end of the tether- 第37部分

〃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。























End