“Now then! Now then!” growled3 Lingard in his moustache. Almayer, who had talked himself up to the choking point, drew a long breath and went on —
“Yes! It has been always so. Always. As far back as I can remember. Don’t you recollect5? What about that half-starved dog you brought on board in Bankok in your arms. In your arms by . . .! It went mad next day and bit the serang. You don’t mean to say you have forgotten? The best serang you ever had! You said so yourself while you were helping7 us to lash8 him down to the chain-cable, just before he died in his fits. Now, didn’t you? Two wives and ever so many children the man left. That was your doing. . . . And when you went out of your way and risked your ship to rescue some Chinamen from a water-logged junk in Formosa Straits, that was also a clever piece of business. Wasn’t it? Those damned Chinamen rose on you before forty-eight hours. They were cut-throats, those poor fishermen. You knew they were cut-throats before you made up your mind to run down on a lee shore in a gale9 of wind to save them. A mad trick! If they hadn’t been scoundrels — hopeless scoundrels — you would not have put your ship in jeopardy10 for them, I know. You would not have risked the lives of your crew — that crew you loved so — and your own life. Wasn’t that foolish! And, besides, you were not honest. Suppose you had been drowned? I would have been in a pretty mess then, left alone here with that adopted daughter of yours. Your duty was to myself first. I married that girl because you promised to make my fortune. You know you did! And then three months afterwards you go and do that mad trick — for a lot of Chinamen too. Chinamen! You have no morality. I might have been ruined for the sake of those murderous scoundrels that, after all, had to be driven overboard after killing11 ever so many of your crew — of your beloved crew! Do you call that honest?”
“Well, well!” muttered Lingard, chewing nervously12 the stump13 of his cheroot that had gone out and looking at Almayer — who stamped wildly about the verandah — much as a shepherd might look at a pet sheep in his obedient flock turning unexpectedly upon him in enraged14 revolt. He seemed disconcerted, contemptuously angry yet somewhat amused; and also a little hurt as if at some bitter jest at his own expense. Almayer stopped suddenly, and crossing his arms on his breast, bent15 his body forward and went on speaking.
“I might have been left then in an awkward hole — all on account of your absurd disregard for your safety — yet I bore no grudge16. I knew your weaknesses. But now — when I think of it! Now we are ruined. Ruined! Ruined! My poor little Nina. Ruined!”
He slapped his thighs17 smartly, walked with small steps this way and that, seized a chair, planted it with a bang before Lingard, and sat down staring at the old seaman18 with haggard eyes. Lingard, returning his stare steadily19, dived slowly into various pockets, fished out at last a box of matches and proceeded to light his cheroot carefully, rolling it round and round between his lips, without taking his gaze for a moment off the distressed20 Almayer. Then from behind a cloud of tobacco smoke he said calmly —
“If you had been in trouble as often as I have, my boy, you wouldn’t carry on so. I have been ruined more than once. Well, here I am.”
“Yes, here you are,” interrupted Almayer. “Much good it is to me. Had you been here a month ago it would have been of some use. But now! . . You might as well be a thousand miles off.”
“You scold like a drunken fish-wife,” said Lingard, serenely21. He got up and moved slowly to the front rail of the verandah. The floor shook and the whole house vibrated under his heavy step. For a moment he stood with his back to Almayer, looking out on the river and forest of the east bank, then turned round and gazed mildly down upon him.
“It’s very lonely this morning here. Hey?” he said.
Almayer lifted up his head.
“Ah! you notice it — don’t you? I should think it is lonely! Yes, Captain Lingard, your day is over in Sambir. Only a month ago this verandah would have been full of people coming to greet you. Fellows would be coming up those steps grinning and salaaming22 — to you and to me. But our day is over. And not by my fault either. You can’t say that. It’s all the doing of that pet rascal23 of yours. Ah! He is a beauty! You should have seen him leading that hellish crowd. You would have been proud of your old favourite.”
“Smart fellow that,” muttered Lingard, thoughtfully. Almayer jumped up with a shriek24.
“And that’s all you have to say! Smart fellow! O Lord!”
“Don’t make a show of yourself. Sit down. Let’s talk quietly. I want to know all about it. So he led?”
“He was the soul of the whole thing. He piloted Abdulla’s ship in. He ordered everything and everybody,” said Almayer, who sat down again, with a resigned air. “When did it happen — exactly?”
