ingrobes，sittinglikeaBiblicalfigure，incongruously，onayellowtintrunkcordedwitharopeoftwistedrattan.Thefather，unmoved，putouthishandtopatthelittleshavenpollprotectingly.
XI
Sternecrossedthedeckuponthetrackofthechiefengineer.Jack，thesecond，retreatingbackwardsdowntheengine—roomladder，andstillwipinghishands，treatedhimtoanincomprehensiblegrinofwhiteteethoutofhisgrimyhardface;Massywasnowheretobeseen.Hemusthavegonestraightintohisberth.
Sternescratchedatthedoorsoftly，then，puttinghislipstotheroseoftheventilator，said——
\"Imustspeaktoyou，Mr.Massy.Justgivemeaminuteortwo.\"
\"Iambusy.Goawayfrommydoor.\"
\"Butpray，Mr.Massy\"
\"Yougoaway.D’youhear？Takeyourselfoffalto—
gether——totheotherendoftheship——quiteaway\"
Thevoiceinsidedroppedlow.\"Tothedevil.\"
Sternepaused：thenveryquietly——
\"It’sratherpressing.Whendoyouthinkyouwillbeatliberty，sir？\"
Theanswertothiswasanexasperated\"Never\";andatonceSterne，withaveryfirmexpressionofface，turnedthehandle.
Mr.Massy’sstateroom——anarrow，one—berthcabin——
smeltstronglyofsoap，andpresentedtoviewaswept，dusted，unadornedneatness，notsomuchbareasbarren，notsomuchsevereasstarvedandlackinginhumanity，likethewardofapublichospital，orrather（owingtothesmallsize）likethecleanretreatofadesperatelypoorbutexemplaryperson.Notasinglephotographframeornamentedthebulkheads;notasinglearticleofclothing，notasmuchasasparecap，hungfromthebrasshooks.Alltheinsidewaspaintedinoneplaintintofpaleblue;twobigsea—chestsinsailclothcoversandwithironpadlocksfittedexactlyinthespaceunderthebunk.Oneglancewasenoughtoembraceallthestripofscrubbedplankswithinthefourunconcealedcorners.Theabsenceoftheusualsetteewasstriking;
theteak—woodtopofthewashing—standseemedhermeti—
callyclosed，andsowasthelidofthewriting—desk，whichprotrudedfromthepartitionatthefootofthebed—place，containingamattressasthinasapancakeunderathreadbareblanketwithafadedredstripe，andafoldedmosquito—netagainstthenightsspentinharbor.
Therewasnotascrapofpaperanywhereinsight，nobootsonthefloor，nolitterofanysort，notaspeckofdustanywhere;notracesofpipe—asheven，which，inaheavysmoker，wasmorallyrevolting，likeamanifesta—
tionofextremehypocrisy;andthebottomoftheoldwoodenarm—chair（theonlyseatthere），polishedwithmuchuse，shoneasifitsshabbinesshadbeenwaxed.
Thescreenofleavesonthebank，passingasifunrolledendlesslyintheroundopeningoftheport，sentawaver—
ingnetworkoflightandshadeintotheplace.
Sterne，holdingthedooropenwithonehand，hadthrustinhisheadandshoulders.AtthisamazingintrusionMassy，whowasdoingabsolutelynothing，jumpedupspeechless.
\"Don’tcallnames，\"murmuredSternehurriedly.\"I
won’tbecallednames.Ithinkofnothingbutyourgood，Mr.Massy.\"
Apauseasofextremeastonishmentfollowed.Theybothseemedtohavelosttheirtongues.Thenthematewentonwithadiscreetglibness.
\"Yousimplycouldn’tconceivewhat’sgoingononboardyourship.Itwouldn’tenteryourheadforamoment.Youaretoogood——too——tooupright，Mr.
Massy，tosuspectanybodyofsuchaIt’senoughtomakeyourhairstandonend.\"
Hewatchedfortheeffect：Massyseemeddazed，un—
comprehending.Heonlypassedthepalmofhishandonthecoal—blackwispsplasteredacrossthetopofhishead.Inatonesuddenlychangedtoconfidentialau—
dacitySternehastenedon.
\"Rememberthatthere’sonlysixweekslefttorun\"Theotherwaslookingathimstonily
\"soanyhowyoushallrequireacaptainfortheshipbeforelong.\"
Thenonly，asifthatsuggestionhadscarifiedhisfleshinthemannerofred—hotiron，Massygaveastartandseemedreadytoshriek.Hecontainedhimselfbyagreateffort.
\"Requireacaptain，\"herepeatedwithscathingslow—
ness.\"Whorequiresacaptain？YoudaretotellmethatIneedanyofyouhumbuggingsailorstorunmyship.Youandyourlikeshavebeenfatteningonmeforyears.Itwouldhavehurtmelesstothrowmymoneyoverboard.Pam——pe——redus——e——lessf—f—f—frauds.Theoldshipknowsasmuchasthebestofyou.\"Hesnappedhisteethaudiblyandgrowledthroughthem，\"Thesillylawrequiresacaptain.\"
Sternehadtakenheartofgracemeantime.
\"Andthesillyinsurancepeopletoo，aswell，\"hesaidlightly.\"Butnevermindthat.WhatIwanttoaskis：Whyshouldn’t_I_do，sir？Idon’tsaybutyoucouldtakeasteamerabouttheworldaswellasanyofussailors.Idon’tpretendtotellYOUthatitisaverygreattrick\"Heemittedashort，hollowguffaw，familiarly\"Ididn’tmakethelaw——butthereitis;andIamanactiveyoungfellow！Iquiteholdwithyourideas;Iknowyourwaysbythistime，Mr.Massy.
Iwouldn’ttrytogivemyselfairslikethat——that——erlazyspecimenofanoldmanupthere.\"
Heputamarkedemphasisonthelastsentence，toleadMassyawayfromthetrackincasebuthedidnotdoubtofnowholdinghissuccess.Thechiefengineerseemednonplused，likeaslowmaninvitedtocatchholdofawhirligigofsomesort.
\"Whatyouwant，sir，isachapwithnononsenseabouthim，whowouldbecontenttobeyoursailing—master.
Quiteright，too.Well，IamfitfortheworkasmuchasthatSerang.Becausethat’swhatitamountsto.
Doyouknow，sir，thatadam’Malaylikeamonkeyisinchargeofyourship——andnooneelse.Justlistentohisfeetpit—pattingaboveusonthebridge——realofficerincharge.He’stakingheruptheriverwhilethegreatmaniswallowinginthechair——perhapsasleep;
andifheis，thatwouldnotmakeitmuchworseeither——
takemywordforit.\"
Hetriedtothrusthimselffartherin.Massy，withloweredforehead，onehandgraspingthebackofthearm—chair，didnotbudge.
