within the tides-第18部分

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



out。　。　。　You're　frightened；　he　says；　but　the　law　is　only　meant　to



frighten　fools　away。　。　。　And　he　shows　how　safe　casting　away　that



ship　would　be。　　Premiums　paid　for　so　many；　many　years。　　No　shadow



of　suspicion　could　arise。　　And；　dash　it　all！　a　ship　must　meet　her



end　some　day。　。　。







〃I　am　not　frightened。　　I　am　indignant；〃　says　George　Dunbar。







〃Cloete　boiling　with　rage　inside。　　Chance　of　a　lifetime　…　his



chance！　　And　he　says　kindly：　　Your　wife'll　be　much　more　indignant



when　you　ask　her　to　get　out　of　that　pretty　house　of　yours　and　pile



in　into　a　two…pair　back　…　with　kids　perhaps；　too。　。　。







〃George　had　no　children。　　Married　a　couple　of　years；　looked　forward



to　a　kid　or　two　very　much。　　Feels　more　upset　than　ever。　　Talks



about　an　honest　man　for　father；　and　so　on。　　Cloete　grins：　　You　be



quick　before　they　come；　and　they'll　have　a　rich　man　for　father；　and



no　one　the　worse　for　it。　　That's　the　beauty　of　the　thing。







〃George　nearly　cries。　　I　believe　he　did　cry　at　odd　times。　　This



went　on　for　weeks。　　He　couldn't　quarrel　with　Cloete。　　Couldn't　pay



off　his　few　hundreds；　and　besides；　he　was　used　to　have　him　about。



Weak　fellow；　George。　　Cloete　generous；　too。　。　。　Don't　think　of　my



little　pile；　says　he。　　Of　course　it's　gone　when　we　have　to　shut　up。



But　I　don't　care；　he　says。　。　。　And　then　there　was　George's　new



wife。　　When　Cloete　dines　there；　the　beggar　puts　on　a　dress　suit；



little　woman　liked　it；　。　。　。　Mr。　Cloete；　my　husband's　partner；　such



a　clever　man；　man　of　the　world；　so　amusing！　。　。　。　When　he　dines



there　and　they　are　alone：　　Oh；　Mr。　Cloete；　I　wish　George　would　do



something　to　improve　our　prospects。　　Our　position　is　really　so



mediocre。　。　。　And　Cloete　smiles；　but　isn't　surprised；　because　he



had　put　all　these　notions　himself　into　her　empty　head。　。　。　What



your　husband　wants　is　enterprise；　a　little　audacity。　　You　can



encourage　him　best；　Mrs。　Dunbar。　。　。　She　was　a　silly；　extravagant



little　fool。　　Had　made　George　take　a　house　in　Norwood。　　Live　up　to



a　lot　of　people　better　off　than　themselves。　　I　saw　her　once；　silk



dress；　pretty　boots；　all　feathers　and　scent；　pink　face。　　More　like



the　Promenade　at　the　Alhambra　than　a　decent　home；　it　looked　to　me。



But　some　women　do　get　a　devil　of　a　hold　on　a　man。〃







〃Yes；　some　do；〃　I　assented。　　〃Even　when　the　man　is　the　husband。〃







〃My　missis；〃　he　addressed　me　unexpectedly；　in　a　solemn；



surprisingly　hollow　tone；　〃could　wind　me　round　her　little　finger。



I　didn't　find　it　out　till　she　was　gone。　　Aye。　　But　she　was　a　woman



of　sense；　while　that　piece　of　goods　ought　to　have　been　walking　the



streets；　and　that's　all　I　can　say。　。　。　You　must　make　her　up　out　of



your　head。　　You　will　know　the　sort。〃







〃Leave　all　that　to　me；〃　I　said。







〃H'm！〃　he　grunted；　doubtfully；　then　going　back　to　his　scornful



tone：　　〃A　month　or　so　afterwards　the　Sagamore　arrives　home。　　All



very　jolly　at　first。　。　。　Hallo；　George　boy！　　Hallo；　Harry；　old　man！



。　。　。　But　by　and　by　Captain　Harry　thinks　his　clever　brother　is　not



looking　very　well。　　And　George　begins　to　look　worse。　　He　can't　get



rid　of　Cloete's　notion。　　It　has　stuck　in　his　head。　。　。　There's