“On the sixteenth I heard the first rumours25 of Abdulla’s ship being in the river; a thing I refused to believe at first. Next day I could not doubt any more. There was a great council held openly in Lakamba’s place where almost everybody in Sambir attended. On the eighteenth the Lord of the Isles26 was anchored in Sambir reach, abreast27 of my house. Let’s see. Six weeks to-day, exactly.”
“And all that happened like this? All of a sudden. You never heard anything — no warning. Nothing. Never had an idea that something was up? Come, Almayer!”
“Heard! Yes, I used to hear something every day. Mostly lies. Is there anything else in Sambir?”
“You might not have believed them,” observed Lingard. “In fact you ought not to have believed everything that was told to you, as if you had been a green hand on his first voyage.”
Almayer moved in his chair uneasily.
“That scoundrel came here one day,” he said. “He had been away from the house for a couple of months living with that woman. I only heard about him now and then from Patalolo’s people when they came over. Well one day, about noon, he appeared in this courtyard, as if he had been jerked up from hell-where he belongs.”
Lingard took his cheroot out, and, with his mouth full of white smoke that oozed28 out through his parted lips, listened, attentive29. After a short pause Almayer went on, looking at the floor moodily30 —
“I must say he looked awful. Had a bad bout6 of the ague probably. The left shore is very unhealthy. Strange that only the breadth of the river . . . ”
He dropped off into deep thoughtfulness as if he had forgotten his grievances31 in a bitter meditation32 upon the unsanitary condition of the virgin33 forests on the left bank. Lingard took this opportunity to expel the smoke in a mighty34 expiration35 and threw the stump of his cheroot over his shoulder.
“Go on,” he said, after a while. “He came to see you . . . ”
“But it wasn’t unhealthy enough to finish him, worse luck!” went on Almayer, rousing himself, “and, as I said, he turned up here with his brazen36 impudence37. He bullied38 me, he threatened vaguely39. He wanted to scare me, to blackmail40 me. Me! And, by heaven — he said you would approve. You! Can you conceive such impudence? I couldn’t exactly make out what he was driving at. Had I known, I would have approved him. Yes! With a bang on the head. But how could I guess that he knew enough to pilot a ship through the entrance you always said was so difficult. And, after all, that was the only danger. I could deal with anybody here — but when Abdulla came. . . . That barque of his is armed. He carries twelve brass41 six-pounders, and about thirty men. Desperate beggars. Sumatra men, from Deli and Acheen. Fight all day and ask for more in the evening. That kind.”
“I know, I know,” said Lingard, impatiently.
“Of course, then, they were cheeky as much as you please after he anchored abreast of our jetty. Willems brought her up himself in the best berth42. I could see him from this verandah standing43 forward, together with the half-caste master. And that woman was there too. Close to him. I heard they took her on board off Lakamba’s place. Willems said he would not go higher without her. Stormed and raged. Frightened them, I believe. Abdulla had to interfere44. She came off alone in a canoe, and no sooner on deck than she fell at his feet before all hands, embraced his knees, wept, raved45, begged his pardon. Why? I wonder. Everybody in Sambir is talking of it. They never heard tell or saw anything like it. I have all this from Ali, who goes about in the settlement and brings me the news. I had better know what is going on — hadn’t I? From what I can make out, they — he and that woman — are looked upon as something mysterious — beyond comprehension. Some think them mad. They live alone with an old woman in a house outside Lakamba’s campong and are greatly respected — or feared, I should say rather. At least, he is. He is very violent. She knows nobody, sees nobody, will speak to nobody but him. Never leaves him for a moment. It’s the talk of the place. There are other rumours. From what I hear I suspect that Lakamba and Abdulla are tired of him. There’s also talk of him going away in the Lord of the Isles — when she leaves here for the southward — as a kind of Abdulla’s agent. At any rate, he must take the ship out. The half-caste is not equal to it as yet.”
Lingard, who had listened absorbed till then, began now to walk with measured steps. Almayer ceased talking and followed him with his eyes as he paced up and down with a quarter-deck swing, tormenting46 and twisting his long white beard, his face perplexed47 and thoughtful.
“So he came to you first of all, did he?” asked Lingard, without stopping.
“Yes. I told you so. He did come. Came to extort48 money, goods — I don’t know what else. Wanted to set up as a trader — the swine! I kicked his hat into the courtyard, and he went after it, and that was the last of him till he showed up with Abdulla. How could I know that he could do harm in that way? Or in any way at that! Any local rising I could put down easy with my own men and with Patalolo’s help.”
“Oh! yes. Patalolo. No good. Eh? Did you try him at all?”
