TO
EDWARDLANCELOTSANDERSON
AUTHOR’SNOTE
\"AnOutcastoftheIslands\"ismysecondnovelintheabsolutesenseoftheword;secondinconception,secondinexecution,secondasitwereinitsessence。Therewasnohesitation,half-formedplan,vagueidea,orthevaguestreverieofanythingelsebetweenitand\"Almayer’sFolly。\"TheonlydoubtIsufferedfrom,afterthepublicationof\"Almayer’sFolly,\"waswhetherI
shouldwriteanotherlineforprint。Thosedays,nowgrownsodim,hadtheirpoignantmoments。NeitherinmymindnorinmyhearthadIthengivenupthesea。IntruthIwasclingingtoitdesperately,allthemoredesperatelybecause,againstmywill,I
couldnothelpfeelingthattherewassomethingchangedinmyrelationtoit。\"Almayer’sFolly,\"hadbeenfinishedanddonewith。Themooditselfwasgone。Butithadleftthememoryofanexperiencethat,bothinthoughtandemotionwasunconnectedwiththesea,andIsupposethatpartofmymoralbeingwhichisrootedinconsistencywasbadlyshaken。Iwasavictimofcontrarystresseswhichproducedastateofimmobility。Igavemyselfuptoindolence。SinceitwasimpossibleformetofacebothwaysIhadelectedtofacenothing。Thediscoveryofnewvaluesinlifeisaverychaoticexperience;thereisatremendousamountofjostlingandconfusionandamomentaryfeelingofdarkness。Iletmyspiritfloatsupineoverthatchaos。
AphraseofEdwardGarnett’sis,asamatteroffact,responsibleforthisbook。ThefirstofthefriendsImadeformyselfbymypenitwasbutnaturalthatheshouldbetherecipient,atthattime,ofmyconfidences。OneeveningwhenwehaddinedtogetherandhehadlistenedtotheaccountofmyperplexitiesIfearhemusthavebeengrowingalittletiredofthemhepointedoutthattherewasnoneedtodeterminemyfutureabsolutely。Thenheadded:\"Youhavethestyle,youhavethetemperament;whynotwriteanother?\"Ibelievethatasfarasonemanmaywishtoinfluenceanotherman’slifeEdwardGarnetthadagreatdesirethatIshouldgoonwriting。Atthattime,andImaysay,everafterwards,hewasalwaysverypatientandgentlewithme。Whatstrikesmemosthoweverinthephrasequotedabovewhichwasofferedtomeinatoneofdetachmentisnotitsgentlenessbutitseffectivewisdom。Hadhesaid,\"Whynotgoonwriting,\"itisveryprobablehewouldhavescaredmeawayfrompenandinkforever;buttherewasnothingeithertofrightenoneorarouseone’santagonisminthemeresuggestionto\"writeanother。\"Andthusadeadpointintherevolutionofmyaffairswasinsidiouslygotover。Theword\"another\"didit。Atabouteleveno’clockofaniceLondonnight,EdwardandIwalkedalonginterminablestreetstalkingofmanythings,andIrememberthatongettinghomeIsatdownandwroteabouthalfapageof\"AnOutcastoftheIslands\"beforeIslept。Thiswascommittingmyselfdefinitely,Iwon’tsaytoanotherlife,buttoanotherbook。ThereisapparentlysomethinginmycharacterwhichwillnotallowmetoabandonforgoodanypieceofworkIhavebegun。Ihavelaidasidemanybeginnings。Ihavelaidthemasidewithsorrow,withdisgust,withrage,withmelancholyandevenwithself-contempt;
butevenattheworstIhadanuneasyconsciousnessthatIwouldhavetogobacktothem。
\"AnOutcastoftheIslands\"belongstothosenovelsofminethatwereneverlaidaside;andthoughitbroughtmethequalificationof\"exoticwriter\"Idon’tthinkthechargewasatalljustified。
ForthelifeofmeIdon’tseethatthereistheslightestexoticspiritintheconceptionorstyleofthatnovel。ItiscertainlythemostTROPICALofmyeasterntales。ThemerescenerygotagreatholdonmeasIwenton,perhapsbecauseImayjustaswellconfessthatthestoryitselfwasneververynearmyheart。
Itengagedmyimaginationmuchmorethanmyaffection。AstomyfeelingforWillemsitwasbuttheregardonecannothelphavingforone’sowncreation。ObviouslyIcouldnotbeindifferenttoamanonwhoseheadIhadbroughtsomuchevilsimplybyimagininghimsuchasheappearsinthenovel——andthat,too,onaveryslightfoundation。
ThemanwhosuggestedWillemstomewasnotparticularlyinterestinginhimself。Myinterestwasarousedbyhisdependentposition,hisstrange,dubiousstatusofamistrusted,disliked,worn-outEuropeanlivingonthereluctanttolerationofthatSettlementhiddenintheheartoftheforest-land,upthatsombrestreamwhichourshipwastheonlywhitemen’sshiptovisit。
Withhishollow,clean-shavedcheeks,aheavygreymoustacheandeyeswithoutanyexpressionwhatever,cladalwaysinaspotlesssleepingsuitmuchbe-froggedinfront,whichlefthisleanneckwhollyuncovered,andwithhisbarefeetinapairofstrawslippers,hewanderedsilentlyamongstthehousesindaylight,almostasdumbasananimalandapparentlymuchmorehomeless。I
don’tknowwhathedidwithhimselfatnight。Hemusthavehadaplace,ahut,apalm-leafshed,somesortofhovelwherehekepthisrazorandhischangeofsleepingsuits。Anairoffutilemysteryhungoverhim,somethingnotexactlydarkbutobviouslyugly。TheonlydefinitestatementIcouldextractfromanybodywasthatitwashewhohad\"broughttheArabsintotheriver。\"
Thatmusthavehappenedmanyyearsbefore。Buthowdidhebringthemintotheriver?Hecouldhardlyhavedoneitinhisarmslikealotofkittens。IknewthatAlmayerfoundedthechronologyofallhismisfortunesonthedateofthatfatefuladvent;andyettheveryfirsttimewedinedwithAlmayertherewasWillemssittingattablewithusinthemanneroftheskeletonatthefeast,obviouslyshunnedbyeverybody,neveraddressedbyanyone,andforallrecognitionofhisexistencegettingnowandthenfromAlmayeravenomousglancewhichI
observedwithgreatsurprise。InthecourseofthewholeeveningheventuredonesingleremarkwhichIdidn’tcatchbecausehisarticulationwasimperfect,asofamanwhohadforgottenhowtospeak。Iwastheonlypersonwhoseemedawareofthesound。
Willemssubsided。Presentlyheretired,pointedlyunnoticed——intotheforestmaybe?Itsimmensitywasthere,withinthreehundredyardsoftheverandah,readytoswallowupanything。Almayerconversingwithmycaptaindidnotstoptalkingwhileheglaredangrilyattheretreatingback。Didn’tthatfellowbringtheArabsintotheriver!NeverthelessWillemsturnedupnextmorningonAlmayer’sverandah。FromthebridgeofthesteamerIcouldseeplainlythesetwo,breakfastingtogether,teteateteand,Isuppose,indeadsilence,onewithhisairofbeingnolongerinterestedinthisworldandtheotherraisinghiseyesnowandthenwithintensedislike。
