太子爷小说网 > 英语电子书 > end of the tether >

第29节

end of the tether-第29节

小说: end of the tether 字数: 每页4000字

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!






taint of blackmailing。  〃What could anyone bring



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



personality。  〃And for what object?〃  The Power



that man trusted had thought fit to leave him nothing



on earth that envy could lay hold of; except a bare crust



of bread。







〃Won't you try some of this?〃 he asked; pushing a



dish slightly。  Suddenly it seemed to Mr。 Van Wyk that



Sterne might possibly be coveting the command of the



Sofala。  His cynicism was quite startled by what looked



like a proof that no man may count himself safe from



his kind unless in the very abyss of misery。  An in…



trigue of that sort was hardly worth troubling about;



he judged; but still; with such a fool as Massy to deal





with; Whalley ought to and must be warned。







At this moment Captain Whalley; bolt upright; the



deep cavities of the eyes overhung by a bushy frown;



and one large brown hand resting on each side of his



empty plate; spoke across the tablecloth abruptly







〃Mr。 Van Wyk; you've always treated me with the



most humane consideration。〃







〃My dear captain; you make too much of a simple



fact that I am not a savage。〃  Mr。 Van Wyk; utterly



revolted by the thought of Sterne's obscure attempt;



raised his voice incisively; as if the mate had been hiding



somewhere within earshot。  〃Any consideration I have



been able to show was no more than the rightful due



of a character I've learned to regard by this time with



an esteem that nothing can shake。〃







A slight ring of glass made him lift his eyes from the



slice of pine…apple he was cutting into small pieces on



his plate。  In changing his position Captain Whalley



had contrived to upset an empty tumbler。







Without looking that way; leaning sideways on his



elbow; his other hand shading his brow; he groped



shakily for it; then desisted。  Van Wyk stared blankly;



as if something momentous had happened all at once。



He did not know why he should feel so startled; but he



forgot Sterne utterly for the moment。







〃Why; what's the matter?〃







And Captain Whalley; half…averted; in a deadened;



agitated voice; muttered







〃Esteem!〃







〃And I may add something more;〃 Mr。 Van Wyk;



very steady…eyed; pronounced slowly。







〃Hold!  Enough!〃  Captain Whalley did not



change his attitude or raise his voice。  〃Say no more!



I can make you no return。  I am too poor even for that



now。  Your esteem is worth having。  You are not a



man that would stoop to deceive the poorest sort of devil



on earth; or make a ship unseaworthy every time he



takes her to sea。〃







Mr。 Van Wyk; leaning forward; his face gone pink



all over; with the starched table…napkin over his knees;



was inclined to mistrust his senses; his power of com…



prehension; the sanity of his guest。







〃Where?  Why?  In the name of God!what's this?



What ship?  I don't understand who 。 。 。〃







〃Then; in the name of God; it is I!  A ship's unsea…



worthy when her captain can't see。  I am going blind。〃







Mr。 Van Wyk made a slight movement; and sat very



still afterwards for a few seconds; then; with the



thought of Sterne's 〃The game's up;〃 he ducked under



the table to pick up the napkin which had slipped off



his knees。  This was the game that was up。  And at



the same time the muffled voice of Captain Whalley



passed over him







〃I've deceived them all。  Nobody knows。〃







He emerged flushed to the eyes。  Captain Whalley;



motionless under the full blaze of the lamp; shaded his



face with his hand。







〃And you had that courage?〃







〃Call it by what name you like。  But you are a hu…



mane manaagentleman; Mr。 Van Wyk。  You may



have asked me what I had done with my conscience。〃







He seemed to muse; profoundly silent; very still in his



mournful pose。







〃I began to tamper with it in my pride。  You begin



to see a lot of things when you are going blind。  I



could not be frank with an old chum even。  I was not



frank with Massyno; not altogether。  I knew he took



me for a wealthy sailor fool; and I let him。  I wanted



to keep up my importancebecause there was poor Ivy



away theremy daughter。  What did I want to trade



on his misery for?  I did trade on itfor her。  And



now; what mercy could I expect from him?  He would



trade on mine if he knew it。  He would hunt the old



fraud out; and stick to the money for a year。  Ivy's



money。  And I haven't kept a penny for myself。  How



am I going to live for a year。  A year!  In a year there



will be no sun in the sky for her father。〃







His deep voice came out; awfully veiled; as though he



had been overwhelmed by the earth of a landslide; and



talking to you of the thoughts that haunt the dead in



their graves。  A cold shudder ran down Mr。 Van Wyk's



back。







〃And how long is it since you have 。 。 。?〃 he



began。







〃It was a long time before I could bring myself to



believe in thisthis visitation。〃  Captain Whalley



spoke with gloomy patience from under his hand。







He had not thought he had deserved it。  He had begun



by deceiving himself from day to day; from week to



week。  He had the Serang at hand therean old



servant。  It came on gradually; and when he could no



longer deceive himself 。 。 。







His voice died out almost。







〃Rather than give her up I set myself to deceive



you all。〃







〃It's incredible;〃 whispered Mr。 Van Wyk。  Captain



Whalley's appalling murmur flowed on。







〃Not even the sign of God's anger could make me



forget her。  How could I forsake my child; feeling my



vigor all the timethe blood warm within me?  Warm



as yours。  It seems to me that; like the blinded Samson;



I would find the strength to shake down a temple upon



my head。  She's a struggling womanmy own child



that we used to pray over together; my poor wife and I。



Do you remember that day I as well as told you



that I believed God would let me live to a hundred for



her sake?  What sin is there in loving your child?  Do



you see it?  I was ready for her sake to live for ever。



I half believed I would。  I've been praying for death



since。  Ha!  Presumptuous manyou wanted to



live 。 。 。〃







A tremendous; shuddering upheaval of that big frame;



shaken by a gasping sob; set the glasses jingling all



over the table; seemed to make the whole house tremble



to the roof…tree。  And Mr。 Van Wyk; whose feeling of



outraged love had been translated into a form of strug…



gle with nature; understood very well that; for that man



whose whole life had been conditioned by action; there



could exist no other expression for all the emotions; that;



to voluntarily cease venturing; doing; enduring; for his



child's sake; would have been exactly like plucking his



warm love for her out of his living heart。  Something



too monstrous; too impossible; even to conceive。







Captain Whalley had not changed his attitude; that



seemed to express something of shame; sorrow; and



defiance。







〃I have even deceived you。  If it had not been for



that word 'esteem。'  These are not the words for me。



I would have lied to you。  Haven't I lied to you?



Weren't you going to trust your property on board this



very trip?〃







〃I have a floating yearly policy;〃 Mr。 Van Wyk said



almost unwittingly; and was amazed at the sudden crop…



ping up of a commercial detail。







〃The ship is unseaworthy; I tell you。  The policy



would be invalid if it were known 。 。 。〃







〃We shall share the guilt; then。〃







〃Nothing could make mine less;〃 said Captain



Whalley。







He had not dared to consult a doctor; the man would



have perhaps asked who he was; what he was doing;



Massy might have heard something。  He had lived on



without any help; human or divine。  The very prayers



stuck in his throat。  What was there to pray for? and



death seemed as far as ever。  Once he got into his cabin



he dared not come out again; when he sat down he dared



not get up; he dared not raise his eyes to anybody's



face; he felt reluctant to look upon the sea or up to



the sky。  The world was fading before his great fear



of giving himself away。  The old ship was his last



friend; he was not afraid of her; he knew every inch



of her deck; but at her too he hardly dared to look; for



fear of findi

返回目录 上一页 下一页 回到顶部 0 0

你可能喜欢的