\"Youthink，sir，thatthemanhasgotyoutightinhisagreement\"Massyraisedaheavysnarlingfaceatthis\"Well，sir，onecan’thelphearingofitonboard.It’snosecret.Andithasbeenthetalkonshoreforyears;fellowshavebeenmakingbetsaboutit.No，sir！It’sYOUwhohavegothimatyourmercy.Youwillsaythatyoucan’tdismisshimforindolence.Difficulttoproveincourt，andsoon.Why，yes.Butifyousaytheword，sir，Icantellyousome—
thingabouthisindolencethatwillgiveyoutheclearrighttofirehimoutonthespotandputmeinchargefortherestofthisverytrip——yes，sir，beforeweleaveBatuBeru——andmakehimpayadollaradayforhiskeeptillwegetback，ifyoulike.Now，whatdoyouthinkofthat？Come，sir.Saytheword.It’sreallywellworthyourwhile，andIamquitereadytotakeyourbareword.Adefinitestatementfromyouwouldbeasgoodasabond.\"
Hiseyesbegantoshine.Heinsisted.Asimplestate—
ment，——andhethoughttohimselfthathewouldman—
agesomehowtostickinhisberthaslongasitsuitedhim.Hewouldmakehimselfindispensable;theshiphadabadnameinherport;itwouldbeeasytoscarethefellowsoff.Massywouldhavetokeephim.
\"Adefinitestatementfrommewouldbeenough，\"
Massyrepeatedslowly.
\"Yes，sir.Itwould.\"Sternestuckouthischincheerilyandblinkedatclosequarterswiththatuncon—
sciousimpudencewhichhadthepowertoenrageMassybeyondanything.
Theengineerspokeverydistinctly.
\"Listenwelltome，then，Mr.Sterne：Iwouldn’t——
d’yehear？——Iwouldn’tpromiseyouthevalueoftwopenceforanythingYOUcantellme.\"
HestruckSterne’sarmawaywithasmartblow，andcatchingholdofthehandlepulledthedoorto.Theterrificslamdarkenedthecabininstantaneouslytohiseyeasifaftertheflashofanexplosion.Atoncehedroppedintothechair.\"Oh，no！Youdon’t！\"hewhisperedfaintly.
Theshiphadinthatplacetoshavethebanksoclosethatthegiganticwallofleavescameglidinglikeashutteragainsttheport;thedarknessoftheprimevalforestseemedtoflowintothatbarecabinwiththeodorofrottingleaves，ofsoddensoil——thestrongmuddysmellofthelivingearthsteaminguncoveredafterthepass—
ingofadeluge.Thebushesswishedloudlyalongside;
abovetherewasaseriesofcracklingsounds，withasharprainofsmallbrokenbranchesfallingonthebridge;acreeperwithagreatrustlesnappedontheheadofaboatdavit，andalong，luxuriantgreentwigactuallywhippedinandoutoftheopenport，leavingbehindafewtornleavesthatremainedsuddenlyatrestonMr.Massy’sblanket.Then，theshipsheeringoutinthestream，thelightbegantoreturnbutdidnotaugmentbeyondasubduedclearness：forthesunwasverylowalready，andtheriver，wendingitssinuouscoursethroughamultitudeofseculartreesasifatthebottomofaprecipitousgorge，hadbeenalreadyin—
vadedbyadeepeninggloom——theswiftprecursorofthenight.
\"Oh，no，youdon’t！\"murmuredtheengineeragain.
Hislipstrembledalmostimperceptibly;hishandstoo，alittle：andtocalmhimselfheopenedthewriting—desk，spreadoutasheetofthingrayishpapercoveredwithamassofprintedfiguresandbegantoscanthemat—
tentivelyforthetwentiethtimethistripatleast.
Withhiselbowspropped，hisheadbetweenhishands，heseemedtolosehimselfinthestudyofanabstruseprobleminmathematics.Itwasthelistofthewinningnumbersfromthelastdrawingofthegreatlotterywhichhadbeentheoneinspiringfactofsomanyyearsofhisexistence.Theconceptionofalifedeprivedofthatperiodicalsheetofpaperhadslippedawayfromhimentirely，asanotherman，accordingtohisnature，wouldnothavebeenabletoconceiveaworldwithoutfreshair，withoutactivity，orwithoutaffection.A
greatpileofflimsysheetshadbeengrowingforyearsinhisdesk，whiletheSofala，drivenbythefaithfulJack，woreoutherboilersintrampingupanddowntheStraits，fromcapetocape，fromrivertoriver，frombaytobay;accumulatingbythathardlaborofanoverworked，starvedshiptheblackenedmassofthesedocuments.Massykeptthemunderlockandkeylikeatreasure.Therewasinthem，asintheexperienceoflife，thefascinationofhope，theexcitementofahalf—
penetratedmystery，thelongingofahalf—satisfieddesire.
Fordaystogether，onatrip，hewouldshuthimselfupinhisberthwiththem：thethumpofthetoilingenginespulsatedinhisear;andhewouldwearyhisbrainporingovertherowsofdisconnectedfigures，be—
wilderingbytheirsenselesssequence，resemblingthehazardsofdestinyitself.Henourishedaconvictionthattheremustbesomelogiclurkingsomewhereintheresultsofchance.Hethoughthehadseenitsveryform.Hisheadswam;hislimbsached;hepuffedathispipemechanically;acontemplativestuporwouldsoothethefretfulnessofhistemper，likethepassivebodilyquietudeprocuredbyadrug，whiletheintellectremainstenselyonthestretch.Nine，nine，aught，four，two.Hemadeanote.Thenextwinningnumberofthegreatprizewasforty—seventhousandandfive.ThesenumbersofcoursewouldhavetobeavoidedinthefuturewhenwritingtoManillaforthetickets.Hemumbled，pencilinhand\"andfive.Hmhm.\"Hewettedhisfinger：thepapersrustled.Ha！Butwhat’sthis？Threeyearsago，intheSeptemberdrawing，itwasnumbernine，aught，four，twothattookthefirstprize.Mostremarkable.Therewasahintthereofadefiniterule！Hewasafraidofmissingsomereconditeprincipleintheoverwhelmingwealthofhismaterial.
Whatcoulditbe？andforhalfanhourhewouldremaindeadstill，bentlowoverthedesk，withouttwitchingamuscle.Athisbackthewholeberthwouldbethickwithaheavybodyofsmoke，asifabombhadburstinthere，unnoticed，unheard.