ItwasclearthatinthosedaysWillemslivedonAlmayer’scharity。YetonreturningtwomonthslatertoSambirIheardthathehadgoneonanexpeditionuptheriverinchargeofasteam-launchbelongingtotheArabs,tomakesomediscoveryorother。OnaccountofthestrangereluctancethateveryonemanifestedtotalkaboutWillemsitwasimpossibleformetogetattherightsofthattransaction。Moreover,Iwasanewcomer,theyoungestofthecompany,and,Isuspect,notjudgedquitefitasyetforafullconfidence。Iwasnotmuchconcernedaboutthatexclusion。ThefaintsuggestionofplotsandmysteriespertainingtoallmatterstouchingAlmayer’saffairsamusedmevastly。Almayerwasobviouslyverymuchaffected。IbelievehemissedWillemsimmensely。Heworeanairofsinisterpreoccupationandtalkedconfidentiallywithmycaptain。Icouldcatchonlysnatchesofmumbledsentences。ThenonemorningasI
camealongthedecktotakemyplaceatthebreakfasttableAlmayercheckedhimselfinhislow-toneddiscourse。Mycaptain’sfacewasperfectlyimpenetrable。TherewasamomentofprofoundsilenceandthenasifunabletocontainhimselfAlmayerburstoutinaloudvicioustone:
\"Onething’scertain;ifhefindsanythingworthhavinguptheretheywillpoisonhimlikeadog。\"
Disconnectedthoughitwas,thatphrase,asfoodforthought,wasdistinctlyworthhearing。WelefttheriverthreedaysafterwardsandIneverreturnedtoSambir;butwhateverhappenedtotheprotagonistofmyWillemsnobodycandenythatIhaverecordedforhimalesssqualidfate。
J。C。
1919。
PARTI
ANOUTCASTOFTHEISLANDS
CHAPTERONE
Whenhesteppedoffthestraightandnarrowpathofhispeculiarhonesty,itwaswithaninwardassertionofunflinchingresolvetofallbackagainintothemonotonousbutsafestrideofvirtueassoonashislittleexcursionintothewaysidequagmireshadproducedthedesiredeffect。Itwasgoingtobeashortepisode——asentenceinbrackets,sotospeak——intheflowingtaleofhislife:athingofnomoment,tobedoneunwillingly,yetneatly,andtobequicklyforgotten。Heimaginedthathecouldgoonafterwardslookingatthesunshine,enjoyingtheshade,breathingintheperfumeofflowersinthesmallgardenbeforehishouse。Hefanciedthatnothingwouldbechanged,thathewouldbeableasheretoforetotyrannizegood-humouredlyoverhishalf-castewife,tonoticewithtendercontempthispaleyellowchild,topatronizeloftilyhisdark-skinnedbrother-in-law,wholovedpinknecktiesandworepatent-leatherbootsonhislittlefeet,andwassohumblebeforethewhitehusbandoftheluckysister。Thosewerethedelightsofhislife,andhewasunabletoconceivethatthemoralsignificanceofanyactofhiscouldinterferewiththeverynatureofthings,coulddimthelightofthesun,coulddestroytheperfumeoftheflowers,thesubmissionofhiswife,thesmileofhischild,theawe-struckrespectofLeonarddaSouzaandofalltheDaSouzafamily。Thatfamily’sadmirationwasthegreatluxuryofhislife。Itroundedandcompletedhisexistenceinaperpetualassuranceofunquestionablesuperiority。Helovedtobreathethecoarseincensetheyofferedbeforetheshrineofthesuccessfulwhiteman;themanthathaddonethemthehonourtomarrytheirdaughter,sister,cousin;therisingmansuretoclimbveryhigh;
theconfidentialclerkofHudig&Co。Theywereanumerousandanuncleancrowd,livinginruinedbamboohouses,surroundedbyneglectedcompounds,ontheoutskirtsofMacassar。Hekeptthematarm’slengthandevenfurtheroff,perhaps,havingnoillusionsastotheirworth。Theywereahalf-caste,lazylot,andhesawthemastheywere——ragged,lean,unwashed,undersizedmenofvariousages,shufflingaboutaimlesslyinslippers;
motionlessoldwomenwholookedlikemonstrousbagsofpinkcalicostuffedwithshapelesslumpsoffat,anddepositedaskewupondecayingrattanchairsinshadycornersofdustyverandahs;
youngwomen,slimandyellow,big-eyed,long-haired,movinglanguidlyamongstthedirtandrubbishoftheirdwellingsasifeverysteptheytookwasgoingtobetheirverylast。Heheardtheirshrillquarrellings,thesquallingoftheirchildren,thegruntingoftheirpigs;hesmelttheodoursoftheheapsofgarbageintheircourtyards:andhewasgreatlydisgusted。Buthefedandclothedthatshabbymultitude;thosedegeneratedescendantsofPortugueseconquerors;hewastheirprovidence;hekeptthemsinginghispraisesinthemidstoftheirlaziness,oftheirdirt,oftheirimmenseandhopelesssqualor:andhewasgreatlydelighted。Theywantedmuch,buthecouldgivethemalltheywantedwithoutruininghimself。Inexchangehehadtheirsilentfear,theirloquaciouslove,theirnoisyveneration。Itisafinethingtobeaprovidence,andtobetoldsooneverydayofone’slife。Itgivesoneafeelingofenormouslyremotesuperiority,andWillemsrevelledinit。Hedidnotanalyzethestateofhismind,butprobablyhisgreatestdelightlayintheunexpressedbutintimateconvictionthat,shouldheclosehishand,allthoseadmiringhumanbeingswouldstarve。Hismunificencehaddemoralizedthem。Aneasytask。SincehedescendedamongstthemandmarriedJoannatheyhadlostthelittleaptitudeandstrengthforworktheymighthavehadtoputforthunderthestressofextremenecessity。Theylivednowbythegraceofhiswill。Thiswaspower。Willemslovedit。
Inanother,andperhapsalowerplane,hisdaysdidnotwantfortheirlesscomplexbutmoreobviouspleasures。Helikedthesimplegamesofskill——billiards;alsogamesnotsosimple,andcallingforquiteanotherkindofskill——poker。Hehadbeentheaptestpupilofasteady-eyed,sententiousAmerican,whohaddriftedmysteriouslyintoMacassarfromthewastesofthePacific,and,afterknockingaboutforatimeintheeddiesoftownlife,haddriftedoutenigmaticallyintothesunnysolitudesoftheIndianOcean。ThememoryoftheCalifornianstrangerwasperpetuatedinthegameofpoker——whichbecamepopularinthecapitalofCelebesfromthattime——andinapowerfulcocktail,therecipeforwhichistransmitted——intheKwang-tungdialect——fromheadboytoheadboyoftheChineseservantsintheSundaHoteleventothisday。Willemswasaconnoisseurinthedrinkandanadeptatthegame。Ofthoseaccomplishmentshewasmoderatelyproud。OftheconfidencereposedinhimbyHudig——themaster——hewasboastfullyandobtrusivelyproud。Thisarosefromhisgreatbenevolence,andfromanexaltedsenseofhisdutytohimselfandtheworldatlarge。Heexperiencedthatirresistibleimpulsetoimpartinformationwhichisinseparablefromgrossignorance。Thereisalwayssomeonethingwhichtheignorantmanknows,andthatthingistheonlythingworthknowing;itfillstheignorantman’suniverse。Willemsknewallabouthimself。Onthedaywhen,withmanymisgivings,heranawayfromaDutchEast-IndiamaninSamarangroads,hehadcommencedthatstudyofhimself,ofhisownways,ofhisownabilities,ofthosefate-compellingqualitiesofhiswhichledhimtowardthatlucrativepositionwhichhenowfilled。Beingofamodestanddiffidentnature,hissuccessesamazed,almostfrightenedhim,andended——ashegotoverthesucceedingshocksofsurprise——bymakinghimferociouslyconceited。Hebelievedinhisgeniusandinhisknowledgeoftheworld。Othersshouldknowofitalso;
