Лорд Джим

Chapter 19

           Ineverysenseoftheexpressionheis“ondeck”;butmyJim,forthemostpart,skulkeddownbelowasthoughhehadbeenastowaway.HeinfectedmesothatIavoidedspeakingonprofessionalmatters,suchaswouldsuggestthemselvesnaturallytotwosailorsduringapassage.Forwholedayswedidnotexchangeaword;Ifeltextremelyunwillingtogiveorderstomyofficersinhispresence.Often,whenalonewithhimondeckorinthecabin,wedidn’tknowwhattodowithoureyes.

           ‘IplacedhimwithDeJongh,asyouknow,gladenoughtodisposeofhiminanyway,yetpersuadedthathispositionwasnowgrowingintolerable.Hehadlostsomeofthatelasticitywhichhadenabledhimtoreboundbackintohisuncompromisingpositionaftereveryoverthrow.Oneday,comingashore,Isawhimstandingonthequay;thewateroftheroadsteadandtheseaintheoffingmadeonesmoothascendingplane,andtheoutermostshipsatanchorseemedtoridemotionlessinthesky.Hewaswaitingforhisboat,whichwasbeingloadedatourfeetwithpackagesofsmallstoresforsomevesselreadytoleave.Afterexchanginggreetings,weremainedsilentsidebyside.“Jove!”hesaidsuddenly,“thisiskillingwork.”

           ‘Hesmiledatme;Imustsayhegenerallycouldmanageasmile.Imadenoreply.Iknewverywellhewasnotalludingtohisduties;hehadaneasytimeofitwithDeJongh.Nevertheless,assoonashehadspokenIbecamecompletelyconvincedthattheworkwaskilling.Ididnotevenlookathim.

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