within the tides-第31部分

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away。　　Well；　he　couldn't　help　it。　　There　was　no　one　ashore　fit　to



take　his　place　for　the　trip。







〃This　friend　of　mine　and　I　went　home　together　in　the　same　mail…



boat；　and　he　mentioned　that　conversation　one　evening　in　the　Red　Sea



while　we　were　talking　over　the　things　and　people　we　had　just　left；



with　more　or　less　regret。







〃I　can't　say　that　Davidson　occupied　a　very　prominent　place。　　Moral



excellence　seldom　does。　　He　was　quietly　appreciated　by　those　who



knew　him　well；　but　his　more　obvious　distinction　consisted　in　this；



that　he　was　married。　　Ours；　as　you　remember；　was　a　bachelor　crowd；



in　spirit　anyhow；　if　not　absolutely　in　fact。　　There　might　have　been



a　few　wives　in　existence；　but　if　so　they　were　invisible；　distant；



never　alluded　to。　　For　what　would　have　been　the　good？　　Davidson



alone　was　visibly　married。







〃Being　married　suited　him　exactly。　　It　fitted　him　so　well　that　the



wildest　of　us　did　not　resent　the　fact　when　it　was　disclosed。



Directly　he　had　felt　his　feet　out　here；　Davidson　sent　for　his　wife。



She　came　out　（from　West　Australia）　in　the　Somerset；　under　the　care



of　Captain　Ritchie　…　you　know；　Monkey…face　Ritchie　…　who　couldn't



praise　enough　her　sweetness；　her　gentleness；　and　her　charm。　　She



seemed　to　be　the　heaven…born　mate　for　Davidson。　　She　found　on



arrival　a　very　pretty　bungalow　on　the　hill；　ready　for　her　and　the



little　girl　they　had。　　Very　soon　he　got　for　her　a　two…wheeled　trap



and　a　Burmah　pony；　and　she　used　to　drive　down　of　an　evening　to　pick



up　Davidson；　on　the　quay。　　When　Davidson；　beaming；　got　into　the



trap；　it　would　become　very　full　all　at　once。







〃We　used　to　admire　Mrs。　Davidson　from　a　distance。　　It　was　a　girlish



head　out　of　a　keepsake。　　From　a　distance。　　We　had　not　many



opportunities　for　a　closer　view；　because　she　did　not　care　to　give



them　to　us。　　We　would　have　been　glad　to　drop　in　at　the　Davidson



bungalow；　but　we　were　made　to　feel　somehow　that　we　were　not　very



welcome　there。　　Not　that　she　ever　said　anything　ungracious。　　She



never　had　much　to　say　for　herself。　　I　was　perhaps　the　one　who　saw



most　of　the　Davidsons　at　home。　　What　I　noticed　under　the



superficial　aspect　of　vapid　sweetness　was　her　convex；　obstinate



forehead；　and　her　small；　red；　pretty；　ungenerous　mouth。　　But　then　I



am　an　observer　with　strong　prejudices。　　Most　of　us　were　fetched　by



her　white；　swan…like　neck；　by　that　drooping；　innocent　profile。



There　was　a　lot　of　latent　devotion　to　Davidson's　wife　hereabouts；



at　that　time；　I　can　tell　you。　　But　my　idea　was　that　she　repaid　it



by　a　profound　suspicion　of　the　sort　of　men　we　were；　a　mistrust



which　extended　…　I　fancied　…　to　her　very　husband　at　times。　　And　I



thought　then　she　was　jealous　of　him　in　a　way；　though　there　were　no



women　that　she　could　be　jealous　about。　　She　had　no　women's　society。



It's　difficult　for　a　shipmaster's　wife　unless　there　are　other



shipmasters'　wives　about；　and　there　were　none　here　then。　　I　know



that　the　dock　manager's　wife　called　on　her；　but　that　was　all。　　The



fellows　here　formed　the　opinion　that　Mrs。　Davidson　was　a　meek；　shy



little　thing。　　She　looked　it；　I　must　say。　　And　this　opinion　was　so



universal　that　the　friend　I　have　been　telling　you　of　remembered　his



conversation　with　Davidson　simply　because　of　the　statement　about



Davidson's　wife。　　He　even　wondered　to　me：　　'Fancy　Mrs。　Davidson



making　a　fuss　to　that　extent。　　She　didn't　seem　to　me　the　sort　of



woman　that　would　know　how　to　make　a　fuss　about　anything。'