fortheirowngoodandforhisgreaterglory。Allthosefriendlymenwhoslappedhimonthebackandgreetedhimnoisilyshouldhavethebenefitofhisexample。Forthathemusttalk。Hetalkedtothemconscientiously。Intheafternoonheexpoundedhistheoryofsuccessoverthelittletables,dippingnowandthenhismoustacheinthecrushediceofthecocktails;intheeveninghewouldoftenholdforth,cueinhand,toayounglisteneracrossthebilliardtable。Thebilliardballsstoodstillasiflisteningalso,underthevividbrillianceoftheshadedoillampshunglowoverthecloth;whileawayintheshadowsofthebigroomtheChinamanmarkerwouldleanwearilyagainstthewall,theblankmaskofhisfacelookingpaleunderthemahoganymarking-board;hiseyelidsdroppedinthedrowsyfatigueoflatehoursandinthebuzzingmonotonyoftheunintelligiblestreamofwordspouredoutbythewhiteman。Inasuddenpauseofthetalkthegamewouldrecommencewithasharpclickandgoonforatimeintheflowingsoftwhirrandthesubduedthudsastheballsrolledzig-zaggingtowardstheinevitablysuccessfulcannon。
Throughthebigwindowsandtheopendoorsthesaltdampnessofthesea,thevaguesmellofmouldandflowersfromthegardenofthehoteldriftedinandmingledwiththeodouroflampoil,growingheavierasthenightadvanced。Theplayers’headsdivedintothelightastheybentdownforthestroke,springingbackagainsmartlyintothegreenishgloomofbroadlamp-shades;theclocktickedmethodically;theunmovedChinamancontinuouslyrepeatedthescoreinalifelessvoice,likeabigtalkingdoll——andWillemswouldwinthegame。Witharemarkthatitwasgettinglate,andthathewasamarriedman,hewouldsayapatronizinggood-nightandstepoutintothelong,emptystreet。
Atthathouritswhitedustwaslikeadazzlingstreakofmoonlightwheretheeyesoughtreposeinthedimmergleamofrareoillamps。Willemswalkedhomewards,followingthelineofwallsovertoppedbytheluxuriantvegetationofthefrontgardens。Thehousesrightandleftwerehiddenbehindtheblackmassesoffloweringshrubs。Willemshadthestreettohimself。Hewouldwalkinthemiddle,hisshadowglidingobsequiouslybeforehim。
Helookeddownonitcomplacently。Theshadowofasuccessfulman!Hewouldbeslightlydizzywiththecocktailsandwiththeintoxicationofhisownglory。Asheoftentoldpeople,hecameeastfourteenyearsago——acabinboy。Asmallboy。Hisshadowmusthavebeenverysmallatthattime;hethoughtwithasmilethathewasnotawarethenhehadanything——evenashadow——whichhedaredcallhisown。AndnowhewaslookingattheshadowoftheconfidentialclerkofHudig&Co。goinghome。Howglorious!
Howgoodwaslifeforthosethatwereonthewinningside!Hehadwonthegameoflife;alsothegameofbilliards。Hewalkedfaster,jinglinghiswinnings,andthinkingofthewhitestonedaysthathadmarkedthepathofhisexistence。HethoughtofthetriptoLombokforponies——thatfirstimportanttransactionconfidedtohimbyHudig;thenhereviewedthemoreimportantaffairs:thequietdealinopium;theillegaltrafficingunpowder;thegreataffairofsmuggledfirearms,thedifficultbusinessoftheRajahofGoak。Hecarriedthatlastthroughbysheerpluck;hehadbeardedthesavageoldrulerinhiscouncilroom;hehadbribedhimwithagiltglasscoach,which,rumoursaid,wasusedasahen-coopnow;hehadover-persuadedhim;hehadbestedhimineveryway。Thatwasthewaytogeton。Hedisapprovedoftheelementarydishonestythatdipsthehandinthecash-box,butonecouldevadethelawsandpushtheprinciplesoftradetotheirfurthestconsequences。Somecallthatcheating。Thosearethefools,theweak,thecontemptible。
Thewise,thestrong,therespected,havenoscruples。Wheretherearescruplestherecanbenopower。Onthattexthepreachedoftentotheyoungmen。Itwashisdoctrine,andhe,himself,wasashiningexampleofitstruth。
Nightafternighthewenthomethus,afteradayoftoilandpleasure,drunkwiththesoundofhisownvoicecelebratinghisownprosperity。Onhisthirtiethbirthdayhewenthomethus。Hehadspentingoodcompanyanice,noisyevening,and,ashewalkedalongtheemptystreet,thefeelingofhisowngreatnessgrewuponhim,liftedhimabovethewhitedustoftheroad,andfilledhimwithexultationandregrets。Hehadnotdonehimselfjusticeoverthereinthehotel,hehadnottalkedenoughabouthimself,hehadnotimpressedhishearersenough。Nevermind。
Someothertime。Nowhewouldgohomeandmakehiswifegetupandlistentohim。Whyshouldshenotgetup?——andmixacocktailforhim——andlistenpatiently。Justso。Sheshall。IfhewantedhecouldmakealltheDaSouzafamilygetup。Hehadonlytosayawordandtheywouldallcomeandsitsilentlyintheirnightvestmentsonthehard,coldgroundofhiscompoundandlisten,aslongashewishedtogoonexplainingtothemfromthetopofthestairs,howgreatandgoodhewas。Theywould。
However,hiswifewoulddo——forto-night。
Hiswife!Hewincedinwardly。Adismalwomanwithstartledeyesanddolorouslydroopingmouth,thatwouldlistentohiminpainedwonderandmutestillness。Shewasusedtothosenight-discoursesnow。Shehadrebelledonce——atthebeginning。Onlyonce。Now,whilehesprawledinthelongchairanddrankandtalked,shewouldstandatthefurtherendofthetable,herhandsrestingontheedge,herfrightenedeyeswatchinghislips,withoutasound,withoutastir,hardlybreathing,tillhedismissedherwithacontemptuous:\"Gotobed,dummy。\"Shewoulddrawalongbreaththenandtrailoutoftheroom,relievedbutunmoved。Nothingcouldstartleher,makeherscoldormakehercry。Shedidnotcomplain,shedidnotrebel。Thatfirstdifferenceoftheirswasdecisive。Toodecisive,thoughtWillems,discontentedly。Ithadfrightenedthesouloutofherbodyapparently。Adismalwoman!
