Лорд Джим

Chapter 20

           ThisoldScotsman,theonlywhitemanallowedtoresideinthecountryatthetime,wasaprivilegedfriendofthechiefrulerofWajoStates,whowasawoman.IoftenheardSteinrelatehowthatchap,whowasslightlyparalysedononeside,hadintroducedhimtothenativecourtashorttimebeforeanotherstrokecarriedhimoff.Hewasaheavymanwithapatriarchalwhitebeard,andofimposingstature.Hecameintothecouncil-hallwherealltherajahs,pangerans,andheadmenwereassembled,withthequeen,afatwrinkledwoman(veryfreeinherspeech,Steinsaid),recliningonahighcouchunderacanopy.Hedraggedhisleg,thumpingwithhisstick,andgraspedStein’sarm,leadinghimrightuptothecouch.“Look,queen,andyourajahs,thisismyson,”heproclaimedinastentorianvoice.“Ihavetradedwithyourfathers,andwhenIdieheshalltradewithyouandyoursons.”

           ‘BymeansofthissimpleformalitySteininheritedtheScotsman’sprivilegedpositionandallhisstock-in-trade,togetherwithafortifiedhouseonthebanksoftheonlynavigableriverinthecountry.Shortlyafterwardstheoldqueen,whowassofreeinherspeech,died,andthecountrybecamedisturbedbyvariouspretenderstothethrone.Steinjoinedthepartyofayoungerson,theoneofwhomthirtyyearslaterheneverspokeotherwisebutas“mypoorMohammedBonso.

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