within the tides-第32部分

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kept　clear　of　native　women。　　As　one　can't　suspect　him　of　moral



delicacy；　I　surmise　that　it　must　have　been　from　prudence。　　And　he；



too；　was　no　longer　young。　　There　were　many　white　hairs　in　his



valuable　black　beard　by　then。　　He　may　have　simply　longed　for　some



kind　of　companionship　in　his　queer；　degraded　existence。　　Whatever



their　motives；　they　vanished　from　Saigon　together。　　And　of　course



nobody　cared　what　had　become　of　them。







〃Six　months　later　Davidson　came　into　the　Mirrah　Settlement。　　It　was



the　very　first　time　he　had　been　up　that　creek；　where　no　European



vessel　had　ever　been　seen　before。　　A　Javanese　passenger　he　had　on



board　offered　him　fifty　dollars　to　call　in　there　…　it　must　have



been　some　very　particular　business　…　and　Davidson　consented　to　try。



Fifty　dollars；　he　told　me；　were　neither　here　nor　there；　but　he　was



curious　to　see　the　place；　and　the　little　Sissie　could　go　anywhere



where　there　was　water　enough　to　float　a　soup…plate。







〃Davidson　landed　his　Javanese　plutocrat；　and；　as　he　had　to　wait　a



couple　of　hours　for　the　tide；　he　went　ashore　himself　to　stretch　his



legs。







〃It　was　a　small　settlement。　　Some　sixty　houses；　most　of　them　built



on　piles　over　the　river；　the　rest　scattered　in　the　long　grass；　the



usual　pathway　at　the　back；　the　forest　hemming　in　the　clearing　and



smothering　what　there　might　have　been　of　air　into　a　dead；　hot



stagnation。







〃All　the　population　was　on　the　river…bank　staring　silently；　as



Malays　will　do；　at　the　Sissie　anchored　in　the　stream。　　She　was



almost　as　wonderful　to　them　as　an　angel's　visit。　　Many　of　the　old



people　had　only　heard　vaguely　of　fire…ships；　and　not　many　of　the



younger　generation　had　seen　one。　　On　the　back　path　Davidson



strolled　in　perfect　solitude。　　But　he　became　aware　of　a　bad　smell



and　concluded　he　would　go　no　farther。







〃While　he　stood　wiping　his　forehead；　he　heard　from　somewhere　the



exclamation：　　'My　God！　　It's　Davy！'







〃Davidson's　lower　jaw；　as　he　expressed　it；　came　unhooked　at　the



crying　of　this　excited　voice。　　Davy　was　the　name　used　by　the



associates　of　his　young　days；　he　hadn't　heard　it　for　many　years。



He　stared　about　with　his　mouth　open　and　saw　a　white　woman　issue



from　the　long　grass　in　which　a　small　hut　stood　buried　nearly　up　to



the　roof。







〃Try　to　imagine　the　shock：　　in　that　wild　place　that　you　couldn't



find　on　a　map；　and　more　squalid　than　the　most　poverty…stricken



Malay　settlement　had　a　right　to　be；　this　European　woman　coming



swishing　out　of　the　long　grass　in　a　fanciful　tea…gown　thing；　dingy



pink　satin；　with　a　long　train　and　frayed　lace　trimmings；　her　eyes



like　black　coals　in　a　pasty…white　face。　　Davidson　thought　that　he



was　asleep；　that　he　was　delirious。　　From　the　offensive　village



mudhole　（it　was　what　Davidson　had　sniffed　just　before）　a　couple　of



filthy　buffaloes　uprose　with　loud　snorts　and　lumbered　off　crashing



through　the　bushes；　panic…struck　by　this　apparition。







〃The　woman　came　forward；　her　arms　extended；　and　laid　her　hands　on



Davidson's　shoulders；　exclaiming：　　'Why！　　You　have　hardly　changed



at　all。　　The　same　good　Davy。'　　And　she　laughed　a　little　wildly。







〃This　sound　was　to　Davidson　like　a　galvanic　shock　to　a　corpse。　　He



started　in　every　muscle。　　'Laughing　Anne；'　he　said　in　an　awe…struck



voice。







〃'All　that's　left　of　her；　Davy。　　All　that's　left　of　her。'







