Кінець рабства
XI
Theshiphadinthatplacetoshavethebanksoclosethatthegiganticwallofleavescameglidinglikeashutteragainsttheport;thedarknessoftheprimevalforestseemedtoflowintothatbarecabinwiththeodorofrottingleaves,ofsoddensoil—thestrongmuddysmellofthelivingearthsteaminguncoveredafterthepassingofadeluge.Thebushesswishedloudlyalongside;abovetherewasaseriesofcracklingsounds,withasharprainofsmallbrokenbranchesfallingonthebridge;acreeperwithagreatrustlesnappedontheheadofaboatdavit,andalong,luxuriantgreentwigactuallywhippedinandoutoftheopenport,leavingbehindafewtornleavesthatremainedsuddenlyatrestonMr.Massy’sblanket.Then,theshipsheeringoutinthestream,thelightbegantoreturnbutdidnotaugmentbeyondasubduedclearness:forthesunwasverylowalready,andtheriver,wendingitssinuouscoursethroughamultitudeofseculartreesasifatthebottomofaprecipitousgorge,hadbeenalreadyinvadedbyadeepeninggloom—theswiftprecursorofthenight.
“Oh,no,youdon’t!”murmuredtheengineeragain.Hislipstrembledalmostimperceptibly;hishandstoo,alittle:andtocalmhimselfheopenedthewriting-desk,spreadoutasheetofthingrayishpapercoveredwithamassofprintedfiguresandbegantoscanthemattentivelyforthetwentiethtimethistripatleast.
Withhiselbowspropped,hisheadbetweenhishands,heseemedtolosehimselfinthestudyofanabstruseprobleminmathematics.
