able，settledinprosperousvillages.Hecouldspeakfrompersonalknowledge.Andeventhefewsurvivorsofthattime——oldmennow——hadchangedsomuch，thatitwouldhavebeenunkindtorememberagainstthemthattheyhadeverslitathroatintheirlives.Hehadoneespeciallyinhismind’seye：adignified，venerableheadmanofacertainlargecoastvillageaboutsixtymilessou’westofTampasuk.Itdidone’sheartgoodtoseehim——tohearthatmanspeak.Hemighthavebeenaferocioussavageonce.Whatmenwantedwastobecheckedbysuperiorintelligence，bysuperiorknowledge，bysuperiorforcetoo——yes，byforceheldintrustfromGodandsanctifiedbyitsuseinaccordancewithHisdeclaredwill.CaptainWhalleybelievedadis—
positionforgoodexistedineveryman，eveniftheworldwerenotaveryhappyplaceasawhole.Inthewisdomofmenhehadnotsomuchconfidence.Thedis—
positionhadtobehelpedupprettysharplysometimes，headmitted.Theymightbesilly，wrongheaded，un—
happy;butnaturallyevil——no.Therewasatbottomacompleteharmlessnessatleast
\"Isthere？\"Mr.VanWyksnappedacrimoniously.
CaptainWhalleylaughedattheinterjection，inthegoodhumoroflarge，toleratingcertitude.Hecouldlookbackathalfacentury，hepointedout.Thesmokeoozedplacidlythroughthewhitehairshidinghiskindlylips.
\"Atallevents，\"heresumedafterapause，\"Iamgladthatthey’vehadnotimetodoyoumuchharmasyet.\"
ThisallusiontohiscomparativeyouthfulnessdidnotoffendMr.VanWyk，whogotupandwriggledhisshoulderswithanenigmatichalf—smile.Theywalkedouttogetheramicablyintothestarrynighttowardstheriver—side.Theirfootstepsresoundedunequallyonthedarkpath.Attheshoreendofthegangwaythelantern，hunglowtothehandrail，threwavividlightonthewhitelegsandthebigblackfeetofMr.Massywaitingaboutanxiously.Fromthewaistupwardsheremainedshadowy，witharowofbuttonsgleaminguptothevagueoutlineofhischin.
\"YoumaythankCaptainWhalleyforthis，\"Mr.VanWyksaidcurtlytohimbeforeturningaway.
Thelampsontheverandaflungthreelongsquaresoflightbetweentheuprightsfaroverthegrass.Abatflittedbeforehisfacelikeacirclingflakeofvelvetyblackness.Alongthejasminehedgethenightairseemedheavywiththefallofperfumeddew;flower—
bedsborderedthepath;theclippedbushesuproseindarkroundedclumpshereandtherebeforethehouse;
thedensefoliageofcreepersfilteredthesheenofthelamplightwithininasoftglowallalongthefront;
andeverythingnearandfarstoodstillinagreatim—
mobility，inagreatsweetness.
Mr.VanWyk（afewyearsbeforehehadhadoccasiontoimaginehimselftreatedmorebadlythananybodyalivehadeverbeenbyawoman）feltforCaptainWhalley’soptimisticviewsthedisdainofamanwhohadoncebeencreduloushimself.Hisdisgustwiththeworld（thewomanforatimehadfilleditforhimcom—
pletely）hadtakentheformofactivityinretirement，because，thoughcapableofgreatdepthoffeeling，hewasenergeticandessentiallypractical.Buttherewasinthatuncommonoldsailor，driftingontheoutskirtsofhisbusysolitude，somethingthatfascinatedhisskepticism.Hisverysimplicity（amusingenough）waslikeadelicaterefinementofanuprightcharacter.Thestrikingdignityofmannercouldbenothingelse，inamanreducedtosuchahumbleposition，buttheex—
pressionofsomethingessentiallynobleinthecharacter.
Withallhistrustinmankindhewasnofool;theseren—
ityofhistemperattheendofsomanyyears，sinceitcouldnotobviouslyhavebeenappeasedbysuccess，woreanairofprofoundwisdom.Mr.VanWykwasamusedatitsometimes.EventheveryphysicaltraitsoftheoldcaptainoftheSofala，hispowerfulframe，hisre—
posefulmien，hisintelligent，handsomeface，thebiglimbs，thebenigncourtesy，thetouchofruggedseverityintheshaggyeyebrows，madeupaseductiveperson—
ality.Mr.VanWykdislikedlittlenessofeverykind，buttherewasnothingsmallaboutthatman，andintheexemplaryregularityofmanytripsanintimacyhadgrownupbetweenthem，awarmfeelingatbottomunderakindlystatelinessofformsagreeabletohisfastidious—
ness.
Theykepttheirrespectiveopinionsonallworldlymatters.HisotherconvictionsCaptainWhalleyneverintruded.Thedifferenceoftheirageswaslikeanotherbondbetweenthem.Once，whentwittedwiththeun—
charitablenessofhisyouth，Mr.VanWyk，runninghiseyeoverthevastproportionsofhisinterlocutor，re—
tortedinfriendlybanter——
\"Oh.You’llcometomywayofthinkingyet.You’llhaveplentyoftime.Don’tcallyourselfold：youlookgoodforaroundhundred.\"
Buthecouldnothelphisstingingincisiveness，andthoughmoderatingitbyanalmostaffectionatesmile，headded——
\"Andbythenyouwillprobablyconsenttodiefromsheerdisgust.\"
CaptainWhalley，smilingtoo，shookhishead.\"Godforbid！\"
Hethoughtthatperhapsonthewholehedeservedsomethingbetterthantodieinsuchsentiments.Thetimeofcoursewouldhavetocome，andhetrustedtohisMakertoprovideamannerofgoingoutofwhichheneednotbeashamed.Fortheresthehopedhewouldlivetoahundredifneedbe：othermenhadbeenknown;itwouldbenomiracle.Heexpectednomiracles.
Thepronounced，argumentativetonecausedMr.VanWyktoraisehisheadandlookathimsteadily.Cap—
tainWhalleywasgazingfixedlywitharaptexpression，asthoughhehadseenhisCreator’sfavorabledecreewritteninmysteriouscharactersonthewall.Hekeptperfectlymotionlessforafewseconds，thengothisvastbulkontohisfeetsoimpetuouslythatMr.VanWykwasstartled.
