Babalatchimovedaboutintheshadows,whisperingtoanindistinctformortwothatflittedaboutatthefarendofthehut。WithoutstirringLingardglancedsideways,andcaughtsightofmuffled-uphumanshapesthathoveredforamomentneartheedgeoflightandretreatedsuddenlybackintothedarkness。
Babalatchiapproached,andsatatLingard’sfeetonarolled-upbundleofmats。
\"Willyoueatriceanddrinksagueir?\"hesaid。\"Ihavewakedupmyhousehold。\"
\"Myfriend,\"saidLingard,withoutlookingathim,\"whenIcometoseeLakamba,oranyofLakamba’sservants,Iamneverhungryandneverthirsty。Tau!Savee!Never!DoyouthinkIamdevoidofreason?Thatthereisnothingthere?\"
Hesatup,and,fixingabruptlyhiseyesonBabalatchi,tappedhisownforeheadsignificantly。
\"Tse!Tse!Tse!Howcanyoutalklikethat,Tuan!\"exclaimedBabalatchi,inahorrifiedtone。
\"ItalkasIthink。Ihavelivedmanyyears,\"saidLingard,stretchinghisarmnegligentlytotakeupthegun,whichhebegantoexamineknowingly,cockingit,andeasingdownthehammerseveraltimes。\"Thisisgood。Matarammake。Old,too,\"hewenton。
\"Hai!\"brokeinBabalatchi,eagerly。\"IgotitwhenIwasyoung。
HewasanArutrader,amanwithabigstomachandaloudvoice,andbrave——verybrave。Whenwecameupwithhisprauinthegreymorning,hestoodaftshoutingtohismenandfiredthisgunatusonce。Onlyonce!\"……Hepaused,laughedsoftly,andwentoninalow,dreamyvoice。\"Inthegreymorningwecameup:
fortysilentmeninaswiftSuluprau;andwhenthesunwassohigh\"——herehehelduphishandsaboutthreefeetapart——\"whenthesunwasonlysohigh,Tuan,ourworkwasdone——andtherewasafeastreadyforthefishesofthesea。\"
\"Aye!aye!\"mutteredLingard,noddinghisheadslowly。\"Isee。
Youshouldnotletitgetrustylikethis,\"headded。
Heletthegunfallbetweenhisknees,andmovingbackonhisseat,leanedhisheadagainstthewallofthehut,crossinghisarmsonhisbreast。
\"Agoodgun,\"wentonBabalatchi。\"Carryfarandtrue。Betterthanthis——there。\"
WiththetipsofhisfingershetouchedgentlythebuttofarevolverpeepingoutoftherightpocketofLingard’swhitejacket。
\"Takeyourhandoffthat,\"saidLingardsharply,butinagood-humouredtoneandwithoutmakingtheslightestmovement。
Babalatchismiledandhitchedhisseatalittlefurtheroff。
Forsometimetheysatinsilence。Lingard,withhisheadtiltedback,lookeddownwardswithloweredeyelidsatBabalatchi,whowastracinginvisiblelineswithhisfingeronthematbetweenhisfeet。Outside,theycouldhearAliandtheotherboatmenchatteringandlaughingroundthefiretheyhadlightedinthebiganddesertedcourtyard。
\"Well,whataboutthatwhiteman?\"saidLingard,quietly。
ItseemedasifBabalatchihadnotheardthequestion。Hewentontracingelaboratepatternsonthefloorforagoodwhile。
Lingardwaitedmotionless。AtlasttheMalayliftedhishead。
\"Hai!Thewhiteman。Iknow!\"hemurmuredabsently。\"Thiswhitemanoranother……Tuan,\"hesaidaloudwithunexpectedanimation,\"youareamanofthesea?\"
\"Youknowme。Whyask?\"saidLingard,inalowtone。
\"Yes。Amanofthesea——evenasweare。AtrueOrangLaut,\"
wentonBabalatchi,thoughtfully,\"notliketherestofthewhitemen。\"
\"Iamlikeotherwhites,anddonotwishtospeakmanywordswhenthetruthisshort。IcameheretoseethewhitemanthathelpedLakambaagainstPatalolo,whoismyfriend。Showmewherethatwhitemanlives;Iwanthimtohearmytalk。\"
\"Talkonly?Tuan!Whyhurry?Thenightislonganddeathisswift——asyououghttoknow;youwhohavedealtittosomanyofmypeople。ManyyearsagoIhavefacedyou,armsinhand。Doyounotremember?ItwasinCarimata——farfromhere。\"
\"Icannotremembereveryvagabondthatcameinmyway,\"protestedLingard,seriously。
\"Hai!Hai!\"continuedBabalatchi,unmovedanddreamy。\"Manyyearsago。Thenallthis\"——andlookingupsuddenlyatLingard’sbeard,heflourishedhisfingersbelowhisownbeardlesschin——\"thenallthiswaslikegoldinsunlight,nowitislikethefoamofanangrysea。\"
\"Maybe,maybe,\"saidLingard,patiently,payingtheinvoluntarytributeofafaintsightothememoriesofthepastevokedbyBabalatchi’swords。
HehadbeenlivingwithMalayssolongandsoclosethattheextremedeliberationanddeviousnessoftheirmentalproceedingshadceasedtoirritatehimmuch。To-night,perhaps,hewaslesspronetoimpatiencethanever。Hewasdisposed,ifnottolistentoBabalatchi,thentolethimtalk。Itwasevidenttohimthatthemanhadsomethingtosay,andhehopedthatfromthetalkarayoflightwouldshootthroughthethickblacknessofinexplicabletreachery,toshowhimclearly——ifonlyforasecond——themanuponwhomhewouldhavetoexecutetheverdictofjustice。Justiceonly!Nothingwasfurtherfromhisthoughtsthansuchanuselessthingasrevenge。Justiceonly。Itwashisdutythatjusticeshouldbedone——andbyhisownhand。Hedidnotliketothinkhow。Tohim,astoBabalatchi,itseemedthatthenightwouldbelongenoughfortheworkhehadtodo。Buthedidnotdefinetohimselfthenatureofthework,andhesatverystill,andwillinglydilatory,underthefearsomeoppressionofhiscall。Whatwasthegoodtothinkaboutit?Itwasinevitable,anditstimewasnear。Yethecouldnotcommandhismemoriesthatcamecrowdingroundhiminthatevil-smellinghut,whileBabalatchitalkedoninaflowingmonotone,nothingofhimmovingbutthelips,intheartificiallyinanimatedface。
Lingard,likeananchoredshipthathadbrokenhersheer,dartedabouthereandthereontherapidtideofhisrecollections。Thesubduedsoundofsoftwordsrangaroundhim,buthisthoughtswerelost,nowinthecontemplationofthepastsweetnessandstrifeofCarimatadays,nowintheuneasywonderatthefailureofhisjudgment;atthefatalblindnessofaccidentthathadcausedhim,manyyearsago,torescueahalf-starvedrunawayfromaDutchshipinSamarangroads。Howhehadlikedtheman:hisassurance,hispush,hisdesiretogeton,hisconceitedgood-humourandhisselfisheloquence。Hehadlikedhisveryfaults——thosefaultsthathadsomany,tohim,sympatheticsides。
Andhehadalwaysdealtfairlybyhimfromtheverybeginning;
andhewoulddealfairlybyhimnow——totheveryend。ThislastthoughtdarkenedLingard’sfeatureswitharesponsiveandmenacingfrown。Thedoerofjusticesatwithcompressedlipsandaheavyheart,whileinthecalmdarknessoutsidethesilentworldseemedtobewaitingbreathlesslyforthatjusticeheheldinhishand——inhisstronghand:——readytostrike——reluctanttomove。
CHAPTERTWO
Babalatchiceasedspeaking。Lingardshiftedhisfeetalittle,uncrossedhisarms,andshookhisheadslowly。ThenarrativeoftheeventsinSambir,relatedfromthepointofviewoftheastutestatesman,thesenseofwhichhadbeencaughthereandtherebyhisinattentiveears,hadbeenyetlikeathreadtoguidehimoutofthesombrelabyrinthofhisthoughts;andnowhehadcometotheendofit,outofthetangledpastintothepressingnecessitiesofthepresent。Withthepalmsofhishandsonhisknees,hiselbowssquaredout,helookeddownonBabalatchiwhosatinastiffattitude,inexpressiveandmuteasatalkingdollthemechanismofwhichhadatlengthrundown。
\"Youpeopledidallthis,\"saidLingardatlast,\"andyouwillbesorryforitbeforethedrywindbeginstoblowagain。Abdulla’svoicewillbringtheDutchrulehere。\"
