end of the tether-第8节
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！
taking about a duke in his Master…Attendant's steam…
launch to visit the harbor improvements。 Before that
he had 〃most obligingly〃 gone out in person to pick
out a good berth for the ducal yacht。 Afterwards he
had an invitation to lunch on board。 The duchess her…
self lunched with them。 A big woman with a red face。
Complexion quite sunburnt。 He should think ruined。
Very gracious manners。 They were going on to
Japan。 。 。 。
He ejaculated these details for Captain Whalley's edi…
fication； pausing to blow out his cheeks as if with a
pent…up sense of importance； and repeatedly protruding
his thick lips till the blunt crimson end of his nose seemed
to dip into the milk of his mustache。 The place ran
itself； it was fit for any lord； it gave no trouble except
in its Marine departmentin its Marine department he
repeated twice； and after a heavy snort began to relate
how the other day her Majesty's Consul…General in
French Cochin…China had cabled to himin his official
capacityasking for a qualified man to be sent over
to take charge of a Glasgow ship whose master had died
in Saigon。
〃I sent word of it to the officers' quarters in the Sailors'
Home；〃 he continued； while the limp in his gait seemed
to grow more accentuated with the increasing irritation
of his voice。 〃Place's full of them。 Twice as many
men as there are berths going in the local trade。 All
hungry for an easy job。 Twice as manyandWhat
d'you think； Whalley？ 。 。 。〃
He stopped short； his hands clenched and thrust deeply
downwards； seemed ready to burst the pockets of his
jacket。 A slight sigh escaped Captain Whalley。
〃Hey？ You would think they would be falling over
each other。 Not a bit of it。 Frightened to go home。
Nice and warm out here to lie about a veranda waiting
for a job。 I sit and wait in my office。 Nobody。 What
did they suppose？ That I was going to sit there like
a dummy with the Consul…General's cable before me？
Not likely。 So I looked up a list of them I keep by
me and sent word for Hamiltonthe worst loafer of
them alland just made him go。 Threatened to in…
struct the steward of the Sailors' Home to have him
turned out neck and crop。 He did not think the berth
was good enoughifyouplease。 'I've your little
records by me；' said I。 'You came ashore here eighteen
months ago； and you haven't done six months' work
since。 You are in debt for your board now at the Home；
and I suppose you reckon the Marine Office will pay in
the end。 Eh？ So it shall； but if you don't take this
chance； away you go to England； assisted passage； by
the first homeward steamer that comes along。 You are
no better than a pauper。 We don't want any white
paupers here。' I scared him。 But look at the trouble
all this gave me。〃
〃You would not have had any trouble；〃 Captain Whal…
ley said almost involuntarily； 〃if you had sent for
me。〃
Captain Eliott was immensely amused； he shook with
laughter as he walked。 But suddenly he stopped laugh…
ing。 A vague recollection had crossed his mind。 Hadn't
he heard it said at the time of the Travancore and Deccan
smash that poor Whalley had been cleaned out com…
pletely。 〃Fellow's hard up； by heavens！〃 he thought；
and at once he cast a sidelong upward glance at his
companion。 But Captain Whalley was smiling austerely
straight before him； with a carriage of the head incon…
ceivable in a penniless manand he became reassured。
Impossible。 Could not have lost everything。 That ship
had been only a hobby of his。 And the reflection that
a man who had confessed to receiving that very morning
a presumably large sum of money was not likely to
spring upon him a demand for a small loan put him
entirely at his ease again。 There had come a long pause
in their talk； however； and not knowing how to begin
again； he growled out soberly； 〃We old fellows ought
to take a rest now。〃
〃The best thing for some of us would be to die at the
oar；〃 Captain Whalley said negligently。
〃Come； now。 Aren't you a bit tired by this time of
the whole show？〃 muttered the other sullenly。
〃Are you？〃
Captain Eliott was。 Infernally tired。 He only hung
on to his berth so long in order to get his pension on the
highest scale before he went home。 It would be no better
than poverty； anyhow； still； it was the only thing be…
tween him and the workhouse。 And he had a family。
Three girls； as Whalley knew。 He gave 〃Harry； old
boy；〃 to understand that these three girls were a source
of the greatest anxiety and worry to him。 Enough to
drive a man distracted。
〃Why？ What have they been doing now？〃 asked
Captain Whalley with a sort of amused absent…minded…
ness。
〃Doing！ Doing nothing。 That's just it。 Lawn…
tennis and silly novels from morning to night。 。 。 。〃
If one of them at least had been a boy。 But all three！
And； as ill…luck would have it； there did not seem to be
any decent young fellows left in the world。 When he
looked around in the club he saw only a lot of conceited
popinjays too selfish to think of making a good woman
happy。 Extreme indigence stared him in the face with
all that crowd to keep at home。 He had cherished the
idea of building himself a little house in the country
in Surreyto end his days in； but he was afraid it was
out of the question； 。 。 。 and his staring eyes rolled
upwards with such a pathetic anxiety that Captain Whal…
ley charitably nodded down at him； restraining a sort of
sickening desire to laugh。
〃You must know what it is yourself； Harry。 Girls
are the very devil for worry and anxiety。〃
〃Ay！ But mine is doing well；〃 Captain Whalley pro…
nounced slowly； staring to the end of the avenue。
The Master…Attendant was glad to hear this。 Uncom…
monly glad。 He remembered her well。 A pretty girl
she was。
Captain Whalley； stepping out carelessly； assented as
if in a dream。
〃She was pretty。〃
The procession of carriages was breaking up。
One after another they left the file to go off at a trot；
animating the vast avenue with their scattered life and
movement； but soon the aspect of dignified solitude re…
turned and took possession of the straight wide road。
A syce in white stood at the head of a Burmah pony har…
nessed to a varnished two…wheel cart； and the whole thing
waiting by the curb seemed no bigger than a child's toy
forgotten under the soaring trees。 Captain Eliott
waddled up to it and made as if to clamber in； but re…
frained； and keeping one hand resting easily on the
shaft； he changed the conversation from his pension； his
daughters； and his poverty back again to the only other
topic in the worldthe Marine Office； the men and the
ships of the port。
He proceeded to give instances of what was expected
of him； and his thick voice drowsed in the still air like
the obstinate droning of an enormous bumble…bee。 Cap…
tain Whalley did not know what was the force or the
weakness that prevented him from saying good…night
and walking away。 It was as though he had been too
tired to make the effort。 How queer。 More queer than
any of Ned's instances。 Or was it that overpowering
sense of idleness alone that made him stand there and
listen to these stories。 Nothing very real had ever
troubled Ned Eliott； and gradually he seemed to detect
deep in； as if wrapped up in the gross wheezy rumble；
something of the clear hearty voice of the young captain
of the Ringdove。 He wondered if he too had changed to
the same extent； and it seemed to him that the voice of
his old chum had not changed so very muchthat the
man was the same。 Not a bad fellow the pleasant； jolly
Ned Eliott； friendly； well up to his businessand always
a bit of a humbug。 He remembered how he used to
amuse his poor wife。 She could read him like an open
book。 When the Condor and the Ringdove happened to
be in port together； she would frequently ask him to
bring Captain Eliott to dinner。 They had not met often
since those old days。 Not once in five years； perhaps。
He regarded from under his white eyebrows this man
he could not bring himself to take into his confidence
at this juncture； and the other went on with his intimate
