Кінець рабства
III
Werehe,withhisappearanceandantecedents,togoaboutlookingforajunior’sberth,people,hewasafraid,wouldnottakehimseriously;orelseifhesucceededinimpressingthem,hewouldmaybeobtaintheirpity,whichwouldbelikestrippingyourselfnakedtobekicked.Hewasnotanxioustogivehimselfawayforlessthannothing.Hehadnouseforanybody’spity.Ontheotherhand,acommand—theonlythinghecouldtryforwithdueregardforcommondecency—wasnotlikelytobelyinginwaitforhimatthecornerofthenextstreet.Commandsdon’tgoa-beggingnowadays.Eversincehehadcomeashoretocarryoutthebusinessofthesalehehadkepthisearsopen,buthadheardnohintofonebeingvacantintheport.Andeveniftherehadbeenone,hissuccessfulpastitselfstoodinhisway.Hehadbeenhisownemployertoolong.Theonlycredentialhecouldproducewasthetestimonyofhiswholelife.Whatbetterrecommendationcouldanyonerequire?ButvaguelyhefeltthattheuniquedocumentwouldbelookeduponasanarchaiccuriosityoftheEasternwaters,ascreedtracedinobsoletewords—inahalf-forgottenlanguage.