Atlasthewouldlockupthedeskwiththedecisionofunshakenconfidence，jumpandgoout.Hewouldwalkswiftlybackandforthonthatpartoftheforedeckwhichwaskeptclearofthelumberandofthebodiesofthenativepassengers.Theywereagreatnuisance，buttheywerealsoasourceofprofitthatcouldnotbedis—
dained.HeneededeverypennyofprofittheSofalacouldmake.Littleenoughitwas，inallconscience！
Theincertitudeofchancegavehimnoconcern，sincehehadsomehowarrivedattheconvictionthat，inthecourseofyears，everynumberwasboundtohavehiswinningturn.Itwassimplyamatteroftimeandoftakingasmanyticketsashecouldaffordforeverydrawing.Hegenerallytookrathermore;alltheearn—
ingsoftheshipwentthatway，andalsothewagesheallowedhimselfaschiefengineer.Itwasthewageshepaidtoothersthathebegrudgedwithareasonedandatthesametimeapassionateregret.Hescowledatthelascarswiththeirdeckbrooms，atthequarter—
mastersrubbingthebrassrailswithgreasyrags;hewaseagertoshakehisfistandroarabuseinbadMalayatthepoorcarpenter——atimid，sickly，opium—fuddledChinaman，inloosebluedrawersforallcostume，whoinvariablydroppedhistoolsandfledbelow，withstream—
ingtailandshakingallover，beforethefuryofthat\"devil.\"Butitwaswhenheraiseduphiseyestothebridgewhereoneofthesesailorfraudswasalwaysplantedbylawinchargeofhisshipthathefeltalmostdizzywithrage.Heabominatedthemall;itwasanoldfeud，fromthetimehefirstwenttosea，anun—
lickedcubwithagreatopinionofhimself，intheengine—room.Theslightsthathadbeenputuponhim.
Thepersecutionshehadsufferedatthehandsofskip—
pers——ofabsolutenobodiesinasteamshipafterall.
Andnowthathehadrisentobeashipownertheywerestillaplaguetohim：hehadabsolutelytopayawaypreciousmoneytotheconceiteduselessloafers：——Asifafullyqualifiedengineer——whowastheowneraswell——
werenotfittobetrustedwiththewholechargeofaship.Well！hemadeitprettywarmforthem;butitwasapoorconsolation.Hehadcomeintimetohatetheshiptoofortherepairssherequired，forthecoal—
billshehadtopay，forthepoorbeggarlyfreightssheearned.Hewouldclenchhishandashewalkedandhittherailasuddenblow，viciously，asthoughshecouldbemadetofeelpain.Andyethecouldnotdowithouter;heneededher;hemusthangontohertoothandnailtokeephisheadabovewatertilltheexpectedfloodoffortunecamesweepingupandlandedhimsafelyonthehighshoreofhisambition.
Itwasnowtodonothing，nothingwhatever，andhaveplentyofmoneytodoiton.Hehadtastedofpower，thehighestformofithislimitedexperiencewasawareof——thepowerofshipowning.Whatadeception！
Vanityofvanities！Hewonderedathisfolly.Hehadthrownawaythesubstancefortheshadow.Ofthegratificationofwealthhedidnotknowenoughtoexcitehisimaginationwithanyvisionsofluxury.Howcouldhe——thechildofadrunkenboiler—maker——goingstraightfromtheworkshopintotheengine—roomofanorth—countrycollier！Butthenotionoftheabsoluteidlenessofwealthhecouldverywellconceive.Hereveledinit，toforgethispresenttroubles;heimaginedhimselfwalkingaboutthestreetsofHull（heknewtheirgutterswellasaboy）withhispocketsfullofsov—
ereigns.Hewouldbuyhimselfahouse;hismarriedsisters，theirhusbands，hisoldworkshopchums，wouldrenderhiminfinitehomage.Therewouldbenothingtothinkof.Hiswordwouldbelaw.Hehadbeenoutofworkforalongtimebeforehewonhisprize，andherememberedhowCarloMariani（commonlyknownasPaunchyCharley），theMaltesehotel—keeperattheslummyendofDenhamStreet，hadcringedjoyfullybeforehimintheevening，whenthenewshadcome.
PoorCharley，thoughhemadehislivingbyministeringtovariousabjectvices，gavecreditfortheirfoodtomanyapieceofwhitewreckage.Hewasnaivelyover—
joyedattheideaofhisoldbillsbeingpaid，andhereckonedconfidentlyonaspelloffestivitiesinthecavernousgrog—shopdownstairs.Massyrememberedthecurious，respectfullooksofthe\"trashy\"whitemenintheplace.Hishearthadswelledwithinhim.MassyhadleftCharley’sinfamousdendirectlyhehadrealizedthepossibilitiesopentohim，andwithhisnoseintheair.
Afterwardsthememoryoftheseadulationswasagreatsadness.
Thiswasthetruepowerofmoney，——andnotroublewithit，noranythinkingrequiredeither.Hethoughtwithdifficultyandfeltvividly;tohisbluntbraintheproblemsofferedbyanyorderedschemeoflifeseemedintheircrueltoughnesstohavebeenputinhiswaybytheobviousmalevolenceofmen.Asashipownereveryonehadconspiredtomakehimanobody.Howcouldhehavebeensuchafoolastopurchasethatac—
cursedship.Hehadbeenabominablyswindled;therewasnoendtothisswindling;andasthedifficultiesofhisimprovidentambitiongatheredthickerroundhim，hereallycametohateeverybodyhehadevercomeincon—
tactwith.Atempernaturallyirritableandanamazingsensitivenesstotheclaimsofhisownpersonalityhadendedbymakingoflifeforhimasortofinferno——aplacewherehislostsoulhadbeengivenuptothetor—
mentofsavagebrooding.
Buthehadneverhatedanyonesomuchasthatoldmanwhohadturneduponeeveningtosavehimfromanutterdisaster，——fromtheconspiracyofthewretchedsailors.Heseemedtohavefallenonboardfromthesky.Hisfootstepsechoedontheemptysteamer，andthestrangedeep—tonedvoiceondeckrepeatinginter—
rogativelythewords，\"Mr.Massy，Mr.Massythere？\"
hadbeenstartlinglikeawonder.Andcomingupfromthedepthsofthecoldengine—room，wherehehadbeenpotteringdismallywithacandleamongsttheenormousshadows，thrownonallsidesbytheskeletonlimbsofma—
chinery，Massyhadbeenstruckdumbbyastonishmentinthepresenceofthatimposingoldmanwithabeardlikeasilverplate，toweringintheduskrenderedluridbytheexpiringflamesofsunset.