〃Davidson　looked　up　at　the　sky；　but　there　was　to　be　seen　no　balloon



from　which　she　could　have　fallen　on　that　spot。　　When　he　brought　his



distracted　gaze　down；　it　rested　on　a　child　holding　on　with　a　brown



little　paw　to　the　pink　satin　gown。　　He　had　run　out　of　the　grass



after　her。　　Had　Davidson　seen　a　real　hobgoblin　his　eyes　could　not



have　bulged　more　than　at　this　small　boy　in　a　dirty　white　blouse　and



ragged　knickers。　　He　had　a　round　head　of　tight　chestnut　curls；　very



sunburnt　legs；　a　freckled　face；　and　merry　eyes。　　Admonished　by　his



mother　to　greet　the　gentleman；　he　finished　off　Davidson　by



addressing　him　in　French。







〃'BONJOUR。'







〃Davidson；　overcome；　looked　up　at　the　woman　in　silence。　　She　sent



the　child　back　to　the　hut；　and　when　he　had　disappeared　in　the



grass；　she　turned　to　Davidson；　tried　to　speak；　but　after　getting



out　the　words；　'That's　my　Tony；'　burst　into　a　long　fit　of　crying。



She　had　to　lean　on　Davidson's　shoulder。　　He；　distressed　in　the



goodness　of　his　heart；　stood　rooted　to　the　spot　where　she　had　come



upon　him。







〃What　a　meeting　…　eh？　　Bamtz　had　sent　her　out　to　see　what　white　man



it　was　who　had　landed。　　And　she　had　recognised　him　from　that　time



when　Davidson；　who　had　been　pearling　himself　in　his　youth；　had　been



associating　with　Harry　the　Pearler　and　others；　the　quietest　of　a



rather　rowdy　set。







〃Before　Davidson　retraced　his　steps　to　go　on　board　the　steamer；　he



had　heard　much　of　Laughing　Anne's　story；　and　had　even　had　an



interview；　on　the　path；　with　Bamtz　himself。　　She　ran　back　to　the



hut　to　fetch　him；　and　he　came　out　lounging；　with　his　hands　in　his



pockets；　with　the　detached；　casual　manner　under　which　he　concealed



his　propensity　to　cringe。　　Ya…a…as…as。　　He　thought　he　would　settle



here　permanently　…　with　her。　　This　with　a　nod　at　Laughing　Anne；　who



stood　by；　a　haggard；　tragically　anxious　figure；　her　black　hair



hanging　over　her　shoulders。







〃'No　more　paint　and　dyes　for　me；　Davy；'　she　struck　in；　'if　only　you



will　do　what　he　wants　you　to　do。　　You　know　that　I　was　always　ready



to　stand　by　my　men　…　if　they　had　only　let　me。'







〃Davidson　had　no　doubt　of　her　earnestness。　　It　was　of　Bamtz's　good



faith　that　he　was　not　at　all　sure。　　Bamtz　wanted　Davidson　to



promise　to　call　at　Mirrah　more　or　less　regularly。　　He　thought　he



saw　an　opening　to　do　business　with　rattans　there；　if　only　he　could



depend　on　some　craft　to　bring　out　trading　goods　and　take　away　his



produce。







〃'I　have　a　few　dollars　to　make　a　start　on。　　The　people　are　all



right。'







〃He　had　come　there；　where　he　was　not　known；　in　a　native　prau；　and



had　managed；　with　his　sedate　manner　and　the　exactly　right　kind　of



yarn　he　knew　how　to　tell　to　the　natives；　to　ingratiate　himself　with



the　chief　man。







〃'The　Orang　Kaya　has　given　me　that　empty　house　there　to　live　in　as



long　as　I　will　stay；'　added　Bamtz。







〃'Do　it；　Davy；'　cried　the　woman　suddenly。　　'Think　of　that　poor



kid。'