Hestruckfirstaheavyblowonhisinflatedchest：and，throwingouthorizontallyabigarmthatremainedsteady，extendedintheairlikethelimbofatreeonawindlessday——
\"Notapainoranachethere.Canyouseethisshakeintheleast？\"
Hisvoicewaslow，inanawing，confidentcontrastwiththeheadlongemphasisofhismovements.Hesatdownabruptly.
\"Thisisn’ttoboastofit，youknow.Iamnothing，\"
hesaidinhiseffortlessstrongvoice，thatseemedtocomeoutasnaturallyasariverflows.Hepickedupthestumpofthecigarhehadlaidaside，andaddedpeace—
fully，withaslightnod，\"Asithappens，mylifeisnecessary;itisn’tmyown，itisn’t——Godknows.\"
Hedidnotsaymuchfortherestoftheevening，butseveraltimesMr.VanWykdetectedafaintsmileofassuranceflittingundertheheavymustache.
LateronCaptainWhalleywouldnowandthenconsenttodine\"atthehouse.\"Hecouldevenbeinducedtodrinkaglassofwine.\"Don’tthinkIamafraidofit，mygoodsir，\"heexplained.\"TherewasaverygoodreasonwhyIshouldgiveitup.\"
Onanotheroccasion，leaningbackatease，heremarked，\"Youhavetreatedmemost——mosthumanely，mydearMr.VanWyk，fromtheveryfirst.\"
\"You’lladmittherewassomemerit，\"Mr.VanWykhintedslyly.\"AnassociateofthatexcellentMassy
Well，well，mydearcaptain，Iwon’tsayawordagainsthim.\"
\"Itwouldbenouseyoursayinganythingagainsthim，\"CaptainWhalleyaffirmedalittlemoodily.\"AsI’vetoldyoubefore，mylife——mywork，isnecessary，notformyselfalone.Ican’tchoose\"Hepaused，turnedtheglassbeforehimrightround\"Ihaveanonlychild——adaughter.\"
Theampledownwardsweepofhisarmoverthetableseemedtosuggestasmallgirlatavastdistance.\"I
hopetoseeheroncemorebeforeIdie.Meantimeit’senoughtoknowthatshehasmesoundandsolid，thankGod.Youcan’tunderstandhowonefeels.Boneofmybone，fleshofmyflesh;theveryimageofmypoorwife.
Well，she\"
Againhepaused，thenpronouncedstoicallythewords，\"Shehasahardstruggle.\"
Andhisheadfellonhisbreast，hiseyebrowsremainedknitted，asbyaneffortofmeditation.Butgenerallyhismindseemedsteepedintheserenityofboundlesstrustinahigherpower.Mr.VanWykwonderedsometimeshowmuchofitwasduetothesplendidvitalityoftheman，tothebodilyvigorwhichseemstoimpartsome—
thingofitsforcetothesoul.Buthehadlearnedtolikehimverymuch.
XIII
ThiswasthereasonwhyMr.Sterne’sconfidentialcom—
munication，deliveredhurriedlyontheshorealongsidethedarksilentship，haddisturbedhisequanimity.Itwasthemostincomprehensibleandunexpectedthingthatcouldhappen;andtheperturbationofhisspiritwassogreatthat，forgettingallabouthisletters，heranrapidlyupthebridgeladder.
Theportabletablewasbeingputtogetherfordinnertotheleftofthewheelbytwopig—tailed\"boys，\"whoasusualsnarledateachotheroverthejob，whileanother，adoleful，burly，veryyellowChinaman，resemblingMr.
Massy，waitedapatheticallywiththeclothoverhisarmandapileofthickdinner—platesagainsthischest.A
commoncabinlampwithitsglobemissing，broughtupfrombelow，hadbeenhookedtothewoodenframeworkoftheawning;theside—screenshadbeenloweredallround;CaptainWhalleyfillingthedepthsofthewicker—
chairseemedtositbenumbedinacanvastentcrudelylighted，andusedforthestoringofnauticalobjects;ashabbysteering—wheel，abatteredbrassbinnacleonastoutmahoganystand，twodingylife—buoys，anoldcorkfenderlyinginacorner，dilapidateddeck—lockerswithloopsofthinropeinsteadofdoor—handles.
HeshookofftheappearanceofnumbnesstoreturnMr.VanWyk’sunusuallybriskgreeting，butrelapseddirectlyafterwards.Toacceptapressinginvitationtodinner\"upatthehouse\"costhimanotherveryvisiblephysicaleffort.Mr.VanWyk，perplexed，foldedhisarms，andleaningbackagainsttherail，withhislittle，black，shinyfeetwellout，examinedhimcovertly.
\"I’venoticedoflatethatyouarenotquiteyourself，oldfriend.\"
Heputanaffectionategentlenessintothelasttwowords.Therealintimacyoftheirintercoursehadneverbeensovividlyexpressedbefore.
\"Tut，tut，tut！\"
Thewicker—chaircreakedheavily.
\"Irritable，\"commentedMr.VanWyktohimself;andaloud，\"I’llexpecttoseeyouinhalfanhour，then，\"hesaidnegligently，movingoff.
\"Inhalfanhour，\"CaptainWhalley’srigidsilveryheadrepeatedbehindhimasifoutofatrance.
Amidships，below，twovoices，closeagainsttheengine—
room，couldbeheardansweringeachother——oneangryandslow，theotheralert.
\"Itellyouthebeasthaslockedhimselfintogetdrunk.\"
\"Can’thelpitnow，Mr.Massy.Afterall，amanhasarighttoshuthimselfupinhiscabininhisowntime.\"
\"Nottogetdrunk.\"
\"Iheardhimswearthattheworrywiththeboilerswasenoughtodriveanymantodrink，\"Sternesaidmaliciously.
Massyhissedoutsomethingaboutburstingthedoorin.Mr.VanWyk，toavoidthem，crossedinthedarktotheothersideofthedeserteddeck.Theplankingofthelittlewharfrattledfaintlyunderhishastyfeet.
\"Mr.VanWyk！Mr.VanWyk！\"
Hewalkedon：somebodywasrunningonthepath.
\"You’veforgottentogetyourmail.\"
Sterne，holdingabundleofpapersinhishand，caughtupwithhim.
\"Oh，thanks.\"
But，astheothercontinuedathiselbow，Mr.VanWykstoppedshort.Theoverhangingeaves，descend—
inglowuponthelightedfrontofthebungalow，threwtheirblackstraight—edgedshadowintothegreatbodyofthenightonthatside.Everythingwasverystill.
