第1章

I

ForalongtimeafterthecourseofthesteamerSofalahadbeenalteredfortheland，thelowswampycoasthadretaineditsappearanceofameresmudgeofdarknessbeyondabeltofglitter.Thesunraysseemedtofallviolentlyuponthecalmsea——seemedtoshatterthem—

selvesuponanadamantinesurfaceintosparklingdust，intoadazzlingvaporoflightthatblindedtheeyeandweariedthebrainwithitsunsteadybrightness.

CaptainWhalleydidnotlookatit.WhenhisSerang，approachingtheroomycanearm—chairwhichhefilledcapably，hadinformedhiminalowvoicethatthecoursewastobealtered，hehadrisenatonceandhadremainedonhisfeet，faceforward，whiletheheadofhisshipswungthroughaquarterofacircle.Hehadnotutteredasingleword，noteventhewordtosteadythehelm.ItwastheSerang，anelderly，alert，littleMalay，withaverydarkskin，whomurmuredtheordertothehelmsman.AndthenslowlyCaptainWhalleysatdownagaininthearm—chaironthebridgeandfixedhiseyesonthedeckbetweenhisfeet.

Hecouldnothopetoseeanythingnewuponthislaneofthesea.Hehadbeenonthesecoastsforthelastthreeyears.FromLowCapetoMalantanthedistancewasfiftymiles，sixhours’steamingfortheoldshipwiththetide，orsevenagainst.Thenyousteeredstraightfortheland，andby—and—bythreepalmswouldappearonthesky，tallandslim，andwiththeirdisheveledheadsinabunch，asifinconfidentialcriticismofthedarkmangroves.TheSofalawouldbeheadedtowardsthesomberstripofthecoast，whichatagivenmoment，astheshipclosedwithitobliquely，wouldshowseveralcleanshiningfractures——thebrimfulestuaryofariver.

Thenonthroughabrownliquid，threepartswaterandonepartblackearth，onandonbetweenthelowshores，threepartsblackearthandonepartbrackishwater，theSofalawouldplowherwayup—stream，asshehaddoneonceeverymonthforthesesevenyearsormore，longbeforehewasawareofherexistence，longbeforehehadeverthoughtofhavinganythingtodowithherandherinvariablevoyages.Theoldshipoughttohaveknowntheroadbetterthanhermen，whohadnotbeenkeptsolongatitwithoutachange;betterthanthefaithfulSerang，whomhehadbroughtoverfromhislastshiptokeepthecaptain’swatch;betterthanhehimself，whohadbeenhercaptainforthelastthreeyearsonly.Shecouldalwaysbedependedupontomakehercourses.Hercompasseswereneverout.Shewasnotroubleatalltotakeabout，asifhergreatagehadgivenherknowledge，wisdom，andsteadiness.Shemadeherlandfallstoadegreeofthebearing，andal—

mosttoaminuteofherallowedtime.Atanymoment，ashesatonthebridgewithoutlookingup，orlaysleep—

lessinhisbed，simplybyreckoningthedaysandthehourshecouldtellwherehewas——theprecisespotofthebeat.Heknewitwelltoo，thismonotonoushuckster’sround，upanddowntheStraits;heknewitsorderanditssightsanditspeople.Malaccatobeginwith，inatdaylightandoutatdusk，tocrossoverwitharigidphosphorescentwakethishighwayoftheFarEast.

Darknessandgleamsonthewater，clearstarsonablacksky，perhapsthelightsofahomesteamerkeepingherunswervingcourseinthemiddle，ormaybetheelusiveshadowofanativecraftwithhermatsailsflittingbysilently——andthelowlandontheothersideinsightatdaylight.Atnoonthethreepalmsofthenextplaceofcall，upasluggishriver.Theonlywhitemanre—

sidingtherewasaretiredyoungsailor，withwhomhehadbecomefriendlyinthecourseofmanyvoyages.

Sixtymilesfartherontherewasanotherplaceofcall，adeepbaywithonlyacoupleofhousesonthebeach.

Andsoon，inandout，pickingupcoastwisecargohereandthere，andfinishingwithahundredmiles’steadysteamingthroughthemazeofanarchipelagoofsmallislandsuptoalargenativetownattheendofthebeat.

Therewasathreedays’restfortheoldshipbeforehestartedheragainininverseorder，seeingthesameshoresfromanotherbearing，hearingthesamevoicesinthesameplaces，backagaintotheSofala’sportofregis—

tryonthegreathighwaytotheEast，wherehewouldtakeupaberthnearlyoppositethebigstonepileoftheharborofficetillitwastimetostartagainontheoldroundof1600milesandthirtydays.Notaveryenterprisinglife，this，forCaptainWhalley，HenryWhalley，otherwiseDare—devilHarry——WhalleyoftheCondor，afamousclipperinherday.No.Notaveryenterprisinglifeforamanwhohadservedfamousfirms，whohadsailedfamousships（morethanoneortwoofthemhisown）;whohadmadefamouspassages，hadbeenthepioneerofnewroutesandnewtrades;whohadsteeredacrosstheunsurveyedtractsoftheSouthSeas，andhadseenthesunriseonunchartedislands.Fiftyyearsatsea，andfortyoutintheEast（\"aprettythor—

oughapprenticeship，\"heusedtoremarksmilingly），hadmadehimhonorablyknowntoagenerationofship—

ownersandmerchantsinalltheportsfromBombayclearovertowheretheEastmergesintotheWestuponthecoastofthetwoAmericas.Hisfameremainedwrit，notverylargebutplainenough，ontheAdmiraltycharts.WastherenotsomewherebetweenAustraliaandChinaaWhalleyIslandandaCondorReef？Onthatdangerouscoralformationthecelebratedclipperhadhungstrandedforthreedays，hercaptainandcrewthrowinghercargooverboardwithonehandandwiththeother，asitwere，keepingoffheraflotillaofsavagewar—canoes.Atthattimeneithertheislandnorthereefhadanyofficialexistence.LatertheofficersofherMajesty’ssteamvesselFusilier，dispatchedtomakeasurveyoftheroute，recognizedintheadoptionofthesetwonamestheenterpriseofthemanandthesolidityoftheship.Besides，asanyonewhocaresmaysee，the\"GeneralDirectory，\"vol.ii.p.410，beginsthedescrip—

tionofthe\"MalotuorWhalleyPassage\"withthewords：\"Thisadvantageousroute，firstdiscoveredin1850byCaptainWhalleyintheshipCondor，\"&c.，andendsbyrecommendingitwarmlytosailingvesselsleavingtheChinaportsforthesouthinthemonthsfromDecembertoAprilinclusive.

Thiswastheclearestgainhehadoutoflife.Nothingcouldrobhimofthiskindoffame.ThepiercingoftheIsthmusofSuez，likethebreakingofadam，hadletinupontheEastafloodofnewships，newmen，newmethodsoftrade.IthadchangedthefaceoftheEast—

ernseasandtheveryspiritoftheirlife;sothathisearlyexperiencesmeantnothingwhatevertothenewgenerationofseamen.

Inthosebygonedayshehadhandledmanythousandsofpoundsofhisemployers’moneyandofhisown;hehadattendedfaithfully，asbylawashipmasterisex—

pectedtodo，totheconflictinginterestsofowners，charterers，andunderwriters.Hehadneverlostashiporconsentedtoashadytransaction;andhehadlastedwell，outlastingintheendtheconditionsthathadgonetothemakingofhisname.Hehadburiedhiswife（intheGulfofPetchili），hadmarriedoffhisdaughtertothemanofherunluckychoice，andhadlostmorethananamplecompetenceinthecrashofthenotoriousTra—

vancoreandDeccanBankingCorporation，whosedown—

fallhadshakentheEastlikeanearthquake.Andhewassixty—fiveyearsold.

