end of the tether-第6部分

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the　quiet　sheet　of　dark…blue　water；　crossed　by　a　bar　of



purple；　made　a　background　for　the　spinning　wheels　and



the　high　action　of　the　horses；　whilst　the　turbaned　heads



of　the　Indian　servants　elevated　above　the　line　of　the　sea



horizon　glided　rapidly　on　the　paler　blue　of　the　sky。　　In



an　open　space　near　the　little　bridge　each　turn…out　trotted



smartly　in　a　wide　curve　away　from　the　sunset；　then　pull…



ing　up　sharp；　entered　the　main　alley　in　a　long　slow…



moving　file　with　the　great　red　stillness　of　the　sky　at



the　back。　　The　trunks　of　mighty　trees　stood　all　touched



with　red　on　the　same　side；　the　air　seemed　aflame　under



the　high　foliage；　the　very　ground　under　the　hoofs　of　the



horses　was　red。　　The　wheels　turned　solemnly；　one　after



another　the　sunshades　drooped；　folding　their　colors　like



gorgeous　flowers　shutting　their　petals　at　the　end　of　the



day。　　In　the　whole　half…mile　of　human　beings　no　voice



uttered　a　distinct　word；　only　a　faint　thudding　noise　went



on　mingled　with　slight　jingling　sounds；　and　the　motion…



less　heads　and　shoulders　of　men　and　women　sitting　in



couples　emerged　stolidly　above　the　lowered　hoodsas　if



wooden。　　But　one　carriage　and　pair　coming　late　did　not



join　the　line。







It　fled　along　in　a　noiseless　roll；　but　on　entering　the



avenue　one　of　the　dark　bays　snorted；　arching　his　neck



and　shying　against　the　steel…tipped　pole；　a　flake　of



foam　fell　from　the　bit　upon　the　point　of　a　satiny　shoul…



der；　and　the　dusky　face　of　the　coachman　leaned　for…



ward　at　once　over　the　hands　taking　a　fresh　grip　of　the



reins。　　It　was　a　long　dark…green　landau；　having　a　digni…



fied　and　buoyant　motion　between　the　sharply　curved



C…springs；　and　a　sort　of　strictly　official　majesty　in　its



supreme　elegance。　　It　seemed　more　roomy　than　is　usual；



its　horses　seemed　slightly　bigger；　the　appointments　a



shade　more　perfect；　the　servants　perched　somewhat



higher　on　the　box。　　The　dresses　of　three　womentwo



young　and　pretty；　and　one；　handsome；　large；　of　mature



ageseemed　to　fill　completely　the　shallow　body　of　the



carriage。　　The　fourth　face　was　that　of　a　man；　heavy



lidded；　distinguished　and　sallow；　with　a　somber；　thick；



iron…gray　imperial　and　mustaches；　which　somehow　had



the　air　of　solid　appendages。　　His　Excellency







The　rapid　motion　of　that　one　equipage　made　all　the



others　appear　utterly　inferior；　blighted；　and　reduced　to



crawl　painfully　at　a　snail's　pace。　　The　landau　distanced



the　whole　file　in　a　sort　of　sustained　rush；　the　features



of　the　occupant　whirling　out　of　sight　left　behind　an



impression　of　fixed　stares　and　impassive　vacancy；　and



after　it　had　vanished　in　full　flight　as　it　were；　notwith…



standing　the　long　line　of　vehicles　hugging　the　curb　at



a　walk；　the　whole　lofty　vista　of　the　avenue　seemed　to　lie



open　and　emptied　of　life　in　the　enlarged　impression　of



an　august　solitude。







Captain　Whalley　had　lifted　his　head　to　look；　and　his



mind；　disturbed　in　its　meditation；　turned　with　wonder



（as　men's　minds　will　do）　to　matters　of　no　importance。



It　struck　him　that　it　was　to　this　port；　where　he　had



