end of the tether-第2节
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his leisure of a retired sailor〃to play with；〃 as he ex…
pressed it himself。
He had formally declared himself tired of the sea the
year preceding his daughter's marriage。 But after the
young couple had gone to settle in Melbourne he found
out that he could not make himself happy on shore。 He
was too much of a merchant sea…captain for mere yacht…
ing to satisfy him。 He wanted the illusion of affairs；
and his acquisition of the Fair Maid preserved the con…
tinuity of his life。 He introduced her to his acquaint…
ances in various ports as 〃my last command。〃 When
he grew too old to be trusted with a ship； he would
lay her up and go ashore to be buried； leaving directions
in his will to have the bark towed out and scuttled
decently in deep water on the day of the funeral。 His
daughter would not grudge him the satisfaction of
knowing that no stranger would handle his last command
after him。 With the fortune he was able to leave her；
the value of a 500…ton bark was neither here nor there。
All this would be said with a jocular twinkle in his eye：
the vigorous old man had too much vitality for the sen…
timentalism of regret； and a little wistfully withal； be…
cause he was at home in life； taking a genuine pleasure
in its feelings and its possessions； in the dignity of his
reputation and his wealth； in his love for his daughter；
and in his satisfaction with the shipthe plaything of
his lonely leisure。
He had the cabin arranged in accordance with his
simple ideal of comfort at sea。 A big bookcase （he was
a great reader） occupied one side of his stateroom； the
portrait of his late wife； a flat bituminous oil…painting
representing the profile and one long black ringlet of
a young woman； faced his bedplace。 Three chronometers
ticked him to sleep and greeted him on waking with
the tiny competition of their beats。 He rose at five every
day。 The officer of the morning watch； drinking his
early cup of coffee aft by the wheel； would hear through
the wide orifice of the copper ventilators all the splash…
ings； blowings； and splutterings of his captain's toilet。
These noises would be followed by a sustained deep
murmur of the Lord's Prayer recited in a loud earnest
voice。 Five minutes afterwards the head and shoulders
of Captain Whalley emerged out of the companion…
hatchway。 Invariably he paused for a while on the
stairs； looking all round at the horizon； upwards at the
trim of the sails； inhaling deep draughts of the fresh
air。 Only then he would step out on the poop； acknowl…
edging the hand raised to the peak of the cap with a
majestic and benign 〃Good morning to you。〃 He
walked the deck till eight scrupulously。 Sometimes； not
above twice a year； he had to use a thick cudgel…like
stick on account of a stiffness in the hipa slight touch
of rheumatism； he supposed。 Otherwise he knew nothing
of the ills of the flesh。 At the ringing of the breakfast
bell he went below to feed his canaries； wind up the
chronometers； and take the head of the table。 From
there he had before his eyes the big carbon photographs
of his daughter； her husband； and two fat…legged babies
his grandchildrenset in black frames into the maple…
wood bulkheads of the cuddy。 After breakfast he dusted
the glass over these portraits himself with a cloth； and
brushed the oil painting of his wife with a plumate kept
suspended from a small brass hook by the side of the
heavy gold frame。 Then with the door of his state…
room shut； he would sit down on the couch under the
portrait to read a chapter out of a thick pocket Bible
her Bible。 But on some days he only sat there for
half an hour with his finger between the leaves and the
closed book resting on his knees。 Perhaps he had re…
membered suddenly how fond of boat…sailing she used
to be。
She had been a real shipmate and a true woman too。
It was like an article of faith with him that there never
had been； and never could be； a brighter； cheerier home
anywhere afloat or ashore than his home under the poop…
deck of the Condor； with the big main cabin all white
and gold； garlanded as if for a perpetual festival with
an unfading wreath。 She had decorated the center of
every panel with a cluster of home flowers。 It took her
a twelvemonth to go round the cuddy with this labor
of love。 To him it had remained a marvel of painting；
the highest achievement of taste and skill； and as to
old Swinburne； his mate； every time he came down to
his meals he stood transfixed with admiration before the
progress of the work。 You could almost smell these
roses； he declared； sniffing the faint flavor of turpentine
which at that time pervaded the saloon； and （as he con…
fessed afterwards） made him somewhat less hearty than
usual in tackling his food。 But there was nothing of
the sort to interfere with his enjoyment of her singing。
〃Mrs。 Whalley is a regular out…and…out nightingale；
sir；〃 he would pronounce with a judicial air after listen…
ing profoundly over the skylight to the very end of the
piece。 In fine weather； in the second dog…watch； the two
men could hear her trills and roulades going on to the
accompaniment of the piano in the cabin。 On the very
day they got engaged he had written to London for the
instrument； but they had been married for over a year
before it reached them； coming out round the Cape。
The big case made part of the first direct general cargo
landed in Hongkong harboran event that to the men
who walked the busy quays of to…day seemed as hazily
remote as the dark ages of history。 But Captain Whal…
ley could in a half hour of solitude live again all his
life； with its romance； its idyl； and its sorrow。 He had
to close her eyes himself。 She went away from under
the ensign like a sailor's wife； a sailor herself at heart。
He had read the service over her； out of her own prayer…
book； without a break in his voice。 When he raised his
eyes he could see old Swinburne facing him with his cap
pressed to his breast； and his rugged； weather…beaten；
impassive face streaming with drops of water like a
lump of chipped red granite in a shower。 It was all
very well for that old sea…dog to cry。 He had to read
on to the end； but after the splash he did not remember
much of what happened for the next few days。 An
elderly sailor of the crew； deft at needlework； put to…
gether a mourning frock for the child out of one of
her black skirts。
He was not likely to forget； but you cannot dam up
life like a sluggish stream。 It will break out and flow
over a man's troubles； it will close upon a sorrow like
the sea upon a dead body； no matter how much love has
gone to the bottom。 And the world is not bad。 People
had been very kind to him； especially Mrs。 Gardner； the
wife of the senior partner in Gardner； Patteson； & Co。；
the owners of the Condor。 It was she who volunteered
to look after the little one； and in due course took her
to England （something of a journey in those days；
even by the overland mail route） with her own girls to
finish her education。 It was ten years before he saw her
again。
As a little child she had never been frightened of bad
weather； she would beg to be taken up on deck in the
bosom of his oilskin coat to watch the big seas hurling
themselves upon the Condor。 The swirl and crash of the
waves seemed to fill her small soul with a breathless de…
light。 〃A good boy spoiled；〃 he used to say of her in
joke。 He had named her Ivy because of the sound of
the word； and obscurely fascinated by a vague associa…
tion of ideas。 She had twined herself tightly round his
heart； and he intended her to cling close to her father as
to a tower of strength； forgetting； while she was little；
that in the nature of things she would probably elect
to cling to someone else。 But he loved life well enough
for even that event to give him a certain satisfaction；
apart from his more intimate feeling of loss。
After he had purchased the Fair Maid to occupy his
loneliness； he hastened to accept a rather unprofitable
freight to Australia simply for the opportunity of seeing
his daughter in her own home。 What made him dis…
satisfied there was not to see that she clung now to some…
body else； but that the prop she had selected seemed on
closer e