II

Hisagesatlightlyenoughonhim;andofhisruinhewasnotashamed.HehadnotbeenalonetobelieveinthestabilityoftheBankingCorporation.Menwhosejudgmentinmattersoffinancewasasexpertashissea—

manshiphadcommendedtheprudenceofhisinvest—

ments，andhadthemselveslostmuchmoneyinthegreatfailure.Theonlydifferencebetweenhimandthemwasthathehadlosthisall.Andyetnothisall.Therehadremainedtohimfromhislostfortuneaveryprettylittlebark，FairMaid，whichhehadboughttooccupyhisleisureofaretiredsailor——\"toplaywith，\"asheex—

pressedithimself.

Hehadformallydeclaredhimselftiredoftheseatheyearprecedinghisdaughter’smarriage.ButaftertheyoungcouplehadgonetosettleinMelbournehefoundoutthathecouldnotmakehimselfhappyonshore.Hewastoomuchofamerchantsea—captainformereyacht—

ingtosatisfyhim.Hewantedtheillusionofaffairs;

andhisacquisitionoftheFairMaidpreservedthecon—

tinuityofhislife.Heintroducedhertohisacquaint—

ancesinvariousportsas\"mylastcommand.\"Whenhegrewtoooldtobetrustedwithaship，hewouldlayherupandgoashoretobeburied，leavingdirectionsinhiswilltohavethebarktowedoutandscuttleddecentlyindeepwateronthedayofthefuneral.Hisdaughterwouldnotgrudgehimthesatisfactionofknowingthatnostrangerwouldhandlehislastcommandafterhim.Withthefortunehewasabletoleaveher，thevalueofa500—tonbarkwasneitherherenorthere.

Allthiswouldbesaidwithajoculartwinkleinhiseye：

thevigorousoldmanhadtoomuchvitalityforthesen—

timentalismofregret;andalittlewistfullywithal，be—

causehewasathomeinlife，takingagenuinepleasureinitsfeelingsanditspossessions;inthedignityofhisreputationandhiswealth，inhisloveforhisdaughter，andinhissatisfactionwiththeship——theplaythingofhislonelyleisure.

Hehadthecabinarrangedinaccordancewithhissimpleidealofcomfortatsea.Abigbookcase（hewasagreatreader）occupiedonesideofhisstateroom;theportraitofhislatewife，aflatbituminousoil—paintingrepresentingtheprofileandonelongblackringletofayoungwoman，facedhisbedplace.Threechronometerstickedhimtosleepandgreetedhimonwakingwiththetinycompetitionoftheirbeats.Heroseatfiveeveryday.Theofficerofthemorningwatch，drinkinghisearlycupofcoffeeaftbythewheel，wouldhearthroughthewideorificeofthecopperventilatorsallthesplash—

ings，blowings，andsplutteringsofhiscaptain’stoilet.

ThesenoiseswouldbefollowedbyasustaineddeepmurmuroftheLord’sPrayerrecitedinaloudearnestvoice.FiveminutesafterwardstheheadandshouldersofCaptainWhalleyemergedoutofthecompanion—

hatchway.Invariablyhepausedforawhileonthestairs，lookingallroundatthehorizon;upwardsatthetrimofthesails;inhalingdeepdraughtsofthefreshair.Onlythenhewouldstepoutonthepoop，acknowl—

edgingthehandraisedtothepeakofthecapwithamajesticandbenign\"Goodmorningtoyou.\"Hewalkedthedecktilleightscrupulously.Sometimes，notabovetwiceayear，hehadtouseathickcudgel—likestickonaccountofastiffnessinthehip——aslighttouchofrheumatism，hesupposed.Otherwiseheknewnothingoftheillsoftheflesh.Attheringingofthebreakfastbellhewentbelowtofeedhiscanaries，windupthechronometers，andtaketheheadofthetable.Fromtherehehadbeforehiseyesthebigcarbonphotographsofhisdaughter，herhusband，andtwofat—leggedbabies——hisgrandchildren——setinblackframesintothemaple—

woodbulkheadsofthecuddy.Afterbreakfasthedustedtheglassovertheseportraitshimselfwithacloth，andbrushedtheoilpaintingofhiswifewithaplumatekeptsuspendedfromasmallbrasshookbythesideoftheheavygoldframe.Thenwiththedoorofhisstate—

roomshut，hewouldsitdownonthecouchundertheportraittoreadachapteroutofathickpocketBible——herBible.Butonsomedaysheonlysatthereforhalfanhourwithhisfingerbetweentheleavesandtheclosedbookrestingonhisknees.Perhapshehadre—

memberedsuddenlyhowfondofboat—sailingsheusedtobe.

Shehadbeenarealshipmateandatruewomantoo.

Itwaslikeanarticleoffaithwithhimthatthereneverhadbeen，andnevercouldbe，abrighter，cheerierhomeanywhereafloatorashorethanhishomeunderthepoop—

deckoftheCondor，withthebigmaincabinallwhiteandgold，garlandedasifforaperpetualfestivalwithanunfadingwreath.Shehaddecoratedthecenterofeverypanelwithaclusterofhomeflowers.Ittookheratwelvemonthtogoroundthecuddywiththislaboroflove.Tohimithadremainedamarvelofpainting，thehighestachievementoftasteandskill;andastooldSwinburne，hismate，everytimehecamedowntohismealshestoodtransfixedwithadmirationbeforetheprogressofthework.Youcouldalmostsmelltheseroses，hedeclared，sniffingthefaintflavorofturpentinewhichatthattimepervadedthesaloon，and（ashecon—

fessedafterwards）madehimsomewhatlessheartythanusualintacklinghisfood.Buttherewasnothingofthesorttointerferewithhisenjoymentofhersinging.

\"Mrs.Whalleyisaregularout—and—outnightingale，sir，\"hewouldpronouncewithajudicialairafterlisten—

ingprofoundlyovertheskylighttotheveryendofthepiece.Infineweather，intheseconddog—watch，thetwomencouldhearhertrillsandrouladesgoingontotheaccompanimentofthepianointhecabin.OntheverydaytheygotengagedhehadwrittentoLondonfortheinstrument;buttheyhadbeenmarriedforoverayearbeforeitreachedthem，comingoutroundtheCape.

ThebigcasemadepartofthefirstdirectgeneralcargolandedinHongkongharbor——aneventthattothemenwhowalkedthebusyquaysofto—dayseemedashazilyremoteasthedarkagesofhistory.ButCaptainWhal—

leycouldinahalfhourofsolitudeliveagainallhislife，withitsromance，itsidyl，anditssorrow.Hehadtoclosehereyeshimself.Shewentawayfromundertheensignlikeasailor’swife，asailorherselfatheart.

Hehadreadtheserviceoverher，outofherownprayer—

book，withoutabreakinhisvoice.WhenheraisedhiseyeshecouldseeoldSwinburnefacinghimwithhiscappressedtohisbreast，andhisrugged，weather—beaten，impassivefacestreamingwithdropsofwaterlikealumpofchippedredgraniteinashower.Itwasallverywellforthatoldsea—dogtocry.Hehadtoreadontotheend;butafterthesplashhedidnotremembermuchofwhathappenedforthenextfewdays.Anelderlysailorofthecrew，deftatneedlework，putto—

getheramourningfrockforthechildoutofoneofherblackskirts.