〃I　wondered；　too　…　but　not　so　much。　　That　bumpy　forehead　…　eh？　　I



had　always　suspected　her　of　being　silly。　　And　I　observed　that



Davidson　must　have　been　vexed　by　this　display　of　wifely　anxiety。







〃My　friend　said：　　'No。　　He　seemed　rather　touched　and　distressed。



There　really　was　no　one　he　could　ask　to　relieve　him；　mainly　because



he　intended　to　make　a　call　in　some　God…forsaken　creek；　to　look　up　a



fellow　of　the　name　of　Bamtz　who　apparently　had　settled　there。'







〃And　again　my　friend　wondered。　　'Tell　me；'　he　cried；　'what



connection　can　there　be　between　Davidson　and　such　a　creature　as



Bamtz？'







〃I　don't　remember　now　what　answer　I　made。　　A　sufficient　one　could



have　been　given　in　two　words：　　'Davidson's　goodness。'　　THAT　never



boggled　at　unworthiness　if　there　was　the　slightest　reason　for



compassion。　　I　don't　want　you　to　think　that　Davidson　had　no



discrimination　at　all。　　Bamtz　could　not　have　imposed　on　him。



Moreover；　everybody　knew　what　Bamtz　was。　　He　was　a　loafer　with　a



beard。　　When　I　think　of　Bamtz；　the　first　thing　I　see　is　that　long



black　beard　and　a　lot　of　propitiatory　wrinkles　at　the　corners　of



two　little　eyes。　　There　was　no　such　beard　from　here　to　Polynesia；



where　a　beard　is　a　valuable　property　in　itself。　　Bamtz's　beard　was



valuable　to　him　in　another　way。　　You　know　how　impressed　Orientals



are　by　a　fine　beard。　　Years　and　years　ago；　I　remember；　the　grave



Abdullah；　the　great　trader　of　Sambir；　unable　to　repress　signs　of



astonishment　and　admiration　at　the　first　sight　of　that　imposing



beard。　　And　it's　very　well　known　that　Bamtz　lived　on　Abdullah　off



and　on　for　several　years。　　It　was　a　unique　beard；　and　so　was　the



bearer　of　the　same。　　A　unique　loafer。　　He　made　a　fine　art　of　it；　or



rather　a　sort　of　craft　and　mystery。　　One　can　understand　a　fellow



living　by　cadging　and　small　swindles　in　towns；　in　large　communities



of　people；　but　Bamtz　managed　to　do　that　trick　in　the　wilderness；　to



loaf　on　the　outskirts　of　the　virgin　forest。







〃He　understood　how　to　ingratiate　himself　with　the　natives。　　He



would　arrive　in　some　settlement　up　a　river；　make　a　present　of　a



cheap　carbine　or　a　pair　of　shoddy　binoculars；　or　something　of　that



sort；　to　the　Rajah；　or　the　head…man；　or　the　principal　trader；　and



on　the　strength　of　that　gift；　ask　for　a　house；　posing　mysteriously



as　a　very　special　trader。　　He　would　spin　them　no　end　of　yarns；　live



on　the　fat　of　the　land；　for　a　while；　and　then　do　some　mean　swindle



or　other　…　or　else　they　would　get　tired　of　him　and　ask　him　to　quit。



And　he　would　go　off　meekly　with　an　air　of　injured　innocence。　　Funny



life。　　Yet；　he　never　got　hurt　somehow。　　I've　heard　of　the　Rajah　of



Dongala　giving　him　fifty　dollars'　worth　of　trade　goods　and　paying



his　passage　in　a　prau　only　to　get　rid　of　him。　　Fact。　　And　observe



that　nothing　prevented　the　old　fellow　having　Bamtz's　throat　cut　and



the　carcase　thrown　into　deep　water　outside　the　reefs；　for　who　on



earth　would　have　inquired　after　Bamtz？







〃He　had　been　known　to　loaf　up　and　down　the　wilderness　as　far　north



as　the　Gulf　of　Tonkin。　　Neither　did　he　disdain　a　spell　of