\"Wanttoseemeonbusiness？Whatbusiness？Iamdoingnobusiness.Can’tyouseethatthisshipislaidup？\"Massyhadturnedatbaybeforethepursuingironyofhisdisaster.Afterwardshecouldnotbelievehisears.Whatwasthatoldfellowgettingat？Thingsdon’thappenthatway.Itwasadream.Hewouldpresentlywakeupandfindthemanvanishedlikeashapeofmist.Thegravity，thedignity，thefirmandcourteoustoneofthatathleticoldstrangerimpressedMassy.Hewasalmostafraid.Butitwasnodream.
Fivehundredpoundsarenodream.Atoncehebecamesuspicious.Whatdiditmean？Ofcourseitwasanoffertocatchholdoffordearlife.Butwhatcouldtherebebehind？
Beforetheyhadparted，afterappointingameetinginasolicitor’sofficeearlyonthemorrow，Massywasaskinghimself，Whatishismotive？Hespentthenightinhammeringouttheclausesoftheagreement——auniqueinstrumentofitssortwhosetenorgotbruitedabroadsomehowandbecamethetalkandwonderoftheport.
Massy’sobjecthadbeentosecureforhimselfasmanywaysaspossibleofgettingridofhispartnerwithoutbeingcalleduponatoncetopaybackhisshare.Cap—
tainWhalley’seffortsweredirectedtomakingthemoneysecure.WasitnotIvy’smoney——apartofherfortunewhoseonlyotherassetwasthetime—defyingbodyofheroldfather？Sureofhisforbearanceinthestrengthofhisloveforher，heaccepted，withstatelyserenity，Massy’sstupidlycunningparagraphsagainsthisin—
competence，hisdishonesty，hisdrunkenness，forthesakeofotherstringentstipulations.Attheendofthreeyearshewasatlibertytowithdrawfromthepartner—
ship，takinghismoneywithhim.Provisionwasmadeforformingafundtopayhimoff.ButifhelefttheSofalabeforetheterm，fromwhatevercause（barringdeath），Massywastohaveawholeyearforpaying.
\"Illness？\"thelawyerhadsuggested：ayoungmanfreshfromEuropeandnotoverburdenedwithbusiness，whowasratheramused.Massybegantowhineunctu—
ously，\"Howcouldhebeexpected？\"
\"Letthatgo，\"CaptainWhalleyhadsaidwithasuperbconfidenceinhisbody.\"ActsofGod，\"headded.Inthemidstoflifeweareindeath，buthetrustedhisMakerwithastillgreaterfearlessness——hisMakerwhoknewhisthoughts，hishumanaffections，andhismotives.HisCreatorknewwhatusehewasmakingofhishealth——howmuchhewantedit\"Itrustmyfirstillnesswillbemylast.I’veneverbeenillthatIcanremember，\"hehadremarked.\"Letitgo.\"
ButatthisearlystagehehadalreadyawakenedMassy’shostilitybyrefusingtomakeitsixhundredinsteadoffive.\"Icannotdothat，\"wasallhehadsaid，simply，butwithsomuchdecisionthatMassydesistedatoncefrompressingthepoint，buthadthoughttohimself，\"Can’t！Oldcurmudgeon.WON’T！Hemusthavelotsofmoney，buthewouldliketogetholdofasoftberthandthesixthpartofmyprofitsfornothingifheonlycould.\"
AndduringtheseyearsMassy’sdislikegrewundertherestraintofsomethingresemblingfear.Thesimplicityofthatmanappeareddangerous.Oflatehehadchanged，however，hadappearedlessformidableandwithalessenedvigoroflife，asthoughhehadreceivedasecretwound.Butstillheremainedincomprehensibleinhissimplicity，fearlessness，andrectitude.AndwhenMassylearnedthathemeanttoleavehimattheendofthetime，toleavehimconfrontedwiththeproblemofboilers，hisdislikeblazedupsecretlyintohate.
Ithadmadehimsoclear—eyedthatforalongtimenowMr.Sternecouldhavetoldhimnothinghedidnotknow.Hehadmuchadointryingtoterrorizethatmeansneakintosilence;hewantedtodealalonewiththesituation;and——incredibleasitmighthaveap—
pearedtoMr.Sterne——hehadnotyetgivenupthede—
sireandthehopeofinducingthathatedoldmantostay.Why！therewasnothingelsetodo，unlessheweretoabandonhischancesoffortune.Butnow，suddenly，sincethecrossingofthebaratBatuBeruthingsseemedtobecomingrapidlytoapoint.Itdisquietedhimsomuchthatthestudyofthewinningnumbersfailedtosoothehisagitation：andthetwilightinthecabindeepened，verysomber.
Heputthelistaway，mutteringoncemore，\"Oh，no，myboy，youdon’t.NotifIknowit.\"Hedidnotmeantheblinking，eavesdroppinghumbugtoforcehisaction.Hetookhisheadagainintohishands;hisim—
mobilityconfinedinthedarknessofthisshut—uplittleplaceseemedtomakehimathingapartinfinitelyre—
movedfromthestirandthesoundsofthedeck.
Heheardthem：thepassengerswerebeginningtojabberexcitedly;somebodydraggedaheavyboxpasthisdoor.HeheardCaptainWhalley’svoiceabove——
\"Stations，Mr.Sterne.\"Andtheanswerfromsome—
whereondeckforward——
\"Ay，ay，sir.\"
\"Weshallmoorheadupstreamthistime;theebbhasmade.\"
\"Headupstream，sir.\"
\"Youwillseetoit，Mr.Sterne.\"
Theanswerwascoveredbytheautocraticclangontheengine—roomgong.Thepropellerwentonbeatingslowly：one，two，three;one，two，three——withpausesasifhesitatingontheturn.Thegongclangedtimeaftertime，andthewaterchurnedthiswayandthatbythebladeswasmakingagreatnoisycommotionalongside.
Mr.Massydidnotmove.Ashore—lightontheotherbank，aquarterofamileacrosstheriver，drifted，nobiggerthanatinystar，passingslowlyathwartthecir—
cleoftheport.VoicesfromMr.VanWyk’sjettyan—
sweredthehailsfromtheship;ropeswerethrownandmissedandthrownagain;theswayingflameofatorchcarriedinalargesampancomingtofetchawayinstatetheRajahfromdownthecoastcastasuddenruddyglareintohiscabin，overhisveryperson.Mr.Massydidnotmove.Afterafewlastponderousturnstheenginesstopped，andtheprolongedclangingofthegongsignifiedthatthecaptainhaddonewiththem.A
greatnumberofboatsandcanoesofallsizesboardedtheoff—sideoftheSofala.Thenafteratimethetumultofsplashing，ofcries，ofshufflingfeet，ofpackagesdroppedwithathump，thenoiseofthenativepassen—
gersgoingaway，subsidedslowly.Ontheshore，avoice，cultivated，slightlyauthoritative，spokeveryclosealongside——
\"Broughtanymailformethistime？\"
\"Yes，Mr.VanWyk.\"ThiswasfromSterne，an—
sweringovertherailinatoneofrespectfulcordiality.
