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Well; she 。 。 。〃







Again he paused; then pronounced stoically the words;



〃She has a hard struggle。〃







And his head fell on his breast; his eyebrows remained



knitted; as by an effort of meditation。  But generally his



mind seemed steeped in the serenity of boundless trust



in a higher power。  Mr。 Van Wyk wondered sometimes



how much of it was due to the splendid vitality of the



man; to the bodily vigor which seems to impart some…



thing of its force to the soul。  But he had learned to



like him very much。











XIII







This was the reason why Mr。 Sterne's confidential com…



munication; delivered hurriedly on the shore alongside



the dark silent ship; had disturbed his equanimity。  It



was the most incomprehensible and unexpected thing



that could happen; and the perturbation of his spirit



was so great that; forgetting all about his letters; he ran



rapidly up the bridge ladder。







The portable table was being put together for dinner



to the left of the wheel by two pig…tailed 〃boys;〃 who



as usual snarled at each other over the job; while another;



a doleful; burly; very yellow Chinaman; resembling Mr。



Massy; waited apathetically with the cloth over his arm



and a pile of thick dinner…plates against his chest。  A



common cabin lamp with its globe missing; brought up



from below; had been hooked to the wooden framework



of the awning; the side…screens had been lowered all



round; Captain Whalley filling the depths of the wicker…



chair seemed to sit benumbed in a canvas tent crudely



lighted; and used for the storing of nautical objects; a



shabby steering…wheel; a battered brass binnacle on a



stout mahogany stand; two dingy life…buoys; an old cork



fender lying in a corner; dilapidated deck…lockers with



loops of thin rope instead of door…handles。







He shook off the appearance of numbness to return



Mr。 Van Wyk's unusually brisk greeting; but relapsed



directly afterwards。  To accept a pressing invitation to



dinner 〃up at the house〃 cost him another very visible



physical effort。  Mr。 Van Wyk; perplexed; folded his



arms; and leaning back against the rail; with his little;



black; shiny feet well out; examined him covertly。







〃I've noticed of late that you are not quite yourself;



old friend。〃







He put an affectionate gentleness into the last two



words。  The real intimacy of their intercourse had never



been so vividly expressed before。







〃Tut; tut; tut!〃







The wicker…chair creaked heavily。







〃Irritable;〃 commented Mr。 Van Wyk to himself; and



aloud; 〃I'll expect to see you in half an hour; then;〃 he



said negligently; moving off。







〃In half an hour;〃 Captain Whalley's rigid silvery



head repeated behind him as if out of a trance。







Amidships; below; two voices; close against the engine…



room; could be heard answering each otherone angry



and slow; the other alert。







〃I tell you the beast has locked himself in to get



drunk。〃







〃Can't help it now; Mr。 Massy。  After all; a man has



a right to shut himself up in his cabin in his own time。〃







〃Not to get drunk。〃







〃I heard him swear that the worry with the boilers



was enough to drive any man to drink;〃 Sterne said



maliciously。







Massy hissed out something about bursting the door



in。  Mr。 Van Wyk; to avoid them; crossed in the dark



to the other side of the deserted deck。  The planking



of the little wharf rattled faintly under his hasty feet。







〃Mr。 Van Wyk!  Mr。 Van Wyk!〃







He walked on: somebody was running on the path。



〃You've forgotten to get your mail。〃







Sterne; holding a bundle of papers in his hand; caught



up with him。







〃Oh; thanks。〃







But; as the other continued at his elbow; Mr。 Van



Wyk stopped short。  The overhanging eaves; descend…



ing low upon the lighted front of the bungalow; threw



their black straight…edged shadow into the great body



of the night on that side。  Everything was very still。



A tinkle of cutlery and a slight jingle of glasses were



heard。  Mr。 Van Wyk's servants were laying the table



for two on the veranda。







〃I'm afraid you give me no credit whatever for my



good intentions in the matter I've spoken to you about;〃



said Sterne。







〃I simply don't understand you。〃







〃Captain Whalley is a very audacious man; but he



will understand that his game is up。  That's all that



anybody need ever know of it from me。  Believe me; I



am very considerate in this; but duty is duty。  I don't



want to make a fuss。  All I ask you; as his friend; is



to tell him from me that the game's up。  That will be



sufficient。〃







Mr。 Van Wyk felt a loathsome dismay at this queer



privilege of friendship。  He would not demean himself



by asking for the slightest explanation; to drive the



other away with contumely he did not think prudent



as yet; at any rate。  So much assurance staggered him。



Who could tell what there could be in it; he thought?



His regard for Captain Whalley had the tenacity of



a disinterested sentiment; and his practical instinct com…



ing to his aid; he concealed his scorn。







〃I gather; then; that this is something grave。〃







〃Very grave;〃 Sterne assented solemnly; delighted at



having produced an effect at last。  He was ready to add



some effusive protestations of regret at the 〃unavoida…



ble necessity;〃 but Mr。 Van Wyk cut him shortvery



civilly; however。







Once on the veranda Mr。 Van Wyk put his hands in his



pockets; and; straddling his legs; stared down at a



black panther skin lying on the floor before a rocking…



chair。  〃It looks as if the fellow had not the pluck



to play his own precious game openly;〃 he thought。







This was true enough。  In the face of Massy's last



rebuff Sterne dared not declare his knowledge。  His



object was simply to get charge of the steamer and



keep it for some time。  Massy would never forgive him



for forcing himself on; but if Captain Whalley left



the ship of his own accord; the command would devolve



upon him for the rest of the trip; so he hit upon the



brilliant idea of scaring the old man away。  A vague



menace; a mere hint; would be enough in such a brazen



case; and; with a strange admixture of compassion; he



thought that Batu Beru was a very good place for



throwing up the sponge。  The skipper could go ashore



quietly; and stay with that Dutchman of his。  Weren't



these two as thick as thieves together?  And on reflec…



tion he seemed to see that there was a way to work the



whole thing through that great friend of the old man's。



This was another brilliant idea。  He had an inborn



preference for circuitous methods。  In this particular



case he desired to remain in the background as much



as possible; to avoid exasperating Massy needlessly。



No fuss!  Let it all happen naturally。







Mr。 Van Wyk all through the dinner was conscious



of a sense of isolation that invades sometimes the close…



ness of human intercourse。  Captain Whalley failed



lamentably and obviously in his attempts to eat some…



thing。  He seemed overcome by a strange absent…



mindedness。  His hand would hover irresolutely; as if



left without guidance by a preoccupied mind。  Mr。 Van



Wyk had heard him coming up from a long way off in



the profound stillness of the river…side; and had noticed



the irresolute character of the footfalls。  The toe of his



boot had struck the bottom stair as though he had come



along mooning with his head in the air right up to the



steps of the veranda。  Had the captain of the Sofala



been another sort of man he would have suspected the



work of age there。  But one glance at him was enough。



Timeafter; indeed; marking him for its ownhad



given him up to his usefulness; in which his simple



faith would see a proof of Divine mercy。  〃How could



I contrive to warn him?〃 Mr。 Van Wyk wondered; as



if Captain Whalley had been miles and miles away; out



of sight and earshot of all evil。  He was sickened by



an immense disgust of Sterne。  To even mention his



threat to a man like Whalley would be positively inde…



cent。  There was something more vile and insulting in



its hint than in a definite charge of crimethe debasing



taint of blackmailing。  〃What could anyone bring



against him?〃 he asked himself。  This was a limpid



personality。  

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