Babalatchiwavedhishandtowardsthedarkdoorway。
\"Thereareforeststhere。Lakambarulesthelandnow。Tellme,Tuan,doyouthinkthebigtreesknowthenameoftheruler?No。
Theyareborn,theygrow,theyliveandtheydie——yetknownot,feelnot。Itistheirland。\"
\"Evenabigtreemaybekilledbyasmallaxe,\"saidLingard,drily。\"And,remember,myone-eyedfriend,thataxesaremadebywhitehands。Youwillsoonfindthatout,sinceyouhavehoistedtheflagoftheDutch。\"
\"Ay——wa!\"saidBabalatchi,slowly。\"Itiswrittenthattheearthbelongstothosewhohavefairskinsandhardbutfoolishhearts。
Thefartherawayisthemaster,theeasieritisfortheslave,Tuan!Youweretoonear。Yourvoiceranginourearsalways。
Nowitisnotgoingtobeso。ThegreatRajahinBataviaisstrong,buthemaybedeceived。Hemustspeakveryloudtobeheardhere。Butifwehaveneedtoshout,thenhemusthearthemanyvoicesthatcallforprotection。Heisbutawhiteman。\"
\"IfIeverspoketoPatalolo,likeanelderbrother,itwasforyourgood——forthegoodofall,\"saidLingardwithgreatearnestness。
\"Thisisawhiteman’stalk,\"exclaimedBabalatchi,withbitterexultation。\"Iknowyou。Thatishowyoualltalkwhileyouloadyourgunsandsharpenyourswords;andwhenyouareready,thentothosewhoareweakyousay:’Obeymeandbehappy,ordie!Youarestrange,youwhitemen。Youthinkitisonlyyourwisdomandyourvirtueandyourhappinessthataretrue。Youarestrongerthanthewildbeasts,butnotsowise。Ablacktigerknowswhenheisnothungry——youdonot。Heknowsthedifferencebetweenhimselfandthosethatcanspeak;youdonotunderstandthedifferencebetweenyourselvesandus——whoaremen。Youarewiseandgreat——andyoushallalwaysbefools。\"
Hethrewupbothhishands,stirringthesleepingcloudofsmokethathungabovehishead,andbroughttheopenpalmsontheflimsyflooroneachsideofhisoutstretchedlegs。Thewholehutshook。Lingardlookedattheexcitedstatesmancuriously。
\"Apa!Apa!What’sthematter?\"hemurmured,soothingly。\"WhomdidIkillhere?Wherearemyguns?WhathaveIdone?WhathaveIeatenup?\"
Babalatchicalmeddown,andspokewithstudiedcourtesy。
\"You,Tuan,areofthesea,andmorelikewhatweare。ThereforeIspeaktoyouallthewordsthatareinmyheart……OnlyoncehastheseabeenstrongerthantheRajahofthesea。\"
\"Youknowit;doyou?\"saidLingard,withpainedsharpness。
\"Hai!Wehaveheardaboutyourship——andsomerejoiced。NotI。
Amongstthewhites,whoaredevils,youareaman。\"
\"Trimakassi!Igiveyouthanks,\"saidLingard,gravely。
Babalatchilookeddownwithabashfulsmile,buthisfacebecamesaddeneddirectly,andwhenhespokeagainitwasinamournfultone。
\"Hadyoucomeadaysooner,Tuan,youwouldhaveseenanenemydie。Youwouldhaveseenhimdiepoor,blind,unhappy——withnosontodighisgraveandspeakofhiswisdomandcourage。Yes;
youwouldhaveseenthemanthatfoughtyouinCarimatamanyyearsago,diealone——butforonefriend。Agreatsighttoyou。\"
\"Nottome,\"answeredLingard。\"Ididnotevenrememberhimtillyouspokehisnamejustnow。Youdonotunderstandus。Wefight,wevanquish——andweforget。\"
\"True,true,\"saidBabalatchi,withpoliteirony;\"youwhitesaresogreatthatyoudisdaintorememberyourenemies。No!No!\"hewenton,inthesametone,\"youhavesomuchmercyforus,thatthereisnoroomforanyremembrance。Oh,youaregreatandgood!Butitisinmymindthatamongstyourselvesyouknowhowtoremember。Isitnotso,Tuan?\"
Lingardsaidnothing。Hisshouldersmovedimperceptibly。Helaidhisgunacrosshiskneesandstaredattheflintlockabsently。
\"Yes,\"wentonBabalatchi,fallingagainintoamournfulmood,\"yes,hediedindarkness。Isatbyhissideandheldhishand,buthecouldnotseethefaceofhimwhowatchedthefaintbreathonhislips。She,whomhehadcursedbecauseofthewhiteman,wastheretoo,andweptwithcoveredface。Thewhitemanwalkedaboutthecourtyardmakingmanynoises。Nowandthenhewouldcometothedoorwayandglareatuswhomourned。Hestaredwithwickedeyes,andthenIwasgladthathewhowasdyingwasblind。
Thisistruetalk。Iwasglad;forawhiteman’seyesarenotgoodtoseewhenthedevilthatliveswithinislookingoutthroughthem。\"
\"Devil!Hey?\"saidLingard,halfaloudtohimself,asifstruckwiththeobviousnessofsomenovelidea。Babalatchiwenton:
\"Atthefirsthourofthemorninghesatup——hesoweak——andsaidplainlysomewordsthatwerenotmeantforhumanears。Iheldhishandtightly,butitwastimefortheleaderofbravementogoamongsttheFaithfulwhoarehappy。Theyofmyhouseholdbroughtawhitesheet,andIbegantodigagraveinthehutinwhichhedied。Shemournedaloud。Thewhitemancametothedoorwayandshouted。Hewasangry。Angrywithherbecauseshebeatherbreast,andtoreherhair,andmournedwithshrillcriesasawomanshould。DoyouunderstandwhatIsay,Tuan?Thatwhitemancameinsidethehutwithgreatfury,andtookherbytheshoulder,anddraggedherout。Yes,Tuan。IsawOmardead,andIsawheratthefeetofthatwhitedogwhohasdeceivedme。
Isawhisfacegrey,likethecoldmistofthemorning;IsawhispaleeyeslookingdownatOmar’sdaughterbeatingherheadonthegroundathisfeet。AtthefeetofhimwhoisAbdulla’sslave。
Yes,helivesbyAbdulla’swill。ThatiswhyIheldmyhandwhileIsawallthis。IheldmyhandbecausewearenowundertheflagoftheOrangBlanda,andAbdullacanspeakintotheearsofthegreat。Wemustnothaveanytroublewithwhitemen。
Abdullahasspoken——andImustobey。\"
\"That’sit,isit?\"growledLingardinhismoustache。TheninMalay,\"Itseemsthatyouareangry,OBabalatchi!\"
\"No;Iamnotangry,Tuan,\"answeredBabalatchi,descendingfromtheinsecureheightsofhisindignationintotheinsinceredepthsofsafehumility。\"Iamnotangry。WhatamItobeangry?IamonlyanOrangLaut,andIhavefledbeforeyourpeoplemanytimes。Servantofthisone——protectedofanother;Ihavegivenmycounselhereandthereforahandfulofrice。WhatamI,tobeangrywithawhiteman?Whatisangerwithoutthepowertostrike?Butyouwhiteshavetakenall:theland,thesea,andthepowertostrike!Andthereisnothingleftforusintheislandsbutyourwhitemen’sjustice;yourgreatjusticethatknowsnotanger。\"
Hegotupandstoodforamomentinthedoorway,sniffingthehotairofthecourtyard,thenturnedbackandleanedagainstthestayoftheridgepole,facingLingardwhokepthisseatonthechest。Thetorch,consumednearlytotheend,burnednoisily。
Smallexplosionstookplaceintheheartoftheflame,drivingthroughitssmokyblazestringsofhard,roundpuffsofwhitesmoke,nobiggerthanpeas,whichrolledoutofdoorsinthefaintdraughtthatcamefrominvisiblecracksofthebamboowalls。Thepungenttaintofuncleanthingsbelowandaboutthehutgrewheavier,weighingdownLingard’sresolutionandhisthoughtsinanirresistiblenumbnessofthebrain。Hethoughtdrowsilyofhimselfandofthatmanwhowantedtoseehim——whowaitedtoseehim。Whowaited!Nightandday。Waited……A
spitefulbutvaporousideafloatedthroughhisbrainthatsuchwaitingcouldnotbeverypleasanttothefellow。Well,lethimwait。Hewouldseehimsoonenough。Andforhowlong?Fiveseconds——fiveminutes——saynothing——saysomething。What?No!