Atinkleofcutleryandaslightjingleofglasseswereheard.Mr.VanWyk’sservantswerelayingthetablefortwoontheveranda.
\"I’mafraidyougivemenocreditwhateverformygoodintentionsinthematterI’vespokentoyouabout，\"
saidSterne.
\"Isimplydon’tunderstandyou.\"
\"CaptainWhalleyisaveryaudaciousman，buthewillunderstandthathisgameisup.That’sallthatanybodyneedeverknowofitfromme.Believeme，I
amveryconsiderateinthis，butdutyisduty.Idon’twanttomakeafuss.AllIaskyou，ashisfriend，istotellhimfrommethatthegame’sup.Thatwillbesufficient.\"
Mr.VanWykfeltaloathsomedismayatthisqueerprivilegeoffriendship.Hewouldnotdemeanhimselfbyaskingfortheslightestexplanation;todrivetheotherawaywithcontumelyhedidnotthinkprudent——
asyet，atanyrate.Somuchassurancestaggeredhim.
Whocouldtellwhattherecouldbeinit，hethought？
HisregardforCaptainWhalleyhadthetenacityofadisinterestedsentiment，andhispracticalinstinctcom—
ingtohisaid，heconcealedhisscorn.
\"Igather，then，thatthisissomethinggrave.\"
\"Verygrave，\"Sterneassentedsolemnly，delightedathavingproducedaneffectatlast.Hewasreadytoaddsomeeffusiveprotestationsofregretatthe\"unavoida—
blenecessity，\"butMr.VanWykcuthimshort——verycivilly，however.
OnceontheverandaMr.VanWykputhishandsinhispockets，and，straddlinghislegs，stareddownatablackpantherskinlyingonthefloorbeforearocking—
chair.\"Itlooksasifthefellowhadnottheplucktoplayhisownpreciousgameopenly，\"hethought.
Thiswastrueenough.InthefaceofMassy’slastrebuffSternedarednotdeclarehisknowledge.Hisobjectwassimplytogetchargeofthesteamerandkeepitforsometime.Massywouldneverforgivehimforforcinghimselfon;butifCaptainWhalleylefttheshipofhisownaccord，thecommandwoulddevolveuponhimfortherestofthetrip;sohehituponthebrilliantideaofscaringtheoldmanaway.Avaguemenace，amerehint，wouldbeenoughinsuchabrazencase;and，withastrangeadmixtureofcompassion，hethoughtthatBatuBeruwasaverygoodplaceforthrowingupthesponge.Theskippercouldgoashorequietly，andstaywiththatDutchmanofhis.Weren’tthesetwoasthickasthievestogether？Andonreflec—
tionheseemedtoseethattherewasawaytoworkthewholethingthroughthatgreatfriendoftheoldman’s.
Thiswasanotherbrilliantidea.Hehadaninbornpreferenceforcircuitousmethods.Inthisparticularcasehedesiredtoremaininthebackgroundasmuchaspossible，toavoidexasperatingMassyneedlessly.
Nofuss！Letitallhappennaturally.
Mr.VanWykallthroughthedinnerwasconsciousofasenseofisolationthatinvadessometimestheclose—
nessofhumanintercourse.CaptainWhalleyfailedlamentablyandobviouslyinhisattemptstoeatsome—
thing.Heseemedovercomebyastrangeabsent—
mindedness.Hishandwouldhoverirresolutely，asifleftwithoutguidancebyapreoccupiedmind.Mr.VanWykhadheardhimcomingupfromalongwayoffintheprofoundstillnessoftheriver—side，andhadnoticedtheirresolutecharacterofthefootfalls.Thetoeofhisboothadstruckthebottomstairasthoughhehadcomealongmooningwithhisheadintheairrightuptothestepsoftheveranda.HadthecaptainoftheSofalabeenanothersortofmanhewouldhavesuspectedtheworkofagethere.Butoneglanceathimwasenough.
Time——after，indeed，markinghimforitsown——hadgivenhimuptohisusefulness，inwhichhissimplefaithwouldseeaproofofDivinemercy.\"HowcouldIcontrivetowarnhim？\"Mr.VanWykwondered，asifCaptainWhalleyhadbeenmilesandmilesaway，outofsightandearshotofallevil.HewassickenedbyanimmensedisgustofSterne.ToevenmentionhisthreattoamanlikeWhalleywouldbepositivelyinde—
cent.Therewassomethingmorevileandinsultinginitshintthaninadefinitechargeofcrime——thedebasingtaintofblackmailing.\"Whatcouldanyonebringagainsthim？\"heaskedhimself.Thiswasalimpidpersonality.\"Andforwhatobject？\"ThePowerthatmantrustedhadthoughtfittoleavehimnothingonearththatenvycouldlayholdof，exceptabarecrustofbread.
\"Won’tyoutrysomeofthis？\"heasked，pushingadishslightly.SuddenlyitseemedtoMr.VanWykthatSternemightpossiblybecovetingthecommandoftheSofala.Hiscynicismwasquitestartledbywhatlookedlikeaproofthatnomanmaycounthimselfsafefromhiskindunlessintheveryabyssofmisery.Anin—
trigueofthatsortwashardlyworthtroublingabout，hejudged;butstill，withsuchafoolasMassytodealwith，Whalleyoughttoandmustbewarned.
AtthismomentCaptainWhalley，boltupright，thedeepcavitiesoftheeyesoverhungbyabushyfrown，andonelargebrownhandrestingoneachsideofhisemptyplate，spokeacrossthetableclothabruptly——
\"Mr.VanWyk，you’vealwaystreatedmewiththemosthumaneconsideration.\"
\"Mydearcaptain，youmaketoomuchofasimplefactthatIamnotasavage.\"Mr.VanWyk，utterlyrevoltedbythethoughtofSterne’sobscureattempt，raisedhisvoiceincisively，asifthematehadbeenhidingsomewherewithinearshot.\"AnyconsiderationIhavebeenabletoshowwasnomorethantherightfuldueofacharacterI’velearnedtoregardbythistimewithanesteemthatnothingcanshake.\"
Aslightringofglassmadehimlifthiseyesfromthesliceofpine—applehewascuttingintosmallpiecesonhisplate.InchanginghispositionCaptainWhalleyhadcontrivedtoupsetanemptytumbler.
Withoutlookingthatway，leaningsidewaysonhiselbow，hisotherhandshadinghisbrow，hegropedshakilyforit，thendesisted.VanWykstaredblankly，asifsomethingmomentoushadhappenedallatonce.
