Кінець рабства
IV
Itwasaterracedshore;andbeyond,uponthelevelexpanse,profoundandglisteninglikethegazeofadark-blueeye,anobliquebandofstippledpurplelengtheneditselfindefinitelythroughthegapbetweenacoupleofverdanttwinislets.Themastsandsparsofafewshipsfaraway,hulldownintheouterroads,sprangstraightfromthewaterinafinemazeofrosylinespenciledontheclearshadowoftheeasternboard.CaptainWhalleygavethemalongglance.Theship,oncehisown,wasanchoredoutthere.Itwasstaggeringtothinkthatitwasopentohimnolongertotakeaboatatthejettyandgethimselfpulledofftoherwhentheeveningcame.Tonoship.Perhapsnevermore.Beforethesalewasconcluded,andtillthepurchase-moneyhadbeenpaid,hehadspentdailysometimeonboardtheFairMaid.Themoneyhadbeenpaidthisverymorning,andnow,allatonce,therewaspositivelynoshipthathecouldgoonboardofwhenheliked;noshipthatwouldneedhispresenceinordertodoherwork—tolive.Itseemedanincrediblestateofaffairs,somethingtoobizarretolast.Andtheseawasfullofcraftofallsorts.Therewasthatpraulyingsostillswathedinhershroudofsewnpalm-leaves—shetoohadherindispensableman.Theylivedthrougheachother,thisMalayhehadneverseen,andthishigh-sternedthingofnosizethatseemedtoberestingafteralongjourney.Andofalltheshipsinsight,nearandfar,eachwasprovidedwithaman,themanwithoutwhomthefinestshipisadeadthing,afloatingandpurposelesslog.
