Кінець рабства
IX
Isthatwhatyoucallgettingon?Youshallgetoninthesamewayhereifyouaren’tcareful—Icanpromiseyou.”
AtthisSternehunghishead,thoughtful,perplexed,winkinghardatthedeck.Allhisattemptstoenterintoconfidentialrelationswithhisownerhadledoflatetonothingbetterthanthesedarkthreatsofdismissal;andathreatofdismissalwouldcheckhimatonceintoahesitatingsilenceasthoughhewerenotsurethatthepropertimefordefyingithadcome.Onthisoccasionheseemedtohavelosthistongueforamoment,andMassy,gettinginmotion,heavilypassedhimbywithanabortiveattemptatshouldering.Sternedefeateditbysteppingaside.Heturnedthenswiftly,openinghismouthverywideasiftoshoutsomethingaftertheengineer,butseemedtothinkbetterofit.
Always—ashewasreadytoconfess—onthelookoutforanopeningtogeton,ithadbecomeaninstinctwithhimtowatchtheconductofhisimmediatesuperiorsforsomething“thatonecouldlayholdof.”Itwashisbeliefthatnoskipperintheworldwouldkeephiscommandforadayifonlytheownerscouldbe“madetoknow.”Thisromanticandnaivetheoryhadledhimintotroublemorethanonce,butheremainedincorrigible;andhischaracterwassoinstinctivelydisloyalthatwheneverhejoinedashiptheintentionofoustinghiscommanderoutoftheberthandtakinghisplacewasalwayspresentatthebackofhishead,asamatterofcourse.