Hewasnotlikelytoforget;butyoucannotdamuplifelikeasluggishstream.Itwillbreakoutandflowoveraman’stroubles，itwillcloseuponasorrowliketheseauponadeadbody，nomatterhowmuchlovehasgonetothebottom.Andtheworldisnotbad.Peoplehadbeenverykindtohim;especiallyMrs.Gardner，thewifeoftheseniorpartnerinGardner，Patteson，&Co.，theownersoftheCondor.Itwasshewhovolunteeredtolookafterthelittleone，andinduecoursetookhertoEngland（somethingofajourneyinthosedays，evenbytheoverlandmailroute）withherowngirlstofinishhereducation.Itwastenyearsbeforehesawheragain.

Asalittlechildshehadneverbeenfrightenedofbadweather;shewouldbegtobetakenupondeckinthebosomofhisoilskincoattowatchthebigseashurlingthemselvesupontheCondor.Theswirlandcrashofthewavesseemedtofillhersmallsoulwithabreathlessde—

light.\"Agoodboyspoiled，\"heusedtosayofherinjoke.HehadnamedherIvybecauseofthesoundoftheword，andobscurelyfascinatedbyavagueassocia—

tionofideas.Shehadtwinedherselftightlyroundhisheart，andheintendedhertoclingclosetoherfatherastoatowerofstrength;forgetting，whileshewaslittle，thatinthenatureofthingsshewouldprobablyelecttoclingtosomeoneelse.Buthelovedlifewellenoughforeventhateventtogivehimacertainsatisfaction，apartfromhismoreintimatefeelingofloss.

AfterhehadpurchasedtheFairMaidtooccupyhisloneliness，hehastenedtoacceptaratherunprofitablefreighttoAustraliasimplyfortheopportunityofseeinghisdaughterinherownhome.Whatmadehimdis—

satisfiedtherewasnottoseethatsheclungnowtosome—

bodyelse，butthatthepropshehadselectedseemedoncloserexamination\"aratherpoorstick\"——eveninthematterofhealth.Hedislikedhisson—in—law’sstudiedcivilityperhapsmorethanhismethodofhandlingthesumofmoneyhehadgivenIvyathermarriage.Butofhisapprehensionshesaidnothing.Onlyonthedayofhisdeparture，withthehall—dooropenalready，hold—

ingherhandsandlookingsteadilyintohereyes，hehadsaid，\"Youknow，mydear，allIhaveisforyouandthechicks.Mindyouwritetomeopenly.\"Shehadansweredhimbyanalmostimperceptiblemovementofherhead.Sheresembledhermotherinthecolorofhereyes，andincharacter——andalsointhis，thatsheunder—

stoodhimwithoutmanywords.

Sureenoughshehadtowrite;andsomeoftheselettersmadeCaptainWhalleylifthiswhiteeye—brows.Fortherestheconsideredhewasreapingthetruerewardofhislifebybeingthusabletoproduceondemandwhat—

everwasneeded.Hehadnotenjoyedhimselfsomuchinawaysincehiswifehaddied.Characteristicallyenoughhisson—in—law’spunctualityinfailurecausedhimatadistancetofeelasortofkindnesstowardstheman.

Thefellowwassoperpetuallybeingjammedonaleeshorethattochargeitalltohisrecklessnavigationwouldbemanifestlyunfair.No，no！Heknewwellwhatthatmeant.Itwasbadluck.Hisownhadbeensimplymarvelous，buthehadseeninhislifetoomanygoodmen——seamenandothers——gounderwiththesheerweightofbadlucknottorecognizethefatalsigns.Forallthat，hewascogitatingonthebestwayoftyingupverystrictlyeverypennyhehadtoleave，when，withapreliminaryrumbleofrumors（whosefirstsoundreachedhiminShanghaiasithappened），theshockofthebigfailurecame;and，afterpassingthroughthephasesofstupor，ofincredulity，ofindignation，hehadtoacceptthefactthathehadnothingtospeakoftoleave.

Uponthat，asifhehadonlywaitedforthiscatas—

trophe，theunluckyman，awaythereinMelbourne，gaveuphisunprofitablegame，andsatdown——inaninvalid’sbath—chairatthattoo.\"Hewillneverwalkagain，\"

wrotethewife.ForthefirsttimeinhislifeCaptainWhalleywasabitstaggered.

TheFairMaidhadtogotoworkinbitterearnestnow.

ItwasnolongeramatterofpreservingalivethememoryofDare—devilHarryWhalleyintheEasternSeas，orofkeepinganoldmaninpocket—moneyandclothes，with，perhaps，abillforafewhundredfirst—classcigarsthrowninattheendoftheyear.Hewouldhavetobuckle—to，andkeephergoinghardonascantallowanceofgiltfortheginger—breadscrollsatherstemandstern.

Thisnecessityopenedhiseyestothefundamentalchangesoftheworld.Ofhispastonlythefamiliarnamesremained，hereandthere，butthethingsandthemen，ashehadknownthem，weregone.ThenameofGardner，Patteson，&Co.wasstilldisplayedonthewallsofwarehousesbythewaterside，onthebrassplatesandwindow—panesinthebusinessquartersofmorethanoneEasternport，buttherewasnolongeraGardneroraPattesoninthefirm.TherewasnolongerforCap—

tainWhalleyanarm—chairandawelcomeintheprivateoffice，withabitofbusinessreadytobeputinthewayofanoldfriend，forthesakeofbygoneservices.ThehusbandsoftheGardnergirlssatbehindthedesksinthatroomwhere，longafterhehadlefttheemploy，hehadkepthisrightofentranceintheoldman’stime.

Theirshipsnowhadyellowfunnelswithblacktops，andatime—tableofappointedrouteslikeaconfoundedserviceoftramways.ThewindsofDecemberandJunewereallonetothem;theircaptains（excellentyoungmenhedoubtednot）were，tobesure，familiarwithWhalleyIsland，becauseoflateyearstheGovernmenthadestablishedawhitefixedlightonthenorthend（withareddangersectorovertheCondorReef），butmostofthemwouldhavebeenextremelysurprisedtohearthataflesh—and—bloodWhalleystillexisted——anoldmangoingabouttheworldtryingtopickupacargohereandthereforhislittlebark.

Andeverywhereitwasthesame.Departedthemenwhowouldhavenoddedappreciativelyatthementionofhisname，andwouldhavethoughtthemselvesboundinhonortodosomethingforDare—devilHarryWhalley.

Departedtheopportunitieswhichhewouldhaveknownhowtoseize;andgonewiththemthewhite—wingedflockofclippersthatlivedintheboisterousuncertainlifeofthewinds，skimmingbigfortunesoutofthefoamofthesea.Inaworldthatpareddowntheprofitstoanirreducibleminimum，inaworldthatwasabletocountitsdisengagedtonnagetwiceovereveryday，andinwhichleanchartersweresnappedupbycablethreemonthsinadvance，therewerenochancesoffortuneforanindividualwanderinghaphazardwithalittlebark——hardlyindeedanyroomtoexist.

Hefounditmoredifficultfromyeartoyear.Hesuf—

feredgreatlyfromthesmallnessofremittanceshewasabletosendhisdaughter.Meantimehehadgivenupgoodcigars，andeveninthematterofinferiorcherootslimitedhimselftosixaday.Henevertoldherofhisdifficulties，andsheneverenlargeduponherstruggletolive.Theirconfidenceineachotherneedednoex—

planations，andtheirperfectunderstandingenduredwithoutprotestationsofgratitudeorregret.Hewouldhavebeenshockedifshehadtakenitintoherheadtothankhiminsomanywords，buthefounditperfectlynaturalthatsheshouldtellhimsheneededtwohundredpounds.

