Лорд Джим

Chapter 39

           Theycouldn’tseemorethanafewyardsbeforethem,andnotreacherycouldmaketheirpositionworse.By-and-byCornelius,inhisweek-dayattireofaraggeddirtyshirtandpants,barefooted,withabroken-rimmedpithhatonhishead,wasmadeoutvaguely,sidlinguptothedefences,hesitating,stoppingtolisteninapeeringposture.“Comealong!Youaresafe,”yelledBrown,whilehismenstared.Alltheirhopesoflifebecamesuddenlycentredinthatdilapidated,meannewcomer,whoinprofoundsilenceclamberedclumsilyoverafelledtree-trunk,andshivering,withhissour,mistrustfulface,lookedaboutattheknotofbearded,anxious,sleeplessdesperadoes.

           ‘Halfanhour’sconfidentialtalkwithCorneliusopenedBrown’seyesastothehomeaffairsofPatusan.Hewasonthealertatonce.Therewerepossibilities,immensepossibilities;butbeforehewouldtalkoverCornelius’sproposalshedemandedthatsomefoodshouldbesentupasaguaranteeofgoodfaith.Corneliuswentoff,creepingsluggishlydownthehillonthesideoftheRajah’spalace,andaftersomedelayafewofTunkuAllang’smencameup,bringingascantysupplyofrice,chillies,anddriedfish.Thiswasimmeasurablybetterthannothing.LateronCorneliusreturnedaccompanyingKassim,whosteppedoutwithanairofperfectgood-humouredtrustfulness,insandals,andmuffledupfromnecktoanklesindark-bluesheeting.HeshookhandswithBrowndiscreetly,andthethreedrewasideforaconference.

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