within the tides-第17部分

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a　small　hotel　near　by。　　Wanted　to　be　quiet　and　have　a　look　round



for　a　few　days。　　I　took　him　to　a　place　…　friend　of　mine。　。　。　Next



time　…　in　the　City　…　Hallo！　　You're　very　obliging　…　have　a　drink。



Talks　plenty　about　himself。　　Been　years　in　the　States。　　All　sorts



of　business　all　over　the　place。　　With　some　patent　medicine　people；



too。　　Travels。　　Writes　advertisements　and　all　that。　　Tells　me　funny



stories。　　Tall；　loose…limbed　fellow。　　Black　hair　up　on　end；　like　a



brush；　long　face；　long　legs；　long　arms；　twinkle　in　his　specs；



jocular　way　of　speaking　…　in　a　low　voice。　。　。　See　that？〃







I　nodded；　but　he　was　not　looking　at　me。







〃Never　laughed　so　much　in　my　life。　　The　beggar　…　would　make　you



laugh　telling　you　how　he　skinned　his　own　father。　　He　was　up　to



that；　too。　　A　man　who's　been　in　the　patent…medicine　trade　will　be



up　to　anything　from　pitch…and…toss　to　wilful　murder。　　And　that's　a



bit　of　hard　truth　for　you。　　Don't　mind　what　they　do　…　think　they



can　carry　off　anything　and　talk　themselves　out　of　anything　…　all



the　world's　a　fool　to　them。　　Business　man；　too；　Cloete。　　Came　over



with　a　few　hundred　pounds。　　Looking　for　something　to　do　…　in　a



quiet　way。　　Nothing　like　the　old　country；　after　all；　says　he。　。　。



And　so　we　part　…　I　with　more　drinks　in　me　than　I　was　used　to。



After　a　time；　perhaps　six　months　or　so；　I　run　up　against　him　again



in　Mr。　George　Dunbar's　office。　　Yes；　THAT　office。　　It　wasn't　often



that　I　。　。　。　However；　there　was　a　bit　of　his　cargo　in　a　ship　in



dock　that　I　wanted　to　ask　Mr。　George　about。　　In　comes　Cloete　out　of



the　room　at　the　back　with　some　papers　in　his　hand。　　Partner。　　You



understand？〃







〃Aha！〃　I　said。　　〃The　few　hundred　pounds。〃







〃And　that　tongue　of　his；〃　he　growled。　　〃Don't　forget　that　tongue。



Some　of　his　tales　must　have　opened　George　Dunbar's　eyes　a　bit　as　to



what　business　means。〃







〃A　plausible　fellow；〃　I　suggested。







〃H'm！　　You　must　have　it　in　your　own　way　…　of　course。　　Well。



Partner。　　George　Dunbar　puts　his　top…hat　on　and　tells　me　to　wait　a



moment。　。　。　George　always　looked　as　though　he　were　making　a　few



thousands　a　year　…　a　city　swell。　。　。　Come　along；　old　man！　　And　he



and　Captain　Harry　go　out　together　…　some　business　with　a　solicitor



round　the　corner。　　Captain　Harry；　when　he　was　in　England；　used　to



turn　up　in　his　brother's　office　regularly　about　twelve。　　Sat　in　a



corner　like　a　good　boy；　reading　the　paper　and　smoking　his　pipe。　　So



they　go　out。　。　。　Model　brothers；　says　Cloete　…　two　love…birds　…　I



am　looking　after　the　tinned…fruit　side　of　this　cozy　little　show。　。



。　Gives　me　that　sort　of　talk。　　Then　by…and…by：　　What　sort　of　old



thing　is　that　Sagamore？　Finest　ship　out　…　eh？　　I　dare　say　all　ships



are　fine　to　you。　　You　live　by　them。　　I　tell　you　what；　I　would　just



as　soon　put　my　money　into　an　old　stocking。　　Sooner！〃











He　drew　a　breath；　and　I　noticed　his　hand；　lying　loosely　on　the



table；　close　slowly　into　a　fist。　　In　that　immovable　man　it　was



startling；　ominous；　like　the　famed　nod　of　the　Commander。







〃So；　already　at　that　time　…　note　…　already；〃　he　growled。







〃But　hold　on；〃　I　interrupted。　　〃The　Sagamore　belonged　to　Mundy　and



Rogers；　I've　been　told。〃







