\"Oh，that’simpossible。Betweentwopals，youknow，ifImaycallyouso，andspeakingasamanoftheworld，Icouldn’t。Takethenotionifit’sanyusetoyou。I’veheapsmore。\"
Hehad-noneknewthisbetterthanI-
buttheywerethenotionsofothermen。
\"Lookatitasamatterofbusiness-betweenmenoftheworld，\"I
returned。\"Fivepoundswillbuyyouanynumberofpoetry-books。
Businessisbusiness，andyoumaybesureIshouldn’tgivethatpriceunless\"-\"Oh，ifyouputitthatway，\"saidCharlie，visiblymovedbythethoughtofthebooks。Thebargainwasclinchedwithanagreementthatheshouldatun>statedintervalscometomewithallthenotionsthathepossessed，shouldhaveatableofhisowntowriteat，andunquestionedrighttoinflictuponmeallhispoemsandfragmentsofpoems。ThenIsaid，\"Nowtellmehowyoucamebythisidea。\"
\"Itcamebyitself。\"Charlie’seyesopenedalittle。
\"Yes，butyoutoldmeagreatdealabouttheherothatyoumusthavereadbeforesomewhere。\"
\"Ihaven’tanytimeforreading，exceptwhenyouletmesithere，andonSundaysI’monmybicycleordowntheriverallday。
There’snothingwrongaboutthehero，isthere？\"
\"TellmeagainandIshallunderstandclearly。Yousaythatyourherowentpirating。Howdidhelive？\"
\"Hewasonthelowerdeckofthisship-thingthatIwastellingyouabout。\"
\"Whatsortofship？\"
\"Itwasthekindrowedwithoars，andtheseaspurtsthroughtheoar-holesandthemenrowsittinguptotheirkneesinwater。Thenthere’sabenchrunningdownbetweenthetwolinesofoarsandanoverseerwithawhipwalksupanddownthebenchtomakethemenwork。\"
\"Howdoyouknowthat？\"
\"It’sinthetable。There’saroperunningoverhead，loopedtotheupperdeck，fortheoverseertocatchholdofwhentheshiprolls。
Whentheoverseermissestheropeonceandfallsamongtherowers，remembertheherolaughsathimandgetslickedforit。
He’schainedtohisoarofcourse-thehero。\"
’~Howishechained？\"
\"Withanironbandroundhiswaistfixedtothebenchhesitson，andasortofhandcuffonhisleftwristchaininghimtotheoar。
He’sonthelowerdeckwheretheworstmenareent，andtheonlylightcomesfromthehatchwaysandthroughtheoar-holes。Can’tyouimaginethesunlightjustsqueezingthroughbetweenthehandleandtheholeandwobblingaboutastheshipmoves？\"
\"Ican，butIcan’timagineyourimaginingit。\"
\"Howcoulditbeanyotherway？Nowyoulistentome。Thelongoarsontheupperdeckaremanagedbyfourmentoeachbench，theloweronesbythree，andthelowestofallbytwo。Rememberit’squitedarkonthelowestdeckandallthementheregomad。
Whenamandiesathisoaronthatdeckheisn’tthrownoverboard，butcutupinhischainsandstuffedthroughtheoar-holeinlittlepieces。\"
\"Why？\"Idemanded，amazed，notsomuchattheinformationasthetoneofcommandinwhichitwasflungout。
\"Tosavetroubleandtofrightentheothers。Itneedstwooverseerstodragaman’sbodyuptothetopdeck;andifthemenatthelowerdeckoarswereleftalone，ofcoursethey’dstoprowingandtrytopullupthebenchesbyallstandinguptogetherintheirchains。\"
\"You’veamostprovidentimagination。Wherehaveyoubeenreadingaboutgalleysandgalley-slaves？\"
\"NowherethatIremember。IrowalittlewhenIgetthechance。
But，perhaps，ifyousayso，Imayhavereadsomething。\"
Hewentawayshortlyafterwardtodealwithbooksellers，andI
wonderedhowabankclerkagedtwentycouldputintomyhandswithaprofligateabundanceofdetail，allgivenwithabsoluteassurance，thestoryofextravagantandbloodthirstyadventure，riot，piracy，anddeathinunnamedseas。Hehadledhisheroadesperatedancethroughrevoltagainsttheoverseas，tocommandofashipofhisown，andultimateestablishmentofakingdomonanisland\"somewhereinthesea，youknow\";and，delightedwithmypaltryfivepounds，hadgoneouttobuythenotionsofothermen，thatthesemightteachhimhowtowrite。Ihadtheconsolationofknowingthatthisnotionwasminebyrightofpurchase，andIthoughtthatIcouldmakesomethingofit。