Adamn’dbusinessaltogether!Whatthedevildidhewanttogoandsaddlehimself……Ah!Well!hewantedahome,andthematchseemedtopleaseHudig,andHudiggavehimthebungalow,thatflower-boweredhousetowhichhewaswendinghiswayinthecoolmoonlight。AndhehadtheworshipoftheDaSouzatribe。A
manofhisstampcouldcarryoffanything,doanything,aspiretoanything。InanotherfiveyearsthosewhitepeoplewhoattendedtheSundaycard-partiesoftheGovernorwouldaccepthim——half-castewifeandall!Hooray!Hesawhisshadowdartforwardandwaveahat,asbigasarumbarrel,attheendofanarmseveralyardslong……Whoshoutedhooray?……Hesmiledshamefacedlytohimself,and,pushinghishandsdeepintohispockets,walkedfasterwithasuddenlygraveface。
Behindhim——totheleft——acigarendglowedinthegatewayofMr。
Vinck’sfrontyard。Leaningagainstoneofthebrickpillars,Mr。Vinck,thecashierofHudig&Co。,smokedthelastcherootoftheevening。AmongsttheshadowsofthetrimmedbushesMrs。
Vinckcrunchedslowly,withmeasuredsteps,thegravelofthecircularpathbeforethehouse。
\"There’sWillemsgoinghomeonfoot——anddrunkIfancy,\"saidMr。
Vinckoverhisshoulder。\"Isawhimjumpandwavehishat。\"
Thecrunchingofthegravelstopped。
\"Horridman,\"saidMrs。Vinck,calmly。\"Ihaveheardhebeatshiswife。\"
\"Ohno,mydear,no,\"mutteredabsentlyMr。Vinck,withavaguegesture。TheaspectofWillemsasawife-beaterpresentedtohimnointerest。Howwomendomisjudge!IfWillemswantedtotorturehiswifehewouldhaverecoursetolessprimitivemethods。Mr。VinckknewWillemswell,andbelievedhimtobeveryable,verysmart——objectionablyso。Ashetookthelastquickdrawsatthestumpofhischeroot,Mr。VinckreflectedthattheconfidenceaccordedbyHudigtoWillemswasopen,underthecircumstances,toloyalcriticismfromHudig’scashier。
\"Heisbecomingdangerous;heknowstoomuch。Hewillhavetobegotridof,\"saidMr。Vinckaloud。ButMrs。Vinckhadgoneinalready,andaftershakinghisheadhethrewawayhischerootandfollowedherslowly。
Willemswalkedonhomewardweavingthesplendidwebofhisfuture。Theroadtogreatnesslayplainlybeforehiseyes,straightandshining,withoutanyobstaclethathecouldsee。Hehadsteppedoffthepathofhonesty,asheunderstoodit,buthewouldsoonregainit,nevertoleaveitanymore!Itwasaverysmallmatter。Hewouldsoonputitrightagain。Meantimehisdutywasnottobefoundout,andhetrustedinhisskill,inhisluck,inhiswell-establishedreputationthatwoulddisarmsuspicionifanybodydaredtosuspect。Butnobodywoulddare!
True,hewasconsciousofaslightdeterioration。HehadappropriatedtemporarilysomeofHudig’smoney。Adeplorablenecessity。Buthejudgedhimselfwiththeindulgencethatshouldbeextendedtotheweaknessesofgenius。Hewouldmakereparationandallwouldbeasbefore;nobodywouldbetheloserforit,andhewouldgoonuncheckedtowardthebrilliantgoalofhisambition。
Hudig’spartner!
Beforegoingupthestepsofhishousehestoodforawhile,hisfeetwellapart,chininhand,contemplatingmentallyHudig’sfuturepartner。Agloriousoccupation。Hesawhimquitesafe;
solidasthehills;deep——deepasanabyss;discreetasthegrave。
CHAPTERTWO
Thesea,perhapsbecauseofitssaltness,roughenstheoutsidebutkeepssweetthekernelofitsservants’soul。Theoldsea;
theseaofmanyyearsago,whoseservantsweredevotedslavesandwentfromyouthtoageortoasuddengravewithoutneedingtoopenthebookoflife,becausetheycouldlookateternityreflectedontheelementthatgavethelifeanddealtthedeath。
Likeabeautifulandunscrupulouswoman,theseaofthepastwasgloriousinitssmiles,irresistibleinitsanger,capricious,enticing,illogical,irresponsible;athingtolove,athingtofear。Itcastaspell,itgavejoy,itlulledgentlyintoboundlessfaith;thenwithquickandcauselessangeritkilled。
Butitscrueltywasredeemedbythecharmofitsinscrutablemystery,bytheimmensityofitspromise,bythesupremewitcheryofitspossiblefavour。Strongmenwithchildlikeheartswerefaithfultoit,werecontenttolivebyitsgrace——todiebyitswill。ThatwastheseabeforethetimewhentheFrenchmindsettheEgyptianmuscleinmotionandproducedadismalbutprofitableditch。Thenagreatpallofsmokesentoutbycountlesssteam-boatswasspreadovertherestlessmirroroftheInfinite。Thehandoftheengineertoredowntheveiloftheterriblebeautyinorderthatgreedyandfaithlesslandlubbersmightpocketdividends。Themysterywasdestroyed。Likeallmysteries,itlivedonlyintheheartsofitsworshippers。Theheartschanged;themenchanged。Theoncelovinganddevotedservantswentoutarmedwithfireandiron,andconqueringthefearoftheirownheartsbecameacalculatingcrowdofcoldandexactingmasters。Theseaofthepastwasanincomparablybeautifulmistress,withinscrutableface,withcruelandpromisingeyes。Theseaofto-dayisaused-updrudge,wrinkledanddefacedbythechurned-upwakesofbrutalpropellers,robbedoftheenslavingcharmofitsvastness,strippedofitsbeauty,ofitsmysteryandofitspromise。
TomLingardwasamaster,alover,aservantofthesea。Theseatookhimyoung,fashionedhimbodyandsoul;gavehimhisfierceaspect,hisloudvoice,hisfearlesseyes,hisstupidlyguilelessheart。Generouslyitgavehimhisabsurdfaithinhimself,hisuniversalloveofcreation,hiswideindulgence,hiscontemptuousseverity,hisstraightforwardsimplicityofmotiveandhonestyofaim。Havingmadehimwhathewas,womanlike,theseaservedhimhumblyandlethimbaskunharmedinthesunshineofitsterriblyuncertainfavour。TomLingardgrewrichontheseaandbythesea。Heloveditwiththeardentaffectionofalover,hemadelightofitwiththeassuranceofperfectmastery,hefeareditwiththewisefearofabraveman,andhetooklibertieswithitasaspoiledchildmightdowithapaternalandgood-naturedogre。Hewasgratefultoit,withthegratitudeofanhonestheart。Hisgreatestpridelayinhisprofoundconvictionofitsfaithfulness——inthedeepsenseofhisunerringknowledgeofitstreachery。
ThelittlebrigFlashwastheinstrumentofLingard’sfortune。