just　sold　his　last　ship；　that　he　had　come　with　the　very



first　he　had　ever　owned；　and　with　his　head　full　of　a　plan



for　opening　a　new　trade　with　a　distant　part　of　the



Archipelago。　　The　then　governor　had　given　him　no　end



of　encouragement。　　No　Excellency　hethis　Mr。　Den…



hamthis　governor　with　his　jacket　off；　a　man　who



tended　night　and　day；　so　to　speak；　the　growing　pros…



perity　of　the　settlement　with　the　self…forgetful　devotion



of　a　nurse　for　a　child　she　loves；　a　lone　bachelor　who



lived　as　in　a　camp　with　the　few　servants　and　his　three



dogs　in　what　was　called　then　the　Government　Bungalow：



a　low…roofed　structure　on　the　half…cleared　slope　of　a



hill；　with　a　new　flagstaff　in　front　and　a　police　orderly



on　the　veranda。　　He　remembered　toiling　up　that　hill



under　a　heavy　sun　for　his　audience；　the　unfurnished



aspect　of　the　cool　shaded　room；　the　long　table　covered



at　one　end　with　piles　of　papers；　and　with　two　guns；　a



brass　telescope；　a　small　bottle　of　oil　with　a　feather　stuck



in　the　neck　at　the　otherand　the　flattering　attention



given　to　him　by　the　man　in　power。　　It　was　an　under…



taking　full　of　risk　he　had　come　to　expound；　but　a　twenty



minutes'　talk　in　the　Government　Bungalow　on　the　hill



had　made　it　go　smoothly　from　the　start。　　And　as　he



was　retiring　Mr。　Denham；　already　seated　before　the



papers；　called　out　after　him；　〃Next　month　the　Dido



starts　for　a　cruise　that　way；　and　I　shall　request　her



captain　officially　to　give　you　a　look　in　and　see　how



you　get　on。〃　　The　Dido　was　one　of　the　smart　frigates　on



the　China　stationand　five…and…thirty　years　make　a　big



slice　of　time。　　Five…and…thirty　years　ago　an　enterprise



like　his　had　for　the　colony　enough　importance　to　be



looked　after　by　a　Queen's　ship。　　A　big　slice　of　time。



Individuals　were　of　some　account　then。　　Men　like　him…



self；　men；　too；　like　poor　Evans；　for　instance；　with　his



red　face；　his　coal…black　whiskers；　and　his　restless　eyes；



who　had　set　up　the　first　patent　slip　for　repairing　small



ships；　on　the　edge　of　the　forest；　in　a　lonely　bay　three



miles　up　the　coast。　　Mr。　Denham　had　encouraged　that



enterprise　too；　and　yet　somehow　poor　Evans　had　ended



by　dying　at　home　deucedly　hard　up。　　His　son；　they　said；



was　squeezing　oil　out　of　cocoa…nuts　for　a　living　on　some



God…forsaken　islet　of　the　Indian　Ocean；　but　it　was　from



that　patent　slip　in　a　lonely　wooded　bay　that　had　sprung



the　workshops　of　the　Consolidated　Docks　Company；　with



its　three　graving　basins　carved　out　of　solid　rock；　its



wharves；　its　jetties；　its　electric…light　plant；　its　steam…



power　houseswith　its　gigantic　sheer…legs；　fit　to　lift　the



heaviest　weight　ever　carried　afloat；　and　whose　head　could



be　seen　like　the　top　of　a　queer　white　monument　peeping



over　bushy　points　of　land　and　sandy　promontories；　as



you　approached　the　New　Harbor　from　the　west。







There　had　been　a　time　when　men　counted：　there　were



not　so　many　carriages　in　the　colony　then；　though　Mr。



Denham；　he　fancied；　had　a　buggy。　　And　Captain　Whal…



ley　seemed　to　be　swept　out　of　the　great　avenue　by　the



swirl　of　a　mental　backwash。　　He　remembered　muddy



