太子爷小说网 > 英语电子书 > end of the tether >

第32节

end of the tether-第32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!




must go。〃







〃The silly fool has taken it to heart;〃 muttered Massy



to himself。  And; listening with a softened expression



of face for any slight sign of returning drowsiness; he



was discouraged profoundly by a burst of laughter full



of joyful irony。







〃Would like to see her at the bottom of the sea!  Oh;



you clever; clever devil!  Wish her sunk; eh?  I should



think you would; my boy; the damned old thing and



all your troubles with her。  Rake in the insurance money



turn your back on your old chumall's wellgentle…



man again。〃







A grim stillness had come over Massy's face。  Only



his big black eyes rolled uneasily。  The raving fool。



And yet it was all true。  Yes。  Lottery tickets; too。



All true。  What?  Beginning again?  He wished he



wouldn't。 。 。 。







But it was even so。  The imaginative drunkard on



the other side of the bulkhead shook off the deathlike



stillness that after his last words had fallen on the dark



ship moored to a silent shore。







〃Don't you dare to say anything against George



Massy; Esquire。  When he's tired of waiting he will do



away with her。  Look out!  Down she goeschum and



all。  He'll know how to 。 。 。〃







The voice hesitated; weary; dreamy; lost; as if dying



away in a vast open space。







〃。 。 。 Find a trick that will work。  He's up to it



never fear 。 。 。〃







He must have been very drunk; for at last the heavy



sleep gripped him with the suddenness of a magic spell;



and the last word lengthened itself into an interminable;



noisy; in…drawn snore。  And then even the snoring



stopped; and all was still。







But it seemed as though Mr。 Massy had suddenly come



to doubt the efficacy of sleep as against a man's troubles;



or perhaps he had found the relief he needed in the



stillness of a calm contemplation that may contain the



vivid thoughts of wealth; of a stroke of luck; of long



idleness; and may bring before you the imagined form



of every desire; for; turning about and throwing his



arms over the edge of his bunk; he stood there with his



feet on his favorite old coat; looking out through the



round port into the night over the river。  Sometimes



a breath of wind would enter and touch his face; a cool



breath charged with the damp; fresh feel from a vast



body of water。  A glimmer here and there was all he



could see of it; and once he might after all suppose he



had dozed off; since there appeared before his vision;



unexpectedly and connected with no dream; a row of



flaming and gigantic figuresthree naught seven one



twomaking up a number such as you may see on a



lottery ticket。  And then all at once the port was no



longer black: it was pearly gray; framing a shore



crowded with houses; thatched roof beyond thatched



roof; walls of mats and bamboo; gables of carved teak



timber。  Rows of dwellings raised on a forest of piles



lined the steely band of the river; brimful and still; with



the tide at the turn。  This was Batu Beruand the



day had come。







Mr。 Massy shook himself; put on the tweed coat; and;



shivering nervously as if from some great shock; made



a note of the number。  A fortunate; rare hint that。



Yes; but to pursue fortune one wanted moneyready



cash。







Then he went out and prepared to descend into the



engine…room。  Several small jobs had to be seen to; and



Jack was lying dead drunk on the floor of his cabin;



with the door locked at that。  His gorge rose at the



thought of work。  Ay!  But if you wanted to do noth…



ing you had to get first a good bit of money。  A



ship won't save you。  He cursed the Sofala。  True; all



true。  He was tired of waiting for some chance that



would rid him at last of that ship that had turned out



a curse on his life。











XIV







The deep; interminable hoot of the steam…whistle had;



in its grave; vibrating note; something intolerable;



which sent a slight shudder down Mr。 Van Wyk's back。



It was the early afternoon; the Sofala was leaving Batu



Beru for Pangu; the next place of call。  She swung in



the stream; scantily attended by a few canoes; and; glid…



ing on the broad river; became lost to view from the



Van Wyk bungalow。







Its owner had not gone this time to see her off。  Gen…



erally he came down to the wharf; exchanged a few



words with the bridge while she cast off; and waved his



hand to Captain Whalley at the last moment。  This day



he did not even go as far as the balustrade of the



veranda。  〃He couldn't see me if I did;〃 he said to



himself。  〃I wonder whether he can make out the house



at all。〃  And this thought somehow made him feel more



alone than he had ever felt for all these years。  What



was it? six or seven?  Seven。  A long time。







He sat on the veranda with a closed book on his knee;



and; as it were; looked out upon his solitude; as if the



fact of Captain Whalley's blindness had opened his



eyes to his own。  There were many sorts of heartaches



and troubles; and there was no place where they could



not find a man out。  And he felt ashamed; as though



he had for six years behaved like a peevish boy。







His thought followed the Sofala on her way。  On the



spur of the moment he had acted impulsively; turning



to the thing most pressing。  And what else could he



have done?  Later on he should see。  It seemed neces…



sary that he should come out into the world; for a time



at least。  He had moneysomething could be ar…



ranged; he would grudge no time; no trouble; no loss



of his solitude。  It weighed on him nowand Captain



Whalley appeared to him as he had sat shading his



eyes; as if; being deceived in the trust of his faith; he



were beyond all the good and evil that can be wrought



by the hands of men。







Mr。 Van Wyk's thoughts followed the Sofala down the



river; winding about through the belt of the coast forest;



between the buttressed shafts of the big trees; through



the mangrove strip; and over the bar。  The ship crossed



it easily in broad daylight; piloted; as it happened; by



Mr。 Sterne; who took the watch from four to six; and



then went below to hug himself with delight at the pros…



pect of being virtually employed by a rich manlike



Mr。 Van Wyk。  He could not see how any hitch could



occur now。  He did not seem able to get over the feeling



of being 〃fixed up at last。〃  From six to eight; in the



course of duty; the Serang looked alone after the ship。



She had a clear road before her now till about three in



the morning; when she would close with the Pangu



group。  At eight Mr。 Sterne came out cheerily to take



charge again till midnight。  At ten he was still chir…



ruping and humming to himself on the bridge; and



about that time Mr。 Van Wyk's thought abandoned the



Sofala。  Mr。 Van Wyk had fallen asleep at last。







Massy; blocking the engine…room companion; jerked



himself into his tweed jacket surlily; while the second



waited with a scowl。







〃Oh。  You came out?  You sot!  Well; what have



you got to say for yourself?〃







He had been in charge of the engines till then。  A



somber fury darkened his mind: a hot anger against



the ship; against the facts of life; against the men for



their cheating; against himself toobecause of an in…



ward tremor of his heart。







An incomprehensible growl answered him。







〃What?  Can't you open your mouth now?  You yelp



out your infernal rot loud enough when you are drunk。



What do you mean by abusing people in that way?



you old useless boozer; you!〃







〃Can't help it。  Don't remember anything about it。



You shouldn't listen。〃







〃You dare to tell me!  What do you mean by going



on a drunk like this!〃







〃Don't ask me。  Sick of the dam' boilersyou would



be。  Sick of life。〃







〃I wish you were dead; then。  You've made me sick



of you。  Don't you remember the uproar you made last



night?  You miserable old soaker!〃







〃No; I don't。  Don't want to。  Drink is drink。〃







〃I wonder what prevents me from kicking you out。



What do you want here?〃







〃Relieve you。  You've been long enough down there;



George。〃







〃Don't you George meyou tippling old rascal; you!



If I were to die to…morrow you would starve。  Remem…



ber that。  Say Mr。 Massy。〃







〃Mr。 Massy;〃 repeated the other stolidly。







Disheveled; with du

返回目录 上一页 下一页 回到顶部 0 0

你可能喜欢的