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- Джозеф Конрад
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- Стр. 57/95
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Captain
Whalley
laughed
at
the
interjection
,
in
the
good
humor
of
large
,
tolerating
certitude
.
He
could
look
back
at
half
a
century
,
he
pointed
out
.
The
smoke
oozed
placidly
through
the
white
hairs
hiding
his
kindly
lips
.
"
At
all
events
,
"
he
resumed
after
a
pause
,
"
I
am
glad
that
they
've
had
no
time
to
do
you
much
harm
as
yet
.
"
This
allusion
to
his
comparative
youthfulness
did
not
offend
Mr.
Van
Wyk
,
who
got
up
and
wriggled
his
shoulders
with
an
enigmatic
half-smile
.
They
walked
out
together
amicably
into
the
starry
night
towards
the
river-side
.
Their
footsteps
resounded
unequally
on
the
dark
path
.
At
the
shore
end
of
the
gangway
the
lantern
,
hung
low
to
the
handrail
,
threw
a
vivid
light
on
the
white
legs
and
the
big
black
feet
of
Mr.
Massy
waiting
about
anxiously
.
From
the
waist
upwards
he
remained
shadowy
,
with
a
row
of
buttons
gleaming
up
to
the
vague
outline
of
his
chin
.
"
You
may
thank
Captain
Whalley
for
this
,
"
Mr.
Van
Wyk
said
curtly
to
him
before
turning
away
.
The
lamps
on
the
veranda
flung
three
long
squares
of
light
between
the
uprights
far
over
the
grass
.
A
bat
flitted
before
his
face
like
a
circling
flake
of
velvety
blackness
.
Along
the
jasmine
hedge
the
night
air
seemed
heavy
with
the
fall
of
perfumed
dew
;
flowerbeds
bordered
the
path
;
the
clipped
bushes
uprose
in
dark
rounded
clumps
here
and
there
before
the
house
;
the
dense
foliage
of
creepers
filtered
the
sheen
of
the
lamplight
within
in
a
soft
glow
all
along
the
front
;
and
everything
near
and
far
stood
still
in
a
great
immobility
,
in
a
great
sweetness
.
Mr.
Van
Wyk
(
a
few
years
before
he
had
had
occasion
to
imagine
himself
treated
more
badly
than
anybody
alive
had
ever
been
by
a
woman
)
felt
for
Captain
Whalley
's
optimistic
views
the
disdain
of
a
man
who
had
once
been
credulous
himself
.
His
disgust
with
the
world
(
the
woman
for
a
time
had
filled
it
for
him
completely
)
had
taken
the
form
of
activity
in
retirement
,
because
,
though
capable
of
great
depth
of
feeling
,
he
was
energetic
and
essentially
practical
.
But
there
was
in
that
uncommon
old
sailor
,
drifting
on
the
outskirts
of
his
busy
solitude
,
something
that
fascinated
his
skepticism
.
His
very
simplicity
(
amusing
enough
)
was
like
a
delicate
refinement
of
an
upright
character
.
The
striking
dignity
of
manner
could
be
nothing
else
,
in
a
man
reduced
to
such
a
humble
position
,
but
the
expression
of
something
essentially
noble
in
the
character
.
With
all
his
trust
in
mankind
he
was
no
fool
;
the
serenity
of
his
temper
at
the
end
of
so
many
years
,
since
it
could
not
obviously
have
been
appeased
by
success
,
wore
an
air
of
profound
wisdom
.
Mr.
Van
Wyk
was
amused
at
it
sometimes
.
Even
the
very
physical
traits
of
the
old
captain
of
the
Sofala
,
his
powerful
frame
,
his
reposeful
mien
,
his
intelligent
,
handsome
face
,
the
big
limbs
,
the
benign
courtesy
,
the
touch
of
rugged
severity
in
the
shaggy
eyebrows
,
made
up
a
seductive
personality
.
Mr.
Van
Wyk
disliked
littleness
of
every
kind
,
but
there
was
nothing
small
about
that
man
,
and
in
the
exemplary
regularity
of
many
trips
an
intimacy
had
grown
up
between
them
,
a
warm
feeling
at
bottom
under
a
kindly
stateliness
of
forms
agreeable
to
his
fastidiousness
.
They
kept
their
respective
opinions
on
all
worldly
matters
.
His
other
convictions
Captain
Whalley
never
intruded
.
The
difference
of
their
ages
was
like
another
bond
between
them
.
Once
,
when
twitted
with
the
uncharitableness
of
his
youth
,
Mr.
Van
Wyk
,
running
his
eye
over
the
vast
proportions
of
his
interlocutor
,
retorted
in
friendly
banter
--
"
Oh
.
You
'll
come
to
my
way
of
thinking
yet
.
You
'll
have
plenty
of
time
.
Do
n't
call
yourself
old
:
you
look
good
for
a
round
hundred
.
"