HehadcomeinwiththeFairMaidinballasttolookforafreightintheSofala’sportofregistry，andherlettermethimthere.Itstenorwasthatitwasnousemincingmatters.Heronlyresourcewasinopeningaboarding—house，forwhichtheprospects，shejudged，weregood.Goodenough，atanyrate，tomakehertellhimfranklythatwithtwohundredpoundsshecouldmakeastart.Hehadtorntheenvelopeopen，hastily，ondeck，whereitwashandedtohimbytheship—

chandler’srunner，whohadbroughthismailatthemo—

mentofanchoring.Forthesecondtimeinhislifehewasappalled，andremainedstock—stillatthecabindoorwiththepapertremblingbetweenhisfingers.Openaboarding—house！Twohundredpoundsforastart！Theonlyresource！Andhedidnotknowwheretolayhishandsontwohundredpence.

AllthatnightCaptainWhalleywalkedthepoopofhisanchoredship，asthoughhehadbeenabouttoclosewiththelandinthickweather，anduncertainofhispositionafterarunofmanygraydayswithoutasightofsun，moon，orstars.Theblacknighttwinkledwiththeguidinglightsofseamenandthesteadystraightlinesoflightsonshore;andallaroundtheFairMaidtheridinglightsofshipscasttremblingtrailsuponthewateroftheroadstead.CaptainWhalleysawnotagleamanywheretillthedawnbrokeandhefoundoutthathisclothingwassoakedthroughwiththeheavydew.

Hisshipwasawake.Hestoppedshort，strokedhiswetbeard，anddescendedthepoopladderbackwards，withtiredfeet.Atthesightofhimthechiefofficer，loungingaboutsleepilyonthequarterdeck，remainedopen—mouthedinthemiddleofagreatearly—morningyawn.

\"Goodmorningtoyou，\"pronouncedCaptainWhal—

leysolemnly，passingintothecabin.Buthecheckedhimselfinthedoorway，andwithoutlookingback，\"Bythebye，\"hesaid，\"thereshouldbeanemptywoodencaseputawayinthelazarette.Ithasnotbeenbrokenup——hasit？\"

Themateshuthismouth，andthenaskedasifdazed，\"Whatemptycase，sir？\"

\"Abigflatpacking—casebelongingtothatpaintinginmyroom.Letitbetakenupondeckandtellthecarpentertolookitover.Imaywanttouseitbeforelong.\"

Thechiefofficerdidnotstiralimbtillhehadheardthedoorofthecaptain’sstate—roomslamwithinthecuddy.Thenhebeckonedaftthesecondmatewithhisforefingertotellhimthattherewassomething\"inthewind.\"

WhenthebellrangCaptainWhalley’sauthoritativevoiceboomedoutthroughacloseddoor，\"Sitdownanddon’twaitforme.\"Andhisimpressedofficerstooktheirplaces，exchanginglooksandwhispersacrossthetable.

What！Nobreakfast？Andafterapparentlyknock—

ingaboutallnightondeck，too！Clearly，therewassomethinginthewind.Intheskylightabovetheirheads，bowedearnestlyovertheplates，threewirecagesrockedandrattledtotherestlessjumpingofthehungrycanaries;andtheycoulddetectthesoundsoftheir\"oldman’s\"deliberatemovementswithinhisstate—room.Cap—

tainWhalleywasmethodicallywindingupthechro—

nometers，dustingtheportraitofhislatewife，gettingacleanwhiteshirtoutofthedrawers，makinghimselfreadyinhispunctiliousunhurriedmannertogoashore.

Hecouldnothaveswallowedasinglemouthfuloffoodthatmorning.HehadmadeuphismindtoselltheFairMaid.

III

JustatthattimetheJapanesewerecastingfarandwideforshipsofEuropeanbuild，andhehadnodiffi—

cultyinfindingapurchaser，aspeculatorwhodroveahardbargain，butpaidcashdownfortheFairMaid，withaviewtoaprofitableresale.ThusitcameaboutthatCaptainWhalleyfoundhimselfonacertainafter—

noondescendingthestepsofoneofthemostimportantpost—officesoftheEastwithaslipofbluishpaperinhishand.Thiswasthereceiptofaregisteredletteren—

closingadraftfortwohundredpounds，andaddressedtoMelbourne.CaptainWhalleypushedthepaperintohiswaistcoat—pocket，tookhisstickfromunderhisarm，andwalkeddownthestreet.

Itwasarecentlyopenedanduntidythoroughfarewithrudimentaryside—walksandasoftlayerofdustcushion—

ingthewholewidthoftheroad.OneendtouchedtheslummystreetofChineseshopsneartheharbor，theotherdrovestraighton，withouthouses，foracoupleofmiles，throughpatchesofjungle—likevegetation，totheyardgatesofthenewConsolidatedDocksCompany.ThecrudefrontagesofthenewGovernmentbuildingsalter—

natedwiththeblankfencingofvacantplots，andtheviewoftheskyseemedtogiveanaddedspaciousnesstothebroadvista.Itwasemptyandshunnedbynativesafterbusinesshours，asthoughtheyhadexpectedtoseeoneofthetigersfromtheneighborhoodoftheNewWaterworksonthehillcomingatalopingcanterdownthemiddletogetaChineseshopkeeperforsupper.Cap—

tainWhalleywasnotdwarfedbythesolitudeofthegrandlyplannedstreet.Hehadtoofineapresenceforthat.Hewasonlyalonelyfigurewalkingpurposefully，withagreatwhitebeardlikeapilgrim，andwithathickstickthatresembledaweapon.OnonesidethenewCourtsofJusticehadalowandunadornedporticoofsquatcolumnshalfconcealedbyafewoldtreesleftintheapproach.OntheotherthepavilionwingsofthenewColonialTreasurycameouttothelineofthestreet.

ButCaptainWhalley，whohadnownoshipandnohome，rememberedinpassingthatonthatverysitewhenhefirstcameoutfromEnglandtherehadstoodafishingvillage，afewmathutserectedonpilesbetweenamuddytidalcreekandamirypathwaythatwentwrithingintoatangledwildernesswithoutanydocksorwaterworks.

Noship——nohome.AndhispoorIvyawaytherehadnohomeeither.Aboarding—houseisnosortofhomethoughitmaygetyoualiving.Hisfeelingswerehorriblyraspedbytheideaoftheboarding—house.Inhisrankoflifehehadthattrulyaristocratictempera—

mentcharacterizedbyascornofvulgargentilityandbyprejudicedviewsastothederogatorynatureofcer—

tainoccupations.Forhisownparthehadalwayspre—

ferredsailingmerchantships（whichisastraight—

forwardoccupation）tobuyingandsellingmerchandise，ofwhichtheessenceistogetthebetterofsomebodyinabargain——anundignifiedtrialofwitsatbest.HisfatherhadbeenColonelWhalley（retired）oftheH.E.I.Com—

pany’sservice，withveryslendermeansbesideshispen—

sion，butwithdistinguishedconnections.Hecouldre—

memberasaboyhowfrequentlywaitersattheinns，coun—

trytradesmenandsmallpeopleofthatsort，usedto\"Mylord\"theoldwarrioronthestrengthofhisappear—

ance.

