end of the tether-第30节

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



fear　of　finding　he　could　see　less　than　the　day　before。



A　great　incertitude　enveloped　him。　　The　horizon　was



gone；　the　sky　mingled　darkly　with　the　sea。　　Who　was



this　figure　standing　over　yonder？　what　was　this　thing



lying　down　there？　　And　a　frightful　doubt　of　the　reality



of　what　he　could　see　made　even　the　remnant　of　sight



that　remained　to　him　an　added　torment；　a　pitfall　always



open　for　his　miserable　pretense。　　He　was　afraid　to



stumble　inexcusably　over　somethingto　say　a　fatal　Yes



or　No　to　a　question。　　The　hand　of　God　was　upon　him；



but　it　could　not　tear　him　away　from　his　child。　　And；



as　if　in　a　nightmare　of　humiliation；　every　featureless



man　seemed　an　enemy。







He　let　his　hand　fall　heavily　on　the　table。　　Mr。　Van



Wyk；　arms　down；　chin　on　breast；　with　a　gleam　of　white



teeth　pressing　on　the　lower　lip；　meditated　on　Sterne's



〃The　game's　up。〃







〃The　Serang　of　course　does　not　know。〃







〃Nobody；〃　said　Captain　Whalley；　with　assurance。







〃Ah　yes。　　Nobody。　　Very　well。　　Can　you　keep　it　up



to　the　end　of　the　trip？　　That　is　the　last　under　the　agree…



ment　with　Massy。〃







Captain　Whalley　got　up　and　stood　erect；　very　stately；



with　the　great　white　beard　lying　like　a　silver　breastplate



over　the　awful　secret　of　his　heart。　　Yes；　that　was　the



only　hope　there　was　for　him　of　ever　seeing　her　again；



of　securing　the　money；　the　last　he　could　do　for　her；



before　he　crept　away　somewhereuseless；　a　burden；　a



reproach　to　himself。　　His　voice　faltered。







〃Think　of　it！　　Never　see　her　any　more：　the　only



human　being　besides　myself　now　on　earth　that　can　re…



member　my　wife。　　She's　just　like　her　mother。　　Lucky



the　poor　woman　is　where　there　are　no　tears　shed　over



those　they　loved　on　earth　and　that　remain　to　pray　not



to　be　led　into　temptationbecause；　I　suppose；　the



blessed　know　the　secret　of　grace　in　God's　dealings　with



His　created　children。〃







He　swayed　a　little；　said　with　austere　dignity







〃I　don't。　　I　know　only　the　child　He　has　given　me。〃







And　he　began　to　walk。　　Mr。　Van　Wyk；　jumping　up；



saw　the　full　meaning　of　the　rigid　head；　the　hesitating



feet；　the　vaguely　extended　hand。　　His　heart　was　beat…



ing　fast；　he　moved　a　chair　aside；　and　instinctively　ad…



vanced　as　if　to　offer　his　arm。　　But　Captain　Whalley



passed　him　by；　making　for　the　stairs　quite　straight。







〃He　could　not　see　me　at　all　out　of　his　line；〃　Van　Wyk



thought；　with　a　sort　of　awe。　　Then　going　to　the　head



of　the　stairs；　he　asked　a　little　tremulously







〃What　is　it　likelike　a　mistlike　。　。　。〃







Captain　Whalley；　half…way　down；　stopped；　and　turned



round　undismayed　to　answer。







〃It　is　as　if　the　light　were　ebbing　out　of　the　world。



Have　you　ever　watched　the　ebbing　sea　on　an　open



stretch　of　sands　withdrawing　farther　and　farther　away



from　you？　　It　is　like　thisonly　there　will　be　no　flood



to　follow。　　Never。　　It　is　as　if　the　sun　were　growing



smaller；　the　stars　going　out　one　by　one。　　There　can't　be



many　left　that　I　can　see　by　this。　　But　I　haven't　had　the



courage　to　look　of　late　。　。　。〃　　He　must　have　been　able



to　make　out　Mr。　Van　Wyk；　because　he　checked　him　by



an　authoritative　gesture　and　a　stoical







〃I　can　get　about　alone　yet。〃







It　was　as　if　he　had　taken　his　line；　and　would　accept　no



help　from　men；　after　having　been　cast　out；　like　a　pre…



sumptuous　Titan；　from　his　heaven。　　Mr。　Van　Wyk；　ar…



rested；　seemed　to　count　the　footsteps　right　out　of　ear…



shot。　　He　walked　between　the　tables；　tapping　smartly



with　his　heels；　took　up　a　paper…knife；　dropped　it　after



a　vague　glance　along　the　blade；　then　happening　upon



the　piano；　struck　a　few　chords　again　and　again；　vigor…



ously；　standing　up　before　the　keyboard　with　an　atten…



tive　poise　of　the　head　like　a　piano…tuner；　closing　it；　he



pivoted　on　his　heels　brusquely；　avoided　the　little　terrier



sleeping　trustfully　on　crossed　forepaws；　came　upon　the



stairs　next；　and；　as　though　he　had　lost　his　balance　on



the　top　step；　ran　down　headlong　out　of　the　house。　　His



servants；　beginning　to　clear　the　table；　heard　him　mutter



to　himself　（evil　words　no　doubt）　down　there；　and　then