\"ShallIbringituptoyou？\"
Butthevoiceaskedagain——
\"Where’sthecaptain？\"
\"Stillonthebridge，Ibelieve.Hehasn’tlefthischair.ShallI\"
Thevoiceinterruptednegligently.
\"Iwillcomeonboard.\"
\"Mr.VanWyk，\"Sternesuddenlybrokeoutwithaneagereffort，\"willyoudomethefavor\"
Thematewalkedawayquicklytowardsthegangway.
Asilencefell.Mr.Massyinthedarkdidnotmove.
Hedidnotmoveevenwhenheheardslowshufflingfootstepspasshiscabinlazily.Hecontentedhimselftobellowoutthroughthecloseddoor——
\"You——Jack！\"
Thefootstepscamebackwithouthaste;thedoorhandlerattled，andthesecondengineerappearedintheopening，shadowyinthesheenoftheskylightathisback，withhisfaceapparentlyasblackastherestofhisfigure.
\"Wehavebeenverylongcomingupthistime，\"Mr.
Massygrowled，withoutchanginghisattitude.
\"Whatdoyouexpectwithhalftheboilertubespluggedupforleaks.\"Theseconddefendedhimselfloquaciously.
\"Noneofyourlip，\"saidMassy.
\"Noneofyourrottenboilers——Isay，\"retortedhisfaithfulsubordinatewithoutanimation，huskily.\"Godownthereandcarryaheadofsteamonthemyourself——
ifyoudare.Idon’t.\"
\"Youaren’tworthyoursaltthen，\"Massysaid.Theothermadeafaintnoisewhichresembledalaughbutmighthavebeenasnarl.
\"Bettergoslowthanstoptheshipaltogether，\"headmonishedhisadmiredsuperior.Mr.Massymovedatlast.Heturnedinhischair，andgrindinghisteeth——
\"Dam’youandtheship！Iwishshewereatthebottomofthesea.Thenyouwouldhavetostarve.\"
Thetrustysecondengineerclosedthedoorgently.
Massylistened.Insteadofpassingontothebath—
roomwhereheshouldhavegonetocleanhimself，thesecondenteredhiscabin，whichwasnextdoor.Mr.
Massyjumpedupandwaited.Suddenlyheheardthelocksnapinthere.Herushedoutandgaveaviolentkicktothedoor.
\"Ibelieveyouarelockingyourselfuptogetdrunk，\"
heshouted.
Amuffledanswercameafterawhile.
\"Myowntime.\"
\"IfyoutaketoboozingonthetripI’llfireyouout，\"
Massycried.
Anobstinatesilencefollowedthatthreat.Massymovedawayperplexed.Onthebanktwofiguresap—
peared，approachingthegangway.Heheardavoicetingedwithcontempt——
\"Iwouldratherdoubtyourword.ButIshallcer—
tainlyspeaktohimofthis.\"
Theothervoice，Sterne’s，saidwithasortofregretfulformality——
\"Thanks.That’sallIwant.Imustdomyduty.\"
Mr.Massywassurprised.Ashort，dapperfigureleapedlightlyonthedeckandnearlyboundedintohimwherehestoodbeyondthecircleoflightfromthegang—
waylamp.Whenithadpassedtowardsthebridge，afterexchangingahurried\"Goodevening，\"MassysaidsurlilytoSternewhofollowedwithslowsteps——
\"Whatisityou’remakinguptoMr.VanWykfor，now？\"
\"Farfromit，Mr.Massy.IamnotgoodenoughforMr.VanWyk.Neitherareyou，sir，inhisopinion，I
amafraid.CaptainWhalleyis，itseems.He’sgonetoaskhimtodineupatthehousethisevening.\"
Thenhemurmuredtohimselfdarkly——
\"Ihopehewilllikeit.\"
XII
Mr.VanWyk，thewhitemanofBatuBeru，anex—
navalofficerwho，forreasonsbestknowntohimself，hadthrownawaythepromiseofabrilliantcareertobecomethepioneeroftobacco—plantingonthatremotepartofthecoast，hadlearnedtolikeCaptainWhalley.Theappearanceofthenewskipperhadattractedhisatten—
tion.NothingmoreunlikeallthediversetypeshehadseensucceedingeachotheronthebridgeoftheSofalacouldbeimagined.
AtthattimeBatuBeruwasnotwhatithasbecomesince：thecenterofaprosperoustobacco—growingdis—
trict，atropicallysuburban—lookinglittlesettlementofbungalowsinonelongstreetshadedwithtworowsoftrees，emboweredbythefloweringandtrimluxurianceofthegardens，withathree—mile—longcarriage—roadfortheafternoondrivesandafirst—classResidentwithafat，cheerywifetoleadthesocietyofmarriedestate—
managersandunmarriedyoungfellowsintheserviceofthebigcompanies.
Allthisprosperitywasnotyet;andMr.VanWykprosperedaloneontheleftbankonhisdeepclearingcarvedoutoftheforest，whichcamedownaboveandbelowtothewater’sedge.HislonelybungalowfacedacrosstheriverthehousesoftheSultan：arestlessandmelancholyoldrulerwhohaddonewithloveandwar，forwhomlifenolongerheldanysavor（exceptofevilforebodings）andtimeneverhadanyvalue.Hewasafraidofdeath，andhopedhewoulddiebeforethewhitemenwerereadytotakehiscountryfromhim.Hecrossedtheriverfrequently（withneverlessthantenboatscrammedfullofpeople），inthewistfulhopeofextractingsomeinformationonthesubjectfromhisownwhiteman.Therewasacertainchairontheverandahealwaystook：thedignitariesofthecourtsquattedontherugsandskinsbetweenthefurniture：
theinferiorpeopleremainedbelowonthegrassplotbetweenthehouseandtheriverinrowsthreeorfourdeepallalongthefront.Notseldomthevisitbeganatdaybreak.Mr.VanWyktoleratedtheseinroads.Hewouldnodoutofhisbedroomwindow，tooth—brushorrazorinhand，orpassthroughthethrongofcourtiersinhisbathingrobe.Heappearedanddisappearedhum—
mingatune，polishedhisnailswithattention，rubbedhisshavedfacewitheau—de—Cologne，drankhisearlytea，wentouttoseehiscooliesatwork：returned，lookedthroughsomepapersonhisdesk，readapageortwoinabookorsatbeforehiscottagepianoleaningbackonthestool，hisarmsextended，fingersonthekeys，hisbodyswayingslightlyfromsidetoside.Whenabso—
lutelyforcedtospeakhegaveevasivevaguelysoothinganswersoutofpurecompassion：thesamefeelingper—
hapsmadehimsolavishlyhospitablewiththeaerateddrinksthatmorethanoncehelefthimselfwithoutsoda—
waterforawholeweek.Thatoldmanhadgrantedhimasmuchlandashecaredtohavecleared：itwasneithermorenorlessthanafortune.