nothing　wrong　…　quite　well。　。　。　Captain　Harry　still　anxious。



Business　going　all　right；　eh？　　Quite　right。　　Lots　of　business。



Good　business。　。　。　Of　course　Captain　Harry　believes　that　easily。



Starts　chaffing　his　brother　in　his　jolly　way　about　rolling　in



money。　　George's　shirt　sticks　to　his　back　with　perspiration；　and　he



feels　quite　angry　with　the　captain。　。　。　The　fool；　he　says　to



himself。　　Rolling　in　money；　indeed！　　And　then　he　thinks　suddenly：



Why　not？　。　。　。　Because　Cloete's　notion　has　got　hold　of　his　mind。







〃But　next　day　he　weakens　and　says　to　Cloete　。　。　。　Perhaps　it　would



be　best　to　sell。　　Couldn't　you　talk　to　my　brother？　and　Cloete



explains　to　him　over　again　for　the　twentieth　time　why　selling



wouldn't　do；　anyhow。　　No！　　The　Sagamore　must　be　tomahawked　…　as　he



would　call　it；　to　spare　George's　feelings；　maybe。　　But　every　time



he　says　the　word；　George　shudders。　。　。　I've　got　a　man　at　hand



competent　for　the　job　who　will　do　the　trick　for　five　hundred；　and



only　too　pleased　at　the　chance；　says　Cloete。　。　。　George　shuts　his



eyes　tight　at　that　sort　of　talk　…　but　at　the　same　time　he　thinks：



Humbug！　　There　can　be　no　such　man。　　And　yet　if　there　was　such　a　man



it　would　be　safe　enough　…　perhaps。







〃And　Cloete　always　funny　about　it。　　He　couldn't　talk　about　anything



without　it　seeming　there　was　a　great　joke　in　it　somewhere。　。　。　Now；



says　he；　I　know　you　are　a　moral　citizen；　George。　　Morality　is



mostly　funk；　and　I　think　you're　the　funkiest　man　I　ever　came　across



in　my　travels。　　Why；　you　are　afraid　to　speak　to　your　brother。



Afraid　to　open　your　mouth　to　him　with　a　fortune　for　us　all　in



sight。　。　。　George　flares　up　at　this：　　no；　he　ain't　afraid；　he　will



speak；　bangs　fist　on　the　desk。　　And　Cloete　pats　him　on　the　back。　。



。　We'll　be　made　men　presently；　he　says。







〃But　the　first　time　George　attempts　to　speak　to　Captain　Harry　his



heart　slides　down　into　his　boots。　　Captain　Harry　only　laughs　at　the



notion　of　staying　ashore。　　He　wants　no　holiday；　not　he。　　But　Jane



thinks　of　remaining　in　England　this　trip。　　Go　about　a　bit　and　see



some　of　her　people。　　Jane　was　the　Captain's　wife；　round…faced；



pleasant　lady。　　George　gives　up　that　time；　but　Cloete　won't　let　him



rest。　　So　he　tries　again；　and　the　Captain　frowns。　　He　frowns



because　he's　puzzled。　　He　can't　make　it　out。　　He　has　no　notion　of



living　away　from　his　Sagamore。　。　。







〃Ah！〃　I　cried。　　〃Now　I　understand。〃







〃No；　you　don't；〃　he　growled；　his　black；　contemptuous　stare　turning



on　me　crushingly。







〃I　beg　your　pardon；〃　I　murmured。







〃H'm！　　Very　well；　then。　　Captain　Harry　looks　very　stern；　and　George



crumples　all　up　inside。　。　。　He　sees　through　me；　he　thinks。　。　。　Of



course　it　could　not　be；　but　George；　by　that　time；　was　scared　at　his



own　shadow。　　He　is　shirking　it　with　Cloete；　too。　　Gives　his　partner



to　understand　that　his　brother　has　half　a　mind　to　try　a　spell　on



shore；　and　so　on。　　Cloete　waits；　gnawing　his　fingers；　so　anxious。



Cloete　really　had　found　a　man　for　the　job。　　Believe　it　or　not；　he



had　found　him　inside　the　very　boarding…house　he　lodged　in　…



somewhere　about　Tottenham　Court　Road。　　He　had　noticed　down…stairs　a



fellow　…　a　boarder　and　not　a　boarder　…　hanging　about　the　dark　…



part　of　the　passage　mostly；　sort　of　'man　of　the　house；'　a　slinking