“Didn’t I!” exclaimed Almayer. “I went to see him myself on the twelfth. That was four days before Abdulla entered the river. In fact, same day Willems tried to get at me. I did feel a little uneasy then. Patalolo assured me that there was no human being that did not love me in Sambir. Looked as wise as an owl4. Told me not to listen to the lies of wicked people from down the river. He was alluding49 to that man Bulangi, who lives up the sea reach, and who had sent me word that a strange ship was anchored outside — which, of course, I repeated to Patalolo. He would not believe. Kept on mumbling50 ‘No! No! No!’ like an old parrot, his head all of a tremble, all beslobbered with betel-nut juice. I thought there was something queer about him. Seemed so restless, and as if in a hurry to get rid of me. Well. Next day that one-eyed malefactor51 who lives with Lakamba — what’s his name — Babalatchi, put in an appearance here! Came about mid-day, casually52 like, and stood there on this verandah chatting about one thing and another. Asking when I expected you, and so on. Then, incidentally, he mentioned that they — his master and himself — were very much bothered by a ferocious53 white man — my friend — who was hanging about that woman — Omar’s daughter. Asked my advice. Very deferential54 and proper. I told him the white man was not my friend, and that they had better kick him out. Whereupon he went away salaaming, and protesting his friendship and his master’s goodwill55. Of course I know now the infernal nigger came to spy and to talk over some of my men. Anyway, eight were missing at the evening muster56. Then I took alarm. Did not dare to leave my house unguarded. You know what my wife is, don’t you? And I did not care to take the child with me — it being late — so I sent a message to Patalolo to say that we ought to consult; that there were rumours and uneasiness in the settlement. Do you know what answer I got?”
Lingard stopped short in his walk before Almayer, who went on, after an impressive pause, with growing animation57.
“All brought it: ‘The Rajah sends a friend’s greeting, and does not understand the message.’ That was all. Not a word more could Ali get out of him. I could see that Ali was pretty well scared. He hung about, arranging my hammock — one thing and another. Then just before going away he mentioned that the water-gate of the Rajah’s place was heavily barred, but that he could see only very few men about the courtyard. Finally he said, ‘There is darkness in our Rajah’s house, but no sleep. Only darkness and fear and the wailing58 of women.’ Cheerful, wasn’t it? It made me feel cold down my back somehow. After Ali slipped away I stood here — by this table, and listened to the shouting and drumming in the settlement. Racket enough for twenty weddings. It was a little past midnight then.”
Again Almayer stopped in his narrative59 with an abrupt60 shutting of lips, as if he had said all that there was to tell, and Lingard stood staring at him, pensive61 and silent. A big bluebottle fly flew in recklessly into the cool verandah, and darted62 with loud buzzing between the two men. Lingard struck at it with his hat. The fly swerved63, and Almayer dodged64 his head out of the way. Then Lingard aimed another ineffectual blow; Almayer jumped up and waved his arms about. The fly buzzed desperately65, and the vibration66 of minute wings sounded in the peace of the early morning like a far-off string orchestra accompanying the hollow, determined67 stamping of the two men, who, with heads thrown back and arms gyrating on high, or again bending low with infuriated lunges, were intent upon killing the intruder. But suddenly the buzz died out in a thin thrill away in the open space of the courtyard, leaving Lingard and Almayer standing face to face in the fresh silence of the young day, looking very puzzled and idle, their arms hanging uselessly by their sides — like men disheartened by some portentous68 failure.
“Look at that!” muttered Lingard. “Got away after all.”
“Nuisance,” said Almayer in the same tone. “Riverside is overrun with them. This house is badly placed . . . mosquitos . . . and these big flies. . . . last week stung Nina . . . been ill four days . . . poor child. . . . I wonder what such damned things are made for!”