Justgivehimtimetotakeonegoodlook,andthen……
SuddenlyBabalatchibegantospeakinasoftvoice。Lingardblinked,clearedhisthroat——satupstraight。
\"Youknowallnow,Tuan。LakambadwellsinthestockadedhouseofPatalolo;Abdullahasbeguntobuildgodownsofplankandstone;andnowthatOmarisdead,ImyselfshalldepartfromthisplaceandlivewithLakambaandspeakinhisear。Ihaveservedmany。Thebestofthemallsleepsinthegroundinawhitesheet,withnothingtomarkhisgravebuttheashesofthehutinwhichhedied。Yes,Tuan!thewhitemandestroyedithimself。
Withablazingbrandinhishandhestrodearound,shoutingtometocomeout——shoutingtome,whowasthrowingearthonthebodyofagreatleader。Yes;swearingtomebythenameofyourGodandoursthathewouldburnmeandherinthereifwedidnotmakehaste……Hai!Thewhitemenareverymasterfulandwise。Idraggedheroutquickly!\"
\"Oh,damnit!\"exclaimedLingard——thenwentoninMalay,speakingearnestly。\"Listen。Thatmanisnotlikeotherwhitemen。Youknowheisnot。Heisnotamanatall。Heis……Idon’tknow。\"
Babalatchiliftedhishanddeprecatingly。Hiseyetwinkled,andhisred-stainedbiglips,partedbyanexpressionlessgrin,uncoveredastumpyrowofblackteethfiledevenlytothegums。
\"Hai!Hai!Notlikeyou。Notlikeyou,\"hesaid,increasingthesoftnessofhistonesashenearedtheobjectuppermostinhismindduringthatmuch-desiredinterview。\"Notlikeyou,Tuan,whoarelikeourselves,onlywiserandstronger。Yethe,also,isfullofgreatcunning,andspeaksofyouwithoutanyrespect,afterthemannerofwhitemenwhentheytalkofoneanother。\"
Lingardleapedinhisseatasifhehadbeenprodded。
\"Hespeaks!Whatdoeshesay?\"heshouted。
\"Nay,Tuan,\"protestedthecomposedBabalatchi;\"whatmattershistalkifheisnotaman?Iamnothingbeforeyou——whyshouldI
repeatwordsofonewhitemanaboutanother?HedidboasttoAbdullaofhavinglearnedmuchfromyourwisdominyearspast。
OtherwordsIhaveforgotten。Indeed,Tuan,Ihave……\"
LingardcutshortBabalatchi’sprotestationsbyacontemptuouswaveofthehandandreseatedhimselfwithdignity。
\"Ishallgo,\"saidBabalatchi,\"andthewhitemanwillremainhere,alonewiththespiritofthedeadandwithherwhohasbeenthedelightofhisheart。He,beingwhite,cannothearthevoiceofthosethatdied……Tellme,Tuan,\"hewenton,lookingatLingardwithcuriosity——\"tellme,Tuan,doyouwhitepeopleeverhearthevoicesoftheinvisibleones?\"
\"Wedonot,\"answeredLingard,\"becausethosethatwecannotseedonotspeak。\"
\"Neverspeak!Andnevercomplainwithsoundsthatarenotwords?\"exclaimedBabalatchi,doubtingly。\"Itmaybeso——oryourearsaredull。WeMalayshearmanysoundsneartheplaceswheremenareburied。To-nightIheard……Yes,evenIhaveheard……Idonotwanttohearanymore,\"headded,nervously。
\"PerhapsIwaswrongwhenI……TherearethingsIregret。
Thetroublewasheavyinhisheartwhenhedied。SometimesI
thinkIwaswrong……butIdonotwanttohearthecomplaintofinvisiblelips。ThereforeIgo,Tuan。Lettheunquietspiritspeaktohisenemythewhitemanwhoknowsnotfear,orlove,ormercy——knowsnothingbutcontemptandviolence。Ihavebeenwrong!Ihave!Hai!Hai!\"
Hestoodforawhilewithhiselbowinthepalmofhislefthand,thefingersoftheotheroverhislipsasiftostifletheexpressionofinconvenientremorse;then,afterglancingatthetorch,burntoutnearlytoitsend,hemovedtowardsthewallbythechest,fumbledaboutthereandsuddenlyflungopenalargeshutterofattapswoveninalightframeworkofsticks。Lingardswunghislegsquicklyroundthecornerofhisseat。
\"Hallo!\"hesaid,surprised。
Thecloudofsmokestirred,andaslowwispcurledoutthroughthenewopening。Thetorchflickered,hissed,andwentout,theglowingendfallingonthemat,whenceBabalatchisnatcheditupandtosseditoutsidethroughtheopensquare。Itdescribedavanishingcurveofredlight,andlaybelow,shiningfeeblyinthevastdarkness。Babalatchiremainedwithhisarmstretchedoutintotheemptynight。
\"There,\"hesaid,\"youcanseethewhiteman’scourtyard,Tuan,andhishouse。\"
\"Icanseenothing,\"answeredLingard,puttinghisheadthroughtheshutter-hole。\"It’stoodark。\"
\"Wait,Tuan,\"urgedBabalatchi。\"Youhavebeenlookinglongattheburningtorch。Youwillsoonsee。Mindthegun,Tuan。Itisloaded。\"
\"Thereisnoflintinit。Youcouldnotfindafire-stoneforahundredmilesroundthisspot,\"saidLingard,testily。\"Foolishthingtoloadthatgun。\"
\"Ihaveastone。IhaditfromamanwiseandpiousthatlivesinMenangKabau。Averypiousman——verygoodfire。Hespokewordsoverthatstonethatmakeitssparksgood。Andthegunisgood——carriesstraightandfar。Wouldcarryfromheretothedoorofthewhiteman’shouse,Ibelieve,Tuan。\"
\"Tidaapa。Nevermindyourgun,\"mutteredLingard,peeringintotheformlessdarkness。\"Isthatthehouse——thatblackthingoverthere?\"heasked。
\"Yes,\"answeredBabalatchi;\"thatishishouse。HelivestherebythewillofAbdulla,andshalllivetheretill……Fromwhereyoustand,Tuan,youcanlookoverthefenceandacrossthecourtyardstraightatthedoor——atthedoorfromwhichhecomesouteverymorning,lookinglikeamanthathadseenJehannuminhissleep。\"
Lingarddrewhisheadin。Babalatchitouchedhisshoulderwithagropinghand。
\"Waitalittle,Tuan。Sitstill。Themorningisnotfaroffnow——amorningwithoutsunafteranightwithoutstars。ButtherewillbelightenoughtoseethemanwhosaidnotmanydaysagothathealonehasmadeyoulessthanachildinSambir。\"
Hefeltaslighttremorunderhishand,buttookitoffdirectlyandbeganfeelingalloverthelidofthechest,behindLingard’sback,forthegun。
\"Whatareyouat?\"saidLingard,impatiently。\"Youdoworryaboutthatrottengun。Youhadbettergetalight。\"
\"Alight!Itellyou,Tuan,thatthelightofheavenisverynear,\"saidBabalatchi,whohadnowobtainedpossessionoftheobjectofhissolicitude,andgraspingitstronglybyitslongbarrel,groundedthestockathisfeet。
\"Perhapsitisnear,\"saidLingard,leaningbothhiselbowsonthelowercross-pieceoftheprimitivewindowandlookingout。
\"Itisveryblackoutsideyet,\"heremarkedcarelessly。
Babalatchifidgetedabout。
\"Itisnotgoodforyoutositwhereyoumaybeseen,\"hemuttered。
\"Whynot?\"askedLingard。
\"Thewhitemansleeps,itistrue,\"explainedBabalatchi,softly;
\"yethemaycomeoutearly,andhehasarms。\"
\"Ah!hehasarms?\"saidLingard。
\"Yes;ashortgunthatfiresmanytimes——likeyourshere。
Abdullahadtogiveittohim。\"
LingardheardBabalatchi’swords,butmadenomovement。Totheoldadventurertheideathatfirearmscouldbedangerousinotherhandsthanhisowndidnotoccurreadily,andcertainlynotinconnectionwithWillems。Hewassobusywiththethoughtsaboutwhatheconsideredhisownsacredduty,thathecouldnotgiveanyconsiderationtotheprobableactionsofthemanofwhomhethought——asonemaythinkofanexecutedcriminal——withwonderingindignationtemperedbyscornfulpity。Whilehesatstaringintothedarkness,thateveryminutegrewthinnerbeforehispensiveeyes,likeadispersingmist,Willemsappearedtohimasafigurebelongingalreadywhollytothepast——afigurethatcouldcomeinnowayintohislifeagain。Hehadmadeuphismind,andthethingwasaswellasdone。Inhiswearythoughtshehadclosedthisfatal,inexplicable,andhorribleepisodeinhislife。Theworsthadhappened。Thecomingdayswouldseetheretribution。