WhetheritwasfortuneorseclusionfromhiskindthatMr.VanWyksought，hecouldnothavepitcheduponabetterplace.Eventhemail—boatsofthesubsidizedcompanycallingontheveriestclustersofpalm—thatchedhovelsalongthecoaststeamedpastthemouthofBatuBeruriverfarawayintheoffing.Thecontractwasold：perhapsinafewyears’time，whenithadexpired，BatuBeruwouldbeincludedintheservice;meantimeallMr.VanWyk’smailwasaddressedtoMalacca，whencehisagentsentitacrossonceamonthbytheSofala.ItfollowedthatwheneverMassyhadrunshortofmoney（throughtakingtoomanylotterytickets），orgotintoadifficultyaboutaskipper，Mr.VanWykwasdeprivedofhisletterandnewspapers.InsofarhehadapersonalinterestinthefortunesoftheSofala.
Thoughheconsideredhimselfahermit（andfornopassingwhimevidently，sincehehadstoodeightyearsofitalready），helikedtoknowwhatwentonintheworld.
Handyontheverandauponawalnutetagere（ithadcomelastyearbytheSofala——everythingcamebytheSofala）therelay，piledupunderbronzeweights，apileoftheTimes’weeklyedition，thelargesheetsoftheRotterdamCourant，theGraphicinitsworld—widegreenwrappers，anillustratedDutchpublicationwith—
outacover，thenumbersofaGermanmagazinewithcoversofthe\"Bismarckmalade\"color.Therewerealsoparcelsofnewmusic——thoughthepiano（ithadcomeyearsagobytheSofalainthedampatmosphereoftheforestswasgenerallyoutoftune.Itwasvexingtobecutofffromeverythingforsixtydaysatastretchsometimes，withoutanymeansofknowingwhatwasthematter.AndwhentheSofalareappearedMr.VanWykwoulddescendthestepsoftheverandaandstrolloverthegrassplotinfrontofhishouse，downtothewater—
side，withafrownonhiswhitebrow.
\"You’vebeenlaidupafteranaccident，Ipresume.\"
Headdressedthebridge，butbeforeanybodycouldanswerMassywassuretohavealreadyscrambledashoreovertherailandpushedin，squeezingthepalmsofhishandstogether，bowinghissleekheadasifgummedalloverthetopwithblackthreadsandtapes.Andhewouldbesoenragedatthenecessityofhavingtooffersuchanexplanationthathismoaningwouldbeposi—
tivelypitiful，whileallthetimehetriedtocomposehisbiglipsintoasmile.
\"No，Mr.VanWyk.Youwouldnotbelieveit.I
couldn’tgetoneofthosewretchestotaketheshipout.
Notasingleoneofthelazybeastscouldbeinduced，andthelaw，youknow，Mr.VanWyk\"
Hemoanedatgreatlengthapologetically;thewordsconspiracy，plot，envy，cameoutprominently，whinedwithgreaterenergy.Mr.VanWyk，examiningwithafaintgrimacehispolishedfinger—nails，wouldsay，\"H’m.Veryunfortunate，\"andturnhisbackonhim.
Fastidious，clever，slightlyskeptical，accustomedtothebestsociety（hehadheldamuch—enviedshoreappoint—
mentattheMinistryofMarineforayearprecedinghisretreatfromhisprofessionandfromEurope），hepossessedalatentwarmthoffeelingandacapacityforsympathywhichwereconcealedbyasortofhaughty，arbitraryindifferenceofmannerarisingfromhisearlytraining;andbyasomethinganenemymighthavecalledfoppish，inhisaspect——likeadistortedechoofpastelegance.Hemanagedtokeepanalmostmili—
tarydisciplineamongstthecooliesoftheestatehehaddraggedintothelightofdayoutofthetangleandshadowsofthejungle;andthewhiteshirtheputoneveryeveningwithitsstiffglossyfrontandhighcollarlookedasifhehadmeanttopreservethedecentceremonyofevening—dress，buthadwoundathickcrim—
sonsashabovehishipsasaconcessiontothewilderness，oncehisadversary，nowhisvanquishedcompanion.
Moreover，itwasahygienicprecaution.Wornwideopeninfront，ashortjacketofsomeairysilkenstufffloatedfromhisshoulders.Hisfluffy，fairhair，thinatthetop，curledslightlyatthesides;acarefullyar—
rangedmustache，anungarnishedforehead，thegleamoflowpatentshoespeepingunderthewidebottomoftrowserscutstraightfromthesamestuffasthegossa—
mercoat，completedafigurerecalling，withitssash，apiratechiefofromance，andatthesametimetheele—
ganceofaslightlybalddandyindulging，inseclusion，atasteforunorthodoxcostume.
Itwashiseveningget—up.ThepropertimefortheSofalatoarriveatBatuBeruwasanhourbeforesun—
set，andhelookedpicturesque，andsomehowquitecor—
recttoo，walkingatthewater’sedgeonthebackgroundofgrassslopecrownedwithalowlongbungalowwithanimmenselysteeproofofpalmthatch，andcladtotheeavesinfloweringcreepers.WhiletheSofalawasbeingmadefasthestrolledintheshadeofthefewtreesleftnearthelanding—place，waitingtillhecouldgoonboard.Herwhitemenwerenotofhiskind.TheoldSultan（thoughhiswistfulinvasionswereanuisance）
wasreallymuchmoreacceptabletohisfastidioustaste.
Butstilltheywerewhite;theperiodicalvisitsoftheshipmadeabreakinthewell—filledsamenessofthedayswithoutdisturbinghisprivacy.Moreover，theywerenecessaryfromabusinesspointofview;andthroughastrainofprecisenessinhisnaturehewasirritatedwhenshefailedtoappearattheappointedtime.
