Part 4 (1/2)

It may not appear altogether absurd if I say that I brought out from that interview a kindlier view of the other Jacobus. It was with a feeling resembling partisans.h.i.+p that, a few days later, I called at his ”store.”

That long, cavern-like place of business, very dim at the back and stuffed full of all sorts of goods, was entered from the street by a lofty archway. At the far end I saw my Jacobus exerting himself in his s.h.i.+rt-sleeves among his a.s.sistants. The captains' room was a small, vaulted apartment with a stone floor and heavy iron bars in its windows like a dungeon converted to hospitable purposes. A couple of cheerful bottles and several gleaming gla.s.ses made a brilliant cl.u.s.ter round a tall, cool red earthenware pitcher on the centre table which was littered with newspapers from all parts of the world. A well-groomed stranger in a smart grey check suit, sitting with one leg flung over his knee, put down one of these sheets briskly and nodded to me.

I guessed him to be a steamer-captain. It was impossible to get to know these men. They came and went too quickly and their s.h.i.+ps lay moored far out, at the very entrance of the harbour. Theirs was another life altogether. He yawned slightly.

”Dull hole, isn't it?”

I understood this to allude to the town.

”Do you find it so?” I murmured.

”Don't you? But I'm off to-morrow, thank goodness.”

He was a very gentlemanly person, good-natured and superior. I watched him draw the open box of cigars to his side of the table, take a big cigar-case out of his pocket and begin to fill it very methodically.

Presently, on our eyes meeting, he winked like a common mortal and invited me to follow his example. ”They are really decent smokes.” I shook my head.

”I am not off to-morrow.”

”What of that? Think I am abusing old Jacobus's hospitality? Heavens!

It goes into the bill, of course. He spreads such little matters all over his account. He can take care of himself! Why, it's business-”

I noted a shadow fall over his well-satisfied expression, a momentary hesitation in closing his cigar-case. But he ended by putting it in his pocket jauntily. A placid voice uttered in the doorway: ”That's quite correct, Captain.”

The large noiseless Jacobus advanced into the room. His quietness, in the circ.u.mstances, amounted to cordiality. He had put on his jacket before joining us, and he sat down in the chair vacated by the steamer-man, who nodded again to me and went out with a short, jarring laugh. A profound silence reigned. With his drowsy stare Jacobus seemed to be slumbering open-eyed. Yet, somehow, I was aware of being profoundly scrutinised by those heavy eyes. In the enormous cavern of the store somebody began to nail down a case, expertly: tap-tap . . .

tap-tap-tap.

Two other experts, one slow and nasal, the other shrill and snappy, started checking an invoice.

”A half-coil of three-inch manilla rope.”

”Right!”

”Six a.s.sorted shackles.”

”Right!”

”Six tins a.s.sorted soups, three of pate, two asparagus, fourteen pounds tobacco, cabin.”

”Right!”

”It's for the captain who was here just now,” breathed out the immovable Jacobus. ”These steamer orders are very small. They pick up what they want as they go along. That man will be in Samarang in less than a fortnight. Very small orders indeed.”

The calling over of the items went on in the shop; an extraordinary jumble of varied articles, paint-brushes, Yorks.h.i.+re Relish, etc., etc. . . .

”Three sacks of best potatoes,” read out the nasal voice.

At this Jacobus blinked like a sleeping man roused by a shake, and displayed some animation. At his order, shouted into the shop, a smirking half-caste clerk with his ringlets much oiled and with a pen stuck behind his ear, brought in a sample of six potatoes which he paraded in a row on the table.

Being urged to look at their beauty I gave them a cold and hostile glance. Calmly, Jacobus proposed that I should order ten or fifteen tons-tons! I couldn't believe my ears. My crew could not have eaten such a lot in a year; and potatoes (excuse these practical remarks) are a highly perishable commodity. I thought he was joking-or else trying to find out whether I was an unutterable idiot. But his purpose was not so simple. I discovered that he meant me to buy them on my own account.