FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   87   88   89   90   91   92   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100   101   102   103   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111  
112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126   >>  
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. Don't call yourself old: you look good for a round hundred." But he could not help his stinging incisiveness, and though moderating it by an almost affectionate smile, he added-- "And by then you will probably consent to die from sheer disgust." Captain Whalley, smiling too, shook his head. "God forbid!" He thought that perhaps on the whole he deserved something better than to die in such sentiments. The time of course would have to come, and he trusted to his Maker to provide a manner of going out of which he need not be ashamed. For the rest he hoped he would live to a hundred if need be: other men had been known; it would be no miracle. He expected no miracles. The pronounced, argumentative tone caused Mr. Van Wyk to raise his head and look at him steadily. Captain Whalley was gazing fixedly with a rapt expression, as though he had seen his Creator's favorable decree written in mysterious characters on the wall. He kept perfectly motionless for a few seconds, then got his vast bulk on to his feet so impetuously that Mr. Van Wyk was startled. He struck first a heavy blow on his inflated chest: and, throwing out horizontally a big arm that remained steady, extended in the air like the limb of a tree on a windless day-- "Not a pain or an ache there. Can you see this shake in the least?" His voice was low, in an awing, confident contrast with the headlong emphasis of his movements. He sat down abruptly. "This isn't to boast of it, you know. I am nothing," he said in his effortless strong voice, that seemed to come out as naturally as a river flows. He picked up the stump of the cigar he had laid aside, and added peacefully, with a slight nod, "As it happens, my life is necessary; it isn't my own, it isn't--God knows." He did not say much for the rest of the evening, but several times Mr. Van Wyk detected a faint smile of assurance flitting under the heavy mustache. Later on Captain Whalley would now and then consent to dine "at the house." He could even be induced to drink a glass of wine. "Don't think I am afraid of it, my good sir," he explained. "
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   87   88   89   90   91   92   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100   101   102   103   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111  
112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126   >>  



Top keywords:

Captain

 

Whalley

 

hundred

 

consent

 

afraid

 
induced
 

confident

 

contrast

 

headlong

 
inflated

struck

 
startled
 

impetuously

 

throwing

 

horizontally

 

emphasis

 

extended

 

steady

 

explained

 

remained


windless

 

evening

 

detected

 

peacefully

 

slight

 

picked

 

abruptly

 

mustache

 

naturally

 

strong


effortless

 
flitting
 

assurance

 

movements

 

miracle

 
stinging
 

incisiveness

 

thinking

 

plenty

 

moderating


smiling

 

disgust

 

forbid

 

affectionate

 

convictions

 

intruded

 
difference
 

twitted

 

interlocutor

 

retorted