civilisation　from　time　to　time。　　And　it　was　while　loafing　and



cadging　in　Saigon；　bearded　and　dignified　（he　gave　himself　out　there



as　a　bookkeeper）；　that　he　came　across　Laughing　Anne。







〃The　less　said　of　her　early　history　the　better；　but　something　must



be　said。　　We　may　safely　suppose　there　was　very　little　heart　left　in



her　famous　laugh　when　Bamtz　spoke　first　to　her　in　some　low　cafe。



She　was　stranded　in　Saigon　with　precious　little　money　and　in　great



trouble　about　a　kid　she　had；　a　boy　of　five　or　six。







〃A　fellow　I　just　remember；　whom　they　called　Pearler　Harry；　brought



her　out　first　into　these　parts　…　from　Australia；　I　believe。　　He



brought　her　out　and　then　dropped　her；　and　she　remained　knocking



about　here　and　there；　known　to　most　of　us　by　sight；　at　any　rate。



Everybody　in　the　Archipelago　had　heard　of　Laughing　Anne。　　She　had



really　a　pleasant　silvery　laugh　always　at　her　disposal；　so　to



speak；　but　it　wasn't　enough　apparently　to　make　her　fortune。　　The



poor　creature　was　ready　to　stick　to　any　half…decent　man　if　he　would



only　let　her；　but　she　always　got　dropped；　as　it　might　have　been



expected。







〃She　had　been　left　in　Saigon　by　the　skipper　of　a　German　ship　with



whom　she　had　been　going　up　and　down　the　China　coast　as　far　as



Vladivostok　for　near　upon　two　years。　　The　German　said　to　her：



'This　is　all　over；　MEIN　TAUBCHEN。　　I　am　going　home　now　to　get



married　to　the　girl　I　got　engaged　to　before　coming　out　here。'　　And



Anne　said：　　'All　right；　I'm　ready　to　go。　　We　part　friends；　don't



we？'







〃She　was　always　anxious　to　part　friends。　　The　German　told　her　that



of　course　they　were　parting　friends。　　He　looked　rather　glum　at　the



moment　of　parting。　　She　laughed　and　went　ashore。







〃But　it　was　no　laughing　matter　for　her。　　She　had　some　notion　that



this　would　be　her　last　chance。　　What　frightened　her　most　was　the



future　of　her　child。　　She　had　left　her　boy　in　Saigon　before　going



off　with　the　German；　in　the　care　of　an　elderly　French　couple。　　The



husband　was　a　doorkeeper　in　some　Government　office；　but　his　time



was　up；　and　they　were　returning　to　France。　　She　had　to　take　the　boy



back　from　them；　and　after　she　had　got　him　back；　she　did　not　like　to



part　with　him　any　more。







〃That　was　the　situation　when　she　and　Bamtz　got　acquainted　casually。



She　could　not　have　had　any　illusions　about　that　fellow。　　To　pick　up



with　Bamtz　was　coming　down　pretty　low　in　the　world；　even　from　a



material　point　of　view。　　She　had　always　been　decent；　in　her　way；



whereas　Bamtz　was；　not　to　mince　words；　an　abject　sort　of　creature。



On　the　other　hand；　that　bearded　loafer；　who　looked　much　more　like　a



pirate　than　a　bookkeeper；　was　not　a　brute。　　He　was　gentle　…　rather



…　even　in　his　cups。　　And　then；　despair；　like　misfortune；　makes　us



acquainted　with　strange　bed…fellows。　　For　she　may　well　have



despaired。　　She　was　no　longer　young　…　you　know。







〃On　the　man's　side　this　conjunction　is　more　difficult　to　explain；



perhaps。　　One　thing；　however；　must　be　said　of　Bamtz；　he　had　always



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



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