CaptainWhalleyhimself（hewouldhaveenteredtheNavyifhisfatherhadnotdiedbeforehewasfourteen）

hadsomethingofagrandairwhichwouldhavesuitedanoldandgloriousadmiral;buthebecamelostlikeastrawintheeddyofabrookamongsttheswarmofbrownandyellowhumanityfillingathoroughfare，thatbycontrastwiththevastandemptyavenuehehadleftseemedasnarrowasalaneandabsolutelyriotouswithlife.Thewallsofthehouseswereblue;theshopsoftheChinamenyawnedlikecavernouslairs;heapsofnondescriptmerchandiseoverflowedthegloomofthelongrangeofarcades，andthefieryserenityofsunsettookthemiddleofthestreetfromendtoendwithaglowlikethereflectionofafire.Itfellonthebrightcolorsandthedarkfacesofthebare—footedcrowd，onthepallidyellowbacksofthehalf—nakedjostlingcoolies，ontheaccoutermentsofatallSikhtrooperwithapartedbeardandfiercemustachesonsentrybeforethegateofthepolicecompound.Loomingverybigabovetheheadsinaredhazeofdust，thetightlypackedcarofthecabletramwaynavigatedcautiouslyupthehu—

manstream，withtheincessantblareofitshorn，inthemannerofasteamergropinginafog.

CaptainWhalleyemergedlikeadiverontheotherside，andinthedesertshadebetweenthewallsofclosedwarehousesremovedhishattocoolhisbrow.Acertaindisreputeattachedtothecallingofalandladyofaboarding—house.Thesewomenweresaidtoberapacious，unscrupulous，untruthful;andthoughhecontemnednoclassofhisfellow—creatures——Godforbid！——theseweresuspicionstowhichitwasunseemlythataWhalleyshouldlayherselfopen.Hehadnotexpostulatedwithher，however.Hewasconfidentshesharedhisfeelings;

hewassorryforher;hetrustedherjudgment;hecon—

sidereditamercifuldispensationthathecouldhelpheroncemore，——butinhisaristocraticheartofheartshewouldhavefounditmoreeasytoreconcilehimselftotheideaofherturningseamstress.Vaguelyherememberedreadingyearsagoatouchingpiececalledthe\"SongoftheShirt.\"Itwasallverywellmakingsongsaboutpoorwomen.ThegranddaughterofColonelWhalley，thelandladyofaboarding—house！Pooh！Hereplacedhishat，divedintotwopockets，andstoppingamomenttoapplyaflaringmatchtotheendofacheapcheroot，blewanembitteredcloudofsmokeataworldthatcouldholdsuchsurprises.

Ofonethinghewascertain——thatshewastheownchildofaclevermother.Nowhehadgotoverthewrenchofpartingwithhisship，heperceivedclearlythatsuchastephadbeenunavoidable.Perhapshehadbeengrowingawareofitallalongwithanunconfessedknowledge.Butshe，farawaythere，musthavehadanintuitiveperceptionofit，withtheplucktofacethattruthandthecouragetospeakout——allthequalitieswhichhadmadehermotherawomanofsuchexcellentcounsel.

Itwouldhavehadtocometothatintheend！Itwasfortunateshehadforcedhishand.Inanotheryearortwoitwouldhavebeenanutterlybarrensale.Tokeeptheshipgoinghehadbeeninvolvinghimselfdeepereveryyear.Hewasdefenselessbeforetheinsidiousworkofadversity，towhosemoreopenassaultshecouldpre—

sentafirmfront;likeacliffthatstandsunmovedtheopenbatteringofthesea，withaloftyignoranceofthetreacherousbackwashunderminingitsbase.Asitwas，everyliabilitysatisfied，herrequestanswered，andowingnomanapenny，thereremainedtohimfromthepro—

ceedsasumoffivehundredpoundsputawaysafely.Inadditionhehaduponhispersonsomefortyodddollars——enoughtopayhishotelbill，providinghedidnotlingertoolonginthemodestbedroomwherehehadtakenrefuge.

Scantilyfurnished，andwithawaxedfloor，itopenedintooneoftheside—verandas.Thestragglingbuildingofbricks，asairyasabird—cage，resoundedwiththeincessantflappingofrattanscreensworriedbythewindbetweenthewhite—washedsquarepillarsofthesea—front.

Theroomswerelofty，arippleofsunshineflowedovertheceilings;andtheperiodicalinvasionsoftouristsfromsomepassengersteamerintheharborflittedthroughthewind—sweptduskoftheapartmentswiththetumultoftheirunfamiliarvoicesandimpermanentpresences，likerelaysofmigratoryshadescondemnedtospeedheadlongroundtheearthwithoutleavingatrace.Thebabbleoftheirirruptionsebbedoutassuddenlyasithadarisen;

thedraughtycorridorsandthelongchairsoftheve—

randasknewtheirsight—seeinghurryortheirprostratereposenomore;andCaptainWhalley，substantialanddignified，leftwellnighaloneinthevasthotelbyeachlight—heartedskurry，feltmoreandmorelikeastrandedtouristwithnoaiminview，likeaforlorntravelerwith—

outahome.Inthesolitudeofhisroomhesmokedthoughtfully，gazingatthetwosea—chestswhichheldallthathecouldcallhisowninthisworld.Athickrollofchartsinasheathofsailclothleanedinacorner;theflatpacking—casecontainingtheportraitinoilsandthethreecarbonphotographshadbeenpushedunderthebed.Hewastiredofdiscussingterms，ofassistingatsurveys，ofalltheroutineofthebusiness.Whattotheotherpartieswasmerelythesaleofashipwastohimamomentouseventinvolvingaradicallynewviewofexistence.Heknewthatafterthisshiptherewouldbenoother;andthehopesofhisyouth，theexerciseofhisabilities，everyfeelingandachievementofhisman—

hood，hadbeenindissolublyconnectedwithships.Hehadservedships;hehadownedships;andeventheyearsofhisactualretirementfromtheseahadbeenmadebearablebytheideathathehadonlytostretchouthishandfullofmoneytogetaship.Hehadbeenatlibertytofeelasthoughheweretheownerofalltheshipsintheworld.Thesellingofthisonewaswearywork;butwhenshepassedfromhimatlast，whenhesignedthelastreceipt，itwasasthoughalltheshipshadgoneoutoftheworldtogether，leavinghimontheshoreofinaccessibleoceanswithsevenhundredpoundsinhishands.

Stridingfirmly，withouthaste，alongthequay，CaptainWhalleyavertedhisglancesfromthefamiliarroadstead.

Twogenerationsofseamenbornsincehisfirstdayatseastoodbetweenhimandalltheseshipsattheanchor—

age.Hisownwassold，andhehadbeenaskinghim—

self，Whatnext？

Fromthefeelingofloneliness，ofinwardemptiness，——andoflosstoo，asifhisverysoulhadbeentakenoutofhimforcibly，——therehadsprungatfirstadesiretostartrightoffandjoinhisdaughter.\"Herearethelastpence，\"hewouldsaytoher;\"takethem，mydear.