Theycamenorthtogether——bothyoung——outofanAustralianport,andafteraveryfewyearstherewasnotawhitemanintheislands,fromPalembangtoTernate,fromOmbawatoPalawan,thatdidnotknowCaptainTomandhisluckycraft。Hewaslikedforhisrecklessgenerosity,forhisunswervinghonesty,andatfirstwasalittlefearedonaccountofhisviolenttemper。Verysoon,however,theyfoundhimout,andthewordwentroundthatCaptainTom’sfurywaslessdangerousthanmanyaman’ssmile。Heprosperedgreatly。Afterhisfirst——andsuccessful——fightwiththesearobbers,whenherescued,asrumourhadit,theyachtofsomebigwigfromhome,somewheredownCarimataway,hisgreatpopularitybegan。Asyearswentonitgrewapace。Alwaysvisitingout-of-the-wayplacesofthatpartoftheworld,alwaysinsearchofnewmarketsforhiscargoes——notsomuchforprofitasforthepleasureoffindingthem——hesoonbecameknowntotheMalays,andbyhissuccessfulrecklessnessinseveralencounterswithpirates,establishedtheterrorofhisname。Thosewhitemenwithwhomhehadbusiness,andwhonaturallywereonthelook-outforhisweaknesses,couldeasilyseethatitwasenoughtogivehimhisMalaytitletoflatterhimgreatly。Sowhentherewasanythingtobegainedbyit,andsometimesoutofpureandunprofitablegoodnature,theywoulddroptheceremonious\"CaptainLingard\"andaddresshimhalfseriouslyasRajahLaut——theKingoftheSea。
Hecarriedthenamebravelyonhisbroadshoulders。HehadcarrieditmanyyearsalreadywhentheboyWillemsranbarefootedonthedeckoftheshipKosmopolietIV。inSamarangroads,lookingwithinnocenteyesonthestrangeshoreandobjurgatinghisimmediatesurroundingswithblasphemouslips,whilehischildishbrainworkedupontheheroicideaofrunningaway。FromthepoopoftheFlashLingardsawintheearlymorningtheDutchshipgetlumberinglyunderweigh,boundfortheeasternports。
Verylateintheeveningofthesamedayhestoodonthequayofthelandingcanal,readytogoonboardofhisbrig。Thenightwasstarryandclear;thelittlecustom-housebuildingwasshutup,andasthegharrythatbroughthimdowndisappearedupthelongavenueofdustytreesleadingtothetown,Lingardthoughthimselfaloneonthequay。Herouseduphissleepingboat-crewandstoodwaitingforthemtogetready,whenhefeltatugathiscoatandathinvoicesaid,verydistinctly——
\"Englishcaptain。\"
Lingardturnedroundquickly,andwhatseemedtobeaveryleanboyjumpedbackwithcommendableactivity。
\"Whoareyou?Wheredoyouspringfrom?\"askedLingard,instartledsurprise。
Fromasafedistancetheboypointedtowardacargolightermooredtothequay。
\"Beenhidingthere,haveyou?\"saidLingard。\"Well,whatdoyouwant?Speakout,confoundyou。Youdidnotcomeheretoscaremetodeath,forfun,didyou?\"
TheboytriedtoexplaininimperfectEnglish,butverysoonLingardinterruptedhim。
\"Isee,\"heexclaimed,\"youranawayfromthebigshipthatsailedthismorning。Well,whydon’tyougotoyourcountrymenhere?\"
\"Shipgoneonlyalittleway——toSourabaya。Makemegobacktotheship,\"explainedtheboy。
\"Bestthingforyou,\"affirmedLingardwithconviction。
\"No,\"retortedtheboy;\"mewantstophere;notwantgohome。
Getmoneyhere;homenogood。\"
\"Thisbeatsallmygoinga-fishing,\"commentedtheastonishedLingard。\"It’smoneyyouwant?Well!well!Andyouwerenotafraidtorunaway,youbagofbones,you!\"
Theboyintimatedthathewasfrightenedofnothingbutofbeingsentbacktotheship。Lingardlookedathiminmeditativesilence。
\"Comecloser,\"hesaidatlast。Hetooktheboybythechin,andturninguphisfacegavehimasearchinglook。\"Howoldareyou?\"
\"Seventeen。\"
\"There’snotmuchofyouforseventeen。Areyouhungry?\"
\"Alittle。\"
\"Willyoucomewithme,inthatbrigthere?\"
Theboymovedwithoutawordtowardstheboatandscrambledintothebows。
\"Knowshisplace,\"mutteredLingardtohimselfashesteppedheavilyintothesternsheetsandtookuptheyokelines。\"Givewaythere。\"
TheMalayboatcrewlaybacktogether,andthegigsprangawayfromthequayheadingtowardsthebrig’sridinglight。
SuchwasthebeginningofWillems’career。
LingardlearnedinhalfanhourallthattherewasofWillems’
commonplacestory。Fatheroutdoorclerkofsomeship-brokerinRotterdam;motherdead。Theboyquickinlearning,butidleinschool。Thestraitenedcircumstancesinthehousefilledwithsmallbrothersandsisters,sufficientlyclothedandfedbutotherwiserunningwild,whilethedisconsolatewidowertrampedaboutalldayinashabbyovercoatandimperfectbootsonthemuddyquays,andintheeveningpilotedwearilythehalf-intoxicatedforeignskippersamongsttheplacesofcheapdelights,returninghomelate,sickwithtoomuchsmokinganddrinking——forcompany’ssake——withthesemen,whoexpectedsuchattentionsinthewayofbusiness。Thentheofferofthegood-naturedcaptainofKosmopolietIV。,whowaspleasedtodosomethingforthepatientandobligingfellow;youngWillems’
greatjoy,hisstillgreaterdisappointmentwiththeseathatlookedsocharmingfromafar,butprovedsohardandexactingoncloseracquaintance——andthenthisrunningawaybyasuddenimpulse。Theboywashopelesslyatvariancewiththespiritofthesea。Hehadaninstinctivecontemptforthehonestsimplicityofthatworkwhichledtonothinghecaredfor。
Lingardsoonfoundthisout。HeofferedtosendhimhomeinanEnglishship,buttheboybeggedhardtobepermittedtoremain。
Hewroteabeautifulhand,becamesoonperfectinEnglish,wasquickatfigures;andLingardmadehimusefulinthatway。Ashegrewolderhistradinginstinctsdevelopedthemselvesastonishingly,andLingardlefthimoftentotradeinoneislandoranotherwhilehe,himself,madeanintermediatetriptosomeout-of-the-wayplace。OnWillemsexpressingawishtothateffect,LingardlethimenterHudig’sservice。Hefeltalittlesoreatthatabandonmentbecausehehadattachedhimself,inaway,tohisprotege。Stillhewasproudofhim,andspokeupforhimloyally。Atfirstitwas,\"Smartboythat——nevermakeaseamanthough。\"ThenwhenWillemswashelpinginthetradinghereferredtohimas\"thatcleveryoungfellow。\"LaterwhenWillemsbecametheconfidentialagentofHudig,employedinmanyadelicateaffair,thesimple-heartedoldseamanwouldpointanadmiringfingerathisbackandwhispertowhoeverstoodnearatthemoment,\"Long-headedchapthat;deucedlong-headedchap。
Lookathim。ConfidentialmanofoldHudig。Ipickedhimupinaditch,youmaysay,likeastarvedcat。Skinandbone。’PonmywordIdid。AndnowheknowsmorethanIdoaboutislandtrading。Fact。Iamnotjoking。MorethanIdo,\"hewouldrepeat,seriously,withinnocentprideinhishonesteyes。
FromthesafeelevationofhiscommercialsuccessesWillemspatronizedLingard。Hehadalikingforhisbenefactor,notunmixedwithsomedisdainforthecrudedirectnessoftheoldfellow’smethodsofconduct。Therewere,however,certainsidesofLingard’scharacterforwhichWillemsfeltaqualifiedrespect。ThetalkativeseamanknewhowtobesilentoncertainmattersthattoWillemswereveryinteresting。Besides,Lingardwasrich,andthatinitselfwasenoughtocompelWillems’
