Cakar Kera

I.

I.

Di luar, malam terasa dingin dan basah, tetapi di ruang tamu kecil Laburnam Villa kerai tertutup rapat dan api menyala terang.

Without, the night was cold and wet, but in the small parlour of Laburnam Villa the blinds were drawn and the fire burned brightly.

Ayah dan anak sedang bermain catur; sang ayah, yang memiliki gagasan tentang permainan yang melibatkan perubahan radikal, menempatkan rajanya dalam bahaya yang begitu tajam dan tidak perlu hingga bahkan memancing komentar dari wanita tua berambut putih yang sedang merajut dengan tenang di dekat perapian.

Father and son were at chess, the former, who possessed ideas about the game involving radical changes, putting his king into such sharp and unnecessary perils that it even provoked comment from the white-haired old lady knitting placidly by the fire.

“Dengarkan angin itu,” kata Tn. White, yang, setelah melihat kesalahan fatal saat semuanya sudah terlambat, bermaksud ramah ingin mencegah putranya melihat kesalahan itu.

“Hark at the wind,” said Mr. White, who, having seen a fatal mistake after it was too late, was amiably desirous of preventing his son from seeing it.

“Aku mendengarkan,” kata putranya, sambil mengamati papan catur dengan muram saat ia mengulurkan tangannya. “Sekak.”

“I’m listening,” said the latter, grimly surveying the board as he stretched out his hand. “Check.”

“Rasanya tidak mungkin dia akan datang malam ini,” kata ayahnya, dengan tangan melayang di atas papan catur.

“I should hardly think that he’d come to-night,” said his father, with his hand poised over the board.

“Sekakmat,” jawab sang putra.

“Mate,” replied the son.

“Itulah hal terburuk dari tinggal begitu jauh di pinggiran,” seru Tn. White, dengan kemarahan mendadak dan tak terduga; “dari semua tempat tinggal yang buruk, becek, dan terpencil, ini adalah yang paling buruk. Jalur pejalan kaki adalah rawa, dan jalannya seperti arus deras.

“That’s the worst of living so far out,” bawled Mr. White, with sudden and unlooked-for violence; “of all the beastly, slushy, out-of-the-way places to live in, this is the worst. Pathway’s a bog, and the road’s a torrent.

Aku tidak tahu apa yang dipikirkan orang-orang. Kurasa karena hanya dua rumah di jalan ini yang disewakan, mereka berpikir itu tidak masalah.”

I don’t know what people are thinking about. I suppose because only two houses in the road are let, they think it doesn’t matter.”

“Sudahlah, Sayang,” kata istrinya, menenangkan; “mungkin kamu akan menang di permainan berikutnya.”

“Never mind, dear,” said his wife, soothingly; “perhaps you’ll win the next one.”

Tn. White mendongak tajam, tepat pada waktunya untuk menangkap lirikan penuh arti antara ibu dan anak. Kata-kata itu lenyap di bibirnya, dan dia menyembunyikan seringai bersalah di balik janggut abu-abunya yang tipis.

Mr. White looked up sharply, just in time to intercept a knowing glance between mother and son. The words died away on his lips, and he hid a guilty grin in his thin grey beard.

“Itu dia,” kata Herbert White, saat pintu gerbang terbanting keras dan langkah kaki yang berat mendekat ke arah pintu.

“There he is,” said Herbert White, as the gate banged to loudly and heavy footsteps came toward the door.

Pria tua itu bangkit dengan tergesa-gesa menyambut ramah, dan saat membuka pintu, terdengar sedang berbasa-basi bersimpati dengan tamu yang baru datang. Tamu yang baru datang itu pun turut mengeluhkan dirinya sendiri, sehingga Ny. White berkata, “Ck, ck!”

The old man rose with hospitable haste, and opening the door, was heard condoling with the new arrival. The new arrival also condoled with himself, so that Mrs. White said, “Tut, tut!”

dan terbatuk kecil saat suaminya memasuki ruangan, diikuti oleh seorang pria tinggi kekar, bermata bulat berkilat dan berwajah kemerahan.

and coughed gently as her husband entered the room, followed by a tall, burly man, beady of eye and rubicund of visage.