He　snorted　contemptuously。　　〃Damn　boatmen　…　know　no　better。　　Flew



the　firm's　HOUSE…FLAG。　　That's　another　thing。　　Favour。　　It　was　like



this：　　When　old　man　Dunbar　died；　Captain　Harry　was　already　in



command　with　the　firm。　　George　chucked　the　bank　he　was　clerking　in



…　to　go　on　his　own　with　what　there　was　to　share　after　the　old　chap。



George　was　a　smart　man。　　Started　warehousing；　then　two　or　three



things　at　a　time：　　wood…pulp；　preserved…fruit　trade；　and　so　on。



And　Captain　Harry　let　him　have　his　share　to　work　with。　。　。　I　am



provided　for　in　my　ship；　he　says。　。　。　But　by…and…by　Mundy　and



Rogers　begin　to　sell　out　to　foreigners　all　their　ships　…　go　into



steam　right　away。　　Captain　Harry　gets　very　upset　…　lose　command；



part　with　the　ship　he　was　fond　of　…　very　wretched。　　Just　then；　so



it　happened；　the　brothers　came　in　for　some　money　…　an　old　woman



died　or　something。　　Quite　a　tidy　bit。　　Then　young　George　says：



There's　enough　between　us　two　to　buy　the　Sagamore　with。　。　。　But



you'll　need　more　money　for　your　business；　cries　Captain　Harry　…　and



the　other　laughs　at　him：　　My　business　is　going　on　all　right。　　Why；



I　can　go　out　and　make　a　handful　of　sovereigns　while　you　are　trying



to　get　your　pipe　to　draw；　old　man。　。　。　Mundy　and　Rogers　very



friendly　about　it：　　Certainly；　Captain。　　And　we　will　manage　her　for



you；　if　you　like；　as　if　she　were　still　our　own。　。　。　Why；　with　a



connection　like　that　it　was　good　investment　to　buy　that　ship。



Good！　　Aye；　at　the　time。〃







The　turning　of　his　head　slightly　toward　me　at　this　point　was　like　a



sign　of　strong　feeling　in　any　other　man。







〃You'll　mind　that　this　was　long　before　Cloete　came　into　it　at　all；〃



he　muttered；　warningly。







〃Yes。　　I　will　mind；〃　I　said。　　〃We　generally　say：　　some　years



passed。　　That's　soon　done。〃







He　eyed　me　for　a　while　silently　in　an　unseeing　way；　as　if　engrossed



in　the　thought　of　the　years　so　easily　dealt　with；　his　own　years；



too；　they　were；　the　years　before　and　the　years　（not　so　many）　after



Cloete　came　upon　the　scene。　　When　he　began　to　speak　again；　I



discerned　his　intention　to　point　out　to　me；　in　his　obscure　and



graphic　manner；　the　influence　on　George　Dunbar　of　long　association



with　Cloete's　easy　moral　standards；　unscrupulously　persuasive　gift



of　humour　（funny　fellow）；　and　adventurously　reckless　disposition。



He　desired　me　anxiously　to　elaborate　this　view；　and　I　assured　him



it　was　quite　within　my　powers。　　He　wished　me　also　to　understand



that　George's　business　had　its　ups　and　downs　（the　other　brother　was



meantime　sailing　to　and　fro　serenely）；　that　he　got　into　low　water



at　times；　which　worried　him　rather；　because　he　had　married　a　young



wife　with　expensive　tastes。　　He　was　having　a　pretty　anxious　time　of



it　generally；　and　just　then　Cloete　ran　up　in　the　city　somewhere



against　a　man　working　a　patent　medicine　（the　fellow's　old　trade）



with　some　success；　but　which；　with　capital；　capital　to　the　tune　of



thousands　to　be　spent　with　both　hands　on　advertising；　could　be



turned　into　a　great　thing　…　infinitely　better　…　paying　than　a　gold…



mine。　　Cloete　became　excited　at　the　possibilities　of　that　sort　of



business；　in　which　he　was　an　expert。　　I　understood　that　George's



partner　was　all　on　fire　from　the　contact　with　this　unique



