Within　the　Tides
  by　Joseph　Conrad
  Contents：
  The　Planter　of　Malata
  The　Partner
  The　Inn　of　the　Two　Witches
  Because　of　the　Dollars
  THE　PLANTER　OF　MALATA
  CHAPTER　I
  In　the　private　editorial　office　of　the　principal　newspaper　in　a
  great　colonial　city　two　men　were　talking。　　They　were　both　young。
  The　stouter　of　the　two；　fair；　and　with　more　of　an　urban　look　about
  him；　was　the　editor　and　part…owner　of　the　important　newspaper。
  The　other's　name　was　Renouard。　　That　he　was　exercised　in　his　mind
  about　something　was　evident　on　his　fine　bronzed　face。　　He　was　a
  lean；　lounging；　active　man。　　The　journalist　continued　the
  conversation。
  〃And　so　you　were　dining　yesterday　at　old　Dunster's。〃
  He　used　the　word　old　not　in　the　endearing　sense　in　which　it　is
  sometimes　applied　to　intimates；　but　as　a　matter　of　sober　fact。　　The
  Dunster　in　question　was　old。　　He　had　been　an　eminent　colonial
  statesman；　but　had　now　retired　from　active　politics　after　a　tour　in
  Europe　and　a　lengthy　stay　in　England；　during　which　he　had　had　a
  very　good　press　indeed。　　The　colony　was　proud　of　him。
  〃Yes。　　I　dined　there；〃　said　Renouard。　　〃Young　Dunster　asked　me　just
  as　I　was　going　out　of　his　office。　　It　seemed　to　be　like　a　sudden
  thought。　　And　yet　I　can't　help　suspecting　some　purpose　behind　it。
  He　was　very　pressing。　　He　swore　that　his　uncle　would　be　very
  pleased　to　see　me。　　Said　his　uncle　had　mentioned　lately　that　the
  granting　to　me　of　the　Malata　concession　was　the　last　act　of　his
  official　life。〃
  〃Very　touching。　　The　old　boy　sentimentalises　over　the　past　now　and
  then。〃
  〃I　really　don't　know　why　I　accepted；〃　continued　the　other。
  〃Sentiment　does　not　move　me　very　easily。　　Old　Dunster　was　civil　to
  me　of　course；　but　he　did　not　even　inquire　how　I　was　getting　on　with
  my　silk　plants。　　Forgot　there　was　such　a　thing　probably。　　I　must
  say　there　were　more　people　there　than　I　expected　to　meet。　　Quite　a
  big　party。〃
  〃I　was　asked；〃　remarked　the　newspaper　man。　　〃Only　I　couldn't　go。
  But　when　did　you　arrive　from　Malata？〃
  〃I　arrived　yesterday　at　daylight。　　I　am　anchored　out　there　in　the
  bay　…　off　Garden　Point。　　I　was　in　Dunster's　office　before　he　had
  finished　reading　his　letters。　　Have　you　ever　seen　young　Dunster
  reading　his　letters？　　I　had　a　glimpse　of　him　through　the　open　door。
  He　holds　the　paper　in　both　hands；　hunches　his　shoulders　up　to　his
  ugly　ears；　and　brings　his　long　nose　and　his　thick　lips　on　to　it
  like　a　sucking　apparatus。　　A　commercial　monster。〃
  〃Here　we　don't　consider　him　a　monster；〃　said　the　newspaper　man
  looking　at　his　visitor　thoughtfully。
  〃Probably　not。　　You　are　used　to　see　his　face　and　to　see　other
  faces。　　I　don't　know　how　it　is　that；　when　I　come　to　town；　the
  appearance　of　the　people　in　the　street　strike　me　with　such　force。
  They　seem　so　awfully　expressive。〃
  〃And　not　charming。〃
  〃Well　…　no。　　Not　as　a　rule。　　The　effect　is　forcible　without　being
  clear。　。　。　。　I　know　that　you　think　it's　because　of　my　solitary
  manner　of　life　away　there。〃
  〃Yes。　　I　do　think　so。　　It　is　demoralising。　　You　don't　see　any　one
  for　months　at　a　stretch。　　You're　leading　an　unhealthy　life。〃
  The　other　hardly　smiled　and　murmured　the　admission　that　true　enough
  it　was　a　good　eleven　months　since　he　had　been　in　town　last。
  〃You　see；〃　insisted　the　other。　　〃Solitude　works　like　a　sort　of
  poison。　　And　then　you　perceive　suggestions　in　faces　…　mysterious
  and　forcible；　that　no　sound　man　would　be　bothered　with。　　Of　course
  you　do。〃
  Geoffrey　Renouard　did　not　tell　his　journalist　friend　that　the
  suggestions　of　his　own　face；　the　face　of　a　friend；　bothered　him　as
  much　as　the　others。　　He　detected　a　degrading　quality　in　the　touches
  of　age　which　every　day　adds　to　a　human　countenance。　　They　moved　and
  disturbed　him；　like　the　signs　of　a　horrible　inward　travail　which
  was　frightfully　apparent　to　the　fresh　eye　he　had　brought　from　his
  isolation　in　Malata；　where　he　had　settled　after　five　strenuous
  years　of　adventure　and　exploration。
  〃It's　a　fact；〃　he　said；　〃that　when　I　am　at　home　in　Malata　I　see　no
  one　consciously。　　I　take　the　plantation　boys　for　granted。〃
  〃Well；　and　we　here　take　the　people　in　the　streets　for　granted。　　And
  that's　sanity。〃