chap。　　Black　eyes。　　White　face。　　The　woman　of　the　house　…　a　widow



lady；　she　called　herself　…　very　full　of　Mr。　Stafford；　Mr。　Stafford



this　and　Mr。　Stafford　that。　。　。　Anyhow；　Cloete　one　evening　takes



him　out　to　have　a　drink。　　Cloete　mostly　passed　away　his　evenings　in



saloon　bars。　　No　drunkard；　though；　Cloete；　for　company；　liked　to



talk　to　all　sorts　there；　just　habit；　American　fashion。







〃So　Cloete　takes　that　chap　out　more　than　once。　　Not　very　good



company；　though。　　Little　to　say　for　himself。　　Sits　quiet　and　drinks



what's　given　to　him；　eyes　always　half　closed；　speaks　sort　of



demure。　。　。　I've　had　misfortunes；　he　says。　　The　truth　was　they　had



kicked　him　out　of　a　big　steam…ship　company　for　disgraceful　conduct；



nothing　to　affect　his　certificate；　you　understand；　and　he　had　gone



down　quite　easily。　　Liked　it；　I　expect。　　Anything's　better　than



work。　　Lived　on　the　widow　lady　who　kept　that　boarding…house。〃







〃That's　almost　incredible；〃　I　ventured　to　interrupt。　　〃A　man　with　a



master's　certificate；　do　you　mean？〃







〃I　do；　I've　known　them　'bus　cads；〃　he　growled；　contemptuously。



〃Yes。　　Swing　on　the　tail…board　by　the　strap　and　yell；　'tuppence　all



the　way。'　　Through　drink。　　But　this　Stafford　was　of　another　kind。



Hell's　full　of　such　Staffords；　Cloete　would　make　fun　of　him；　and



then　there　would　be　a　nasty　gleam　in　the　fellow's　half…shut　eye。



But　Cloete　was　generally　kind　to　him。　　Cloete　was　a　fellow　that



would　be　kind　to　a　mangy　dog。　　Anyhow；　he　used　to　stand　drinks　to



that　object；　and　now　and　then　gave　him　half　a　crown　…　because　the



widow　lady　kept　Mr。　Stafford　short　of　pocket…money。　　They　had　rows



almost　every　day　down　in　the　basement。　。　。







It　was　the　fellow　being　a　sailor　that　put　into　Cloete's　mind　the



first　notion　of　doing　away　with　the　Sagamore。　　He　studies　him　a



bit；　thinks　there's　enough　devil　in　him　yet　to　be　tempted；　and　one



evening　he　says　to　him　。　。　。　I　suppose　you　wouldn't　mind　going　to



sea　again；　for　a　spell？　。　。　。　The　other　never　raises　his　eyes；　says



it's　scarcely　worth　one's　while　for　the　miserable　salary　one　gets。



。　。　Well；　but　what　do　you　say　to　captain's　wages　for　a　time；　and　a



couple　of　hundred　extra　if　you　are　compelled　to　come　home　without



the　ship。　　Accidents　will　happen；　says　Cloete。　。　。　Oh！　sure　to；



says　that　Stafford；　and　goes　on　taking　sips　of　his　drink　as　if　he



had　no　interest　in　the　matter。







〃Cloete　presses　him　a　bit；　but　the　other　observes；　impudent　and



languid　like：　　You　see；　there's　no　future　in　a　thing　like　that　…　is



there？　。　。　Oh！　no；　says　Cloete。　　Certainly　not。　　I　don't　mean　this



to　have　any　future　…　as　far　as　you　are　concerned。　　It's　a　'once　for



all'　transaction。　　Well；　what　do　you　estimate　your　future　at？　he



asks。　。　。　The　fellow　more　listless　than　ever　…　nearly　asleep。　…　I



believe　the　skunk　was　really　too　lazy　to　care。　　Small　cheating　at



cards；　wheedling　or　bullying　his　living　out　of　some　woman　or　other；



was　more　his　style。　　Cloete　swears　at　him　in　whispers　something



awful。　　All　this　in　the　saloon　bar　of　the　Horse　Shoe；　Tottenham



Court　Road。　　Finally　they　agree；　over　the　second　sixpennyworth　of



Scotch　hot；　on　five　hundred　pounds　as　the　price　of　tomahawking　the



Sagamore。