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Some Reminiscences-Part3_JOSEPH CONRAD (1857-1924)_English Literature(文学名著)-第2页

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with a ship began. And after all there was not even one single

trip. It may be that it was simply the fulfilment of a fate, of



that written word on my forehead which apparentlyforbade me,

through all my sea wanderings, ever to achieve the crossing of



the Western Ocean--using the words in that special sense in which

sailors speak of Western Ocean trade, of Western Ocean packets,



of Western Ocean hard cases. The new life attended closely upon

the old and the nine chapters of "Almayer's Folly" went with me



to the Victoria Dock, whence in a few days we started for Rouen.

I won't go so far as saying that the engaging of a man fated



never to cross the Western Ocean was the absolute cause of the

Franco-Canadian Transport Company's failure to achieve even a



single passage. It might have been that of course; but the

obvious, gross obstacle was clearly the want of money. Four



hundred and sixty bunks for emigrants were put together in the

'tween decks by industrious carpenters while we lay in the



Victoria Dock, but never an emigrant turned up in Rouen--of

which, being a humane person, I confess I was glad. Some



gentlemen from Paris--I think there were three of them, and one

was said to be the Chairman--turned up indeed and went from end



to end of the ship, knocking their silk hats cruelly against the

deck-beams. I attended them personally, and I can vouch for it



that the interest they took in things was intelligent enough,

though, obviously, they had never seen anything of the sort



before. Their faces as they went ashore wore a cheerfully

inconclusive expression. Notwithstanding that this inspecting



ceremony was supposed to be a preliminary to immediate sailing,

it was then, as they filed down our gangway, that I received the



inward monition that no sailing within the meaning of our

charter-party would ever take place.



It must be said that in less than three weeks a move took place.

When we first arrived we had been taken up with much ceremony



well towards the centre of the town, and, all the street corners

being placarded with the tricolour posters announcing the birth



of our company, the petit bourgeois with his wife and family made

a Sunday holiday from the inspection of the ship. I was always



in evidence in my best uniform to give information as though I

had been a Cook's tourists' interpreter, while our quarter-



masters reaped a harvest of small change from personally

conducted parties. But when the move was made--that move which



carried us some mile and a half down the stream to be tied up to

an altogether muddier and shabbier quay--then indeed the



desolation of solitude became our lot. It was a complete and

soundless stagnation; for, as we had the ship ready for sea to



the smallest detail, as the frost was hard and the days short, we

were absolutely idle--idle to the point of blushing with shame



when the thought struck us that all the time our salaries went

on. Young Cole was aggrieved because, as he said, we could not



enjoy any sort of fun in the evening after loafing like this all

day: even the banjo lost its charm since there was nothing to



prevent his strumming on it all the time between the meals. The

good Paramor--he was really a most excellent fellow--became



unhappy as far as was possible to his cheery nature, till one

dreary day I suggested, out of sheer mischief, that he should



employ the dormant energies of the crew in hauling both cables up

on deck and turning them end for end.



For a moment Mr. Paramor was radiant. "Excellent idea!" but

directly his face fell. "Why. . .Yes! But we can't make that



job last more than three days," he muttered discontentedly. I

don't know how long he expected us to be stuck on the riverside



outskirts of Rouen, but I know that the cables got hauled up and

turned end for end according to my satanic suggestion, put down



again, and their very existence utterly forgotten, I believe,

before a French river pilot came on board to take our ship down,






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