Andhere’syouroldfather：youmusttakehimtoo.\"

Hissoulrecoiled，asifafraidofwhatlayhiddenatthebottomofthisimpulse.Giveup！Never！Whenoneisthoroughlywearyallsortsofnonsensecomeintoone’shead.Aprettygiftitwouldhavebeenforapoorwoman——thissevenhundredpoundswiththeincumbranceofahaleoldfellowmorethanlikelytolastforyearsandyearstocome.Washenotasfittodieinharnessasanyoftheyoungstersinchargeoftheseanchoredshipsoutyonder？Hewasassolidnowaseverhehadbeen.Butastowhowouldgivehimworktodo，thatwasanothermatter.Werehe，withhisappearanceandantecedents，togoaboutlookingforajunior’sberth，people，hewasafraid，wouldnottakehimseriously;orelseifhesucceededinimpressingthem，hewouldmaybeobtaintheirpity，whichwouldbelikestrippingyour—

selfnakedtobekicked.Hewasnotanxioustogivehimselfawayforlessthannothing.Hehadnouseforanybody’spity.Ontheotherhand，acommand——

theonlythinghecouldtryforwithdueregardforcommondecency——wasnotlikelytobelyinginwaitforhimatthecornerofthenextstreet.Commandsdon’tgoa—beggingnowadays.Eversincehehadcomeashoretocarryoutthebusinessofthesalehehadkepthisearsopen，buthadheardnohintofonebeingvacantintheport.Andeveniftherehadbeenone，hissuc—

cessfulpastitselfstoodinhisway.Hehadbeenhisownemployertoolong.Theonlycredentialhecouldproducewasthetestimonyofhiswholelife.Whatbetterrecommendationcouldanyonerequire？ButvaguelyhefeltthattheuniquedocumentwouldbelookeduponasanarchaiccuriosityoftheEasternwaters，ascreedtracedinobsoletewords——inahalf—for—

gottenlanguage.

IV

Revolvingthesethoughts，hestrolledonneartherail—

ingsofthequay，broad—chested，withoutastoop，asthoughhisbigshouldershadneverfelttheburdenoftheloadsthatmustbecarriedbetweenthecradleandthegrave.Nosinglebetrayingfoldorlineofcaredisfiguredthereposefulmodelingofhisface.Itwasfullanduntanned;andtheupperpartemerged，mas—

sivelyquiet，outofthedownwardflowofsilveryhair，withthestrikingdelicacyofitsclearcomplexionandthepowerfulwidthoftheforehead.Thefirstcastofhisglancefellonyoucandidandswift，likeaboy’s;

butbecauseoftheraggedsnowythatchoftheeyebrowstheaffabilityofhisattentionacquiredthecharacterofadarkandsearchingscrutiny.Withagehehadputonfleshalittle，hadincreasedhisgirthlikeanoldtreepresentingnosymptomsofdecay;andeventheopulent，lustrousrippleofwhitehairsuponhischestseemedanattributeofunquenchablevitalityandvigor.

Onceratherproudofhisgreatbodilystrength，andevenofhispersonalappearance，consciousofhisworth，andfirminhisrectitude，therehadremainedtohim，liketheheritageofdepartedprosperity，thetranquilbearingofamanwhohadprovedhimselffitineverysortofwayforthelifeofhischoice.HestrodeonsquarelyundertheprojectingbrimofanancientPanamahat.Ithadalowcrown，acreasethroughitswholediameter，anarrowblackribbon.Imperishableandalittlediscolored，thisheadgearmadeiteasytopickhimoutfromafaronthrongedwharvesandinthebusystreets.Hehadneveradoptedthecomparativelymodernfashionofpipeclayedcorkhelmets.Hedislikedtheform;andhehopedhecouldmanagetokeepacoolheadtotheendofhislifewithoutallthesecontrivancesforhygienicventilation.Hishairwascroppedclose，hislinenalwaysofimmaculatewhiteness;asuitofthingrayflannel，wornthreadbarebutscrupulouslybrushed，floatedabouthisburlylimbs，addingtohisbulkbytheloosenessofitscut.Theyearshadmellowedthegood—

humored，imperturbableaudacityofhisprimeintoatempercarelesslyserene;andtheleisurelytappingofhisiron—shodstickaccompaniedhisfootfallswithaself—

confidentsoundontheflagstones.Itwasimpossibletoconnectsuchafinepresenceandthisunruffledaspectwiththebelittlingtroublesofpoverty;theman’swholeexistenceappearedtopassbeforeyou，facileandlarge，inthefreedomofmeansasampleastheclothingofhisbody.

Theirrationaldreadofhavingtobreakintohisfivehundredpoundsforpersonalexpensesinthehoteldis—

turbedthesteadypoiseofhismind.Therewasnotimetolose.Thebillwasrunningup.Henourishedthehopethatthisfivehundredwouldperhapsbethemeans，ifeverythingelsefailed，ofobtainingsomeworkwhich，keepinghisbodyandsoultogether（notamatterofgreatoutlay），wouldenablehimtobeofusetohisdaughter.Tohisminditwasherownmoneywhichheemployed，asitwere，inbackingherfatherandsolelyforherbenefit.Onceatwork，hewouldhelpherwiththegreaterpartofhisearnings;hewasgoodformanyyearsyet，andthisboarding—housebusiness，hearguedtohimself，whatevertheprospects，couldnotbemuchofagold—minefromthefirststart.Butwhatwork？Hewasreadytolayholdofanythinginanhonestwaysothatitcamequicklytohishand;becausethefivehun—

dredpoundsmustbepreservedintactforeventualuse.

Thatwasthegreatpoint.Withtheentirefivehundredonefeltasubstanceatone’sback;butitseemedtohimthatshouldheletitdwindletofour—fiftyorevenfour—

eighty，alltheefficiencywouldbegoneoutofthemoney，asthoughthereweresomemagicpowerintheroundfigure.Butwhatsortofwork？

Confrontedbythathauntingquestionasbyanuneasyghost，forwhomhehadnoexorcisingformula，CaptainWhalleystoppedshortontheapexofasmallbridgespanningsteeplythebedofacanalizedcreekwithgraniteshores.Mooredbetweenthesquareblocksasea—

goingMalaypraufloatedhalfhiddenunderthearchofmasonry，withhersparslowereddown，withoutasoundoflifeonboard，andcoveredfromstemtosternwitharidgeofpalm—leafmats.Hehadleftbehindhimtheoverheatedpavementsborderedbythestonefrontagesthat，likethesheerfaceofcliffs，followedthesweepofthequays;andanunconfinedspaciousnessoforderlyandsylvanaspectopenedbeforehimitswideplotsofrolledgrass，likepiecesofgreencarpetsmoothlypeggedout，itslongrangesoftreeslinedupincolossalporticosofdarkshaftsroofedwithavaultofbranches.

Someoftheseavenuesendedatthesea.Itwasater—

racedshore;andbeyond，uponthelevelexpanse，pro—

foundandglisteninglikethegazeofadark—blueeye，anobliquebandofstippledpurplelengtheneditselfin—

definitelythroughthegapbetweenacoupleofverdanttwinislets.Themastsandsparsofafewshipsfaraway，hulldownintheouterroads，sprangstraightfromthewaterinafinemazeofrosylinespenciledontheclearshadowoftheeasternboard.CaptainWhalleygavethemalongglance.Theship，oncehisown，wasanchoredoutthere.Itwasstaggeringtothinkthatitwasopentohimnolongertotakeaboatatthejettyandgethimselfpulledofftoherwhentheeveningcame.

Tonoship.Perhapsnevermore.Beforethesalewasconcluded，andtillthepurchase—moneyhadbeenpaid，hehadspentdailysometimeonboardtheFairMaid.

Themoneyhadbeenpaidthisverymorning，andnow，allatonce，therewaspositivelynoshipthathecouldgoonboardofwhenheliked;noshipthatwouldneedhispresenceinordertodoherwork——tolive.Itseemedanincrediblestateofaffairs，somethingtoobizarretolast.Andtheseawasfullofcraftofallsorts.Therewasthatpraulyingsostillswathedinhershroudofsewnpalm—leaves——shetoohadherindispensableman.

Theylivedthrougheachother，thisMalayhehadneverseen，andthishigh—sternedthingofnosizethatseemedtoberestingafteralongjourney.Andofalltheshipsinsight，nearandfar，eachwasprovidedwithaman，themanwithoutwhomthefinestshipisadeadthing，afloatingandpurposelesslog.

