Кінець рабства
IV
Onceatwork,hewouldhelpherwiththegreaterpartofhisearnings;hewasgoodformanyyearsyet,andthisboarding-housebusiness,hearguedtohimself,whatevertheprospects,couldnotbemuchofagold-minefromthefirststart.Butwhatwork?Hewasreadytolayholdofanythinginanhonestwaysothatitcamequicklytohishand;becausethefivehundredpoundsmustbepreservedintactforeventualuse.Thatwasthegreatpoint.Withtheentirefivehundredonefeltasubstanceatone’sback;butitseemedtohimthatshouldheletitdwindletofour-fiftyorevenfour-eighty,alltheefficiencywouldbegoneoutofthemoney,asthoughthereweresomemagicpowerintheroundfigure.Butwhatsortofwork?
Confrontedbythathauntingquestionasbyanuneasyghost,forwhomhehadnoexorcisingformula,CaptainWhalleystoppedshortontheapexofasmallbridgespanningsteeplythebedofacanalizedcreekwithgraniteshores.MooredbetweenthesquareblocksaseagoingMalaypraufloatedhalfhiddenunderthearchofmasonry,withhersparslowereddown,withoutasoundoflifeonboard,andcoveredfromstemtosternwitharidgeofpalm-leafmats.Hehadleftbehindhimtheoverheatedpavementsborderedbythestonefrontagesthat,likethesheerfaceofcliffs,followedthesweepofthequays;andanunconfinedspaciousnessoforderlyandsylvanaspectopenedbeforehimitswideplotsofrolledgrass,likepiecesofgreencarpetsmoothlypeggedout,itslongrangesoftreeslinedupincolossalporticosofdarkshaftsroofedwithavaultofbranches.
Someoftheseavenuesendedatthesea.