unwillingadmiration。InhisconfidentialchatswithHudig,WillemsgenerallyalludedtothebenevolentEnglishmanasthe\"luckyoldfool\"inaverydistincttoneofvexation;Hudigwouldgruntanunqualifiedassent,andthenthetwowouldlookateachotherinasuddenimmobilityofpupilsfixedbyastareofunexpressedthought。
\"Youcan’tfindoutwherehegetsallthatindia-rubber,heyWillems?\"Hudigwouldaskatlast,turningawayandbendingoverthepapersonhisdesk。
\"No,Mr。Hudig。Notyet。ButIamtrying,\"wasWillems’
invariablereply,deliveredwitharingofregretfuldeprecation。
\"Try!Alwaystry!Youmaytry!Youthinkyourselfcleverperhaps,\"rumbledonHudig,withoutlookingup。\"Ihavebeentradingwithhimtwenty——thirtyyearsnow。Theoldfox。AndI
havetried。Bah!\"
Hestretchedoutashort,podgylegandcontemplatedthebareinstepandthegrassslipperhangingbythetoes。\"Youcan’tmakehimdrunk?\"hewouldadd,afterapauseofstertorousbreathing。
\"No,Mr。Hudig,Ican’treally,\"protestedWillems,earnestly。
\"Well,don’ttry。Iknowhim。Don’ttry,\"advisedthemaster,and,bendingagainoverhisdesk,hisstaringbloodshoteyesclosetothepaper,hewouldgoontracinglaboriouslywithhisthickfingerstheslimunsteadylettersofhiscorrespondence,whileWillemswaitedrespectfullyforhisfurthergoodpleasurebeforeasking,withgreatdeference——
\"Anyorders,Mr。Hudig?\"
\"Hm!yes。GotoBun-Hinyourselfandseethedollarsofthatpaymentcountedandpacked,andhavethemputonboardthemail-boatforTernate。She’sdueherethisafternoon。\"
\"Yes,Mr。Hudig。\"
\"And,lookhere。Iftheboatislate,leavethecaseinBun-Hin’sgodowntillto-morrow。Sealitup。Eightsealsasusual。Don’ttakeitawaytilltheboatishere。\"
\"No,Mr。Hudig。\"
\"Anddon’tforgetabouttheseopiumcases。It’sforto-night。
Usemyownboatmen。TransshipthemfromtheCarolinetotheArabbarque,\"wentonthemasterinhishoarseundertone。\"Anddon’tyoucometomewithanotherstoryofacasedroppedoverboardlikelasttime,\"headded,withsuddenferocity,lookingupathisconfidentialclerk。
\"No,Mr。Hudig。Iwilltakecare。\"
\"That’sall。Tellthatpigasyougooutthatifhedoesn’tmakethepunkahgoalittlebetterIwillbreakeveryboneinhisbody,\"finishedupHudig,wipinghispurplefacewitharedsilkhandkerchiefnearlyasbigasacounterpane。
NoiselesslyWillemswentout,shuttingcarefullybehindhimthelittlegreendoorthroughwhichhepassedtothewarehouse。
Hudig,peninhand,listenedtohimbullyingthepunkahboywithprofaneviolence,bornofunboundedzealforthemaster’scomfort,beforehereturnedtohiswritingamidtherustlingofpapersflutteringinthewindsentdownbythepunkahthatwavedinwidesweepsabovehishead。
WillemswouldnodfamiliarlytoMr。Vinck,whohadhisdeskclosetothelittledooroftheprivateoffice,andmarchdownthewarehousewithanimportantair。Mr。Vinck——extremedislikelurkingineverywrinkleofhisgentlemanlycountenance——wouldfollowwithhiseyesthewhitefigureflittinginthegloomamongstthepilesofbalesandcasestillitpassedoutthroughthebigarchwayintotheglareofthestreet。
CHAPTERTHREE
TheopportunityandthetemptationweretoomuchforWillems,andunderthepressureofsuddennecessityheabusedthattrustwhichwashispride,theperpetualsignofhisclevernessandaloadtooheavyforhimtocarry。Arunofbadluckatcards,thefailureofasmallspeculationundertakenonhisownaccount,anunexpecteddemandformoneyfromoneoranothermemberoftheDaSouzafamily——andalmostbeforehewaswellawareofithewasoffthepathofhispeculiarhonesty。Itwassuchafaintandill-definedtrackthatittookhimsometimetofindouthowfarhehadstrayedamongstthebramblesofthedangerouswildernesshehadbeenskirtingforsomanyyears,withoutanyotherguidethanhisownconvenienceandthatdoctrineofsuccesswhichhehadfoundforhimselfinthebookoflife——inthoseinterestingchaptersthattheDevilhasbeenpermittedtowriteinit,totestthesharpnessofmen’seyesightandthesteadfastnessoftheirhearts。Foroneshort,darkandsolitarymomenthewasdismayed,buthehadthatcouragethatwillnotscaleheights,yetwillwadebravelythroughthemud——iftherebenootherroad。
Heappliedhimselftothetaskofrestitution,anddevotedhimselftothedutyofnotbeingfoundout。Onhisthirtiethbirthdayhehadalmostaccomplishedthetask——andthedutyhadbeenfaithfullyandcleverlyperformed。Hesawhimselfsafe。
Againhecouldlookhopefullytowardsthegoalofhislegitimateambition。Nobodywoulddaretosuspecthim,andinafewdaystherewouldbenothingtosuspect。Hewaselated。Hedidnotknowthathisprosperityhadtouchedthenitshigh-watermark,andthatthetidewasalreadyontheturn。
Twodaysafterwardsheknew。Mr。Vinck,hearingtherattleofthedoor-handle,jumpedupfromhisdesk——wherehehadbeentremulouslylisteningtotheloudvoicesintheprivateoffice——andburiedhisfaceinthebigsafewithnervoushaste。
ForthelasttimeWillemspassedthroughthelittlegreendoorleadingtoHudig’ssanctum,which,duringthepasthalf-hour,mighthavebeentaken——fromthefiendishnoisewithin——forthecavernofsomewildbeast。Willems’troubledeyestookinthequickimpressionofmenandthingsashecameoutfromtheplaceofhishumiliation。Hesawthescaredexpressionofthepunkahboy;theChinamentellerssittingontheirheelswithunmovablefacesturnedupblanklytowardshimwhiletheirarrestedhandshoveredoverthelittlepilesofbrightguildersrangedonthefloor;Mr。Vinck’sshoulder-bladeswiththefleshyrimsoftworedearsabove。Hesawthelongavenueofgincasesstretchingfromwherehestoodtothearcheddoorwaybeyondwhichhewouldbeabletobreatheperhaps。Athinrope’sendlayacrosshispathandhesawitdistinctly,yetstumbledheavilyoveritasifithadbeenabarofiron。Thenhefoundhimselfinthestreetatlast,butcouldnotfindairenoughtofillhislungs。Hewalkedtowardshishome,gasping。
AsthesoundofHudig’sinsultsthatlingeredinhisearsgrewfainterbythelapseoftime,thefeelingofshamewasreplacedslowlybyapassionofangeragainsthimselfandstillmoreagainstthestupidconcourseofcircumstancesthathaddrivenhimintohisidioticindiscretion。Idioticindiscretion;thatishowhedefinedhisguilttohimself。Couldtherebeanythingworsefromthepointofviewofhisundeniablecleverness?Whatafatalaberrationofanacutemind!Hedidnotrecognizehimselfthere。Hemusthavebeenmad。That’sit。Asuddengustofmadness。Andnowtheworkoflongyearswasdestroyedutterly。
Whatwouldbecomeofhim?