shores；　a　harbor　without　quays；　the　one　solitary　wooden



pier　（but　that　was　a　public　work）　jutting　out　crookedly；



the　first　coal…sheds　erected　on　Monkey　Point；　that　caught



fire　mysteriously　and　smoldered　for　days；　so　that



amazed　ships　came　into　a　roadstead　full　of　sulphurous



smoke；　and　the　sun　hung　blood…red　at　midday。　　He　re…



membered　the　things；　the　faces；　and　something　more



besideslike　the　faint　flavor　of　a　cup　quaffed　to　the



bottom；　like　a　subtle　sparkle　of　the　air　that　was　not



to　be　found　in　the　atmosphere　of　to…day。







In　this　evocation；　swift　and　full　of　detail　like　a　flash



of　magnesium　light　into　the　niches　of　a　dark　memorial



hall；　Captain　Whalley　contemplated　things　once　impor…



tant；　the　efforts　of　small　men；　the　growth　of　a　great



place；　but　now　robbed　of　all　consequence　by　the　great…



ness　of　accomplished　facts；　by　hopes　greater　still；　and



they　gave　him　for　a　moment　such　an　almost　physical



grip　upon　time；　such　a　comprehension　of　our　unchange…



able　feelings；　that　he　stopped　short；　struck　the　ground



with　his　stick；　and　ejaculated　mentally；　〃What　the　devil



am　I　doing　here！〃　　He　seemed　lost　in　a　sort　of　surprise；



but　he　heard　his　name　called　out　in　wheezy　tones　once；



twiceand　turned　on　his　heels　slowly。







He　beheld　then；　waddling　towards　him　autocratically；



a　man　of　an　old…fashioned　and　gouty　aspect；　with　hair



as　white　as　his　own；　but　with　shaved；　florid　cheeks；　wear…



ing　a　necktiealmost　a　neckclothwhose　stiff　ends　pro…



jected　far　beyond　his　chin；　with　round　legs；　round　arms；



a　round　body；　a　round　facegenerally　producing　the



effect　of　his　short　figure　having　been　distended　by　means



of　an　air…pump　as　much　as　the　seams　of　his　clothing



would　stand。　　This　was　the　Master…Attendant　of　the



port。　　A　master…attendant　is　a　superior　sort　of　harbor…



master；　a　person；　out　in　the　East；　of　some　consequence



in　his　sphere；　a　Government　official；　a　magistrate　for



the　waters　of　the　port；　and　possessed　of　vast　but　ill…



defined　disciplinary　authority　over　seamen　of　all　classes。



This　particular　Master…Attendant　was　reported　to　con…



sider　it　miserably　inadequate；　on　the　ground　that　it



did　not　include　the　power　of　life　and　death。　　This　was



a　jocular　exaggeration。　　Captain　Eliott　was　fairly　satis…



fied　with　his　position；　and　nursed　no　inconsiderable　sense



of　such　power　as　he　had。　　His　conceited　and　tyrannical



disposition　did　not　allow　him　to　let　it　dwindle　in　his



hands　for　want　of　use。　　The　uproarious；　choleric　frank…



ness　of　his　comments　on　people's　character　and　conduct



caused　him　to　be　feared　at　bottom；　though　in　conversa…



tion　many　pretended　not　to　mind　him　in　the　least；　others



would　only　smile　sourly　at　the　mention　of　his　name；　and



there　were　even　some　who　dared　to　pronounce　him　〃a



meddlesome　old　ruffian。〃　　But　for　almost　all　of　them



one　of　Captain　Eliott's　outbreaks　was　nearly　as　distaste…



ful　to　face　as　a　chance　of　annihilation。











V











As　soon　as　he　had　come　up　quite　close　he　said；　mouth…



ing　in　a　growl







〃What's　this　I　hear；　Whalley？　　Is　it　true　you're　sell…



ing　the　Fair　Maid？〃







Captain　Whalley；　looking　away