Hehadremovedanenemyonceortwicebefore,outofhispath;hehadpaidoffsomeveryheavyscoresagoodmanytimes。CaptainTomhadbeenagoodfriendtomany:butitwasgenerallyunderstood,fromHonoluluroundabouttoDiegoSuarez,thatCaptainTom’senmitywasrathermorethananymansingle-handedcouldeasilymanage。Hewouldnot,ashesaidoften,hurtaflyaslongastheflylefthimalone;yetamandoesnotliveforyearsbeyondthepaleofcivilizedlawswithoutevolvingforhimselfsomequeernotionsofjustice。Nobodyofthoseheknewhadevercaredtopointouttohimtheerrorsofhisconceptions。
Itwasnotworthanybody’swhiletoruncountertoLingard’sideasofthefitnessofthings——thatfactwasacquiredtothefloatingwisdomoftheSouthSeas,oftheEasternArchipelago,andwasnowherebetterunderstoodthaninout-of-the-waynooksoftheworld;inthosenookswhichhefilled,unresistedandmasterful,withtheechoesofhisnoisypresence。Thereisnotmuchuseinarguingwithamanwhoboastsofneverhavingregrettedasingleactionofhislife,whoseanswertoamildcriticismisagood-naturedshout——\"Youknownothingaboutit。I
woulddoitagain。Yes,sir!\"Hisassociatesandhisacquaintancesacceptedhim,hisopinions,hisactionslikethingspreordainedandunchangeable;lookeduponhismany-sidedmanifestationswithpassivewondernotunmixedwiththatadmirationwhichisonlytherightfuldueofasuccessfulman。
Butnobodyhadeverseenhiminthemoodhewasinnow。NobodyhadseenLingarddoubtfulandgivingwaytodoubt,unabletomakeuphismindandunwillingtoact;Lingardtimidandhesitatingoneminute,angryyetinactivethenext;Lingardpuzzledinaword,becauseconfrontedwithasituationthatdiscomposedhimbyitsunprovokedmalevolence,byitsghastlyinjustice,thattohisroughbutunsophisticatedpalatetasteddistinctlyofsulphurousfumesfromthedeepesthell。
Thesmoothdarknessfillingtheshutter-holegrewpalerandbecameblotchywithill-definedshapes,asifanewuniversewasbeingevolvedoutofsombrechaos。Thenoutlinescameout,definingformswithoutanydetails,indicatinghereatree,thereabush;ablackbeltofforestfaroff;thestraightlinesofahouse,theridgeofahighroofnearby。Insidethehut,Babalatchi,wholatelyhadbeenonlyapersuasivevoice,becameahumanshapeleaningitschinimprudentlyonthemuzzleofagunandrollinganuneasyeyeoverthereappearingworld。Thedaycamerapidly,dismalandoppressedbythefogoftheriverandbytheheavyvapoursofthesky——adaywithoutcolourandwithoutsunshine:incomplete,disappointing,andsad。
BabalatchitwitchedgentlyLingard’ssleeve,andwhentheoldseamanhadlifteduphisheadinterrogatively,hestretchedoutanarmandapointingforefingertowardsWillems’house,nowplainlyvisibletotherightandbeyondthebigtreeofthecourtyard。
\"Look,Tuan!\"hesaid。\"Helivesthere。Thatisthedoor——hisdoor。Throughithewillappearsoon,withhishairindisorderandhismouthfullofcurses。Thatisso。Heisawhiteman,andneversatisfied。Itisinmymindheisangryeveninhissleep。Adangerousman。AsTuanmayobserve,\"hewenton,obsequiously,\"hisdoorfacesthisopening,whereyoucondescendtosit,whichisconcealedfromalleyes。Facesit——straight——andnotfar。Observe,Tuan,notatallfar。\"
\"Yes,yes;Icansee。Ishallseehimwhenhewakes。\"
\"Nodoubt,Tuan。Whenhewakes……Ifyouremainherehecannotseeyou。Ishallwithdrawquicklyandpreparemycanoemyself。Iamonlyapoorman,andmustgotoSambirtogreetLakambawhenheopenshiseyes。ImustbowbeforeAbdullawhohasstrength——evenmorestrengththanyou。Nowifyouremainhere,youshalleasilybeholdthemanwhoboastedtoAbdullathathehadbeenyourfriend,evenwhilehepreparedtofightthosewhocalledyouprotector。Yes,heplottedwithAbdullaforthatcursedflag。Lakambawasblindthen,andIwasdeceived。Butyou,Tuan!Remember,hedeceivedyoumore。Ofthatheboastedbeforeallmen。\"
Heleanedthegunquietlyagainstthewallclosetothewindow,andsaidsoftly:\"ShallIgonow,Tuan?Becarefulofthegun。
Ihaveputthefire-stonein。Thefire-stoneofthewiseman,whichneverfails。\"
Lingard’seyeswerefastenedonthedistantdoorway。Acrosshislineofsight,inthegreyemptinessofthecourtyard,abigfruit-pigeonflappedlanguidlytowardstheforestswithaloudboomingcry,likethenoteofadeepgong:abrilliantbirdlookinginthegloomofthreateningdayasblackasacrow。A
serriedflockofwhitericebirdsroseabovethetreeswithafaintscream,andhovered,swayinginadisorderedmassthatsuddenlyscatteredinalldirections,asifburstasunderbyasilentexplosion。BehindhisbackLingardheardashuffleoffeet——womenleavingthehut。Intheothercourtyardavoicewasheardcomplainingofcold,andcomingveryfeeble,butexceedinglydistinct,outofthevastsilenceoftheabandonedhousesandclearings。Babalatchicougheddiscreetly。Fromunderthehousethethumpingofwoodenpestleshuskingthericestartedwithunexpectedabruptness。Theweakbutclearvoiceintheyardagainurged,\"Blowuptheembers,Obrother!\"Anothervoiceanswered,drawlinginmodulated,thinsing-song,\"Doityourself,Oshiveringpig!\"andthedrawlofthelastwordsstoppedshort,asifthemanhadfallenintoadeephole。Babalatchicoughedagainalittleimpatiently,andsaidinaconfidentialtone——
\"Doyouthinkitistimeformetogo,Tuan?Willyoutakecareofmygun,Tuan?Iamamanthatknowshowtoobey;evenobeyAbdulla,whohasdeceivedme。Neverthelessthisguncarriesfarandtrue——ifyouwouldwanttoknow,Tuan。AndIhaveputinadoublemeasureofpowder,andthreeslugs。Yes,Tuan。
Now——perhaps——Igo。\"
WhenBabalatchicommencedspeaking,Lingardturnedslowlyroundandgazeduponhimwiththedullandunwillinglookofasickmanwakingtoanotherdayofsuffering。Astheastutestatesmanproceeded,Lingard’seyebrowscameclose,hiseyesbecameanimated,andabigveinstoodoutonhisforehead,accentuatingaloweringfrown。WhenspeakinghislastwordsBabalatchifaltered,thenstopped,confused,beforethesteadygazeoftheoldseaman。
Lingardrose。Hisfacecleared,andhelookeddownattheanxiousBabalatchiwithsuddenbenevolence。
\"So!That’swhatyouwereafter,\"hesaid,layingaheavyhandonBabalatchi’syieldingshoulder。\"YouthoughtIcameheretomurderhim。Hey?Speak!YoufaithfuldogofanArabtrader!\"
\"Andwhatelse,Tuan?\"shriekedBabalatchi,exasperatedintosincerity。\"Whatelse,Tuan!Rememberwhathehasdone;hepoisonedourearswithhistalkaboutyou。Youareaman。Ifyoudidnotcometokill,Tuan,theneitherIamafoolor……\"
Hepaused,struckhisnakedbreastwithhisopenpalm,andfinishedinadiscouragedwhisper——\"or,Tuan,youare。\"
Lingardlookeddownathimwithscornfulserenity。AfterhislongandpainfulgropingsamongsttheobscureabominationsofWillems’conduct,thelogicaliftortuousevolutionsofBabalatchi’sdiplomaticmindweretohimwelcomeasdaylight。
Therewassomethingatlasthecouldunderstand——thecleareffectofasimplecause。Hefeltindulgenttowardsthedisappointedsage。
\"Soyouareangrywithyourfriend,Oone-eyedone!\"hesaidslowly,noddinghisfiercecountenanceclosetoBabalatchi’sdiscomfitedface。\"ItseemstomethatyoumusthavehadmuchtodowithwhathappenedinSambirlately。Hey?Yousonofaburntfather。\"
\"MayIperishunderyourhand,ORajahofthesea,ifmywordsarenottrue!\"saidBabalatchi,withrecklessexcitement。\"Youarehereinthemidstofyourenemies。Hethegreatest。Abdullawoulddonothingwithouthim,andIcoulddonothingwithoutAbdulla。Strikeme——sothatyoustrikeall!\"