Afterhisoneglanceattheroadsteadhewenton，sincetherewasnothingtoturnbackfor，andthetimemustbegotthroughsomehow.TheavenuesofbigtreesranstraightovertheEsplanade，cuttingeachotheratdi—

verseangles，columnarbelowandluxuriantabove.Theinterlacedboughshighupthereseemedtoslumber;notaleafstirredoverhead：andthereedycast—ironlamp—

postsinthemiddleoftheroad，giltlikescepters，diminishedinalongperspective，withtheirglobesofwhiteporcelainatop，resemblingabarbarousdecorationofostriches’eggsdisplayedinarow.Theflamingskykindledatinycrimsonsparkupontheglisteningsur—

faceofeachglassyshell.

Withhischinsunkalittle，hishandsbehindhisback，andtheendofhisstickmarkingthegravelwithafaintwaveringlineathisheels，CaptainWhalleyreflectedthatifashipwithoutamanwaslikeabodywithoutasoul，asailorwithoutashipwasofnotmuchmoreaccountinthisworldthananaimlesslogadriftuponthesea.Thelogmightbesoundenoughbyitself，toughoffiber，andhardtodestroy——butwhatofthat！Andasuddensenseofirremediableidlenessweightedhisfeetlikeagreatfatigue.

Asuccessionofopencarriagescamebowlingalongthenewlyopenedsea—road.Youcouldseeacrossthewidegrass—plotsthediscsofvibrationmadebythespokes.

Thebrightdomesoftheparasolsswayedlightlyout—

wardslikefull—blownblossomsontherimofavase;andthequietsheetofdark—bluewater，crossedbyabarofpurple，madeabackgroundforthespinningwheelsandthehighactionofthehorses，whilsttheturbanedheadsoftheIndianservantselevatedabovethelineoftheseahorizonglidedrapidlyonthepalerblueofthesky.Inanopenspacenearthelittlebridgeeachturn—outtrottedsmartlyinawidecurveawayfromthesunset;thenpull—

ingupsharp，enteredthemainalleyinalongslow—

movingfilewiththegreatredstillnessoftheskyattheback.Thetrunksofmightytreesstoodalltouchedwithredonthesameside，theairseemedaflameunderthehighfoliage，theverygroundunderthehoofsofthehorseswasred.Thewheelsturnedsolemnly;oneafteranotherthesunshadesdrooped，foldingtheircolorslikegorgeousflowersshuttingtheirpetalsattheendoftheday.Inthewholehalf—mileofhumanbeingsnovoiceutteredadistinctword，onlyafaintthuddingnoisewentonmingledwithslightjinglingsounds，andthemotion—

lessheadsandshouldersofmenandwomensittingincouplesemergedstolidlyabovetheloweredhoods——asifwooden.Butonecarriageandpaircominglatedidnotjointheline.

Itfledalonginanoiselessroll;butonenteringtheavenueoneofthedarkbayssnorted，archinghisneckandshyingagainstthesteel—tippedpole;aflakeoffoamfellfromthebituponthepointofasatinyshoul—

der，andtheduskyfaceofthecoachmanleanedfor—

wardatonceoverthehandstakingafreshgripofthereins.Itwasalongdark—greenlandau，havingadigni—

fiedandbuoyantmotionbetweenthesharplycurvedC—springs，andasortofstrictlyofficialmajestyinitssupremeelegance.Itseemedmoreroomythanisusual，itshorsesseemedslightlybigger，theappointmentsashademoreperfect，theservantsperchedsomewhathigheronthebox.Thedressesofthreewomen——twoyoungandpretty，andone，handsome，large，ofmatureage——seemedtofillcompletelytheshallowbodyofthecarriage.Thefourthfacewasthatofaman，heavylidded，distinguishedandsallow，withasomber，thick，iron—grayimperialandmustaches，whichsomehowhadtheairofsolidappendages.HisExcellency——

Therapidmotionofthatoneequipagemadealltheothersappearutterlyinferior，blighted，andreducedtocrawlpainfullyatasnail’space.Thelandaudistancedthewholefileinasortofsustainedrush;thefeaturesoftheoccupantwhirlingoutofsightleftbehindanimpressionoffixedstaresandimpassivevacancy;andafterithadvanishedinfullflightasitwere，notwith—

standingthelonglineofvehicleshuggingthecurbatawalk，thewholeloftyvistaoftheavenueseemedtolieopenandemptiedoflifeintheenlargedimpressionofanaugustsolitude.

CaptainWhalleyhadliftedhisheadtolook，andhismind，disturbedinitsmeditation，turnedwithwonder（asmen’smindswilldo）tomattersofnoimportance.

Itstruckhimthatitwastothisport，wherehehadjustsoldhislastship，thathehadcomewiththeveryfirsthehadeverowned，andwithhisheadfullofaplanforopeninganewtradewithadistantpartoftheArchipelago.Thethengovernorhadgivenhimnoendofencouragement.NoExcellencyhe——thisMr.Den—

ham——thisgovernorwithhisjacketoff;amanwhotendednightandday，sotospeak，thegrowingpros—

perityofthesettlementwiththeself—forgetfuldevotionofanurseforachildsheloves;alonebachelorwholivedasinacampwiththefewservantsandhisthreedogsinwhatwascalledthentheGovernmentBungalow：

alow—roofedstructureonthehalf—clearedslopeofahill，withanewflagstaffinfrontandapoliceorderlyontheveranda.Herememberedtoilingupthathillunderaheavysunforhisaudience;theunfurnishedaspectofthecoolshadedroom;thelongtablecoveredatoneendwithpilesofpapers，andwithtwoguns，abrasstelescope，asmallbottleofoilwithafeatherstuckintheneckattheother——andtheflatteringattentiongiventohimbythemaninpower.Itwasanunder—

takingfullofriskhehadcometoexpound，butatwentyminutes’talkintheGovernmentBungalowonthehillhadmadeitgosmoothlyfromthestart.AndashewasretiringMr.Denham，alreadyseatedbeforethepapers，calledoutafterhim，\"NextmonththeDidostartsforacruisethatway，andIshallrequesthercaptainofficiallytogiveyoualookinandseehowyougeton.\"TheDidowasoneofthesmartfrigatesontheChinastation——andfive—and—thirtyyearsmakeabigsliceoftime.Five—and—thirtyyearsagoanenterpriselikehishadforthecolonyenoughimportancetobelookedafterbyaQueen’sship.Abigsliceoftime.

Individualswereofsomeaccountthen.Menlikehim—

self;men，too，likepoorEvans，forinstance，withhisredface，hiscoal—blackwhiskers，andhisrestlesseyes，whohadsetupthefirstpatentslipforrepairingsmallships，ontheedgeoftheforest，inalonelybaythreemilesupthecoast.Mr.Denhamhadencouragedthatenterprisetoo，andyetsomehowpoorEvanshadendedbydyingathomedeucedlyhardup.Hisson，theysaid，wassqueezingoiloutofcocoa—nutsforalivingonsomeGod—forsakenisletoftheIndianOcean;butitwasfromthatpatentslipinalonelywoodedbaythathadsprungtheworkshopsoftheConsolidatedDocksCompany，withitsthreegravingbasinscarvedoutofsolidrock，itswharves，itsjetties，itselectric—lightplant，itssteam—

powerhouses——withitsgiganticsheer—legs，fittolifttheheaviestweightevercarriedafloat，andwhoseheadcouldbeseenlikethetopofaqueerwhitemonumentpeepingoverbushypointsoflandandsandypromontories，asyouapproachedtheNewHarborfromthewest.