Beforehecouldanswerthatquestionhefoundhimselfinthegardenbeforehishouse,Hudig’sweddinggift。Helookedatitwithavaguesurprisetofinditthere。Hispastwassoutterlygonefromhimthatthedwellingwhichbelongedtoitappearedtohimincongruousstandingthereintact,neat,andcheerfulinthesunshineofthehotafternoon。Thehousewasaprettylittlestructurealldoorsandwindows,surroundedonallsidesbythedeepverandahsupportedonslendercolumnsclothedinthegreenfoliageofcreepers,whichalsofringedtheoverhangingeavesofthehigh-pitchedroof。Slowly,Willemsmountedthedozenstepsthatledtotheverandah。Hepausedateverystep。Hemusttellhiswife。Hefeltfrightenedattheprospect,andhisalarmdismayedhim。Frightenedtofaceher!Nothingcouldgivehimabettermeasureofthegreatnessofthechangearoundhim,andinhim。Anotherman——andanotherlifewiththefaithinhimselfgone。Hecouldnotbeworthmuchifhewasafraidtofacethatwoman。
Hedarednotenterthehousethroughtheopendoorofthedining-room,butstoodirresolutebythelittlework-tablewheretrailedawhitepieceofcalico,withaneedlestuckinit,asiftheworkhadbeenlefthurriedly。Thepink-crestedcockatoostarted,onhisappearance,intoclumsyactivityandbegantoclimblaboriouslyupanddownhisperch,calling\"Joanna\"withindistinctloudnessandapersistentscreechthatprolongedthelastsyllableofthenameasifinapealofinsanelaughter。
Thescreeninthedoorwaymovedgentlyonceortwiceinthebreeze,andeachtimeWillemsstartedslightly,expectinghiswife,butheneverliftedhiseyes,althoughstraininghisearsforthesoundofherfootsteps。Graduallyhelosthimselfinhisthoughts,intheendlessspeculationastothemannerinwhichshewouldreceivehisnews——andhisorders。Inthispreoccupationhealmostforgotthefearofherpresence。Nodoubtshewillcry,shewilllament,shewillbehelplessandfrightenedandpassiveasever。Andhewouldhavetodragthatlimpweightonandonthroughthedarknessofaspoiledlife。
Horrible!Ofcoursehecouldnotabandonherandthechildtocertainmiseryorpossiblestarvation。ThewifeandthechildofWillems。Willemsthesuccessful,thesmart;Willemstheconf……Pah!AndwhatwasWillemsnow?Willemsthe……Hestrangledthehalf-bornthought,andclearedhisthroattostifleagroan。Ah!Won’ttheytalkto-nightinthebilliard-room——hisworld,wherehehadbeenfirst——allthosementowhomhehadbeensosuperciliouslycondescending。Won’ttheytalkwithsurprise,andaffectedregret,andgravefaces,andwisenods。Someofthemowedhimmoney,butheneverpressedanybody。Nothe。
Willems,theprinceofgoodfellows,theycalledhim。Andnowtheywillrejoice,nodoubt,athisdownfall。Acrowdofimbeciles。Inhisabasementhewasyetawareofhissuperiorityoverthosefellows,whoweremerelyhonestorsimplynotfoundoutyet。Acrowdofimbeciles!Heshookhisfistattheevokedimageofhisfriends,andthestartledparrotfluttereditswingsandshriekedindesperatefright。
InashortglanceupwardsWillemssawhiswifecomeroundthecornerofthehouse。Heloweredhiseyelidsquickly,andwaitedsilentlytillshecamenearandstoodontheothersideofthelittletable。Hewouldnotlookatherface,buthecouldseethereddressing-gownheknewsowell。Shetrailedthroughlifeinthatreddressing-gown,withitsrowofdirtybluebowsdownthefront,stained,andhookedonawry;atornflounceatthebottomfollowingherlikeasnakeasshemovedlanguidlyabout,withherhairnegligentlycaughtup,andatangledwispstragglinguntidilydownherback。Hisgazetravelledupwardsfrombowtobow,noticingthosethathungonlybyathread,butitdidnotgobeyondherchin。Helookedatherleanthroat,attheobtrusivecollarbonevisibleinthedisarrayoftheupperpartofherattire。Hesawthethinarmandthebonyhandclaspingthechildshecarried,andhefeltanimmensedistasteforthoseencumbrancesofhislife。Hewaitedforhertosaysomething,butashefelthereyesrestonhiminunbrokensilencehesighedandbegantospeak。
Itwasahardtask。Hespokeslowly,lingeringamongstthememoriesofthisearlylifeinhisreluctancetoconfessthatthiswastheendofitandthebeginningofalesssplendidexistence。Inhisconvictionofhavingmadeherhappinessinthefullsatisfactionofallmaterialwantsheneverdoubtedforamomentthatshewasreadytokeephimcompanyonnomatterhowhardandstonyaroad。Hewasnotelatedbythiscertitude。HehadmarriedhertopleaseHudig,andthegreatnessofhissacrificeoughttohavemadeherhappywithoutanyfurtherexertiononhispart。ShehadyearsofgloryasWillems’wife,andyearsofcomfort,ofloyalcare,andofsuchtendernessasshedeserved。Hehadguardedhercarefullyfromanybodilyhurt;
andofanyothersufferinghehadnoconception。Theassertionofhissuperioritywasonlyanotherbenefitconferredonher。
Allthiswasamatterofcourse,buthetoldherallthissoastobringvividlybeforeherthegreatnessofherloss。Shewassodullofunderstandingthatshewouldnotgraspitelse。Andnowitwasatanend。Theywouldhavetogo。Leavethishouse,leavethisisland,gofarawaywherehewasunknown。TotheEnglishStrait-Settlementsperhaps。Hewouldfindanopeningthereforhisabilities——andjustermentodealwiththanoldHudig。Helaughedbitterly。
\"YouhavethemoneyIleftathomethismorning,Joanna?\"heasked。\"Wewillwantitallnow。\"
Ashespokethosewordshethoughthewasafinefellow。Nothingnewthat。Still,hesurpassedtherehisownexpectations。Hangitall,therearesacredthingsinlife,afterall。Themarriagetiewasoneofthem,andhewasnotthemantobreakit。Thesolidityofhisprinciplescausedhimgreatsatisfaction,buthedidnotcaretolookathiswife,forallthat。Hewaitedforhertospeak。Thenhewouldhavetoconsoleher;tellhernottobeacryingfool;togetreadytogo。Gowhere?How?When?Heshookhishead。Theymustleaveatonce;thatwastheprincipalthing。Hefeltasuddenneedtohurryuphisdeparture。
\"Well,Joanna,\"hesaid,alittleimpatiently——\"don’tstandthereinatrance。Doyouhear?Wemust……\"
Helookedupathiswife,andwhateverhewasgoingtoaddremainedunspoken。Shewasstaringathimwithherbig,slantingeyes,thatseemedtohimtwicetheirnaturalsize。Thechild,itsdirtylittlefacepressedtoitsmother’sshoulder,wassleepingpeacefully。Thedeepsilenceofthehousewasnotbroken,butratheraccentuated,bythelowmutterofthecockatoo,nowverystillonitsperch。AsWillemswaslookingatJoannaherupperlipwasdrawnupononeside,givingtohermelancholyfaceaviciousexpressionaltogethernewtohisexperience。Hesteppedbackinhissurprise。
\"Oh!Yougreatman!\"shesaiddistinctly,butinavoicethatwashardlyaboveawhisper。
Thosewords,andstillmorehertone,stunnedhimasifsomebodyhadfiredagunclosetohisear。Hestaredbackatherstupidly。
