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also parcels of new musicthough the piano (it had



come years ago by the Sofala in the damp atmosphere



of the forests was generally out of tune。  It was vexing



to be cut off from everything for sixty days at a stretch



sometimes; without any means of knowing what was the



matter。  And when the Sofala reappeared Mr。 Van Wyk



would descend the steps of the veranda and stroll over



the grass plot in front of his house; down to the water…



side; with a frown on his white brow。







〃You've been laid up after an accident; I presume。〃







He addressed the bridge; but before anybody could



answer Massy was sure to have already scrambled ashore



over the rail and pushed in; squeezing the palms of his



hands together; bowing his sleek head as if gummed all



over the top with black threads and tapes。  And he



would be so enraged at the necessity of having to offer



such an explanation that his moaning would be posi…



tively pitiful; while all the time he tried to compose



his big lips into a smile。







〃No; Mr。 Van Wyk。  You would not believe it。  I



couldn't get one of those wretches to take the ship out。



Not a single one of the lazy beasts could be induced;



and the law; you know; Mr。 Van Wyk 。 。 。〃







He moaned at great length apologetically; the words



conspiracy; plot; envy; came out prominently; whined



with greater energy。  Mr。 Van Wyk; examining with



a faint grimace his polished finger…nails; would say;



〃H'm。  Very unfortunate;〃 and turn his back on him。







Fastidious; clever; slightly skeptical; accustomed to the



best society (he had held a much…envied shore appoint…



ment at the Ministry of Marine for a year preceding



his retreat from his profession and from Europe); he



possessed a latent warmth of feeling and a capacity for



sympathy which were concealed by a sort of haughty;



arbitrary indifference of manner arising from his early



training; and by a something an enemy might have



called foppish; in his aspectlike a distorted echo of



past elegance。  He managed to keep an almost mili…



tary discipline amongst the coolies of the estate he had



dragged into the light of day out of the tangle and



shadows of the jungle; and the white shirt he put



on every evening with its stiff glossy front and high



collar looked as if he had meant to preserve the decent



ceremony of evening…dress; but had wound a thick crim…



son sash above his hips as a concession to the wilderness;



once his adversary; now his vanquished companion。







Moreover; it was a hygienic precaution。  Worn wide



open in front; a short jacket of some airy silken stuff



floated from his shoulders。  His fluffy; fair hair; thin



at the top; curled slightly at the sides; a carefully ar…



ranged mustache; an ungarnished forehead; the gleam



of low patent shoes peeping under the wide bottom of



trowsers cut straight from the same stuff as the gossa…



mer coat; completed a figure recalling; with its sash; a



pirate chief of romance; and at the same time the ele…



gance of a slightly bald dandy indulging; in seclusion;



a taste for unorthodox costume。







It was his evening get…up。  The proper time for the



Sofala to arrive at Batu Beru was an hour before sun…



set; and he looked picturesque; and somehow quite cor…



rect too; walking at the water's edge on the background



of grass slope crowned with a low long bungalow with



an immensely steep roof of palm thatch; and clad to the



eaves in flowering creepers。  While the Sofala was being



made fast he strolled in the shade of the few trees left



near the landing…place; waiting till he could go on



board。  Her white men were not of his kind。  The old



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

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