Therehadbeenatimewhenmencounted：therewerenotsomanycarriagesinthecolonythen，thoughMr.

Denham，hefancied，hadabuggy.AndCaptainWhal—

leyseemedtobesweptoutofthegreatavenuebytheswirlofamentalbackwash.Herememberedmuddyshores，aharborwithoutquays，theonesolitarywoodenpier（butthatwasapublicwork）juttingoutcrookedly，thefirstcoal—shedserectedonMonkeyPoint，thatcaughtfiremysteriouslyandsmolderedfordays，sothatamazedshipscameintoaroadsteadfullofsulphuroussmoke，andthesunhungblood—redatmidday.Here—

memberedthethings，thefaces，andsomethingmorebesides——likethefaintflavorofacupquaffedtothebottom，likeasubtlesparkleoftheairthatwasnottobefoundintheatmosphereofto—day.

Inthisevocation，swiftandfullofdetaillikeaflashofmagnesiumlightintothenichesofadarkmemorialhall，CaptainWhalleycontemplatedthingsonceimpor—

tant，theeffortsofsmallmen，thegrowthofagreatplace，butnowrobbedofallconsequencebythegreat—

nessofaccomplishedfacts，byhopesgreaterstill;andtheygavehimforamomentsuchanalmostphysicalgripupontime，suchacomprehensionofourunchange—

ablefeelings，thathestoppedshort，struckthegroundwithhisstick，andejaculatedmentally，\"WhatthedevilamIdoinghere！\"Heseemedlostinasortofsurprise;

butheheardhisnamecalledoutinwheezytonesonce，twice——andturnedonhisheelsslowly.

Hebeheldthen，waddlingtowardshimautocratically，amanofanold—fashionedandgoutyaspect，withhairaswhiteashisown，butwithshaved，floridcheeks，wear—

inganecktie——almostaneckcloth——whosestiffendspro—

jectedfarbeyondhischin;withroundlegs，roundarms，aroundbody，aroundface——generallyproducingtheeffectofhisshortfigurehavingbeendistendedbymeansofanair—pumpasmuchastheseamsofhisclothingwouldstand.ThiswastheMaster—Attendantoftheport.Amaster—attendantisasuperiorsortofharbor—

master;aperson，outintheEast，ofsomeconsequenceinhissphere;aGovernmentofficial，amagistrateforthewatersoftheport，andpossessedofvastbutill—

defineddisciplinaryauthorityoverseamenofallclasses.

ThisparticularMaster—Attendantwasreportedtocon—

sideritmiserablyinadequate，onthegroundthatitdidnotincludethepoweroflifeanddeath.Thiswasajocularexaggeration.CaptainEliottwasfairlysatis—

fiedwithhisposition，andnursednoinconsiderablesenseofsuchpowerashehad.Hisconceitedandtyrannicaldispositiondidnotallowhimtoletitdwindleinhishandsforwantofuse.Theuproarious，cholericfrank—

nessofhiscommentsonpeople’scharacterandconductcausedhimtobefearedatbottom;thoughinconversa—

tionmanypretendednottomindhimintheleast，otherswouldonlysmilesourlyatthementionofhisname，andtherewereevensomewhodaredtopronouncehim\"ameddlesomeoldruffian.\"ButforalmostallofthemoneofCaptainEliott’soutbreakswasnearlyasdistaste—

fultofaceasachanceofannihilation.

V

Assoonashehadcomeupquiteclosehesaid，mouth—

inginagrowl——

\"What’sthisIhear，Whalley？Isittrueyou’resell—

ingtheFairMaid？\"

CaptainWhalley，lookingaway，saidthethingwasdone——moneyhadbeenpaidthatmorning;andtheotherexpressedatoncehisapprobationofsuchanextremelysensibleproceeding.Hehadgotoutofhistraptostretchhislegs，heexplained，onhiswayhometodinner.

SirFredericklookedwellattheendofhistime.Didn’the？

CaptainWhalleycouldnotsay;hadonlynoticedthecarriagegoingpast.

TheMaster—Attendant，plunginghishandsintothepocketsofanalpacajacketinappropriatelyshortandtightforamanofhisageandappearance，struttedwithaslightlimp，andwithhisheadreachingonlytotheshoulderofCaptainWhalley，whowalkedeasily，staringstraightbeforehim.Theyhadbeengoodcom—

radesyearsago，almostintimates.AtthetimewhenWhalleycommandedtherenownedCondor，EliotthadchargeofthenearlyasfamousRingdoveforthesameowners;andwhentheappointmentofMaster—Attendantwascreated，Whalleywouldhavebeentheonlyotherseriouscandidate.ButCaptainWhalley，thenintheprimeoflife，wasresolvedtoservenoonebuthisownauspiciousFortune.Faraway，tendinghishotirons，hewasgladtoheartheotherhadbeensuccessful.TherewasaworldlysupplenessinbluffNedEliottthatwouldservehimwellinthatsortofofficialappointment.AndtheyweresodissimilaratbottomthatastheycameslowlytotheendoftheavenuebeforetheCathedral，ithadnevercomeintoWhalley’sheadthathemighthavebeeninthatman’splace——providedfortotheendofhisdays.

Thesacrededifice，standinginsolemnisolationamongsttheconvergingavenuesofenormoustrees，asiftoputgravethoughtsofheavenintothehoursofease，pre—

sentedaclosedGothicportaltothelightandgloryofthewest.Theglassoftherosaceabovetheogiveglowedlikefierycoalinthedeepcarvingsofawheelofstone.

Thetwomenfacedabout.

\"I’lltellyouwhattheyoughttodonext，Whalley，\"

growledCaptainEliottsuddenly.

\"Well？\"

\"TheyoughttosendareallivelordoutherewhenSirFrederick’stimeisup.Eh？\"

CaptainWhalleyperfunctorilydidnotseewhyalordoftherightsortshouldnotdoaswellasanyoneelse.

Butthiswasnottheother’spointofview.

\"No，no.Placerunsitself.Nothingcanstopitnow.

Goodenoughforalord，\"hegrowledinshortsentences.

\"Lookatthechangesinourtime.Weneedalordherenow.TheyhavegotalordinBombay.\"

HedinedonceortwiceeveryyearattheGovernmentHouse——amany—windowed，arcadedpalaceuponahilllaidoutinroadsandgardens.AndlatelyhehadbeentakingaboutadukeinhisMaster—Attendant’ssteam—

launchtovisittheharborimprovements.Beforethathehad\"mostobligingly\"goneoutinpersontopickoutagoodberthfortheducalyacht.Afterwardshehadaninvitationtolunchonboard.Theduchessher—

selflunchedwiththem.Abigwomanwitharedface.

Complexionquitesunburnt.Heshouldthinkruined.

Verygraciousmanners.TheyweregoingontoJapan

HeejaculatedthesedetailsforCaptainWhalley’sedi—

fication，pausingtoblowouthischeeksasifwithapent—upsenseofimportance，andrepeatedlyprotrudinghisthicklipstillthebluntcrimsonendofhisnoseseemedtodipintothemilkofhismustache.Theplaceranitself;itwasfitforanylord;itgavenotroubleexceptinitsMarinedepartment——initsMarinedepartmentherepeatedtwice，andafteraheavysnortbegantorelatehowtheotherdayherMajesty’sConsul—GeneralinFrenchCochin—Chinahadcabledtohim——inhisofficialcapacity——askingforaqualifiedmantobesentovertotakechargeofaGlasgowshipwhosemasterhaddiedinSaigon.