\"Oh!yougreatman!\"sherepeatedslowly,glancingrightandleftasifmeditatingasuddenescape。\"AndyouthinkthatIamgoingtostarvewithyou。Youarenobodynow。YouthinkmymammaandLeonardwouldletmegoaway?Andwithyou!Withyou,\"sherepeatedscornfully,raisinghervoice,whichwokeupthechildandcausedittowhimperfeebly。
\"Joanna!\"exclaimedWillems。
\"Donotspeaktome。IhaveheardwhatIhavewaitedforalltheseyears。Youarelessthandirt,youthathavewipedyourfeetonme。Ihavewaitedforthis。Iamnotafraidnow。Idonotwantyou;donotcomenearme。Ah-h!\"shescreamedshrilly,asheheldouthishandinanentreatinggesture——\"Ah!Keepoffme!Keepoffme!Keepoff!\"
Shebackedaway,lookingathimwitheyesbothangryandfrightened。Willemsstaredmotionless,indumbamazementatthemysteryofangerandrevoltintheheadofhiswife。Why?Whathadheeverdonetoher?Thiswasthedayofinjusticeindeed。
FirstHudig——andnowhiswife。Hefeltaterroratthishatethathadlivedstealthilysonearhimforyears。Hetriedtospeak,butsheshriekedagain,anditwaslikeaneedlethroughhisheart。Againheraisedhishand。
\"Help!\"calledMrs。Willems,inapiercingvoice。\"Help!\"
\"Bequiet!Youfool!\"shoutedWillems,tryingtodrownthenoiseofhiswifeandchildinhisownangryaccentsandrattlingviolentlythelittlezinctableinhisexasperation。
Fromunderthehouse,wheretherewerebathroomsandatoolcloset,appearedLeonard,arustyironbarinhishand。Hecalledthreateninglyfromthebottomofthestairs。
\"Donothurther,Mr。Willems。Youareasavage。Notatalllikewe,whites。\"
\"Youtoo!\"saidthebewilderedWillems。\"Ihaven’ttouchedher。
Isthisamadhouse?\"Hemovedtowardsthestairs,andLeonarddroppedthebarwithaclangandmadeforthegateofthecompound。Willemsturnedbacktohiswife。
\"Soyouexpectedthis,\"hesaid。\"Itisaconspiracy。Who’sthatsobbingandgroaningintheroom?Somemoreofyourpreciousfamily。Hey?\"
Shewasmorecalmnow,andputtinghastilythecryingchildinthebigchairwalkedtowardshimwithsuddenfearlessness。
\"Mymother,\"shesaid,\"mymotherwhocametodefendmefromyou——manfromnowhere;avagabond!\"
\"Youdidnotcallmeavagabondwhenyouhungroundmyneck——beforeweweremarried,\"saidWillems,contemptuously。
\"YoutookgoodcarethatIshouldnothangroundyourneckafterwewere,\"sheanswered,clenchingherhands,andputtingherfaceclosetohis。\"YouboastedwhileIsufferedandsaidnothing。
Whathasbecomeofyourgreatness;ofourgreatness——youwerealwaysspeakingabout?NowIamgoingtoliveonthecharityofyourmaster。Yes。Thatistrue。HesentLeonardtotellmeso。
Andyouwillgoandboastsomewhereelse,andstarve。So!Ah!
Icanbreathenow!Thishouseismine。\"
\"Enough!\"saidWillems,slowly,withanarrestinggesture。
Sheleapedback,thefrightagaininhereyes,snatchedupthechild,pressedittoherbreast,and,fallingintoachair,drummedinsanelywithherheelsontheresoundingflooroftheverandah。
\"Ishallgo,\"saidWillems,steadily。\"Ithankyou。Forthefirsttimeinyourlifeyoumakemehappy。Youwereastoneroundmyneck;youunderstand。Ididnotmeantotellyouthataslongasyoulived,butyoumademe——now。BeforeIpassthisgateyoushallbegonefrommymind。Youmadeitveryeasy。I
thankyou。\"
Heturnedandwentdownthestepswithoutgivingheraglance,whileshesatuprightandquiet,withwide-openeyes,thechildcryingquerulouslyinherarms。AtthegatehecamesuddenlyuponLeonard,whohadbeendodgingaboutthereandfailedtogetoutofthewayintime。
\"Donotbebrutal,Mr。Willems,\"saidLeonard,hurriedly。\"Itisunbecomingbetweenwhitemenwithallthosenativeslookingon。\"
Leonard’slegstrembledverymuch,andhisvoicewaveredbetweenhighandlowtoneswithoutanyattemptatcontrolonhispart。
\"Restrainyourimproperviolence,\"hewentonmumblingrapidly。
\"Iamarespectablemanofverygoodfamily,whileyou……itisregrettable……theyallsayso……\"
\"What?\"thunderedWillems。Hefeltasuddenimpulseofmadanger,andbeforeheknewwhathadhappenedhewaslookingatLeonarddaSouzarollinginthedustathisfeet。Hesteppedoverhisprostratebrother-in-lawandtoreblindlydownthestreet,everybodymakingwayforthefranticwhiteman。
Whenhecametohimselfhewasbeyondtheoutskirtsofthetown,stumblingonthehardandcrackedearthofreapedricefields。
Howdidhegetthere?Itwasdark。Hemustgetback。Ashewalkedtowardsthetownslowly,hismindreviewedtheeventsofthedayandhefeltasenseofbitterloneliness。Hiswifehadturnedhimoutofhisownhouse。Hehadassaultedbrutallyhisbrother-in-law,amemberoftheDaSouzafamily——ofthatbandofhisworshippers。Hedid。Well,no!Itwassomeotherman。
Anothermanwascomingback。Amanwithoutapast,withoutafuture,yetfullofpainandshameandanger。Hestoppedandlookedround。Adogortwoglidedacrosstheemptystreetandrushedpasthimwithafrightenedsnarl。HewasnowinthemidstoftheMalayquarterwhosebamboohouses,hiddenintheverdureoftheirlittlegardens,weredarkandsilent。Men,womenandchildrensleptinthere。Humanbeings。Wouldheeversleep,andwhere?Hefeltasifhewastheoutcastofallmankind,andashelookedhopelesslyround,beforeresuminghiswearymarch,itseemedtohimthattheworldwasbigger,thenightmorevastandmoreblack;buthewentondoggedlywithhisheaddownasifpushinghiswaythroughsomethickbrambles。Thensuddenlyhefeltplanksunderhisfeetand,lookingup,sawtheredlightattheendofthejetty。Hewalkedquitetotheendandstoodleaningagainstthepost,underthelamp,lookingattheroadsteadwheretwovesselsatanchorswayedtheirslenderriggingamongstthestars。Theendofthejetty;andhereinonestepmoretheendoflife;theendofeverything。Betterso。
Whatelsecouldhedo?Nothingevercomesback。Hesawitclearly。Therespectandadmirationofthemall,theoldhabitsandoldaffectionsfinishedabruptlyintheclearperceptionofthecauseofhisdisgrace。Hesawallthis;andforatimehecameoutofhimself,outofhisselfishness——outoftheconstantpreoccupationofhisinterestsandhisdesires——outofthetempleofselfandtheconcentrationofpersonalthought。
Histhoughtsnowwanderedhome。Standinginthetepidstillnessofastarrytropicalnighthefeltthebreathofthebittereastwind,hesawthehighandnarrowfrontsoftallhousesunderthegloomofacloudedsky;andonmuddyquayshesawtheshabby,high-shoulderedfigure——thepatient,fadedfaceofthewearymanearningbreadforthechildrenthatwaitedforhiminadingyhome。Itwasmiserable,miserable。Butitwouldnevercomeback。WhatwasthereincommonbetweenthosethingsandWillemstheclever,Willemsthesuccessful。Hehadcuthimselfadriftfromthathomemanyyearsago。Betterforhimthen。Betterforthemnow。Allthiswasgone,nevertocomebackagain;andsuddenlyheshivered,seeinghimselfaloneinthepresenceofunknownandterribledangers。
Forthefirsttimeinhislifehefeltafraidofthefuture,becausehehadlosthisfaith,thefaithinhisownsuccess。Andhehaddestroyeditfoolishlywithhisownhands!