he thought it was time for him to try and get on a bit
in the world。 It seemed as though nobody would ever
die or leave the firm； they all stuck fast in their berths
till they got mildewed； he was tired of waiting； and he
feared that when a vacancy did occur the best servants
were by no means sure of being treated fairly。 Besides；
the captain he had to serve underCaptain Provost
was an unaccountable sort of man； and； he fancied； had
taken a dislike to him for some reason or other。 For
doing rather more than his bare duty as likely as not。
When he had done anything wrong he could take a
talking to； like a man； but he expected to be treated
like a man too； and not to be addressed invariably as
though he were a dog。 He had asked Captain Provost
plump and plain to tell him where he was at fault； and
Captain Provost； in a most scornful way； had told him
that he was a perfect officer； and that if he disliked the
way he was being spoken to there was the gangway
he could take himself off ashore at once。 But everybody
knew what sort of man Captain Provost was。 It was no
use appealing to the office。 Captain Provost had too
much influence in the employ。 All the same； they had
to give him a good character。 He made bold to say
there was nothing in the world against him； and； as he
had happened to hear that the mate of the Sofala had
been taken to the hospital that morning with a sun…
stroke； he thought there would be no harm in seeing
whether he would not do。 。 。 。
He had come to Captain Whalley freshly shaved； red…
faced； thin…flanked； throwing out his lean chest； and
had recited his little tale with an open and manly as…
surance。 Now and then his eyelids quivered slightly；
his hand would steal up to the end of the flaming mus…
tache； his eyebrows were straight； furry； of a chestnut
color； and the directness of his frank gaze seemed to
tremble on the verge of impudence。 Captain Whalley
had engaged him temporarily； then； the other man hav…
ing been ordered home by the doctors； he had remained
for the next trip； and then the next。 He had now at…
tained permanency； and the performance of his duties
was marked by an air of serious； single…minded appli…
cation。 Directly he was spoken to； he began to smile
attentively； with a great deference expressed in his
whole attitude； but there was in the rapid winking
which went on all the time something quizzical； as
though he had possessed the secret of some universal
joke cheating all creation and impenetrable to other
mortals。
Grave and smiling he watched Massy come down step
by step； when the chief engineer had reached the deck
he swung about； and they found themselves face to face。
Matched as to height and utterly dissimilar； they con…
fronted each other as if there had been something be…
tween themsomething else than the bright strip of
sunlight that； falling through the wide lacing of two
awnings； cut crosswise the narrow planking of the deck
and separated their feet as