\"Whoareyou,\"exclaimedLingardcontemptuously——\"whoareyoutodarecallyourselfmyenemy!Dirt!Nothing!Gooutfirst,\"hewentonseverely。\"Lakas!quick。Marchout!\"
HepushedBabalatchithroughthedoorwayandfollowedhimdowntheshortladderintothecourtyard。Theboatmensquattingoverthefireturnedtheirsloweyeswithapparentdifficultytowardsthetwomen;then,unconcerned,huddledclosetogetheragain,stretchingforlornlytheirhandsovertheembers。Thewomenstoppedintheirworkandwithupliftedpestlesflashedquickandcuriousglancesfromthegloomunderthehouse。
\"Isthattheway?\"askedLingardwithanodtowardsthelittlewicket-gateofWillems’enclosure。
\"Ifyouseekdeath,thatissurelytheway,\"answeredBabalatchiinadispassionatevoice,asifhehadexhaustedalltheemotions。\"Helivesthere:hewhodestroyedyourfriends;whohastenedOmar’sdeath;whoplottedwithAbdullafirstagainstyou,thenagainstme。Ihavebeenlikeachild。Oshame!……
Butgo,Tuan。Gothere。\"
\"IgowhereIlike,\"saidLingard,emphatically,\"andyoumaygotothedevil;Idonotwantyouanymore。TheislandsoftheseseasshallsinkbeforeI,RajahLaut,servethewillofanyofyourpeople。Tau?ButItellyouthis:Idonotcarewhatyoudowithhimafterto-day。AndIsaythatbecauseIammerciful。\"
\"Tida!Idonothing,\"saidBabalatchi,shakinghisheadwithbitterapathy。\"IaminAbdulla’shandandcarenot,evenasyoudo。No!no!\"headded,turningaway,\"Ihavelearnedmuchwisdomthismorning。Therearenomenanywhere。Youwhitesarecrueltoyourfriendsandmercifultoyourenemies——whichistheworkoffools。\"
Hewentawaytowardstheriverside,and,withoutoncelookingback,disappearedinthelowbankofmistthatlayoverthewaterandtheshore。Lingardfollowedhimwithhiseyesthoughtfully。
Afterawhileherousedhimselfandcalledouttohisboatmen——
\"Hai——yathere!Afteryouhaveeatenrice,waitformewithyourpaddlesinyourhands。Youhear?\"
\"Ada,Tuan!\"answeredAlithroughthesmokeofthemorningfirethatwasspreadingitself,lowandgentle,overthecourtyard——\"wehear!\"
Lingardopenedslowlythelittlewicket-gate,madeafewstepsintotheemptyenclosure,andstopped。Hehadfeltabouthisheadtheshortbreathofapuffofwindthatpassedhim,madeeveryleafofthebigtreeshiver——anddiedoutinahardlyperceptibletremorofbranchesandtwigs。Instinctivelyheglancedupwardswithaseaman’simpulse。Abovehim,underthegreymotionlesswasteofastormysky,driftedlowblackvapours,instretchingbars,inshapelesspatches,insinuouswispsandtormentedspirals。Overthecourtyardandthehousefloatedaround,sombre,andlingeringcloud,draggingbehindatailoftangledandfilmystreamers——likethedishevelledhairofamourningwoman。
CHAPTERTHREE
\"Beware!\"
Thetremulouseffortandthebroken,inadequatetoneofthefaintcry,surprisedLingardmorethantheunexpectedsuddennessofthewarningconveyed,hedidnotknowbywhomandtowhom。Besideshimselftherewasnooneinthecourtyardasfarashecouldsee。
Thecrywasnotrenewed,andhiswatchfuleyes,scanningwarilythemistysolitudeofWillems’enclosure,weremeteverywhereonlybythestolidimpassivenessofinanimatethings:thebigsombre-lookingtree,theshut-up,sightlesshouse,theglisteningbamboofences,thedampanddroopingbushesfurtheroff——allthesethings,thatcondemnedtolookforeverattheincomprehensibleafflictionsorjoysofmankind,assertintheiraspectofcoldunconcernthehighdignityoflifelessmatterthatsurrounds,incuriousandunmoved,therestlessmysteriesoftheever-changing,ofthenever-endinglife。
Lingard,steppingaside,putthetrunkofthetreebetweenhimselfandthehouse,then,movingcautiouslyroundoneoftheprojectingbuttresses,hadtotreadshortinordertoavoidscatteringasmallheapofblackembersuponwhichhecameunexpectedlyontheotherside。Athin,wizened,littleoldwoman,who,standingbehindthetree,hadbeenlookingatthehouse,turnedtowardshimwithastart,gazedwithfaded,expressionlesseyesattheintruder,thenmadealimpingattempttogetaway。Sheseemed,however,torealizedirectlythehopelessnessorthedifficultyoftheundertaking,stopped,hesitated,totteredbackslowly;then,afterblinkingdully,fellsuddenlyonherkneesamongstthewhiteashes,and,bendingovertheheapofsmoulderingcoals,distendedhersunkencheeksinasteadyefforttoblowupthehiddensparksintoausefulblaze。
Lingardlookeddownonher,butsheseemedtohavemadeuphermindthattherewasnotenoughlifeleftinherleanbodyforanythingelsethanthedischargeofthesimpledomesticduty,and,apparently,shebegrudgedhimtheleastmomentofattention。
Afterwaitingforawhile,Lingardasked——
\"Whydidyoucall,Odaughter?\"
\"Isawyouenter,\"shecroakedfeebly,stillgrovellingwithherfaceneartheashesandwithoutlookingup,\"andIcalled——thecryofwarning。Itwasherorder。Herorder,\"sherepeated,withamoaningsigh。
\"Anddidshehear?\"pursuedLingard,withgentlecomposure。
Herprojectingshoulder-bladesmoveduneasilyunderthethinstuffofthetightbodyjacket。Shescrambledupwithdifficultytoherfeet,andhobbledaway,mutteringpeevishlytoherself,towardsapileofdrybrushwoodheapedupagainstthefence。
Lingard,lookingidlyafterher,heardtherattleoflooseplanksthatledfromthegroundtothedoorofthehouse。HemovedhisheadbeyondtheshelterofthetreeandsawAissacomingdowntheinclinedwayintothecourtyard。Aftermakingafewhurriedpacestowardsthetree,shestoppedwithonefootadvancedinanappearanceofsuddenterror,andhereyesglancedwildlyrightandleft。Herheadwasuncovered。Ablueclothwrappedherfromherheadtofootincloseslantingfolds,withoneendthrownoverhershoulder。Atressofherblackhairstrayedacrossherbosom。Herbarearmspresseddownclosetoherbody,withhandsopenandoutstretchedfingers;herslightlyelevatedshouldersandthebackwardinclinationofhertorsogavehertheaspectofonedefiantyetshrinkingfromacomingblow。Shehadclosedthedoorofthehousebehindher;andasshestoodsolitaryintheunnaturalandthreateningtwilightofthemurkyday,witheverythingunchangedaroundher,sheappearedtoLingardasifshehadbeenmadethere,onthespot,outoftheblackvapoursoftheskyandofthesinistergleamsoffeeblesunshinethatstruggled,throughthethickeningclouds,intothecolourlessdesolationoftheworld。
Afterashortbutattentiveglancetowardstheshut-uphouse,Lingardsteppedoutfrombehindthetreeandadvancedslowlytowardsher。Thesuddenfixityofher——tillthen——restlesseyesandaslighttwitchofherhandsweretheonlysignsshegaveatfirstofhavingseenhim。Shemadealongstrideforward,andputtingherselfrightinhispath,stretchedherarmsacross;herblackeyesopenedwide,herlipspartedasifinanuncertainattempttospeak——butnosoundcameouttobreakthesignificantsilenceoftheirmeeting。Lingardstoppedandlookedatherwithsterncuriosity。Afterawhilehesaidcomposedly——
\"Letmepass。Icameheretotalktoaman。Doeshehide?Hashesentyou?\"
Shemadeastepnearer,herarmsfellbyherside,thensheputthemstraightoutnearlytouchingLingard’sbreast。
\"Heknowsnotfear,\"shesaid,speakinglow,withaforwardthrowofherhead,inavoicetremblingbutdistinct。\"Itismyownfearthathassentmehere。Hesleeps。\"
\"Hehassleptlongenough,\"saidLingard,inmeasuredtones。\"I
amcome——andnowisthetimeofhiswaking。Goandtellhimthis——orelsemyownvoicewillcallhimup。Avoiceheknowswell。\"
Heputherhandsdownfirmlyandagainmadeasiftopassbyher。