Whennexthecametomehewasdrunk-royallydrunkonmanypoetsforthefirsttimerevealedtohim。Hispupilsweredilated，hiswordstumbledovereachother，andhewrappedhimselfinquotations。MostofallwashedrunkwithLongfellow。
\"Isn’titsplendid？Isn’titsuperb？\"hecried，afterhastygreetings。
\"Listentothis-
\"’Would~tthou，’sothehelmsmananswered，’Knowthesecretofthesea？
OnlythosewhobraveitsdangersComprehenditsmystery。’
Bygum！
\"’OnlythosewhobraveitsdangersComprehenditsmystery。’\"
berepeatedtwentytimes，walkingupanddowntheroomandforgettingme。\"ButIcanunderstandittoo，\"hesaidtohimself。\"I
don’tknowhowtothankyouforthatfiver。Andthis;listen-
\"’IremembertheblackwharvesandtheshipsAndthesea-tidestossingfree，AndtheSpanishsailorswithbeardedlips，Andthebeautyandmysteryoftheships，Andthemagicofthesea。’
Ihaven’tbravedanydangers，butIfeelasifIknewallaboutit。\"
\"Youcertainlyseemtohaveagripofthesea。Haveyoueverseenit？\"
\"WhenIwasalittlechapIwenttoBrightononce;weusedtoliveinCoventry，though，beforewecametoLondon。Ineversawit，’WhendescendsontheAtlanticThegiganticStorm-windoftheEquinox。’\"
Heshookmebytheshouldertomakemeunderstandthepassionthatwasshakinghimself。
\"Whenthatstormcomes，\"hecontinued，\"IthinkthatalltheoarsintheshipthatIwastalkingaboutgetbroken，andtherowershavetheirchestssmashedinbythebuckingoar-heads。Bytheway，haveyoudoneanythingwiththatnotionofmineyet？\"
\"No。Iwaswaitingtohearmoreofitfromyou。Tellmehowintheworldyouresocertainaboutthefittingsoftheship。Youknownothingofships。\"
\"Idon’tknow。It’sasrealasanythingtomeuntilItrytowriteitdown。Iwasthinkingaboutitonlylastnightinbed，afteryouhadloanedme’TreasureIsland’;andImadeupaawholelotofnewthingstogointothestory。\"
\"Whatsortofthings？\"
\"Aboutthefoodthemenate;rottenfigsandblackbeansandwineinaskinbag，passedfrombenchtobench。\"
\"Wastheshipbuiltsolongagoasthat？\"
\"Aswhat？Idon’tknowwhetheritwaslongagoornot。It’sonlyanotion，butsometimesitseemsjustasrealasifitwastrue。DoI
botheryouwithtalkingaboutit？\"
\"Notintheleast。Didyoumakeupanythingelse？\"
\"Yes，butit’snonsense。\"Charlieflushedalittle。
\"Nevermind;let’shearaboutit。\"
\"Well，Iwasthinkingoverthestory，andafterawhileIgotoutofbedandwrotedownonapieceofpaperthesortofstuffthemenmightbesupposedtoscratchontheiroarswiththeedgesoftheirhandcuffs。Itseemedtomakethethingmorelifelike。Itissorealtome，y’know。\"
\"Haveyouthepaperonyou？\"
\"Ye-es，butwhat’stheuseofshowingit？It’sonlyalotofscratches。Allthesame，wemighthave’emreproducedinthebookonthefrontpage。\"
\"I’llattendtothosedetails。Showmewhatyourmenwrote。\"
Hepulledoutofhispocketasheetofnote-paper，withasinglelineofscratchesuponit，andIputthiscarefullyaway。
\"WhatisitsupposedtomeaninEnglish？\"Isaid。
\"Oh，Idon’tknow。Perhapsitmeans’I’mbeastlytired。’It’sgreatnonsence，\"herepeated，\"butallthosemenintheshipseemasrealpeopletome。Dodosomethingtothenotionsoon;Ishouldliketoseeitwrittenandprinted。\"
\"Butallyou’vetoldmewouldmakealongbook。\"
\"Makeitthen。You’veonlytositdownandwriteitout。\"
\"Givemealittletime。Haveyouanymorenotions？\"
\"Notjustnow。I’mreadingallthebooksI’vebought。They’resplendid。\"
WhenhehadleftIlookedatthesheetofnote-paperwiththeinscriptionuponit。ThenItookmyheadtenderlybetweenbothhands，tomakecertainthatitwasnotcomingofforturninground。
Then……butthereseemedtobenointervalbetweenquittingmyroomsandfindingmyselfarguingwithapolicemanoutsideadoormarkedPrivateinacorridoroftheBritishMuseum。AllI
demanded，aspolitelyaspossible，was\"theGreekantiquityman。\"
