Лорд Джим

Chapter 22

           Hehadtoknow.Hetradedinsomany,andinsomedistrictsasinPatusan,forinstancehisfirmwastheonlyonetohaveanagencybyspecialpermitfromtheDutchauthorities.TheGovernmenttrustedhisdiscretion,anditwasunderstoodthathetookalltherisks.Themenheemployedunderstoodthattoo,buthemadeitworththeirwhileapparently.Hewasperfectlyfrankwithmeoverthebreakfast-tableinthemorning.Asfarashewasaware(thelastnewswasthirteenmonthsold,hestatedprecisely),utterinsecurityforlifeandpropertywasthenormalcondition.TherewereinPatusanantagonisticforces,andoneofthemwasRajahAllang,theworstoftheSultan’suncles,thegovernoroftheriver,whodidtheextortingandthestealing,andgrounddowntothepointofextinctionthecountry-bornMalays,who,utterlydefenceless,hadnoteventheresourceofemigrating“Forindeed,”asSteinremarked,“wherecouldtheygo,andhowcouldtheygetaway?”Nodoubttheydidnotevendesiretogetaway.Theworld(whichiscircumscribedbyloftyimpassablemountains)hasbeengivenintothehandofthehigh-born,andthisRajahtheyknew:hewasoftheirownroyalhouse.Ihadthepleasureofmeetingthegentlemanlateron.Hewasadirty,little,used-upoldmanwithevileyesandaweakmouth,whoswallowedanopiumpilleverytwohours,andindefianceofcommondecencyworehishairuncoveredandfallinginwildstringylocksabouthiswizenedgrimyface.

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