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！
to give me the command if I didn't talk too much。〃
〃You never said anything 。 。 。〃 Mr。 Van Wyk
began。
〃Not I； sir。 Why should I？ I mean to get on； but
the dead aren't in my way；〃 said Sterne。 His eyelids
were beating rapidly； then drooped for an instant。
〃Besides； sir； it would have been an awkward business。
You made me hold my tongue just a bit too long。〃
〃Do you know how it was that Captain Whalley re…
mained on board？ Did he really refuse to leave？ Come
now！ Or was it perhaps an accidental 。 。 。？〃
〃Nothing！〃 Sterne interrupted with energy。 〃I tell
you I yelled for him to leap overboard。 He simply
MUST have cast off the painter of the boat himself。 We
all yelled to himthat is； Jack and I。 He wouldn't even
answer us。 The ship was as silent as a grave to the last。
Then the boilers fetched away； and down she went。
Accident！ Not it！ The game was up； sir； I tell you。〃
This was all that Sterne had to say。
Mr。 Van Wyk had been of course made the guest of
the club for a fortnight； and it was there that he met
the lawyer in whose office had been signed the agreement
between Massy and Captain Whalley。
〃Extraordinary old man；〃 he said。 〃He came into
my office from nowhere in particular as you may say；
with his five hundred pounds to place； and that engineer
fellow following him anxiously。 And now he is gone out
a little inexplicably； just as he came。 I could never
understand him quite。 There was no mystery at all
about that Massy； eh？ I wonder whether Whalley re…
fused to leave the ship。 It would have been foolish。
He was blameless； as the court found。〃
Mr。 Van Wyk had known him well； he said； and he
could not believe in suicide。 Such an act would not
have been in character with what he knew of the man。
〃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。