\"Donot!\"sheexclaimed,andfellathisfeetasifshehadbeencutdownbyascythe。TheunexpectedsuddennessofhermovementstartledLingard,whosteppedback。
\"What’sthis?\"heexclaimedinawonderingwhisper——thenaddedinatoneofsharpcommand:\"Standup!\"
Sheroseatonceandstoodlookingathim,timorousandfearless;
yetwithafireofrecklessnessburninginhereyesthatmadeclearherresolvetopursueherpurposeeventothedeath。
Lingardwentoninaseverevoice——
\"Gooutofmypath。YouareOmar’sdaughter,andyououghttoknowthatwhenmenmeetindaylightwomenmustbesilentandabidetheirfate。\"
\"Women!\"sheretorted,withsubduedvehemence。\"Yes,Iamawoman!Youreyesseethat,ORajahLaut,butcanyouseemylife?Ialsohaveheard——Omanofmanyfights——Ialsohaveheardthevoiceoffire-arms;Ialsohavefelttherainofyoungtwigsandofleavescutupbybulletsfalldownaboutmyhead;Ialsoknowhowtolookinsilenceatangryfacesandatstronghandsraisedhighgraspingsharpsteel。Ialsosawmenfalldeadaroundmewithoutacryoffearandofmourning;andIhavewatchedthesleepofwearyfugitives,andlookedatnightshadowsfullofmenaceanddeathwitheyesthatknewnothingbutwatchfulness。And,\"shewenton,withamournfuldropinhervoice,\"Ihavefacedtheheartlesssea,heldonmylaptheheadsofthosewhodiedravingfromthirst,andfromtheircoldhandstookthepaddleandworkedsothatthosewithmedidnotknowthatonemanmorewasdead。Ididallthis。Whatmorehaveyoudone?Thatwasmylife。Whathasbeenyours?\"
ThematterandthemannerofherspeechheldLingardmotionless,attentiveandapprovingagainsthiswill。Sheceasedspeaking,andfromherstaringblackeyeswithanarrowborderofwhiteaboveandbelow,adoublerayofherverysoulstreamedoutinafiercedesiretolightupthemostobscuredesignsofhisheart。
Afteralongsilence,whichservedtoemphasizethemeaningofherwords,sheaddedinthewhisperofbitterregret——
\"AndIhavekneltatyourfeet!AndIamafraid!\"
\"You,\"saidLingarddeliberately,andreturningherlookwithaninterestedgaze,\"youareawomanwhoseheart,Ibelieve,isgreatenoughtofillaman’sbreast:butstillyouareawoman,andtoyou,I,RajahLaut,havenothingtosay。\"
Shelistenedbendingherheadinamovementofforcedattention;
andhisvoicesoundedtoherunexpected,faroff,withthedistantandunearthlyringofvoicesthatwehearindreams,sayingfaintlythingsstartling,cruelorabsurd,towhichthereisnopossiblereply。Toherhehadnothingtosay!Shewrungherhands,glancedoverthecourtyardwiththateageranddistractedlookthatseesnothing,thenlookedupatthehopelessskyoflividgreyanddriftingblack;attheunquietmourningofthehotandbrilliantheaventhathadseenthebeginningofherlove,thathadheardhisentreatiesandheranswers,thathadseenhisdesireandherfear;thathadseenherjoy,hersurrender——andhisdefeat。Lingardmovedalittle,andthisslightstirnearherprecipitatedherdisorderedandshapelessthoughtsintohurriedwords。
\"Wait!\"sheexclaimedinastifledvoice,andwentondisconnectedlyandrapidly——\"Stay。Ihaveheard。Menoftenspokebythefires……menofmypeople。Andtheysaidofyou——thefirstonthesea——theysaidthattomen’scriesyouweredeafinbattle,butafter……No!evenwhileyoufought,yourearswereopentothevoiceofchildrenandwomen。Theysaid……that。NowI,awoman,I……\"
Shebrokeoffsuddenlyandstoodbeforehimwithdroppedeyelidsandpartedlips,sostillnowthatsheseemedtohavebeenchangedintoabreathless,anunhearing,anunseeingfigure,withoutknowledgeoffearorhope,ofangerordespair。Intheastoundingreposethatcameonherface,nothingmovedbutthedelicatenostrilsthatexpandedandcollapsedquickly,flutteringly,ininterruptedbeats,likethewingsofasnaredbird。
\"Iamwhite,\"saidLingard,proudly,lookingatherwithasteadygazewheresimplecuriositywasgivingwaytoapityingannoyance,\"andmenyouhaveheard,spokeonlywhatistrueovertheeveningfires。Myearsareopentoyourprayer。Butlistentomebeforeyouspeak。Foryourselfyouneednotbeafraid。YoucancomeevennowwithmeandyoushallfindrefugeinthehouseholdofSyedAbdulla——whoisofyourownfaith。Andthisalsoyoumustknow:nothingthatyoumaysaywillchangemypurposetowardsthemanwhoissleeping——orhiding——inthathouse。\"
Againshegavehimthelookthatwaslikeastab,notofangerbutofdesire;oftheintense,over-poweringdesiretoseein,toseethrough,tounderstandeverything:everythought,emotion,purpose;everyimpulse,everyhesitationinsidethatman;insidethatwhite-cladforeignbeingwholookedather,whospoketoher,whobreathedbeforeherlikeanyotherman,butbigger,red-faced,white-hairedandmysterious。Itwasthefutureclothedinflesh;theto-morrow;thedayafter;allthedays,alltheyearsofherlifestandingtherebeforeheraliveandsecret,withalltheirgoodorevilshutupwithinthebreastofthatman;ofthatmanwhocouldbepersuaded,cajoled,entreated,perhapstouched,worried;frightened——whoknows?——ifonlyfirsthecouldbeunderstood!Shehadseenalongtimeagowhithereventsweretending。ShehadnotedthecontemptuousyetmenacingcoldnessofAbdulla;shehadheard——alarmedyetunbelieving——Babalatchi’sgloomyhints,covertallusionsandveiledsuggestionstoabandontheuselesswhitemanwhosefatewouldbethepriceofthepeacesecuredbythewiseandgoodwhohadnoneedofhimanymore。Andhe——himself!Sheclungtohim。
Therewasnobodyelse。Nothingelse。Shewouldtrytoclingtohimalways——allthelife!Andyethewasfarfromher。Furthereveryday。Everydayheseemedmoredistant,andshefollowedhimpatiently,hopefully,blindly,butsteadily,throughallthedeviouswanderingsofhismind。Shefollowedaswellasshecould。Yetattimes——veryoftenlately——shehadfeltlostlikeonestrayedinthethicketsoftangledundergrowthofagreatforest。Tohertheex-clerkofoldHudigappearedasremote,asbrilliant,asterrible,asnecessary,asthesunthatgiveslifetotheselands:thesunofuncloudedskiesthatdazzlesandwithers;thesunbeneficentandwicked——thegiveroflight,perfume,andpestilence。Shehadwatchedhim——watchedhimclose;
fascinatedbylove,fascinatedbydanger。Hewasalonenow——butforher;andshesaw——shethoughtshesaw——thathewaslikeamanafraidofsomething。Wasitpossible?Heafraid?Ofwhat?Wasitofthatoldwhitemanwhowascoming——whohadcome?Possibly。
Shehadheardofthatmaneversinceshecouldremember。Thebravestwereafraidofhim!Andnowwhatwasinthemindofthisold,oldmanwholookedsostrong?Whatwashegoingtodowiththelightofherlife?Putitout?Takeitaway?Takeitawayforever!——forever!——andleaveherindarkness:——notinthestirring,whispering,expectantnightinwhichthehushedworldawaitsthereturnofsunshine;butinthenightwithoutend,thenightofthegrave,wherenothingbreathes,nothingmoves,nothingthinks——thelastdarknessofcoldandsilencewithouthopeofanothersunrise。
Shecried——\"Yourpurpose!Youknownothing。Imust……\"
Heinterrupted——unreasonablyexcited,asifshehad,byherlook,inoculatedhimwithsomeofherowndistress。
\"Iknowenough。\"
Sheapproached,andstoodfacinghimatarm’slength,withbothherhandsonhisshoulders;andhe,surprisedbythataudacity,closedandopenedhiseyestwoorthreetimes,awareofsomeemotionarisingwithinhim,fromherwords,hertone,hercontact;anemotionunknown,singular,penetratingandsad——attheclosesightofthatstrangewoman,ofthatbeingsavageandtender,stronganddelicate,fearfulandresolute,thathadgotentangledsofatallybetweentheirtwolives——hisownandthatotherwhiteman’s,theabominablescoundrel。