Hedidnotknowwhyheshouldfeelsostartled;butheforgotSterneutterlyforthemoment.
\"Why，what’sthematter？\"
AndCaptainWhalley，half—averted，inadeadened，agitatedvoice，muttered——
\"Esteem！\"
\"AndImayaddsomethingmore，\"Mr.VanWyk，verysteady—eyed，pronouncedslowly.
\"Hold！Enough！\"CaptainWhalleydidnotchangehisattitudeorraisehisvoice.\"Saynomore！
Icanmakeyounoreturn.Iamtoopoorevenforthatnow.Youresteemisworthhaving.Youarenotamanthatwouldstooptodeceivethepoorestsortofdevilonearth，ormakeashipunseaworthyeverytimehetakeshertosea.\"
Mr.VanWyk，leaningforward，hisfacegonepinkallover，withthestarchedtable—napkinoverhisknees，wasinclinedtomistrusthissenses，hispowerofcom—
prehension，thesanityofhisguest.
\"Where？Why？InthenameofGod！——what’sthis？
Whatship？Idon’tunderstandwho\"
\"Then，inthenameofGod，itisI！Aship’sunsea—
worthywhenhercaptaincan’tsee.Iamgoingblind.\"
Mr.VanWykmadeaslightmovement，andsatverystillafterwardsforafewseconds;then，withthethoughtofSterne’s\"Thegame’sup，\"heduckedunderthetabletopickupthenapkinwhichhadslippedoffhisknees.Thiswasthegamethatwasup.AndatthesametimethemuffledvoiceofCaptainWhalleypassedoverhim——
\"I’vedeceivedthemall.Nobodyknows.\"
Heemergedflushedtotheeyes.CaptainWhalley，motionlessunderthefullblazeofthelamp，shadedhisfacewithhishand.
\"Andyouhadthatcourage？\"
\"Callitbywhatnameyoulike.Butyouareahu—
maneman——a——a——gentleman，Mr.VanWyk.YoumayhaveaskedmewhatIhaddonewithmyconscience.\"
Heseemedtomuse，profoundlysilent，verystillinhismournfulpose.
\"Ibegantotamperwithitinmypride.Youbegintoseealotofthingswhenyouaregoingblind.I
couldnotbefrankwithanoldchumeven.IwasnotfrankwithMassy——no，notaltogether.Iknewhetookmeforawealthysailorfool，andIlethim.Iwantedtokeepupmyimportance——becausetherewaspoorIvyawaythere——mydaughter.WhatdidIwanttotradeonhismiseryfor？Ididtradeonit——forher.Andnow，whatmercycouldIexpectfromhim？Hewouldtradeonmineifheknewit.Hewouldhunttheoldfraudout，andsticktothemoneyforayear.Ivy’smoney.AndIhaven’tkeptapennyformyself.HowamIgoingtoliveforayear.Ayear！Inayeartherewillbenosunintheskyforherfather.\"
Hisdeepvoicecameout，awfullyveiled，asthoughhehadbeenoverwhelmedbytheearthofalandslide，andtalkingtoyouofthethoughtsthathauntthedeadintheirgraves.AcoldshudderrandownMr.VanWyk’sback.
\"Andhowlongisitsinceyouhave？\"hebegan.
\"ItwasalongtimebeforeIcouldbringmyselftobelieveinthis——thisvisitation.\"CaptainWhalleyspokewithgloomypatiencefromunderhishand.
Hehadnotthoughthehaddeservedit.Hehadbegunbydeceivinghimselffromdaytoday，fromweektoweek.HehadtheSerangathandthere——anoldservant.Itcameongradually，andwhenhecouldnolongerdeceivehimself
Hisvoicediedoutalmost.
\"RatherthangiveherupIsetmyselftodeceiveyouall.\"
\"It’sincredible，\"whisperedMr.VanWyk.CaptainWhalley’sappallingmurmurflowedon.
\"NoteventhesignofGod’sangercouldmakemeforgether.HowcouldIforsakemychild，feelingmyvigorallthetime——thebloodwarmwithinme？Warmasyours.Itseemstomethat，liketheblindedSamson，Iwouldfindthestrengthtoshakedownatempleuponmyhead.She’sastrugglingwoman——myownchildthatweusedtoprayovertogether，mypoorwifeandI.
DoyourememberthatdayIaswellastoldyouthatIbelievedGodwouldletmelivetoahundredforhersake？Whatsinisthereinlovingyourchild？Doyouseeit？Iwasreadyforhersaketoliveforever.
IhalfbelievedIwould.I’vebeenprayingfordeathsince.Ha！Presumptuousman——youwantedtolive\"
Atremendous，shudderingupheavalofthatbigframe，shakenbyagaspingsob，settheglassesjinglingalloverthetable，seemedtomakethewholehousetrembletotheroof—tree.AndMr.VanWyk，whosefeelingofoutragedlovehadbeentranslatedintoaformofstrug—
glewithnature，understoodverywellthat，forthatmanwhosewholelifehadbeenconditionedbyaction，therecouldexistnootherexpressionforalltheemotions;that，tovoluntarilyceaseventuring，doing，enduring，forhischild’ssake，wouldhavebeenexactlylikepluckinghiswarmloveforheroutofhislivingheart.Somethingtoomonstrous，tooimpossible，eventoconceive.
CaptainWhalleyhadnotchangedhisattitude，thatseemedtoexpresssomethingofshame，sorrow，anddefiance.
\"Ihaveevendeceivedyou.Ifithadnotbeenforthatword’esteem.’Thesearenotthewordsforme.
Iwouldhaveliedtoyou.Haven’tIliedtoyou？
Weren’tyougoingtotrustyourpropertyonboardthisverytrip？\"
\"Ihaveafloatingyearlypolicy，\"Mr.VanWyksaidalmostunwittingly，andwasamazedatthesuddencrop—
pingupofacommercialdetail.
\"Theshipisunseaworthy，Itellyou.Thepolicywouldbeinvalidifitwereknown\"
\"Weshallsharetheguilt，then.\"
\"Nothingcouldmakemineless，\"saidCaptainWhalley.