opportunity。







〃So　he　goes　in　every　day　into　George's　room　about　eleven；　and　sings



that　tune　till　George　gnashes　his　teeth　with　rage。　　Do　shut　up。



What's　the　good？　　No　money。　　Hardly　any　to　go　on　with；　let　alone



pouring　thousands　into　advertising。　　Never　dare　propose　to　his



brother　Harry　to　sell　the　ship。　　Couldn't　think　of　it。　　Worry　him



to　death。　　It　would　be　like　the　end　of　the　world　coming。　　And



certainly　not　for　a　business　of　that　kind！　。　。　。　Do　you　think　it



would　be　a　swindle？　asks　Cloete；　twitching　his　mouth。　。　。　George



owns　up：　　No…would　be　no　better　than　a　squeamish　ass　if　he　thought



that；　after　all　these　years　in　business。







〃Cloete　looks　at　him　hard　…　Never　thought　of　SELLING　the　ship。



Expected　the　blamed　old　thing　wouldn't　fetch　half　her　insured　value



by　this　time。　　Then　George　flies　out　at　him。　　What's　the　meaning；



then；　of　these　silly　jeers　at　ship…owning　for　the　last　three　weeks？



Had　enough　of　them；　anyhow。







〃Angry　at　having　his　mouth　made　to　water；　see。　　Cloete　don't　get



excited。　。　。　I　am　no　squeamish　ass；　either；　says　he；　very　slowly。



'Tisn't　selling　your　old　Sagamore　wants。　　The　blamed　thing　wants



tomahawking　（seems　the　name　Sagamore　means　an　Indian　chief　or



something。　　The　figure…head　was　a　half…naked　savage　with　a　feather



over　one　ear　and　a　hatchet　in　his　belt）。　　Tomahawking；　says　he。







〃What　do　you　mean？　asks　George。　。　。　Wrecking　…　it　could　be　managed



with　perfect　safety；　goes　on　Cloete　…　your　brother　would　then　put



in　his　share　of　insurance　money。　　Needn't　tell　him　exactly　what



for。　　He　thinks　you're　the　smartest　business　man　that　ever　lived。



Make　his　fortune；　too。　。　。　George　grips　the　desk　with　both　hands　in



his　rage。　。　。　You　think　my　brother's　a　man　to　cast　away　his　ship　on



purpose。　　I　wouldn't　even　dare　think　of　such　a　thing　in　the　same



room　with　him　…　the　finest　fellow　that　ever　lived。　。　。　Don't　make



such　noise；　they'll　hear　you　outside；　says　Cloete；　and　he　tells　him



that　his　brother　is　the　salted　pattern　of　all　virtues；　but　all



that's　necessary　is　to　induce　him　to　stay　ashore　for　a　voyage　…　for



a　holiday　…　take　a　rest　…　why　not？　。　。　。　In　fact；　I　have　in　view



somebody　up　to　that　sort　of　game　…　Cloete　whispers。







〃George　nearly　chokes。　。　。　So　you　think　I　am　of　that　sort　…　you



think　ME　capable　…　What　do　you　take　me　for？　。　。　。　He　almost　loses



his　head；　while　Cloete　keeps　cool；　only　gets　white　about　the　gills。



。　。　I　take　you　for　a　man　who　will　be　most　cursedly　hard　up　before



long。　。　。　He　goes　to　the　door　and　sends　away　the　clerks　…　there



were　only　two　…　to　take　their　lunch　hour。　　Comes　back　。　。　。　What



are　you　indignant　about？　　Do　I　want　you　to　rob　the　widow　and



orphan？　　Why；　man！　　Lloyd's　a　corporation；　it　hasn't　got　a　body　to



starve。　　There's　forty　or　more　of　them　perhaps　who　underwrote　the



lines　on　that　silly　ship　of　yours。　　Not　one　human　being　would　go



hungry　or　cold　for　it。　　They　take　every　risk　into　consideration。



Everything　I　tell　you。　。　。　That　sort　of　talk。　　H'm！　　George　too



upset　to　speak　…　only　gurgles　and　waves　his　arms；　so　sudden；　you



see。　　The　other；　warming　his　back　at　the　fire；　goes　on。　　Wood…pulp



business　next　door　to　a　failure。　　Tinned…fruit　trade　nearly　played



out。　。　。　You're　frightened；　he　say