\"Howcanyouknow?\"shewenton,inapersuasivetonethatseemedtoflowoutofherveryheart——\"howcanyouknow?Ilivewithhimallthedays。Allthenights。Ilookathim;Iseehiseverybreath,everyglanceofhiseye,everymovementofhislips。Iseenothingelse!Whatelseisthere?AndevenIdonotunderstand。Idonotunderstandhim!——Him!——Mylife!Himwhotomeissogreatthathispresencehidestheearthandthewaterfrommysight!\"
Lingardstoodstraight,withhishandsdeepinthepocketsofhisjacket。Hiseyeswinkedquickly,becauseshespokeveryclosetohisface。Shedisturbedhimandhehadasenseoftheeffortshewasmakingtogetholdofhermeaning,whileallthetimehecouldnothelptellinghimselfthatallthiswasofnouse。
Sheaddedafterapause——\"TherehasbeenatimewhenIcouldunderstandhim。WhenIknewwhatwasinhismindbetterthanheknewithimself。WhenIfelthim。WhenIheldhim……Andnowhehasescaped。\"
\"Escaped?What?Goneaway!\"shoutedLingard。
\"Escapedfromme,\"shesaid;\"leftmealone。Alone。AndIamevernearhim。Yetalone。\"
HerhandsslippedslowlyoffLingard’sshouldersandherarmsfellbyherside,listless,discouraged,asiftoher——toher,thesavage,violent,andignorantcreature——hadbeenrevealedclearlyinthatmomentthetremendousfactofourisolation,ofthelonelinessimpenetrableandtransparent,elusiveandeverlasting;oftheindestructiblelonelinessthatsurrounds,envelopes,clotheseveryhumansoulfromthecradletothegrave,and,perhaps,beyond。
\"Aye!Verywell!Iunderstand。Hisfaceisturnedawayfromyou,\"saidLingard。\"Now,whatdoyouwant?\"
\"Iwant……Ihavelooked——forhelp……everywhere……
againstmen……Allmen……Idonotknow。Firsttheycame,theinvisiblewhites,anddealtdeathfromafar……thenhecame。Hecametomewhowasaloneandsad。Hecame;angrywithhisbrothers;greatamongsthisownpeople;angrywiththoseIhavenotseen:withthepeoplewheremenhavenomercyandwomenhavenoshame。Hewasofthem,andgreatamongstthem。
Forhewasgreat?\"
Lingardshookhisheadslightly。Shefrownedathim,andwentonindisorderedhaste——
\"Listen。Isawhim。Ihavelivedbythesideofbravemen……
ofchiefs。WhenhecameIwasthedaughterofabeggar——ofablindmanwithoutstrengthandhope。HespoketomeasifIhadbeenbrighterthanthesunshine——moredelightfulthanthecoolwaterofthebrookbywhichwemet——more……\"Heranxiouseyessawsomeshadeofexpressionpassonherlistener’sfacethatmadeherholdherbreathforasecond,andthenexplodeintopainedfurysoviolentthatitdroveLingardbackapace,likeanunexpectedblastofwind。Heliftedbothhishands,incongruouslypaternalinhisvenerableaspect,bewilderedandsoothing,whileshestretchedherneckforwardandshoutedathim。
\"ItellyouIwasallthattohim。Iknowit!Isawit!……
Therearetimeswhenevenyouwhitemenspeakthetruth。Isawhiseyes。Ifelthiseyes,Itellyou!IsawhimtremblewhenI
camenear——whenIspoke——whenItouchedhim。Lookatme!Youhavebeenyoung。Lookatme。Look,RajahLaut!\"
ShestaredatLingardwithprovokingfixity,then,turningherheadquickly,shesentoverhershoulderaglance,fullofhumblefear,atthehousethatstoodhighbehindherback——dark,closed,ricketyandsilentonitscrookedposts。
Lingard’seyesfollowedherlook,andremainedgazingexpectantlyatthehouse。Afteraminuteorsohemuttered,glancingathersuspiciously——
\"Ifhehasnotheardyourvoicenow,thenhemustbefaraway——ordead。\"
\"Heisthere,\"shewhispered,alittlecalmedbutstillanxious——\"heisthere。Forthreedayshewaited。Waitedforyounightandday。AndIwaitedwithhim。Iwaited,watchinghisface,hiseyes,hislips;listeningtohiswords——TothewordsI
couldnotunderstand——Tothewordshespokeindaylight;tothewordshespokeatnightinhisshortsleep。Ilistened。Hespoketohimselfwalkingupanddownhere——bytheriver;bythebushes。AndIfollowed。Iwantedtoknow——andIcouldnot!Hewastormentedbythingsthatmadehimspeakinthewordsofhisownpeople。Speaktohimself——nottome。Nottome!Whatwashesaying?Whatwashegoingtodo?Washeafraidofyou?——Ofdeath?Whatwasinhisheart?……Fear?……Oranger?……whatdesire?……whatsadness?Hespoke;spoke;manywords。
Allthetime!AndIcouldnotknow!Iwantedtospeaktohim。
Hewasdeaftome。Ifollowedhimeverywhere,watchingforsomewordIcouldunderstand;buthismindwasinthelandofhispeople——awayfromme。WhenItouchedhimhewasangry——so!\"
Sheimitatedthemovementofsomeoneshakingoffroughlyanimportunatehand,andlookedatLingardwithtearfulandunsteadyeyes。
Afterashortintervaloflabouredpanting,asifshehadbeenoutofbreathwithrunningorfighting,shelookeddownandwenton——
\"Dayafterday,nightafternight,Ilivedwatchinghim——seeingnothing。Andmyheartwasheavy——heavywiththepresenceofdeaththatdweltamongstus。Icouldnotbelieve。Ithoughthewasafraid。Afraidofyou!ThenI,myself,knewfear……
Tellme,RajahLaut,doyouknowthefearwithoutvoice——thefearofsilence——thefearthatcomeswhenthereisnoonenear——whenthereisnobattle,nocries,noangryfacesorarmedhandsanywhere?……Thefearfromwhichthereisnoescape!\"
Shepaused,fastenedhereyesagainonthepuzzledLingard,andhurriedoninatoneofdespair——
\"AndIknewthenhewouldnotfightyou!Before——manydaysago——Iwentawaytwicetomakehimobeymydesire;tomakehimstrikeathisownpeoplesothathecouldbemine——mine!O
calamity!Hishandwasfalseasyourwhitehearts。Itstruckforward,pushedbymydesire——byhisdesireofme……Itstruckthatstronghand,and——Oshame!——itkillednobody!Itsfierceandlyingblowwokeuphatewithoutanyfear。Roundmeallwaslies。Hisstrengthwasalie。Myownpeopleliedtomeandtohim。Andtomeetyou——you,thegreat!——hehadnoonebutme?Butmewithmyrage,mypain,myweakness。Onlyme!Andtomehewouldnotevenspeak。Thefool!\"
ShecameupclosetoLingard,withthewildandstealthyaspectofalunaticlongingtowhisperoutaninsanesecret——oneofthosemisshapen,heart-rending,andludicroussecrets;oneofthosethoughtsthat,likemonsters——cruel,fantastic,andmournful,wanderaboutterribleandunceasinginthenightofmadness。Lingardlookedather,astoundedbutunflinching。Shespokeinhisface,verylow。
\"Heisall!Everything。Heismybreath,mylight,myheart……Goaway……Forgethim……Hehasnocourageandnowisdomanymore……andIhavelostmypower……Goawayandforget。Thereareotherenemies……Leavehimtome。Hehadbeenamanonce……Youaretoogreat。Nobodycanwithstandyou……Itried……Iknownow……Icryformercy。
Leavehimtomeandgoaway。\"
Thefragmentsofhersupplicatingsentenceswereasiftossedonthecrestofhersobs。Lingard,outwardlyimpassive,withhiseyesfixedonthehouse,experiencedthatfeelingofcondemnation,deep-seated,persuasive,andmasterful;thatillogicalimpulseofdisapprovalwhichishalfdisgust,halfvaguefear,andthatwakesupinourheartsinthepresenceofanythingneworunusual,ofanythingthatisnotrunintothemouldofourownconscience;theaccursedfeelingmadeupofdisdain,ofanger,andofthesenseofsuperiorvirtuethatleavesusdeaf,blind,contemptuousandstupidbeforeanythingwhichisnotlikeourselves。
Heanswered,notlookingatheratfirst,butspeakingtowardsthehousethatfascinatedhim——
\"_I_goaway!Hewantedmetocome——hehimselfdid!……YOU
mustgoaway。Youdonotknowwhatyouareaskingfor。Listen。