  The　visitor　said　nothing　to　this　for　fear　of　engaging　a　discussion。
  What　he　had　come　to　seek　in　the　editorial　office　was　not
  controversy；　but　information。　　Yet　somehow　he　hesitated　to　approach
  the　subject。　　Solitary　life　makes　a　man　reticent　in　respect　of
  anything　in　the　nature　of　gossip；　which　those　to　whom　chatting
  about　their　kind　is　an　everyday　exercise　regard　as　the　commonest
  use　of　speech。
  〃You　very　busy？〃　he　asked。
  The　Editor　making　red　marks　on　a　long　slip　of　printed　paper　threw
  the　pencil　down。
  〃No。　　I　am　done。　　Social　paragraphs。　　This　office　is　the　place
  where　everything　is　known　about　everybody　…　including　even　a　great
  deal　of　nobodies。　　Queer　fellows　drift　in　and　out　of　this　room。
  Waifs　and　strays　from　home；　from　up…country；　from　the　Pacific。
  And；　by　the　way；　last　time　you　were　here　you　picked　up　one　of　that
  sort　for　your　assistant　…　didn't　you？〃
  〃I　engaged　an　assistant　only　to　stop　your　preaching　about　the　evils
  of　solitude；〃　said　Renouard　hastily；　and　the　pressman　laughed　at
  the　half…resentful　tone。　　His　laugh　was　not　very　loud；　but　his
  plump　person　shook　all　over。　　He　was　aware　that　his　younger
  friend's　deference　to　his　advice　was　based　only　on　an　imperfect
  belief　in　his　wisdom　…　or　his　sagacity。　　But　it　was　he　who　had
  first　helped　Renouard　in　his　plans　of　exploration：　　the　five…years'
  programme　of　scientific　adventure；　of　work；　of　danger　and
  endurance；　carried　out　with　such　distinction　and　rewarded　modestly
  with　the　lease　of　Malata　island　by　the　frugal　colonial　government。
  And　this　reward；　too；　had　been　due　to　the　journalist's　advocacy
  with　word　and　pen　…　for　he　was　an　influential　man　in　the　community。
  Doubting　very　much　if　Renouard　really　liked　him；　he　was　himself
  without　great　sympathy　for　a　certain　side　of　that　man　which　he
  could　not　quite　make　out。　　He　only　felt　it　obscurely　to　be　his　real
  personality　…　the　true　…　and；　perhaps；　the　absurd。　　As；　for
  instance；　in　that　case　of　the　assistant。　　Renouard　had　given　way　to
  the　arguments　of　his　friend　and　backer　…　the　argument　against　the
  unwholesome　effect　of　solitude；　the　argument　for　the　safety　of
  companionship　even　if　quarrelsome。　　Very　well。　　In　this　docility　he
  was　sensible　and　even　likeable。　　But　what　did　he　do　next？　　Instead
  of　taking　counsel　as　to　the　choice　with　his　old　backer　and　friend；
  and　a　man；　besides；　knowing　everybody　employed　and　unemployed　on
  the　pavements　of　the　town；　this　extraordinary　Renouard　suddenly　and
  almost　surreptitiously　picked　up　a　fellow　…　God　knows　who　…　and
  sailed　away　with　him　back　to　Malata　in　a　hurry；　a　proceeding
  obviously　rash　and　at　the　same　time　not　quite　straight。　　That　was
  the　sort　of　thing。　　The　secretly　unforgiving　journalist　laughed　a
  little　longer　and　then　ceased　to　shake　all　over。
  〃Oh；　yes。　　About　that　assistant　of　yours。　。　。　。〃
  〃What　about　him；〃　said　Renouard；　after　waiting　a　while；　with　a
  shadow　of　uneasiness　on　his　face。
  〃Have　you　nothing　to　tell　me　of　him？〃
  〃Nothing　except。　。　。　。〃　　Incipient　grimness　vanished　out　of
  Renouard's　aspect　and　his　voice；　while　he　hesitated　as　if
  reflecting　seriously　before　he　changed　his　mind。　　〃No。　　Nothing
  whatever。〃
  〃You　haven't　brought　him　along　with　you　by　chance　…　for　a　change。〃
  The　Planter　of　Malata　stared；　then　shook　his　head；　and　finally
  murmured　carelessly：　　〃I　think　he's　very　well　where　he　is。　　But　I
  wish　you　could　tell　me　why　young　Dunster　insisted　so　much　on　my
  dining　with　his　uncle　last　night。　　Everybody　knows　I　am　not　a
  society　man。〃
  The　Editor　exclaimed　at　so　much　modesty。　　Didn't　his　friend　know
  that　he　was　their　one　and　only　explorer　…　that　he　was　the　man
  experimenting　with　the　silk　plant。　。　。　。
  〃Still；　that　doesn't　tell　me　why　I　was　invited　yesterday。　　For
  young　Dunster　never　thought　of　this　civility　before。　。　。　。〃
  〃Our　Willie；〃　said　the　popular　journalist；　〃never　does　anything
  without　a　purpose；　that's　a　fact。〃
  〃And　to　his　uncle's　house　too！〃
  〃He　lives　there。〃
  〃Yes。　　But　he　might　have　given　me　a　feed　somewhere　else。　　The
  extraordinary　part　is　that　the　old　man　did　not　seem　to　have
  anything　special　to　say。　　He　smiled　kindly　on　me　once　or　twice；　and
  that　was　all。　　It　was　quite　a　party；　sixteen　people。〃
  The　Editor　then；　afte