ThepolicemanknewnothingexcepttherulesoftheMuseum，anditbecamenecessarytoforagethroughallthehousesandofficesinsidethegates。Anelderlygentlemancalledawayfromhislunchputanendtomysearchbyholdingthenote-paperbetweenfingerandthumbandsniffingatitscornfully。
\"Whatdoesthismean？H’mm，\"saidhe。\"SofarasIcanascertainitisanattempttowriteextremelycorruptGreekonthepart\"-hereheglaredatmewithintention-\"ofanextremelyilliterate-ah-
person。\"Hereadslowlyfromthepaper，\"Pollock，Erckman，Tauchnitz，Henniker\"-fournamesfamiliartome。
\"Canyoutellmewhatthecorruptionissupposedtomean-thegistofthething？\"Iasked。
\"Ihavebeen-manytimes-overcomewithwearinessinthisparticularemployment。Thatisthemeaning。\"Hereturnedmethepaper，andIfledwithoutawordofthanks，explanation，orapology。
Imighthavebeenexcusedforforgettingmuch。Tomeofallmenhadbeengiventhechancetowritethemostmarveloustaleintheworld，nothinglessthanthestoryofaGreekgalley-slave，astoldbyhimself。SmallwonderthathisdreaminghadseemedrealtoCharlie。TheFatesthataresocarefultoshutthedoorsofeachsuccessivelifebehindushad，inthiscase，beenneglectful，andCharliewaslooking，thoughthathedidnotknow，wherenevermanhadbeenpermittedtolookwithfullknowledgesinceTimebegan。Aboveallhewasabsolutelyignorantoftheknowledgesoldtomeforfivepounds;andhewouldretainthatignorance，forbank-clerksdonotunderstandmetempsychosis，andasoundcommercialeducationdoesnotincludeGreek。Hewouldsupplym~hereIcaperedamongthedumbgodsofEgyptandlaughedintheirbatteredfaces-withmaterialtomakemytalesur~sosurethattheworldwouldhailitasanimpudentandvampedfict~on。AndI-Ialonewouldknowthatitwasabsolutelyandliterallytrue。1，-I
aloneheldthisjeweltomyhandforthecuttingandpolishing。
ThereforeIdancedagainamongthegodstillapolicemansawmeandtookstepsinmydirection。
ItremainednowonlytoencourageCharlietotalk，andheretherewasnodifficulty。ButIhadforgottenthoseaccursedbooksofpoetry。Hecametometimeaftertime，asuselessasasurchargedphonograph-drunkonByron，Shelley，orKeats。Knowingnowwhattheboyhadbeeninhispastlives，anddesperatelyanxiousnottoloseonewordofhisbabble，Icouldnothidefromhimmyrespectandinterest。HemisconstruedbothintorespectforthepresentsoulofCharlieMears，towhomlifewasasnewasitwastoAdam，andinterestinhisreadings;andstretchedmypatiencetobreakingpointbyrecitingpoetry-nothisownnow，butthatofothers。IwishedeveryEnglishpoetblottedoutofthememoryofmankind。IblasphemedthemightiestnamesofsongbecausetheyhaddrawnCharliefromthepathofdirectnarrative，andwould，later，spurhimtoimitatethem;butIchokeddownmyimpatienceuntilthefirstfloodofenthusiasmshouldhavespentitselfandtheboyreturnedtohisdreams。
\"What’stheuseofmytellingyouwhatIthink，whenthesechapswrotethingsfortheangelstoread？\"hegrowled，oneevening。
\"Whydon’tyouwritesomethingliketheirs？\"
\"Idon’tthinkyou’retreatingmequitefairly，\"Isaid，speakingunderstrongrestraint。
\"I’vegivenyouthestory，\"hesaid，shortlyreplunginginto\"Lara。\"
\"ButIwantthedetails。\"
\"ThethingsImakeupaboutthatdamnedshipthatyoucallagalley？They’requiteeasy。Youcanjustmakeemupyourself。Turnupthegasalittle，Iwanttogoonreading。\"
Icouldhavebrokenthegasglobeoverhisheadforhisamazingstupidity。IcouldindeedmakeupthingsformyselfdidIonlyknowwhatCharliedidnotknowthatheknew。ButsincethedoorswereshutbehindmeIcouldonlywaithisyouthfulpleasureandstrivetokeephimingoodtemper。Oneminute’swantofguardmightspoilapricelessrevelation：nowandagainhewouldtosshisbooksaside-hekepttheminmyrooms，forhismotherwouldhavebeenshockedatthewasteofgoodmoneyhadsheseenthem-andlaunchedintohisseadreams。AgainIcursedallthepoetsofEngland。Theplasticmindofthebank-clerkhadbeenoverlaid，coloredanddistortedbythatwhichhehadread，andtheresultasdeliveredwasaconfusedtangleofothervoicesmostlikethemutteredsongthroughaCitytelephoneinthebusiestpartoftheday。
