Уильям Моэм - The Narrow Corner

“‘You’re a caution, Captain,’ ’e said; ‘great old sport, that’s what you are. Finish your beer and we’ll ’ave another. I could listen to you talkin’ all night.’

“Well, I finished my beer and I saw ’e was goin’ to order another.

“‘Look ’ere, Bill,’ he says: well, my name’s Tom, but I didn’t say nothing. I saw ’e was tryin’ to be friendly. ‘Look ’ere, Bill,’ he says, ‘there’s too many people round ’ere, one simply can’t ’ear oneself talk, and you never know who’s listenin’ to what you say. I’ll tell you what we’ll do.’ He called the boss. ‘Look ’ere, George, come ’ere a minute.’ And up he comes with a run. ‘Look ’ere, George, me and my friend we want to ’ave a little quiet yarn about old times. What about that room of yours?’

“‘My office? All right. You can go in there if you want to, and welcome.’

“‘That’s the ticket. And you bring us a couple of beers.’

“Well, we walks round and we goes into the office, and George brings us a couple of beers ’imself. In person; gives me a nod, ’e does. And George goes out. Ryan shut the door after ’im and ’e looked at the window to see it was shut all right. Said ’e couldn’t stand a draught at any price. I didn’t know what ’e was after, and I thought I’d better get straight with ’im at once.

“‘Look ’ere, Ryan,’ I says; ‘I’m sorry about that five bob you lent me. It’s been on me mind ever since, but the truth is I’ve ’ad all I can do just to keep body and soul together.’

“‘Forget it,’ he says. ‘What’s five bob? I know you’re all right. You’re a fine feller, Bill. What’s the good of ’avin’ money if you can’t lend it to a pal when ’e’s down on his luck?’

“‘Well, I’d do the same by you, Ryan,’ says I, takin’ my cue from ’im. To listen to us you’d ’ave thought us a pair of brothers.”

Captain Nichols chuckled as he recalled the scene they had played. He took an artist’s delight in his own rascality.

“‘Chin, chin,’ says I.

“We both ’ad a drink of beer. ‘Now look ’ere, Bill,’ says ’e, wipin’ ’is mouth with the back of ’is ’and, ‘I been makin’ enquiries about you. Good seaman and all that, ain’t you?’ ‘None better,’ says I. ‘If you ain’t ’ad a job for some time I reckon it’s more by bad luck than bad management.’ ‘That’s right,’ says I. ‘Now I’m going to give you a surprise, Bill,’ says ’e. ‘I’m going to offer you a job meself.’ ‘I’ll take it,’ says I. ‘No matter what it is.’ ‘That’s the spirit,’ says ’e. ‘I knew I could count on you.’

“‘Well, what is it?’ I ask ’im.

“He give me a look, and though ’e was smilin’ at me as if I was his long lost brother and ’e loved me like anything, ’e was lookin’ at me pretty ’ard. It was no jokin’ matter, I could see that.

“‘Can you keep your mouth shut?’ ’e asks me.

“‘Like a clam,’ says I.

“‘That’s good,’ says ’e. ‘Now what d’you say to takin’ a tidy little pearling lugger, you know, one of them ketches they ’ave at Thursday Island and Port Darwin, and cruisin’ about the islands for a few months?’

“‘Sounds all right to me,’ I says.

“‘Well, that’s the job.’

“‘Tradin’?’ I says.

“‘No, just pleasure.’”

Captain Nichols sniggered.

“I nearly laughed outright when ’e said that, but one ’as to be careful, lot of people ’ave no sense of humour, so I just looked as grave as a judge. He give me another look and I could see ’e could be an ugly customer if you put ’is back up.

“‘I’ll tell you ’ow it is,’ ’e says. ‘Young fellow I know been workin’ too ’ard. His dad’s an old pal of mine, and I’m doin’ this to please ’im, see? He’s a man in a very good position. Got a lot of influence in one way and another.’

“He ’ad another drink of beer. I kep’ me eyes on ’im, but I never said a word. Not a syllable.

“‘The old man’s in a rare state. Only kid, you know. Well, I know what it is with me own kids. If one of ’em gets a pain in ’is big toe, I’m upset for the day.’

“‘You don’t ’ave to tell me,’ I says. ‘I got a daughter meself.’

“‘Only child?’ he says.

“I nodded.

“‘Grand thing, children,’ he says. ‘Nothin’ like ’em to bring ’appiness in a man’s life.’

“‘You’re right there,’ I says.

“‘Always delicate, this boy’s been,’ ’e says, shakin’ ’is ’ead. ‘Got a touch of the lungs. The doctors say the best thing ’e can do is to ’ave a cruise on a sailin’ ship. Well, ’is dad didn’t ’alf like the idea of ’is takin’ a passage on any old ship and ’e ’eard of this ’ere ketch and ’e bought her. You see, like that, you’re not tied down and you can go anywhere. Nice easy life, that’s what ’e wants the boy to ’ave; I mean, you don’t ’ave to ’urry. You choose your own weather an’ when you get to some island what looks like you could stay there for a bit, why, you just stay. There’s dozens of them islands up between Australia and China, they tell me.’

“‘Thousands,’ says I.

“‘An’ the boy’s got to be kep’ quiet. Essential, that is. His dad wants you to keep away from where there’s a lot of people.’

“‘That’s all right,’ says I, lookin’ as innocent as a new–born babe. ‘And ’ow long for?’

“‘I don’t exactly know,’ says he. ‘Depends on the boy’s ’ealth. Two or three months, maybe, or maybe a year.’

“‘I see,’ says I; ‘and what do I get out of it?’

“‘Two ’undred quid when your passenger comes on board, and two ’undred quid when you comes back.’

“‘Make it five ’undred down and I’m game,’ says I. He never says a thing, but ’e give me a dirty look. And ’e just shoved his jaw out at me. My word, ’e looked a beauty. If there’s one thing I got it’s tact. He could make things pretty unpleasant for me if ’e wanted to. I knew that, and I ’ad a feeling that if I didn’t take care ’e would want to. So I just shrugged me shoulders, careless like, and laughed. ‘Oh, well, I don’t care about the money,’ I says. ‘Money means nothin’ to me, never ’as. If it ’ad I’d be one of the richest men in Australia to–day. I’ll take what you say. Anythin’ to oblige a friend.’

“‘Good old Bill,’ says ’e.

“‘Where’s the ketch now?’ says I. ‘I’d like to go and ’ave a look at her.’

“‘Oh, she’s all right. Friend of mine just brought her down from Thursday Island to sell ’er. She’s in grand shape. She ain’t in Sydney. She’s up the coast a few miles.’

“‘What about a crew?’

“‘Niggers from Torres Straits. They brought ’er down. All you’ve got to do is to get on board and sail away.’

“‘When would you want me to sail?’

“‘Now.’

“‘Now?’ says I, surprised. ‘Not to–night?’

“‘Yes, to–night. I got a car waitin’ down the street. I’ll drive you over to where she’s lying.’

“‘What’s the ’urry?’ I says, smiling, but giving ’im a look as much to say I thought it damned fishy.

“‘The boy’s dad’s a big business man. Always does things like that.’

“‘Politician?’ says I.

“I was beginning to put two and two together, so to speak.

“‘My aunt,’ says Ryan.

“‘But I’m a married man,’ says I. ‘If I just go off like this without sayin’ so much as a word to nobody, my old woman’ll be makin’ enquiries all over the place. She’ll want to know where I am and when she can’t find nobody to tell her she’ll go to the police.’