Hehadnotdaredtoconsultadoctor;themanwouldhaveperhapsaskedwhohewas，whathewasdoing;
Massymighthaveheardsomething.Hehadlivedonwithoutanyhelp，humanordivine.Theveryprayersstuckinhisthroat.Whatwastheretoprayfor？anddeathseemedasfarasever.Oncehegotintohiscabinhedarednotcomeoutagain;whenhesatdownhedarednotgetup;hedarednotraisehiseyestoanybody’sface;hefeltreluctanttolookupontheseaoruptothesky.Theworldwasfadingbeforehisgreatfearofgivinghimselfaway.Theoldshipwashislastfriend;hewasnotafraidofher;hekneweveryinchofherdeck;butathertoohehardlydaredtolook，forfearoffindinghecouldseelessthanthedaybefore.
Agreatincertitudeenvelopedhim.Thehorizonwasgone;theskymingleddarklywiththesea.Whowasthisfigurestandingoveryonder？whatwasthisthinglyingdownthere？Andafrightfuldoubtoftherealityofwhathecouldseemadeeventheremnantofsightthatremainedtohimanaddedtorment，apitfallalwaysopenforhismiserablepretense.Hewasafraidtostumbleinexcusablyoversomething——tosayafatalYesorNotoaquestion.ThehandofGodwasuponhim，butitcouldnottearhimawayfromhischild.And，asifinanightmareofhumiliation，everyfeaturelessmanseemedanenemy.
Helethishandfallheavilyonthetable.Mr.VanWyk，armsdown，chinonbreast，withagleamofwhiteteethpressingonthelowerlip，meditatedonSterne’s\"Thegame’sup.\"
\"TheSerangofcoursedoesnotknow.\"
\"Nobody，\"saidCaptainWhalley，withassurance.
\"Ahyes.Nobody.Verywell.Canyoukeepituptotheendofthetrip？Thatisthelastundertheagree—
mentwithMassy.\"
CaptainWhalleygotupandstooderect，verystately，withthegreatwhitebeardlyinglikeasilverbreastplateovertheawfulsecretofhisheart.Yes;thatwastheonlyhopetherewasforhimofeverseeingheragain，ofsecuringthemoney，thelasthecoulddoforher，beforehecreptawaysomewhere——useless，aburden，areproachtohimself.Hisvoicefaltered.
\"Thinkofit！Neverseeheranymore：theonlyhumanbeingbesidesmyselfnowonearththatcanre—
membermywife.She’sjustlikehermother.Luckythepoorwomaniswheretherearenotearsshedoverthosetheylovedonearthandthatremaintopraynottobeledintotemptation——because，Isuppose，theblessedknowthesecretofgraceinGod’sdealingswithHiscreatedchildren.\"
Heswayedalittle，saidwithausteredignity——
\"Idon’t.IknowonlythechildHehasgivenme.\"
Andhebegantowalk.Mr.VanWyk，jumpingup，sawthefullmeaningoftherigidhead，thehesitatingfeet，thevaguelyextendedhand.Hisheartwasbeat—
ingfast;hemovedachairaside，andinstinctivelyad—
vancedasiftoofferhisarm.ButCaptainWhalleypassedhimby，makingforthestairsquitestraight.
\"Hecouldnotseemeatalloutofhisline，\"VanWykthought，withasortofawe.Thengoingtotheheadofthestairs，heaskedalittletremulously——
\"Whatisitlike——likeamist——like\"
CaptainWhalley，half—waydown，stopped，andturnedroundundismayedtoanswer.
\"Itisasifthelightwereebbingoutoftheworld.
Haveyoueverwatchedtheebbingseaonanopenstretchofsandswithdrawingfartherandfartherawayfromyou？Itislikethis——onlytherewillbenofloodtofollow.Never.Itisasifthesunweregrowingsmaller，thestarsgoingoutonebyone.Therecan’tbemanyleftthatIcanseebythis.ButIhaven’thadthecouragetolookoflate\"HemusthavebeenabletomakeoutMr.VanWyk，becausehecheckedhimbyanauthoritativegestureandastoical——
\"Icangetaboutaloneyet.\"
Itwasasifhehadtakenhisline，andwouldacceptnohelpfrommen，afterhavingbeencastout，likeapre—
sumptuousTitan，fromhisheaven.Mr.VanWyk，ar—
rested，seemedtocountthefootstepsrightoutofear—
shot.Hewalkedbetweenthetables，tappingsmartlywithhisheels，tookupapaper—knife，droppeditafteravagueglancealongtheblade;thenhappeninguponthepiano，struckafewchordsagainandagain，vigor—
ously，standingupbeforethekeyboardwithanatten—
tivepoiseoftheheadlikeapiano—tuner;closingit，hepivotedonhisheelsbrusquely，avoidedthelittleterriersleepingtrustfullyoncrossedforepaws，cameuponthestairsnext，and，asthoughhehadlosthisbalanceonthetopstep，randownheadlongoutofthehouse.Hisservants，beginningtoclearthetable，heardhimmuttertohimself（evilwordsnodoubt）downthere，andthenafterapausegoawaywithastrollinggaitinthedirec—
tionofthewharf.
ThebulwarksoftheSofalalyingalongsidethebankmadealow，blackwallontheundulatingcontouroftheshore.Twomastsandafunneluprosefrombehinditwithagreatrake，asifabouttofall：asolid，squareelevationinthemiddleboretheghostlyshapesofwhiteboats，thecurvesofdavits，linesofrailandstanchions，allconfusedandminglingdarklyeverywhere;butlowdown，amidships，asinglelightedportstaredoutonthenight，perfectlyround，likeasmall，fullmoon，whoseyellowbeamcaughtapatchofwetmud，theedgeoftroddengrass，twoturnsofheavycablewoundroundthefootofathickwoodenpostintheground.
Mr.VanWyk，peeringalongside，heardamuzzyboastfulvoiceapparentlyjeeringatapersoncalledPrendergast.Itmouthedabusethickly，choked;thenpronouncedverydistinctlytheword\"Murphy，\"andchuckled.Glasstinkledtremulously.Allthesesoundscamefromthelightedport.Mr.VanWykhesitated，stooped;itwasimpossibletolookthroughunlesshewentdownintothemud.
\"Sterne，\"hesaid，halfaloud.
Thedrunkenvoicewithinsaidgladly——
\"Sterne——ofcourse.Lookathimblink.Lookathim！Sterne，Whalley，Massy.Massy，Whalley，Sterne.ButMassy’sthebest.Youcan’tcomeoverhim.Hewouldjustlovetoseeyoustarve.\"
Mr.VanWykmovedaway，madeoutfartherforwardashadowyheadstuckoutfromundertheawningsasifonthewatch，andspokequietlyinMalay，\"Isthemateasleep？\"
\"No.Here，atyourservice.\"
InamomentSterneappeared，walkingasnoiselesslyasacatonthewharf.
