Lord Jim

第33章

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第33章

Lord Jim Joseph Conrad

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Lord Jim
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  Hewas,ofcourse,anxioustodisclaimthisachievement。Thewholestockade——hewouldinsistonexplainingtoyou——wasapooraffairSherifAlitrustedmainlytotheinaccessibleposition;and,anyway,thethinghadbeenalreadyknockedtopiecesandonlyhungtogetherbyamiracle。Heputhisshouldertoitlikealittlefoolandwentinheadoverheels。Jove!Ifithadn’tbeenforDainWaris,apock-markettattooedvagabondwouldhavepinnedhimwithhisspeartoabaulkoftimberlikeoneofStein’sbeetles。Thethirdmanin,itseems,hadbeenTamb’Itam,Jim’sownservant。ThiswasaMalayfromthenorth,astrangerwhohadwanderedintoPatusan,andhadbeenforciblydetainedbyRajahAllangaspaddlerofoneofthestateboats。

  Hehadmadeaboltofitatthefirstopportunity,andfindingaprecariousrefugebutverylittletoeatamongsttheBugissettlers,hadattachedhimselftoJim’sperson。Hiscomplexionwasverydark,hisfaceflat,hiseyesprominentandinjectedwithbile。Therewassomethingexcessive,almostfanatical,inhisdevotiontohis“whitelord。“HewasinseparablefromJimlikeamoroseshadow。Onstateoccasionshewouldtreadonhismaster’sheels,onehandonthehaftofhiskris,keepingthecommonpeopleatadistancebyhistruculentbroodingglances。Jimhadmadehimthehead-manofhisestablishment,andallPatusanrespectedandcourtedhimasapersonofmuchinfluence。Atthetakingofthestockadehehaddistinguishedhimselfgreatlybythemethodicalferocityofhisfighting。Thestorming-partyhadcomeonsoquick——Jimsaid——thatnotwithstandingthepanicofthegarrison,therewasa“hotfiveminuteshand-to-handinsidethatstockade,tillsomeballyasssetfiretothesheltersofboughsanddrygrass,andweallhadtoclearoutfordearlife。“

  `Therout,itseems,hadbeencomplete。Doramin,waitingimmovablyinhischaironthehill-side,withthesmokeofthegunsspreadingslowlyabovehisbighead,receivedthenewswithadeepgrunt。Wheninformedthathissonwassafeandleadingthepursuit,he,withoutanothersound,madeamightyefforttorise;hisattendantshurriedtohishelp,and,heldupreverently,heshuffledwithgreatdignityintoabitofshadewherehelaidhimselfdowntosleepcoveredentirelywithapieceofwhitesheeting。InPatusantheexcitementwasintense。Jimtoldmethatfromthehill,turninghisbackonthestockadewithitsembers,blackashes,andhalf-consumedcorpses,hecouldseetimeaftertimetheopenspacesbetweenthehousesonbothsidesofthestreamfillsuddenlywithaseethingrushofpeopleandgetemptyinamoment。Hisearscaughtfeeblyfrombelowthetremendousdinofgongsanddrums;thewildshoutsofthecrowdreachedhiminburstsoffaintroaring。Alotofstreamersmadeaflutterasoflittlewhite,red,yellowbirdsamongstthebrownridgesofroofs。“Youmusthaveenjoyedit,“Imurmured,feelingthestirofsympatheticemotion。

  “`Itwas……itwasimmense!Immense!“hecriedaloud,flinginghisarmsopen。ThesuddenmovementstartledmeasthoughIhadseenhimbarethesecretsofhisbreasttothesunshine,tothebroodingforests,tothesteelysea。Belowusthetownreposedineasycurvesuponthebanksofastreamwhosecurrentseemedtosleep。“Immense!“herepeatedforathirdtime,speakinginawhisper,forhimselfalone。

  `Immense!Nodoubtitwasimmense;thesealofsuccessuponhiswords,theconqueredgroundforthesolesofhisfeet,theblindtrustofmen,thebeliefinhimselfsnatchedfromthefire,thesolitudeofhisachievement。

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