Кінець рабства
VIII
PaidofffromtheFairMaid,togetherwiththerestofthecrew,afterthecompletionofthesale,hehadhung,inhisfadedbluesuitandfloppygrayhat,aboutthedoorsoftheHarborOffice,tilloneday,seeingCaptainWhalleycomingalongtogetacrewfortheSofala,hehadputhimselfquietlyintheway,withhisbarefeetinthedustandanupwardmuteglance.Theeyesofhisoldcommanderhadfallenonhimfavorably—itmusthavebeenanauspiciousday—andinlessthanhalfanhourthewhitemeninthe“Ofiss”hadwrittenhisnameonadocumentasSerangofthefire-shipSofala.Sincethattimehehadrepeatedlylookedatthatestuary,uponthatcoast,fromthisbridgeandfromthissideofthebar.Therecordofthevisualworldfellthroughhiseyesuponhisunspeculatingmindasonasensitizedplatethroughthelensofacamera.Hisknowledgewasabsoluteandprecise;nevertheless,hadhebeenaskedhisopinion,andespeciallyifquestionedinthedownright,alarmingmannerofwhitemen,hewouldhavedisplayedthehesitationofignorance.Hewascertainofhisfacts—butsuchacertitudecountedforlittleagainstthedoubtwhatanswerwouldbepleasing.Fiftyyearsago,inajunglevillage,andbeforehewasadayold,hisfather(whodiedwithouteverseeingawhiteface)hadhadhisnativitycastbyamanofskillandwisdominastrology,becauseinthearrangementofthestarsmaybereadthelastwordofhumandestiny.Hisdestinyhadbeentothrivebythefavorofvariouswhitemenonthesea.
