end of the tether-第16节
按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
awnings； cut crosswise the narrow planking of the deck
and separated their feet as it were a stream； something
profound and subtle and incalculable； like an unex…
pressed understanding； a secret mistrust； or some sort
of fear。
At last Sterne； blinking his deep…set eyes and sticking
forward his scraped； clean…cut chin； as crimson as the
rest of his face； murmured
〃You've seen？ He grazed！ You've seen？〃
Massy； contemptuous； and without raising his yellow；
fleshy countenance； replied in the same pitch
〃Maybe。 But if it had been you we would have been
stuck fast in the mud。〃
〃Pardon me； Mr。 Massy。 I beg to deny it。 Of course
a shipowner may say what he jolly well pleases on his
own deck。 That's all right； but I beg to 。 。 。〃
〃Get out of my way！〃
The other had a slight start； the impulse of suppressed
indignation perhaps； but held his ground。 Massy's
downward glance wandered right and left； as though the
deck all round Sterne had been bestrewn with eggs that
must not be broken； and he had looked irritably for
places where he could set his feet in flight。 In the end
he too did not move； though there was plenty of room
to pass on。
〃I heard you say up there；〃 went on the mate〃and
a very just remark it was toothat there's always
something wrong。 。 。 。〃
〃Eavesdropping is what's wrong with YOU； Mr。
Sterne。〃
〃Now； if you would only listen to me for a moment；
Mr。 Massy； sir； I could 。 。 。〃
〃You are a sneak；〃 interrupted Massy in a great
hurry； and even managed to get so far as to repeat； 〃a
common sneak；〃 before the mate had broken in argu…
mentatively
〃Now； sir； what is it you want？ You want 。 。 。〃
〃I wantI want；〃 stammered Massy； infuriated and
astonished〃I want。 How do you know that I want
anything？ How dare you？ 。 。 。 What do you
mean？ 。 。 。 What are you afteryou 。 。 。〃
〃Promotion。〃 Sterne silenced him with a sort of
candid bravado。 The engineer's round soft cheeks quiv…
ered still； but he said quietly enough
〃You are only worrying my head off；〃 and Sterne
met him with a confident little smile。
〃A chap in business I know （well up in the world
he is now） used to tell me that this was the proper way。
'Always push on to the front；' he would say。 'Keep
yourself well before your boss。 Interfere whenever you
get a chance。 Show him what you know。 Worry him
into seeing you。' That was his advice。 Now I know
no other boss than you here。 You are the owner； and
no one else counts for THAT much in my eyes。 See； Mr。
Massy？ I want to get on。 I make no secret of it that
I am one of the sort that means to get on。 These are
the men to make use of； sir。 You haven't arrived at
the top of the tree； sir； without finding that outI
dare say。〃
〃Worry your boss in order to get on；〃 mumbled
Massy； as if awestruck by the irreverent originality of
the idea。 〃I shouldn't wonder if this was just what the
Blue Anchor people kicked you out of the employ for。
Is that what you call getting on？ You shall get on in
the same way here if you aren't carefulI can promise
you。〃
At this Sterne hung his head； thoughtful； perplexed；
winking hard at the deck。 All his attempts to enter into
confidential relations with his owner had led of late
to nothing better than these dark threats of dismissal；
and a threat of dismissal would check him at once into
a hesitating silence as though he were not sure that
the proper time for defying it had come。 On this occa…
sion he seemed to have lost his tongue for a moment； and
Massy； getting in motion； heavily passed him by with
an abortive attempt at shouldering。 Sterne defeated it
by stepping aside。 He turned then swiftly； opening
his mouth very wide as if to shout something after the
engineer； but seemed to think better of it。
Alwaysas he was ready to confesson the lookout
for an opening to get on； it had become an instinct with
him to watch the conduct of his immediate superiors for
something 〃that one could lay hold of。〃 It was his
belief that no skipper in the world would keep his com…
mand for a day if only the owners could be 〃made to
know。〃 This romantic and naive theory had led him
into trouble more than once； but he remained incorrigi…
ble； and his character was so instinctively disloyal that
whenever he joined a ship the intention of ousting his
commander out of the berth and taking his place was
always present at the back of his head； as a matter of
course。 It filled the leisure of his waking hours with
the reveries of careful plans and compromising discov…
eriesthe dreams of his sleep with images of lucky
turns and favorable accidents。 Skippers had been
known to sicken and die at sea； than which nothing
could be better to give a smart mate a chance of showing
what he's made of。 They also would tumble overboard
sometimes： he had heard of one or two such cases。
Others again 。 。 。 But； as it were constitutionally； he
was faithful to the belief that the conduct of no single
one of them would stand the test of careful watching
by a man who 〃knew what's what〃 and who kept his
eyes 〃skinned pretty well〃 all the time。
After he had gained a permanent footing on board
the Sofala he allowed his perennial hope to rise high。
To begin with； it was a great advantage to have an old
man for captain： the sort of man besides who in the
nature of things was likely to give up the job before
long from one cause or another。 Sterne was greatly
chagrined； however； to notice that he did not seem any…
way near being past his work yet。 Still； these old men
go to pieces all at once sometimes。 Then there was the
owner…engineer close at hand to be impressed by his zeal
and steadiness。 Sterne never for a moment doubted the
obvious nature of his own merits （he was really an ex…
cellent officer）； only； nowadays； professional merit alone
does not take a man along fast enough。 A chap must
have some push in him； and must keep his wits at work
too to help him forward。 He made up his mind to
inherit the charge of this steamer if it was to be done
at all； not indeed estimating the command of the
Sofala as a very great catch； but for the reason that；
out East especially； to make a start is everything； and
one command leads to another。
He began by promising himself to behave with great
circumspection； Massy's somber and fantastic humors
intimidated him as being outside one's usual sea experi…
ence； but he was quite intelligent enough to realize al…
most from the first that he was there in the presence of
an exceptional situation。 His peculiar prying imagina…
tion penetrated it quickly； the feeling that there was
in it an element which eluded his grasp exasperated his
impatience to get on。 And so one trip came to an end；
then another； and he had begun his third before he saw
an opening by which he could step in with any sort of
effect。 It had all been very queer and very obscure；
something had been going on near him； as if separated
by a chasm from the common life and the working
routine of the ship； which was exactly like the life and
the routine of any other coasting steamer of that class。
Then one day he made his discovery。
It came to him after all these weeks of watchful ob…
servation and puzzled surmises； suddenly； like the long…
sought solution of a riddle that suggests itself to the
mind in a flash。 Not with the same authority； however。
Great heavens！ Could it be that？ And after remain…
ing thunderstruck for a few seconds he tried to shake
it off with self…contumely； as though it had been the
product of an unhealthy bias towards the Incredible；
the Inexplicable； the Unheard…ofthe Mad！
Thisthe illuminating momenthad occurred the trip
before； on the return passage。 They had just left a
place of call on the mainland called Pangu； they were
steaming straight out of a bay。 To the east a massive
headland closed the view； with the tilted edges of the
rocky strata showing through its ragged clothing of
rank bushes and thorny creepers。 The wind had begun
to sing in the rigging； the sea along the coast； green
and as if swollen a little above the line
