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end of the tether-第4章

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stern。







This necessity opened his eyes to the fundamental



changes of the world。  Of his past only the familiar



names remained; here and there; but the things and the



men; as he had known them; were gone。  The name of



Gardner; Patteson; & Co。 was still displayed on the



walls of warehouses by the waterside; on the brass plates



and window…panes in the business quarters of more than



one Eastern port; but there was no longer a Gardner



or a Patteson in the firm。  There was no longer for Cap…



tain Whalley an arm…chair and a welcome in the private



office; with a bit of business ready to be put in the way



of an old friend; for the sake of bygone services。  The



husbands of the Gardner girls sat behind the desks in



that room where; long after he had left the employ; he



had kept his right of entrance in the old man's time。



Their ships now had yellow funnels with black tops;



and a time…table of appointed routes like a confounded



service of tramways。  The winds of December and June



were all one to them; their captains (excellent young



men he doubted not) were; to be sure; familiar with



Whalley Island; because of late years the Government



had established a white fixed light on the north end (with



a red danger sector over the Condor Reef); but most of



them would have been extremely surprised to hear that



a flesh…and…blood Whalley still existedan old man



going about the world trying to pick up a cargo here



and there for his little bark。







And everywhere it was the same。  Departed the men



who would have nodded appreciatively at the mention



of his name; and would have thought themselves bound



in honor to do something for Dare…devil Harry Whalley。



Departed the opportunities which he would have known



how to seize; and gone with them the white…winged flock



of clippers that lived in the boisterous uncertain life of



the winds; skimming big fortunes out of the foam of



the sea。  In a world that pared down the profits to an



irreducible minimum; in a world that was able to count



its disengaged tonnage twice over every day; and in



which lean charters were snapped up by cable three



months in advance; there were no chances of fortune for



an individual wandering haphazard with a little bark



hardly indeed any room to exist。







He found it more difficult from year to year。  He suf…



fered greatly from the smallness of remittances he was



able to send his daughter。  Meantime he had given up



good cigars; and even in the matter of inferior cheroots



limited himself to six a day。  He never told her of his



difficulties; and she never enlarged upon her struggle



to live。  Their confidence in each other needed no ex…



planations; and their perfect understanding endured



without protestations of gratitude or regret。  He would



have been shocked if she had taken it into her head to



thank him in so many words; but he found it perfectly



natural that she should tell him she needed two hundred



pounds。







He had come in with the Fair Maid in ballast to look



for a freight in the Sofala's port of registry; and her



letter met him there。  Its tenor was that it was no use



mincing matters。  Her only resource was in opening a



boarding…house; for which the prospects; she judged;



were good。  Good enough; at any rate; to make her tell



him frankly that with two hundred pounds she could



make a start。  He had torn the envelope open; hastily;



on deck; where it was handed to him by the ship…



chandler's runner; who had brought his mail at the mo…



ment of anchoring。  For the second time in his life he



was appalled; and remained stock…still at the cabin door



with the paper trembling between his fingers。  Open a



boarding…house!  Two hundred pounds for a start!  The



only resource!  And he did not know where to lay his



hands on two hundred pence。







All that night Captain Whalley walked the poop of



his anchored ship; as though he had been about to close



with the land in thick weather; and uncertain of his



position after a run of many gray days without a sight



of sun; moon; or stars。  The black night twinkled with



the guiding lights of seamen and the steady straight



lines of lights on shore; and all around the Fair Maid



the riding lights of ships cast trembling trails upon the



water of the roadstead。  Captain Whalley saw not a



gleam anywhere till the dawn broke and he found out



that his clothing was soaked through with the heavy



dew。







His ship was awake。  He stopped short; stroked his



wet beard; and descended the poop ladder backwards;



with tired feet。  At the sight of him the chief officer;



lounging about sleepily on the quarterdeck; remained



open…mouthed in the middle of a great early…morning



yawn。







〃Good morning to you;〃 pronounced Captain Whal…



ley solemnly; passing into the cabin。  But he checked



himself in the doorway; and without looking back; 〃By



the bye;〃 he said; 〃there should be an empty wooden



case put away in the lazarette。  It has not been broken



uphas it?〃







The mate shut his mouth; and then asked as if dazed;



〃What empty case; sir?〃







〃A big flat packing…case belonging to that painting in



my room。  Let it be taken up on deck and tell the



carpenter to look it over。  I may want to use it before



long。〃







The chief officer did not stir a limb till he had heard



the door of the captain's state…room slam within the



cuddy。  Then he beckoned aft the second mate with his



forefinger to tell him that there was something 〃in the



wind。〃







When the bell rang Captain Whalley's authoritative



voice boomed out through a closed door; 〃Sit down and



don't wait for me。〃  And his impressed officers took their



places; exchanging looks and whispers across the table。



What!  No breakfast?  And after apparently knock…



ing about all night on deck; too!  Clearly; there was



something in the wind。  In the skylight above their



heads; bowed earnestly over the plates; three wire cages



rocked and rattled to the restless jumping of the hungry



canaries; and they could detect the sounds of their 〃old



man's〃 deliberate movements within his state…room。  Cap…



tain Whalley was methodically winding up the chro…



nometers; dusting the portrait of his late wife; getting



a clean white shirt out of the drawers; making himself



ready in his punctilious unhurried manner to go ashore。



He could not have swallowed a single mouthful of food



that morning。  He had made up his mind to sell the



Fair Maid。











III
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