after　a　pause　go　away　with　a　strolling　gait　in　the　direc…



tion　of　the　wharf。







The　bulwarks　of　the　Sofala　lying　alongside　the　bank



made　a　low；　black　wall　on　the　undulating　contour　of　the



shore。　　Two　masts　and　a　funnel　uprose　from　behind　it



with　a　great　rake；　as　if　about　to　fall：　a　solid；　square



elevation　in　the　middle　bore　the　ghostly　shapes　of　white



boats；　the　curves　of　davits；　lines　of　rail　and　stanchions；



all　confused　and　mingling　darkly　everywhere；　but　low



down；　amidships；　a　single　lighted　port　stared　out　on



the　night；　perfectly　round；　like　a　small；　full　moon；



whose　yellow　beam　caught　a　patch　of　wet　mud；　the



edge　of　trodden　grass；　two　turns　of　heavy　cable



wound　round　the　foot　of　a　thick　wooden　post　in　the



ground。







Mr。　Van　Wyk；　peering　alongside；　heard　a　muzzy



boastful　voice　apparently　jeering　at　a　person　called



Prendergast。　　It　mouthed　abuse　thickly；　choked；　then



pronounced　very　distinctly　the　word　〃Murphy；〃　and



chuckled。　　Glass　tinkled　tremulously。　　All　these　sounds



came　from　the　lighted　port。　　Mr。　Van　Wyk　hesitated；



stooped；　it　was　impossible　to　look　through　unless　he



went　down　into　the　mud。







〃Sterne；〃　he　said；　half　aloud。







The　drunken　voice　within　said　gladly







〃Sterneof　course。　　Look　at　him　blink。　　Look　at



him！　　Sterne；　Whalley；　Massy。　　Massy；　Whalley；



Sterne。　　But　Massy's　the　best。　　You　can't　come　over



him。　　He　would　just　love　to　see　you　starve。〃







Mr。　Van　Wyk　moved　away；　made　out　farther　forward



a　shadowy　head　stuck　out　from　under　the　awnings　as



if　on　the　watch；　and　spoke　quietly　in　Malay；　〃Is　the



mate　asleep？〃







〃No。　　Here；　at　your　service。〃







In　a　moment　Sterne　appeared；　walking　as　noiselessly



as　a　cat　on　the　wharf。







〃It's　so　jolly　dark；　and　I　had　no　idea　you　would　be



down　to…night。〃







〃What's　this　horrible　raving？〃　asked　Mr。　Van　Wyk；



as　if　to　explain　the　cause　of　a　shudder　than　ran　over



him　audibly。







〃Jack's　broken　out　on　a　drunk。　　That's　our　second。



It's　his　way。　　He　will　be　right　enough　by　to…morrow



afternoon；　only　Mr。　Massy　will　keep　on　worrying　up



and　down　the　deck。　　We　had　better　get　away。〃







He　muttered　suggestively　of　a　talk　〃up　at　the　house。〃



He　had　long　desired　to　effect　an　entrance　there；　but　Mr。



Van　Wyk　nonchalantly　demurred：　it　would　not；　he



feared；　be　quite　prudent；　perhaps；　and　the　opaque



black　shadow　under　one　of　the　two　big　trees　left　at　the



landing…place　swallowed　them　up；　impenetrably　dense；



by　the　side　of　the　wide　river；　that　seemed　to　spin　into



threads　of　glitter　the　light　of　a　few　big　stars　dropped



here　and　there　upon　its　outspread　and　flowing　stillness。







〃The　situation　is　grave　beyond　doubt；〃　Mr。　Van　Wyk



said。　　Ghost…like　in　their　white　clothes　they　could　not



distinguish　each　others'　features；　and　their　feet　made



no　sound　on　the　soft　earth。　　A　sort　of　purring　was



heard。　　Mr。　Sterne　felt　gratified　by　such　a　beginning。







〃I　thought；　Mr。　Van　Wyk；　a　gentleman　of　your　sort



would　see　at　once　how　awkwardly　I　was　situated。〃







〃Yes；　very。　　Obviously　his　health　is　bad。　　Perhaps



he's　breaking　up。　　I　see；　and　he　himself　is　well　aware



I　assume　I　am　speaking　to　a　man　of　sensehe　is　well



aware　that　his　legs　are　giving　out。〃







〃His　legsah！〃　　Mr。　Sterne　was　disconcerted；　and



then　turned　sulky。　　〃You　may　call　it　his　legs　if　you



like；　what　I　want　to　know　is　whether　he　intends　to　clear



out　quietly。　　That's　a　good　one；　too！　　His　legs！



Pooh！〃







〃Why；　yes。　　Only　look　at　the　way　he　walks。〃　　Mr。



Van　Wyk　took　him　up　in　a　perfectly　cool　and　undoubt…



ing　tone。　　〃The　question；　however；　is　whether　your



sense　of　duty　does　not　carry　you　too　far　from　your　true



interest。　　After　all；　I　too　could　do　something　to　serve



you。　　You　know　who　I　am。〃







〃Everybody　along　the　Straits　has　heard　of　you；　sir。〃







Mr。　Van　Wyk　presumed　that　this　meant　something



favorable。　　Sterne　had　a　soft　laugh　at　this　pleasantry。



He　should　think　so！　　To　the　opening　statement；　that



the　partnership　agreement　was　to　expire　at　the　end　of



this　very　trip；　he　gave　an　attentive　assent。　　He　was



aware。　　One　heard　of　nothing　els