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小说: end of the tether 字数: 每页4000字

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〃It is my opinion; too;〃 the lawyer agreed。  The gen…



eral theory was that the captain had remained too long



on board trying to save something of importance。  Per…



haps the chart which would clear him; or else something



of value in his cabin。  The painter of the boat had



come adrift of itself it was supposed。  However; strange



to say; some little time before that voyage poor Whalley



had called in his office and had left with him a sealed



envelope addressed to his daughter; to be forwarded to



her in case of his death。  Still it was nothing very un…



usual; especially in a man of his age。  Mr。 Van Wyk



shook his head。  Captain Whalley looked good for a



hundred years。







〃Perfectly true;〃 assented the lawyer。  〃The old



fellow looked as though he had come into the world full…



grown and with that long beard。  I could never; some…



how; imagine him either younger or olderdon't you



know。  There was a sense of physical power about that



man too。  And perhaps that was the secret of that some…



thing peculiar in his person which struck everybody who



came in contact with him。  He looked indestructible by



any ordinary means that put an end to the rest of us。



His deliberate; stately courtesy of manner was full of



significance。  It was as though he were certain of hav…



ing plenty of time for everything。  Yes; there was



something indestructible about him; and the way he



talked sometimes you might have thought he believed



it himself。  When he called on me last with that letter



he wanted me to take charge of; he was not depressed at



all。  Perhaps a shade more deliberate in his talk and



manner。  Not depressed in the least。  Had he a pre…



sentiment; I wonder?  Perhaps!  Still it seems a misera…



ble end for such a striking figure。〃







〃Oh yes!  It was a miserable end;〃 Mr。 Van Wyk said;



with so much fervor that the lawyer looked up at him



curiously; and afterwards; after parting with him; he



remarked to an acquaintance







〃Queer person that Dutch tobacco…planter from Batu



Beru。  Know anything of him?〃







〃Heaps of money;〃 answered the bank manager。  〃I



hear he's going home by the next mail to form a com…



pany to take over his estates。  Another tobacco district



thrown open。  He's wise; I think。  These good times



won't last for ever。〃







In the southern hemisphere Captain Whalley's daugh…



ter had no presentiment of evil when she opened the



envelope addressed to her in the lawyer's handwriting。



She had received it in the afternoon; all the boarders



had gone out; her boys were at school; her husband sat



upstairs in his big arm…chair with a book; thin…faced;



wrapped up in rugs to the waist。  The house was still;



and the grayness of a cloudy day lay against the panes



of three lofty windows。







In a shabby dining…room; where a faint cold smell of



dishes lingered all the year round; sitting at the end of



a long table surrounded by many chairs pushed in with



their backs close against the edge of the perpetually laid



table…cloth; she read the opening sentence: 〃Most pro…



found regretpainful dutyyour father is no more



in accordance with his instructionsfatal casualty



consolationno blame attached to his memory。 。 。 。〃







Her face was thin; her temples a little sunk under the



smooth bands of black hair; her lips remained resolutely



compressed; while her dark eyes grew larger; till at last;



with a low cry; she stood up; and instantly stooped to



pick up another envelope which had slipped off her



knees on to the floor。







She tore it open; snatched out the inclosure。 。 。 。







〃My dearest child;〃 it said; 〃I am writing this while



I am able yet to write legibly。  I am trying hard to



save for you all the money that is left; I have only kept



it to serve you better。  It is yours。  It shall not be lost:



it shall not be touched。  There's five hundred pounds。



Of what I have earned I have kept nothing back till



now。  For the future; if I live; I must keep back some



a littleto bring me to you。  I must come to you。  I



must see you once more。







〃It is hard to believe that you will ever look on these



lines。  God seems to have forgotten me。  I want to see



youand yet death would be a greater favor。  If you



ever read these words; I charge you to begin by thank…



ing a God merciful at last; for I shall be dead then; and



it will be well。  My dear; I am at the end of my tether。〃







The next paragraph began with the words: 〃My sight



is going 。 。 。〃







She read no more that day。  The hand holding up the



paper to her eyes fell slowly; and her slender figure in



a plain black dress walked rigidly to the window。  Her



eyes were dry: no cry of sorrow or whisper of thanks



went up to heaven from her lips。  Life had been too



hard; for all the efforts of his love。  It had silenced her



emotions。  But for the first time in all these years its



sting had departed; the carking care of poverty; the



meanness of a hard struggle for bread。  Even the image



of her husband and of her children seemed to glide away



from her into the gray twilight; it was her father's



face alone that she saw; as though he had come to see



her; always quiet and big; as she had seen him last; but



with something more august and tender in his aspect。







She slipped his folded letter between the two buttons



of her plain black bodice; and leaning her forehead



against a window…pane remained there till dusk; per…



fectly motionless; giving him all the time she could



spare。  Gone!  Was it possible?  My God; was it possi…



ble!  The blow had come softened by the spaces of the



earth; by the years of absence。  There had been whole



days when she had not thought of him at allhad no



time。  But she had loved him; she felt she had loved



him; after all。























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