\"It’ssojollydark，andIhadnoideayouwouldbedownto—night.\"
\"What’sthishorribleraving？\"askedMr.VanWyk，asiftoexplainthecauseofashudderthanranoverhimaudibly.
\"Jack’sbrokenoutonadrunk.That’soursecond.
It’shisway.Hewillberightenoughbyto—morrowafternoon，onlyMr.Massywillkeeponworryingupanddownthedeck.Wehadbettergetaway.\"
Hemutteredsuggestivelyofatalk\"upatthehouse.\"
Hehadlongdesiredtoeffectanentrancethere，butMr.
VanWyknonchalantlydemurred：itwouldnot，hefeared，bequiteprudent，perhaps;andtheopaqueblackshadowunderoneofthetwobigtreesleftatthelanding—placeswallowedthemup，impenetrablydense，bythesideofthewideriver，thatseemedtospinintothreadsofglitterthelightofafewbigstarsdroppedhereandthereuponitsoutspreadandflowingstillness.
\"Thesituationisgravebeyonddoubt，\"Mr.VanWyksaid.Ghost—likeintheirwhiteclothestheycouldnotdistinguisheachothers’features，andtheirfeetmadenosoundonthesoftearth.Asortofpurringwasheard.Mr.Sternefeltgratifiedbysuchabeginning.
\"Ithought，Mr.VanWyk，agentlemanofyoursortwouldseeatoncehowawkwardlyIwassituated.\"
\"Yes，very.Obviouslyhishealthisbad.Perhapshe’sbreakingup.Isee，andhehimselfiswellaware——
IassumeIamspeakingtoamanofsense——heiswellawarethathislegsaregivingout.\"
\"Hislegs——ah！\"Mr.Sternewasdisconcerted，andthenturnedsulky.\"Youmaycallithislegsifyoulike;whatIwanttoknowiswhetherheintendstoclearoutquietly.That’sagoodone，too！Hislegs！
Pooh！\"
\"Why，yes.Onlylookatthewayhewalks.\"Mr.
VanWyktookhimupinaperfectlycoolandundoubt—
ingtone.\"Thequestion，however，iswhetheryoursenseofdutydoesnotcarryyoutoofarfromyourtrueinterest.Afterall，Itoocoulddosomethingtoserveyou.YouknowwhoIam.\"
\"EverybodyalongtheStraitshasheardofyou，sir.\"
Mr.VanWykpresumedthatthismeantsomethingfavorable.Sternehadasoftlaughatthispleasantry.
Heshouldthinkso！Totheopeningstatement，thatthepartnershipagreementwastoexpireattheendofthisverytrip，hegaveanattentiveassent.Hewasaware.Oneheardofnothingelseonboardalltheblesseddaylong.AstoMassy，itwasnosecretthathewasinajollydeepholewiththeseworn—outboilers.
Hewouldhavetoborrowsomewhereacoupleofhun—
dredfirstofalltopayoffthecaptain;andthenhewouldhavetoraisemoneyonmortgageupontheshipforthenewboilers——thatis，ifhecouldfindalenderatall.Atbestitmeantlossoftime，abreakinthetrade，shortearningsfortheyear——andtherewasalwaysthedangerofhavinghisconnectionfilchedawayfromhimbytheGermans.Itwaswhisperedaboutthathehadalreadytriedtwofirms.Neitherwouldhaveanythingtodowithhim.Shiptooold，andthemantoowellknownintheplaceMr.Sterne’sfinalrapidwink—
ingremainedburiedinthedeepdarknesssibilatingwithhiswhispers.
\"Supposing，then，hegottheloan，\"Mr.VanWykresumedinadeliberateundertone，\"onyourownshow—
inghe’smorethanlikelytogetamortgagee’smanthrustuponhimascaptain.Formypart，IknowthatIwouldmakethatverystipulationmyselfifIhadtofindthemoney.AndasamatteroffactIamthinkingofdoingso.Itwouldbeworthmywhileinmanyways.
Doyouseehowthiswouldbearonthecaseunderdis—
cussion？\"
\"Thankyou，sir.Iamsureyoucouldn’tgetany—
bodythatwouldcaremoreforyourinterests.\"
\"Well，itsuitsmyinterestthatCaptainWhalleyshouldfinishhistime.IshallprobablytakeapassagewithyoudowntheStraits.Ifthatcanbedone，I’llbeonthespotwhenallthesechangestakeplace，andinapositiontolookafterYOURinterests.\"
\"Mr.VanWyk，Iwantnothingbetter.IamsureIaminfinitely\"
\"Itakeit，then，thatthismaybedonewithoutanytrouble.\"
\"Well，sir，whatriskthereiscan’tbehelped;but（speakingtoyouasmyemployernow）thethingismoresafethanitlooks.IfanybodyhadtoldmeofitIwouldn’thavebelievedit，butIhavebeenlookingonmyself.ThatoldSeranghasbeentraineduptothegame.There’snothingthematterwithhis——his——
limbs，sir.He’sgotusedtodoingthingshimselfinaremarkableway.Andletmetellyou，sir，thatCap—
tainWhalley，poorman，isbynomeansuseless.Fact.
Letmeexplaintoyou，sir.HestiffensupthatoldmonkeyofaMalay，whoknowswellenoughwhattodo.
Why，hemusthavekeptcaptain’swatchesinallsortsofcountryshipsoffandonforthelastfive—and—twentyyears.Thesenatives，sir，aslongastheyhaveawhitemancloseattheback，willgoondoingtherightthingmostsurprisinglywell——evenifleftquitetothemselves.
Onlythewhitemanmustbeofthesorttoputstarchintothem，andthecaptainisjusttheoneforthat.
Why，sir，hehasdrilledhimsowellthatnowheneedshardlyspeakatall.IhaveseenthatlittlewrinkledapemadetotaketheshipoutofPanguBayonablowymorningandonallthroughtheislands;takeheroutfirst—rate，sir，dodgingundertheoldman’selbow，andinsuchquietstylethatyoucouldnothavetoldforthelifeofyouwhichofthetwowasdoingtheworkupthere.That’swhereourpoorfriendwouldbestillofusetotheshipevenif——if——hecouldnolongerliftafoot，sir.ProvidedtheSerangdoesnotknowthatthere’sanythingwrong.\"
\"Hedoesn’t.\"
\"Naturallynot.Quitebeyondhisapprehension.