Thecauseoftheirregularitywastooabsurd，andMassy，inhisopinion，wasacontemptibleidiot.ThefirsttimetheSofalareappearedunderthenewagree—
mentswingingoutofthebendbelow，afterhehadalmostgivenupallhopeofeverseeingheragain，hefeltsoangrythathedidnotgodownatoncetothelanding—place.Hisservantshadcomerunningtohimwiththenews，andhehaddraggedachaircloseagainstthefrontrailoftheveranda，spreadhiselbowsout，restedhischinonhishands，andwentonglaringatherfixedlywhileshewasbeingmadefastoppositehishouse.Hecouldmakeouteasilyallthewhitefacesonboard.Whoonearthwasthatkindofpatriarchtheyhadgotthereonthebridgenow？
Atlasthesprangupandwalkeddownthegravelpath.
ItwasafactthattheverygravelforhispathshadbeenimportedbytheSofala.Exasperatedoutofhisquietsuperciliousness，withoutlookingatanyonerightorleft，heaccostedMassystraightwayinsodeterminedamannerthattheengineer，takenaback，begantostammerunintelligibly.Nothingcouldbeheardbutthewords：\"Mr.VanWykIndeed，Mr.VanWykForthefuture，Mr.VanWyk\"——andbythesuffusionofbloodMassy’svastbiliousfaceacquiredanunnaturalorangetint，outofwhichthedisconcertedcoal—blackeyesshoneinanextraordinarymanner.
\"Nonsense.Iamtiredofthis.IwonderyouhavetheimpudencetocomealongsidemyjettyasifIhaditmadeforyourconveniencealone.\"
Massytriedtoprotestearnestly.Mr.VanWykwasveryangry.HehadagoodmindtoaskthatGermanfirm——thosepeopleinMalacca——whatwastheirname？——
boatswithgreenfunnels.Theywouldbeonlytoogladoftheopeningtoputoneoftheirsmallsteamersontherun.Yes;Schnitzler，JacobSchnitzler，wouldinamoment.Yes.Hehaddecidedtowritewithoutdelay.
InhisagitationMassycaughtuphisfallingpipe.
\"Youdon’tmeanit，sir！\"heshrieked.
\"Youshouldn’tmismanageyourbusinessinthisridiculousmanner.\"
Mr.VanWykturnedonhisheel.Theotherthreewhitesonthebridgehadnotstirredduringthescene.
Massywalkedhastilyfromsidetoside，puffedouthischeeks，suffocated.
\"StuckupDutchman！\"
Andhemoanedoutfeverishlyalongtaleofgriefs.
Theeffortshehadmadeforalltheseyearstopleasethatman.Thiswasthereturnyougotforit，eh？
Pretty.WritetoSchnitzler——letinthegreen—funnelboats——getanoldHamburgJewtoruinhim.No，reallyhecouldlaughHelaughedsobbingly
Ha！ha！ha！Andmakehimcarrytheletterinhisownshippresumably.
Hestumbledacrossagratingandswore.HewouldnothesitatetoflingtheDutchman’scorrespondenceoverboard——thewholeconfoundedbundle.Hehadnever，nevermadeanychargeforthataccommodation.
ButCaptainWhalley，hisnewpartner，wouldnotlethimprobably;besides，itwouldbeonlyputtingofftheevilday.Forhisownparthewouldmakeaholeinthewaterratherthanlookontamelyatthegreenfunnelsoverrunninghistrade.
Heravedaloud.TheChinaboyshungbackwiththedishesatthefootoftheladder.Heyelledfromthebridgedownatthedeck，\"Aren’twegoingtohaveanychowthiseveningatall？\"thenturnedviolentlytoCaptainWhalley，whowaited，graveandpatient，attheheadofthetable，smoothinghisbeardinsilencenowandthenwithaforbearinggesture.
\"Youdon’tseemtocarewhathappenstome.Don’tyouseethatthisaffectsyourinterestsasmuchasmine？
It’snojokingmatter.\"
Hetookthefootofthetablegrowlingbetweenhisteeth.
\"Unlessyouhaveafewthousandsputawaysome—
where.Ihaven’t.\"
Mr.VanWykdinedinhisthoroughlylit—upbunga—
low，puttingapointofsplendorinthenightofhisclearingabovethedarkbankoftheriver.Afterwardshesatdowntohispiano，andinapausehebecameawareofslowfootstepspassingonthepathalongthefront.
Aplankortwocreakedunderaheavytread;heswunghalfroundonthemusic—stool，listeningwithhisfinger—
tipsatrestonthekeyboard.Hislittleterrierbarkedviolently，backinginfromtheveranda.Adeepvoiceapologizedgravelyfor\"thisintrusion.\"Hewalkedoutquickly.
Attheheadofthestepsthepatriarchalfigure，whowasthenewcaptainoftheSofalaapparently（hehadseenarounddozenofthem，butnotoneofthatsort），toweredwithoutadvancing.Thelittledogbarkedun—
ceasingly，tillaflickofMr.VanWyk’shandkerchiefmadehimspringasideintosilence.CaptainWhalley，openingthematter，wasmetbyapunctiliouslypolitebutdeterminedopposition.
Theycarriedontheirdiscussionstandingwheretheyhadcomefacetoface.Mr.VanWykobservedhisvisitorwithattention.Thenatlast，asifforcedoutofhisreserve——
\"Iamsurprisedthatyoushouldintercedeforsuchaconfoundedfool.\"
Thisoutbreakwasalmostcomplimentary，asifitsmeaninghadbeen，\"Thatsuchamanasyoushouldintercede！\"CaptainWhalleyletitpassbywithoutflinching.Onewouldhavethoughthehadheardnoth—
ing.Hesimplywentontostatethathewaspersonallyinterestedinputtingthingsstraightbetweenthem.
Personally
ButMr.VanWyk，reallycarriedawaybyhisdisgustwithMassy，becameveryincisive——
\"Indeed——ifIamtobefrankwithyou——hiswholecharacterdoesnotseemtomeparticularlyestimableortrustworthy\"
CaptainWhalley，alwaysstraight，seemedtogrowaninchtallerandbroader，asifthegirthofhischesthadsuddenlyexpandedunderhisbeard.
