Морской волк

Chapter 14

           Inyearsandyearsnotoneofthemhasbeenincontactwithagoodwoman,orwithintheinfluence,orredemption,whichirresistiblyradiatesfromsuchacreature.Thereisnobalanceintheirlives.Theirmasculinity,whichinitselfisofthebrute,hasbeenover-developed.Theotherandspiritualsideoftheirnatureshasbeendwarfedatrophied,infact.

           Theyareacompanyofcelibates,grindingharshlyagainstoneanotherandgrowingdailymorecallousedfromthegrinding.Itseemstomeimpossiblesometimesthattheyeverhadmothers.Itwouldappearthattheyareahalf-brute,half-humanspecies,araceapart,whereinthereisnosuchthingassex;thattheyarehatchedoutbythesunliketurtleeggs,orreceivelifeinsomesimilarandsordidfashion;andthatalltheirdaystheyfesterinbrutalityandviciousness,andintheenddieasunlovelyastheyhavelived.

           Renderedcuriousbythisnewdirectionofideas,ItalkedwithJohansenlastnightthefirstsuperfluouswordswithwhichhehasfavouredmesincethevoyagebegan.HeleftSwedenwhenhewaseighteen,isnowthirty-eight,andinalltheinterveningtimehasnotbeenhomeonce.Hehadmetatownsman,acoupleofyearsbefore,insomesailorboarding-houseinChile,sothatheknewhismothertobestillalive.

           "Shemustbeaprettyoldwomannow,"hesaid,staringmeditativelyintothebinnacleandthenjerkingasharpglanceatHarrison,whowassteeringapointoffthecourse.

           "Whendidyoulastwritetoher?"

           Heperformedhismentalarithmeticaloud.

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