Gotoyourownpeople。Leavehim。Heis……\"
Hepaused,lookeddownatherwithhissteadyeyes;hesitated,asifseekinganadequateexpression;thensnappedhisfingers,andsaid——
\"Finish。\"
Shesteppedback,hereyesontheground,andpressedhertempleswithbothherhands,whichsheraisedtoherheadinaslowandamplemovementfullofunconscioustragedy。Thetoneofherwordswasgentleandvibrating,likealoudmeditation。Shesaid——
\"Tellthebrooknottoruntotheriver;telltherivernottoruntothesea。Speakloud。Speakangrily。Maybetheywillobeyyou。Butitisinmymindthatthebrookwillnotcare。
Thebrookthatspringsoutofthehillsideandrunstothegreatriver。Hewouldnotcareforyourwords:hethatcaresnotfortheverymountainthatgavehimlife;hethattearstheearthfromwhichhesprings。Tearsit,eatsit,destroysit——tohurryfastertotheriver——totheriverinwhichheislostforever……ORajahLaut!Idonotcare。\"
ShedrewcloseagaintoLingard,approachingslowly,reluctantly,asifpushedbyaninvisiblehand,andaddedinwordsthatseemedtobetornoutofher——
\"Icarednotformyownfather。Forhimthatdied。Iwouldhaverather……YoudonotknowwhatIhavedone……I……\"
\"Youshallhavehislife,\"saidLingard,hastily。
Theystoodtogether,crossingtheirglances;shesuddenlyappeased,andLingardthoughtfulanduneasyunderavaguesenseofdefeat。Andyettherewasnodefeat。Heneverintendedtokillthefellow——notafterthefirstmomentofanger,alongtimeago。Thedaysofbitterwonderhadkilledanger;hadleftonlyabitterindignationandabitterwishforcompletejustice。Hefeltdiscontentedandsurprised。Unexpectedlyhehadcomeuponahumanbeing——awomanatthat——whohadmadehimdisclosehiswillbeforeitstime。Sheshouldhavehislife。Butshemustbetold,shemustknow,thatforsuchmenasWillemstherewasnofavourandnograce。
\"Understand,\"hesaidslowly,\"thatIleavehimhislifenotinmercybutinpunishment。\"
Shestarted,watchedeverywordonhislips,andafterhefinishedspeakingsheremainedstillandmuteinastonishedimmobility。Asinglebigdropofrain,adropenormous,pellucidandheavy——likeasuper-humantearcomingstraightandrapidfromabove,tearingitswaythroughthesombresky——struckloudlythedrygroundbetweentheminastarredsplash。Shewrungherhandsinthebewildermentofthenewandincomprehensiblefear。Theanguishofherwhisperwasmorepiercingthantheshrillestcry。
\"Whatpunishment!Willyoutakehimawaythen?Awayfromme?
ListentowhatIhavedone……ItisIwho……\"
\"Ah!\"exclaimedLingard,whohadbeenlookingatthehouse。
\"Don’tyoubelieveher,CaptainLingard,\"shoutedWillemsfromthedoorway,whereheappearedwithswolleneyelidsandbaredbreast。Hestoodforawhile,hishandsgraspingthelintelsoneachsideofthedoor,andwrithedabout,glaringwildly,asifhehadbeencrucifiedthere。Thenhemadeasuddenrushheadforemostdowntheplankwaythatrespondedwithhollow,shortnoisestoeveryfootstep。
Sheheardhim。Aslightthrillpassedonherfaceandthewordsthatwereonherlipsfellbackunspokenintoherbenightedheart;fellbackamongstthemud,thestones——andtheflowers,thatareatthebottomofeveryheart。
CHAPTERFOUR
Whenhefeltthesolidgroundofthecourtyardunderhisfeet,Willemspulledhimselfupinhisheadlongrushandmovedforwardwithamoderategait。Hepacedstiffly,lookingwithextremeexactitudeatLingard’sface;lookingneithertotherightnortotheleftbutatthefaceonly,asiftherewasnothingintheworldbutthosefeaturesfamiliaranddreaded;thatwhite-haired,roughandsevereheaduponwhichhegazedinafixedeffortofhiseyes,likeamantryingtoreadsmallprintatthefullrangeofhumanvision。AssoonasWillems’feethadlefttheplanks,thesilencewhichhadbeenliftedupbythejerkyrattleofhisfootstepsfelldownagainuponthecourtyard;thesilenceofthecloudyskyandofthewindlessair,thesullensilenceoftheearthoppressedbytheaspectofcomingturmoil,thesilenceoftheworldcollectingitsfacultiestowithstandthestorm。
ThroughthissilenceWillemspushedhisway,andstoppedaboutsixfeetfromLingard。Hestoppedsimplybecausehecouldgonofurther。Hehadstartedfromthedoorwiththerecklesspurposeofclappingtheoldfellowontheshoulder。Hehadnoideathatthemanwouldturnouttobesotall,sobigandsounapproachable。Itseemedtohimthathehadnever,neverinhislife,seenLingard。
Hetriedtosay——
\"Donotbelieve……\"
Afitofcoughingcheckedhissentenceinafaintsplutter。
Directlyafterwardsheswallowed——asitwere——acoupleofpebbles,throwinghischinupintheact;andLingard,wholookedathimnarrowly,sawabone,sharpandtriangularliketheheadofasnake,dartupanddowntwiceundertheskinofhisthroat。
Thenthat,too,didnotmove。Nothingmoved。
\"Well,\"saidLingard,andwiththatwordhecameunexpectedlytotheendofhisspeech。Hishandinhispocketclosedfirmlyroundthebuttofhisrevolverbulginghisjacketonthehip,andhethoughthowsoonandhowquicklyhecouldterminatehisquarrelwiththatmanwhohadbeensoanxioustodeliverhimselfintohishands——andhowinadequatewouldbethatending!Hecouldnotbeartheideaofthatmanescapingfromhimbygoingoutoflife;escapingfromfear,fromdoubt,fromremorseintothepeacefulcertitudeofdeath。Heheldhimnow。Andhewasnotgoingtolethimgo——tolethimdisappearforeverinthefaintbluesmokeofapistolshot。Hisangergrewwithinhim。
Hefeltatouchasofaburninghandonhisheart。Notonthefleshofhisbreast,butatouchonhisheartitself,onthepalpitatinganduntiringparticleofmatterthatrespondstoeveryemotionofthesoul;thatleapswithjoy,withterror,orwithanger。
Hedrewalongbreath。Hecouldseebeforehimthebarechestofthemanexpandingandcollapsingunderthewide-openjacket。Heglancedaside,andsawthebosomofthewomannearhimriseandfallinquickrespirationsthatmovedslightlyupanddownherhand,whichwaspressedtoherbreastwithallthefingersspreadoutandalittlecurved,asifgraspingsomethingtoobigforitsspan。Andnearlyaminutepassed。Oneofthoseminuteswhenthevoiceissilenced,whilethethoughtsflutterinthehead,likecaptivebirdsinsideacage,inrushesdesperate,exhaustingandvain。
DuringthatminuteofsilenceLingard’sangerkeptrising,immenseandtowering,suchasacrestedwaverunningoverthetroubledshallowsofthesands。Itsroarfilledhiscars;aroarsopowerfulanddistractingthat,itseemedtohim,hisheadmustburstdirectlywiththeexpandingvolumeofthatsound。Helookedatthatman。Thatinfamousfigureuprightonitsfeet,still,rigid,withstonyeyes,asifitsrottensoulhaddepartedthatmomentandthecarcasshadn’thadthetimeyettotoppleover。Forthefractionofasecondhehadtheillusionandthefearofthescoundrelhavingdiedtherebeforetheenragedglanceofhiseyes。Willems’eyelidsfluttered,andtheunconsciousandpassingtremorinthatstifflyerectbodyexasperatedLingardlikeafreshoutrage。Thefellowdaredtostir!Daredtowink,tobreathe,toexist;here,rightbeforehiseyes!Hisgripontherevolverrelaxedgradually。Asthetransportofhisrageincreased,soalsohiscontemptfortheinstrumentsthatpierceorstab,thatinterposethemselvesbetweenthehandandtheobjectofhate。Hewantedanotherkindofsatisfaction。Nakedhands,byheaven!Nofirearms。Handsthatcouldtakehimbythethroat,beatdownhisdefence,batterhisfaceintoshapelessflesh;handsthatcouldfeelallthedesperationofhisresistanceandoverpoweritintheviolentdelightofacontactlingeringandfurious,intimateandbrutal。