Theyaren’tcapableoffindingoutanythingaboutus，sir.\"
\"Youseemtobeashrewdman，\"saidMr.VanWykinachokedmutter，asthoughhewerefeelingsick.
\"You’llfindmeagoodenoughservant，sir.\"
Mr.Sternehopednowforahandshakeatleast，butunexpectedly，witha\"What’sthis？Betternottobeseentogether，\"Mr.VanWyk’swhiteshapewavered，andinstantlyseemedtomeltawayintheblackairundertheroofofboughs.Thematewasstartled.Yes.
Therewasthatfaintthumpingclatter.
Hestoleoutsilentlyfromundertheshade.Thelightedport—holeshonefromafar.Hisheadswamwiththeintoxicationofsuddensuccess.Whatathingitwastohaveagentlemantodealwith！Hecreptaboard，andtherewassomethingweirdintheshadowystretchofemptydecks，echoingwithshoutsandblowsproceed—
ingfromadarkerpartamidships.Mr.Massywasragingbeforethedooroftheberth：thedrunkenvoicewithinflowedonundisturbedintheviolentracketofkicks.
\"Shutup！Putyourlightoutandturnin，youconfoundedswillingpig——you！D’youhearme，youbeast？\"
Thekickingstopped，andinthepausethemuzzyoracularvoiceannouncedfromwithin——
\"Ah！Massy，now——that’sanotherthing.Massy’sdeep.\"
\"Who’sthataftthere？You，Sterne？He’lldrinkhimselfintoafitofhorrors.\"Thechiefengineerap—
pearedvagueandbigatthecorneroftheengine—
room.
\"Hewillbegoodenoughfordutyto—morrow.Iwouldlethimbe，Mr.Massy.\"
Sterneslippedawayintohisberth，andatoncehadtositdown.Hisheadswamwithexultation.Hegotintohisbunkasifinadream.Afeelingofprofoundpeace，ofpacificjoy，cameoverhim.Ondeckallwasquiet.
Mr.Massy，withhisearagainstthedoorofJack’scabin，listenedcriticallytoadeepstertorousbreathingwithin.Thiswasadead—drunksleep.Theboutwasover：tranquilizedonthatscore，hetoowentin，andwithslowwrigglesgotoutofhisoldtweedjacket.Itwasagarmentwithmanypockets，whichheusedtoputonatoddtimesoftheday，beingsubjecttosuddenchillyfits，andwhenhefeltwarmedhewouldtakeitoffandhangitaboutanywhereallovertheship.Itwouldbeseenswingingonbelaying—pins，thrownovertheheadsofwinches，suspendedonpeople’sverydoor—
handlesforthatmatter.Washenottheowner？Buthisfavoriteplacewasahookonawoodenawningstanchiononthebridge，almostagainstthebinnacle.
HehadevenintheearlydaysmorethanonetussleonthatpointwithCaptainWhalley，whodesiredthebridgetobekepttidy.Hehadbeenoverawedthen.
Oflate，though，hehadbeenabletodefyhispartnerwithimpunity.CaptainWhalleyneverseemedtonoticeanythingnow.AstotheMalays，intheiraweofthatscowlingmannotoneofthecrewwoulddreamoflayingahandonthething，nomatterwhereorwhatitswungfrom.
WithanunexpectednesswhichmadeMr.Massyjumpanddropthecoatathisfeet，therecamefromthenextberththecrashandthudofaheadlong，jingling，clat—
teringfall.ThefaithfulJackmusthavedroppedtosleepsuddenlyashesatathisrevels，andnowhadgoneoverchairandall，breaking，asitseemedbythesound，everysingleglassandbottleintheplace.Aftertheterrificsmashallwasstillforatimeinthere，asthoughhehadkilledhimselfoutrightonthespot.Mr.
Massyheldhisbreath.Atlastasleepyuneasygroan—
ingsighwasexhaledslowlyontheothersideofthebulkhead.
\"Ihopetogoodnesshe’stoodrunktowakeupnow，\"
mutteredMr.Massy.
Thesoundofasoftlyknowinglaughnearlydrovehimtodespair.Hesworeviolentlyunderhisbreath.
Thefoolwouldkeephimawakeallnightnowforcer—
tain.Hecursedhisluck.Hewantedtoforgethismaddeningtroublesinsleepsometimes.Hecoulddetectnomovements.Withoutapparentlymakingtheslight—
estattempttogetup，Jackwentonsniggeringtohim—
selfwherehelay;thenbegantospeak，wherehehadleftoffasitwere——
\"Massy！Ilovethedirtyrascal.HewouldliketoseehispooroldJackstarve——butjustyoulookwherehehasclimbedto.\"Hehiccoughedinasuperior，leisurelymanner\"Ship—owningitwiththebest.
Alotteryticketyouwant.Ha！ha！Iwillgiveyoulotterytickets，myboy.Lettheoldshipsinkandtheoldchumstarve——that’sright.Hedon’tgowrong——
Massydon’t.Nothe.He’sagenius——thatmanis.
That’sthewaytowinyourmoney.Shipandchummustgo.\"
\"Thesillyfoolhastakenittoheart，\"mutteredMassytohimself.And，listeningwithasoftenedexpressionoffaceforanyslightsignofreturningdrowsiness，hewasdiscouragedprofoundlybyaburstoflaughterfullofjoyfulirony.
\"Wouldliketoseeheratthebottomofthesea！Oh，youclever，cleverdevil！Wishhersunk，eh？Ishouldthinkyouwould，myboy;thedamnedoldthingandallyourtroubleswithher.Rakeintheinsurancemoney——turnyourbackonyouroldchum——all’swell——gentle—
managain.\"
AgrimstillnesshadcomeoverMassy’sface.Onlyhisbigblackeyesrolleduneasily.Theravingfool.
Andyetitwasalltrue.Yes.Lotterytickets，too.
Alltrue.What？Beginningagain？Hewishedhewouldn’t
Butitwasevenso.Theimaginativedrunkardontheothersideofthebulkheadshookoffthedeathlikestillnessthatafterhislastwordshadfallenonthedarkshipmooredtoasilentshore.
\"Don’tyoudaretosayanythingagainstGeorgeMassy，Esquire.Whenhe’stiredofwaitinghewilldoawaywithher.Lookout！Downshegoes——chumandall.He’llknowhowto\"
Thevoicehesitated，weary，dreamy，lost，asifdyingawayinavastopenspace.