\"Mydearsir，youdon’tthinkIcameheretodiscussamanwithwhomIam——Iam——h’m——closelyasso—
ciated.\"
Asortofsolemnsilencelastedforamoment.Hewasnotusedtoaskingfavors，buttheimportanceheat—
tachedtothisaffairhadmadehimwillingtotry
Mr.VanWyk，favorablyimpressed，andsuddenlymol—
lifiedbyadesiretolaugh，interrupted——
\"That’sallrightifyoumakeitapersonalmatter;
butyoucandonolessthansitdownandsmokeacigarwithme.\"
Aslightpause，thenCaptainWhalleysteppedforwardheavily.Astotheregularityoftheservice，forthefuturehemadehimselfresponsibleforit;andhisnamewasWhalley——perhapstoasailor（hewasspeakingtoasailor，washenot？）notaltogetherunfamiliar.Therewasalighthousenow，onanisland.MaybeMr.VanWykhimself
\"Ohyes.Ohindeed.\"Mr.VanWykcaughtonatonce.Heindicatedachair.Howveryinteresting.
ForhisownparthehadseensomeserviceinthelastAcheenWar，buthadneverbeensofarEast.WhalleyIsland？Ofcourse.Nowthatwasveryinteresting.
Whatchangeshisguestmusthaveseensince.
\"Icanlookfurtherbackeven——onawholehalf—
century.\"
CaptainWhalleyexpandedabit.Theflavorofagoodcigar（itwasaweakness）hadgonestraighttohisheart，alsothecivilityofthatyoungman.Therewassomethinginthataccidentalcontactofwhichhehadbeenstarvedinhisyearsofstruggle.
Thefrontwallretreatingmadeasquarerecessfur—
nishedlikearoom.Alampwithamilkyglassshade，suspendedbelowtheslopeofthehighroofattheendofaslenderbrasschain，threwabrightroundoflightuponalittletablebearinganopenbookandanivorypaper—knife.And，inthetranslucentshadowsbeyond，othertablescouldbeseen，anumberofeasy—chairsofvariousshapes，withagreatprofusionofskinrugsstrewnontheteakwoodplankingallovertheveranda.
Thefloweringcreepersscentedtheair.Theirfoliageclippedoutbetweentheuprightsmadeasifseveralframesofthickunstirringleavesreflectingthelamp—
lightinagreenglow.ThroughtheopeningathiselbowCaptainWhalleycouldseethegangwaylanternoftheSofalaburningdimbytheshore，theshadowymassesofthetownbeyondtheopenlustrousdarknessoftheriver，and，asifhungalongthestraightedgeoftheprojectingeaves，anarrowblackstripofthenightskyfullofstars——resplendent.Thefamouscigarinhandhehadamomentofcomplacency.
\"Atrifle.Somebodymustleadtheway.Ijustshowedthatthethingcouldbedone;butyoumenbroughtuptotheuseofsteamcannotconceivethevastimportanceofmybitofventuresomenesstotheEasterntradeofthetime.Why，thatnewroutereducedtheaveragetimeofasouthernpassagebyelevendaysformorethanhalftheyear.Elevendays！
It’sonrecord.Buttheremarkablething——speakingtoasailor——Ishouldsaywas\"
Hetalkedwell，withoutegotism，professionally.Thepowerfulvoice，producedwithouteffort，filledthebungalowevenintotheemptyroomswithadeepandlimpidresonance，seemedtomakeastillnessoutside;
andMr.VanWykwassurprisedbytheserenequalityofitstone，liketheperfectionofmanlygentleness.
Nursingonesmallfoot，inasilksockandapatentleathershoe，onhisknee，hewasimmenselyentertained.
Itwasasifnobodycouldtalklikethisnow，andtheovershadowedeyes，theflowingwhitebeard，thebigframe，theserenity，thewholetemperoftheman，wereanamazingsurvivalfromtheprehistorictimesoftheworldcominguptohimoutofthesea.
CaptainWhalleyhadbeenalsothepioneeroftheearlytradeintheGulfofPe—tchi—li.Heevenfoundoccasiontomentionthathehadburiedhis\"dearwife\"theresix—and—twentyyearsago.Mr.VanWyk，impassive，couldnothelpspeculatinginhismindswiftlyastothesortofwomanthatwouldmatewithsuchaman.
Didtheymakeanadventurousandwell—matchedpair？
No.Verypossibleshehadbeensmall，frail，nodoubtveryfeminine——ormostlikelycommonplacewithdo—
mesticinstincts，utterlyinsignificant.ButCaptainWhalleywasnogarrulousbore，andshakinghisheadasiftodissipatethemomentarygloomthathadsettledonhishandsomeoldface，healludedconversationallytoMr.VanWyk’ssolitude.
Mr.VanWykaffirmedthatsometimeshehadmorecompanythanhewanted.Hementionedsmilinglysomeofthepeculiaritiesofhisintercoursewith\"MySultan.\"Hemadehisvisitsinforce.Thosepeopledamagedhisgrassplotinfront（itwasnoteasytoobtainsomeapproachtoalawninthetropics，andtheotherdayhadbrokendownsomerarebusheshehadplantedoverthere.AndCaptainWhalleyrememberedimmediatelythat，in’forty—seven，thethenSultan，\"thisman’sgrandfather，\"hadbeennotoriousasagreatpro—
tectorofthepiraticalfleetsofprausfromfartherEast.
TheyhadasaferefugeintheriveratBatuBeru.HefinancedmoreespeciallyaBalininichiefcalledHajiDaman.CaptainWhalley，noddingsignificantlyhisbushywhiteeyebrows，hadverygoodreasontoknowsomethingofthat.Theworldhadprogressedsincethattime.
Mr.VanWykdemurredwithunexpectedacrimony.
Progressedinwhat？hewantedtoknow.
Why，inknowledgeoftruth，indecency，injustice，inorder——inhonestytoo，sincemenharmedeachothermostlyfromignorance.Itwas，CaptainWhalleycon—
cludedquaintly，morepleasanttolivein.
Mr.VanWykwhimsicallywouldnotadmitthatMr.
Massy，forinstance，wasmorepleasantnaturallythantheBalininipirates.
Theriverhadnotgainedmuchbythechange.Theywereintheirwayeverybitashonest.MassywaslessferociousthanHajiDamannodoubt，but
\"Andwhataboutyou，mygoodsir？\"CaptainWhalleylaughedadeepsoftlaugh.\"YOUareanim—
provement，surely.\"
Hecontinuedinaveinofpleasantry.Agoodcigarwasbetterthanaknockonthehead——thesortofwel—
comehewouldhavefoundonthisriverfortyorfiftyyearsago.Thenleaningforwardslightly，hebecameearnestlyserious.Itseemsasif，outsidetheirownsea—
gypsytribes，theserovershadhatedallmankindwithanincomprehensible，bloodthirstyhatred.Meantimetheirdepredationshadbeenstopped，andwhatwastheconsequence？Thenewgenerationwasorderly，peace—