〃'Seen　him？　　'Cute　little　customer；'　said　the　reformed　loafer　in



such　a　tone　of　interest　as　to　surprise　Davidson　into　a　kindly



glance。







〃'I　certainly　can　do　it；'　he　declared。　　He　thought　of　at　first



making　some　stipulation　as　to　Bamtz　behaving　decently　to　the　woman；



but　his　exaggerated　delicacy　and　also　the　conviction　that　such　a



fellow's　promises　were　worth　nothing　restrained　him。　　Anne　went　a



little　distance　down　the　path　with　him　talking　anxiously。







〃'It's　for　the　kid。　　How　could　I　have　kept　him　with　me　if　I　had　to



knock　about　in　towns？　　Here　he　will　never　know　that　his　mother　was



a　painted　woman。　　And　this　Bamtz　likes　him。　　He's　real　fond　of　him。



I　suppose　I　ought　to　thank　God　for　that。'







〃Davidson　shuddered　at　any　human　creature　being　brought　so　low　as



to　have　to　thank　God　for　the　favours　or　affection　of　a　Bamtz。







〃'And　do　you　think　that　you　can　make　out　to　live　here？'　he　asked



gently。







〃'Can't　I？　　You　know　I　have　always　stuck　to　men　through　thick　and



thin　till　they　had　enough　of　me。　　And　now　look　at　me！　　But　inside　I



am　as　I　always　was。　　I　have　acted　on　the　square　to　them　all　one



after　another。　　Only　they　do　get　tired　somehow。　　Oh；　Davy！　　Harry



ought　not　to　have　cast　me　off。　　It　was　he　that　led　me　astray。'







〃Davidson　mentioned　to　her　that　Harry　the　Pearler　had　been　dead　now



for　some　years。　　Perhaps　she　had　heard？







〃She　made　a　sign　that　she　had　heard；　and　walked　by　the　side　of



Davidson　in　silence　nearly　to　the　bank。　　Then　she　told　him　that　her



meeting　with　him　had　brought　back　the　old　times　to　her　mind。　　She



had　not　cried　for　years。　　She　was　not　a　crying　woman　either。　　It



was　hearing　herself　called　Laughing　Anne　that　had　started　her



sobbing　like　a　fool。　　Harry　was　the　only　man　she　had　loved。　　The



others　…







〃She　shrugged　her　shoulders。　　But　she　prided　herself　on　her　loyalty



to　the　successive　partners　of　her　dismal　adventures。　　She　had　never



played　any　tricks　in　her　life。　　She　was　a　pal　worth　having。　　But



men　did　get　tired。　　They　did　not　understand　women。　　She　supposed　it



had　to　be。







〃Davidson　was　attempting　a　veiled　warning　as　to　Bamtz；　but　she



interrupted　him。　　She　knew　what　men　were。　　She　knew　what　this　man



was　like。　　But　he　had　taken　wonderfully　to　the　kid。　　And　Davidson



desisted　willingly；　saying　to　himself　that　surely　poor　Laughing



Anne　could　have　no　illusions　by　this　time。　　She　wrung　his　hand　hard



at　parting。







〃'It's　for　the　kid；　Davy　…　it's　for　the　kid。　　Isn't　he　a　bright



little　chap？'















CHAPTER　II















〃All　this　happened　about　two　years　before　the　day　when　Davidson；



sitting　in　this　very　room；　talked　to　my　friend。　　You　will　see



presently　how　this　room　can　get　full。　　Every　seat'll　be　occupied；



and　as　you　notice；　the　tables　are　set　close；　so　that　the　backs　of



the　chairs　are　almost　touching。　　There　is　also　a　good　deal　of　noisy



talk　here　about　one　o'clock。







〃I　don't　suppose　Davidson　was　talking　very　loudly；　but　very　likely



he　had　to　raise　his　voice　across　the　table　to　my　friend。　　And　here



accident；　mere　accident；　put　in　its　work　by　providing　a　pair　of



fine　ears　close　behind　Davidson's　chair。　　It　was　ten　to　one



against；　the　owner　of　the　same　having　enough　change　in　his　pockets



to　get　his　tiffin　here。　　But　he　had。　　Most　likely　had　rooked



somebody　of　a　few　do