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1
mangled
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| vt.乱砍（mangle的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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2
benevolent
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| adj.仁慈的，乐善好施的 | |
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3
growled
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| v.（动物）发狺狺声， （雷）作隆隆声( growl的过去式和过去分词 )；低声咆哮着说 | |
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4
owl
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| n.猫头鹰，枭 | |
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5
recollect
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| v.回忆，想起，记起，忆起，记得 | |
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6
bout
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| n.侵袭，发作；一次(阵，回)；拳击等比赛 | |
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7
helping
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| n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的 | |
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8
lash
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| v.系牢；鞭打；猛烈抨击；n.鞭打；眼睫毛 | |
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9
gale
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| n.大风，强风，一阵闹声（尤指笑声等） | |
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10
jeopardy
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| n.危险；危难 | |
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killing
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| n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财 | |
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12
nervously
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| adv.神情激动地，不安地 | |
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13
stump
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| n.残株，烟蒂，讲演台；v.砍断，蹒跚而走 | |
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14
enraged
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| 使暴怒( enrage的过去式和过去分词 )； 歜； 激愤 | |
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15
bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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16
grudge
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| n.不满，怨恨，妒嫉；vt.勉强给，不情愿做 | |
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17
thighs
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| n.股，大腿( thigh的名词复数 )；食用的鸡（等的）腿 | |
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18
seaman
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| n.海员，水手，水兵 | |
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19
steadily
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| adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地 | |
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distressed
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| 痛苦的 | |
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serenely
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| adv.安详地，宁静地，平静地 | |
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22
salaaming
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| 行额手礼( salaam的现在分词 ) | |
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23
rascal
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| n.流氓；不诚实的人 | |
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24
shriek
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| v./n.尖叫，叫喊 | |
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25
rumours
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| n.传闻( rumour的名词复数 )；风闻；谣言；谣传 | |
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26
isles
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| 岛( isle的名词复数 ) | |
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abreast
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| adv.并排地；跟上(时代)的步伐，与…并进地 | |
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28
oozed
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| v.（浓液等）慢慢地冒出，渗出( ooze的过去式和过去分词 )；使（液体）缓缓流出；（浓液）渗出，慢慢流出 | |
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29
attentive
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| adj.注意的，专心的；关心(别人)的，殷勤的 | |
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30
moodily
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| adv.喜怒无常地；情绪多变地；心情不稳地；易生气地 | |
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31
grievances
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| n.委屈( grievance的名词复数 )；苦衷；不满；牢骚 | |
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meditation
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| n.熟虑，（尤指宗教的）默想，沉思，（pl.）冥想录 | |
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virgin
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| n.处女，未婚女子；adj.未经使用的；未经开发的 | |
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mighty
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| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
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expiration
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| n.终结，期满，呼气，呼出物 | |
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36
brazen
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| adj.厚脸皮的，无耻的，坚硬的 | |
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impudence
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| n.厚颜无耻；冒失；无礼 | |
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bullied
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| adj.被欺负了v.恐吓，威逼( bully的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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39
vaguely
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| adv.含糊地，暖昧地 | |
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40
blackmail
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| n.讹诈，敲诈，勒索，胁迫，恫吓 | |
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41
brass
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| n.黄铜；黄铜器，铜管乐器 | |
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42
berth
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| n.卧铺，停泊地，锚位；v.使停泊 | |
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43
standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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44
interfere
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| v.(in)干涉，干预；(with)妨碍，打扰 | |
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45
raved
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| v.胡言乱语( rave的过去式和过去分词 )；愤怒地说；咆哮；痴心地说 | |
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46
tormenting
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| 使痛苦的，使苦恼的 | |
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47
perplexed
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| adj.不知所措的 | |
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48
extort
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| v.勒索，敲诈，强要 | |
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49
alluding
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| 提及，暗指( allude的现在分词 ) | |
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50
mumbling
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| 含糊地说某事，叽咕，咕哝( mumble的现在分词 ) | |
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51
malefactor
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| n.罪犯 | |
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52
casually
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| adv.漠不关心地，无动于衷地，不负责任地 | |
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53
ferocious
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| adj.凶猛的，残暴的，极度的，十分强烈的 | |
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54
deferential
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| adj. 敬意的，恭敬的 | |
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55
goodwill
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| n.善意，亲善，信誉，声誉 | |
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56
muster
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| v.集合，收集，鼓起，激起；n.集合，检阅，集合人员，点名册 | |
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57
animation
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| n.活泼，兴奋，卡通片／动画片的制作 | |
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58
wailing
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| v.哭叫，哀号( wail的现在分词 )；沱 | |
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59
narrative
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| n.叙述，故事；adj.叙事的，故事体的 | |
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60
abrupt
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| adj.突然的，意外的；唐突的，鲁莽的 | |
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61
pensive
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| a.沉思的,哀思的,忧沉的 | |
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62
darted
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| v.投掷，投射( dart的过去式和过去分词 )；向前冲，飞奔 | |
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63
swerved
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| v.（使）改变方向，改变目的( swerve的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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64
dodged
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| v.闪躲( dodge的过去式和过去分词 )；回避 | |
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65
desperately
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| adv.极度渴望地，绝望地，孤注一掷地 | |
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66
vibration
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| n.颤动，振动；摆动 | |
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67
determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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68
portentous
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| adj.不祥的，可怕的，装腔作势的 | |
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