\"Findatrickthatwillwork.He’suptoit——
neverfear\"
Hemusthavebeenverydrunk，foratlasttheheavysleepgrippedhimwiththesuddennessofamagicspell，andthelastwordlengtheneditselfintoaninterminable，noisy，in—drawnsnore.Andtheneventhesnoringstopped，andallwasstill.
ButitseemedasthoughMr.Massyhadsuddenlycometodoubttheefficacyofsleepasagainstaman’stroubles;
orperhapshehadfoundthereliefheneededinthestillnessofacalmcontemplationthatmaycontainthevividthoughtsofwealth，ofastrokeofluck，oflongidleness，andmaybringbeforeyoutheimaginedformofeverydesire;for，turningaboutandthrowinghisarmsovertheedgeofhisbunk，hestoodtherewithhisfeetonhisfavoriteoldcoat，lookingoutthroughtheroundportintothenightovertheriver.Sometimesabreathofwindwouldenterandtouchhisface，acoolbreathchargedwiththedamp，freshfeelfromavastbodyofwater.Aglimmerhereandtherewasallhecouldseeofit;andoncehemightafterallsupposehehaddozedoff，sincethereappearedbeforehisvision，unexpectedlyandconnectedwithnodream，arowofflamingandgiganticfigures——threenaughtsevenonetwo——makingupanumbersuchasyoumayseeonalotteryticket.Andthenallatoncetheportwasnolongerblack：itwaspearlygray，framingashorecrowdedwithhouses，thatchedroofbeyondthatchedroof，wallsofmatsandbamboo，gablesofcarvedteaktimber.Rowsofdwellingsraisedonaforestofpileslinedthesteelybandoftheriver，brimfulandstill，withthetideattheturn.ThiswasBatuBeru——andthedayhadcome.
Mr.Massyshookhimself，putonthetweedcoat，and，shiveringnervouslyasiffromsomegreatshock，madeanoteofthenumber.Afortunate，rarehintthat.
Yes;buttopursuefortuneonewantedmoney——readycash.
Thenhewentoutandpreparedtodescendintotheengine—room.Severalsmalljobshadtobeseento，andJackwaslyingdeaddrunkonthefloorofhiscabin，withthedoorlockedatthat.Hisgorgeroseatthethoughtofwork.Ay！Butifyouwantedtodonoth—
ingyouhadtogetfirstagoodbitofmoney.A
shipwon’tsaveyou.HecursedtheSofala.True，alltrue.Hewastiredofwaitingforsomechancethatwouldridhimatlastofthatshipthathadturnedoutacurseonhislife.
XIV
Thedeep，interminablehootofthesteam—whistlehad，initsgrave，vibratingnote，somethingintolerable，whichsentaslightshudderdownMr.VanWyk’sback.
Itwastheearlyafternoon;theSofalawasleavingBatuBeruforPangu，thenextplaceofcall.Sheswunginthestream，scantilyattendedbyafewcanoes，and，glid—
ingonthebroadriver，becamelosttoviewfromtheVanWykbungalow.
Itsownerhadnotgonethistimetoseeheroff.Gen—
erallyhecamedowntothewharf，exchangedafewwordswiththebridgewhileshecastoff，andwavedhishandtoCaptainWhalleyatthelastmoment.Thisdayhedidnotevengoasfarasthebalustradeoftheveranda.\"Hecouldn’tseemeifIdid，\"hesaidtohimself.\"Iwonderwhetherhecanmakeoutthehouseatall.\"Andthisthoughtsomehowmadehimfeelmorealonethanhehadeverfeltforalltheseyears.Whatwasit？sixorseven？Seven.Alongtime.
Hesatontheverandawithaclosedbookonhisknee，and，asitwere，lookedoutuponhissolitude，asifthefactofCaptainWhalley’sblindnesshadopenedhiseyestohisown.Thereweremanysortsofheartachesandtroubles，andtherewasnoplacewheretheycouldnotfindamanout.Andhefeltashamed，asthoughhehadforsixyearsbehavedlikeapeevishboy.
HisthoughtfollowedtheSofalaonherway.Onthespurofthemomenthehadactedimpulsively，turningtothethingmostpressing.Andwhatelsecouldhehavedone？Lateronheshouldsee.Itseemedneces—
sarythatheshouldcomeoutintotheworld，foratimeatleast.Hehadmoney——somethingcouldbear—
ranged;hewouldgrudgenotime，notrouble，nolossofhissolitude.Itweighedonhimnow——andCaptainWhalleyappearedtohimashehadsatshadinghiseyes，asif，beingdeceivedinthetrustofhisfaith，hewerebeyondallthegoodandevilthatcanbewroughtbythehandsofmen.
Mr.VanWyk’sthoughtsfollowedtheSofaladowntheriver，windingaboutthroughthebeltofthecoastforest，betweenthebuttressedshaftsofthebigtrees，throughthemangrovestrip，andoverthebar.Theshipcrossediteasilyinbroaddaylight，piloted，asithappened，byMr.Sterne，whotookthewatchfromfourtosix，andthenwentbelowtohughimselfwithdelightatthepros—
pectofbeingvirtuallyemployedbyarichman——likeMr.VanWyk.Hecouldnotseehowanyhitchcouldoccurnow.Hedidnotseemabletogetoverthefeelingofbeing\"fixedupatlast.\"Fromsixtoeight，inthecourseofduty，theSeranglookedaloneaftertheship.
Shehadaclearroadbeforehernowtillaboutthreeinthemorning，whenshewouldclosewiththePangugroup.AteightMr.Sternecameoutcheerilytotakechargeagaintillmidnight.Attenhewasstillchir—
rupingandhummingtohimselfonthebridge，andaboutthattimeMr.VanWyk’sthoughtabandonedtheSofala.Mr.VanWykhadfallenasleepatlast.
Massy，blockingtheengine—roomcompanion，jerkedhimselfintohistweedjacketsurlily，whilethesecondwaitedwithascowl.
\"Oh.Youcameout？Yousot！Well，whathaveyougottosayforyourself？\"
Hehadbeeninchargeoftheenginestillthen.A
somberfurydarkenedhismind：ahotangeragainsttheship，againstthefactsoflife，againstthemenfortheircheating，againsthimselftoo——becauseofanin—
wardtremorofhisheart.
Anincomprehensiblegrowlansweredhim.
\"What？Can’tyouopenyourmouthnow？Youyelpoutyourinfernalrotloudenoughwhenyouaredrunk.