Hetalkedofthegalley-hisowngalleyhadhebutknownit-withillustrationsborrowedfromthe\"BrideofAbydos。\"Hepointedtheexperiencesofhisherowithquotationsfrom\"TheCorsair，\"andthrewindeepanddesperatemoralreflectionsfrom\"Cain\"and\"Manfred，\"expectingmetousethemall。OnlywhenthetalkturnedonLongfellowwerethejarringcross-currentsdumb，andI
knewthatCharliewasspeakingthetruthasherememberedit。
\"Whatdoyouthinkofthis？\"Isaidoneevening，assoonasI
understoodthemediuminwhichhismemoryworkedbest，and，beforehecouldexpostulatereadhimthewholeof\"TheSagofKingOlaf！\"
Helistenedopen-mouthed，flushedhishandsdrummingonthebackofthesofawherehelay，tillIcametotheSongsofEmarTamberskelverandtheverse：
\"Emarthen，thearrowtakingFromtheloosenedstring，Answered：’ThatwasNorwaybreaking’Neaththyhand，OKing。’\"
Hegaspedwithpuredelightofsound。
\"That’sbetterthanByron，alittle，\"Iventured。
\"Better？Whyit’strue！Howcouldhehaveknown？\"
Iwentbackandrepeated：
\"’Whatwasthat？’saidOlaf，standingOnthequarter-deck，’SomethingheardIlikethestrandingOfashatteredwreck。’\"
\"Howcouldhehaveknownhowtheshipscrashandtheoarsripoutandgoz-zzpallalongtheline？Whyonlytheothernight……
Butgobackpleaseandread’TheSkerryofShrieks’again。\"
\"No，I’mtired。Let’stalk。Whathappenedtheothernight？\"
\"Ihadanawfulnightmareaboutthatgalleyofours。IdreamedI
wasdrownedinafight。Youseeweranalongsideanothershipinharbor。Thewaterwasdeadstillexceptwhereouroarswhippeditup。YouknowwhereIalwayssitinthegalley？\"Hespokehaltinglyatfirst，underafineEnglishfearofbeinglaughedat。
\"No。That’snewstome，\"Ianswered，meekly，myheartbeginningtobeat。
\"Onthefourthoarfromthebowontherightsideontheupperdeck。Therewerefourofusattheoar，allchained。Irememberwatchingthewaterandtryingtogetmyhandcuffsoffbeforetherowbegan。Thenweclosedupontheothership，andalltheirfightingmenjumpedoverourbulwarks，andmybenchbrokeandI
waspinneddownwiththethreeotherfellowsontopofme，andthebigoarjammedacrossourbacks。\"
\"Well？\"Charlie’seyeswerealiveandalight。Hewaslookingatthewallbehindmychair。
\"Idon’tknowhowwefought。Themenweretramplingallovermyback，andIlaylow。Thenourrowersontheleftside-tiedtotheiroars，youknow-begantoyellandbackwater。Icouldhearthewatersizzle，andwespunroundlikeacockchaferandIknew，lyingwhereIwas，thattherewasagalleycomingupbow-on，toramusontheleftside。Icouldjustliftupmyheadandseehersailoverthebulwarks。Wewantedtomeetherbowtobow，butitwastoolate。Wecouldonlyturnalittlebitbecausethegalleyonourrighthadhookedherselfontousandstoppedourmoving。Then，bygum！therewasacrash！Ourleftoarsbegantobreakastheothergalley，themovingoney’know，stuckhernoseintothem。
Thenthelower-deckoarsshotupthroughthedeck-planking，butfirst，andoneofthemjumpedcleanupintotheairandcamedownagainclosetomyhead。\"
\"Howwasthatmanaged？\"
\"Themovinggalley’sbowwasplunkingthembackthroughtheirownoarholes，andIcouldhearthedevilofashindyinthedecksbelow。Thenhernosecaughtusnearlyinthemiddle，andwetiltedsideways，andthefellowsintheright-handgalleyunhitchedtheirhooksandropes，andthrewthingsontoourupperdeck-arrows，andhotpitchorsomethingthatstung，andwewentupandupandupontheleftside，andtherightsidedipped，andItwistedmyheadroundandsawthewaterstandstillasittoppedtherightbulwarks，andthenitcurledoverandcrasheddownonthewholelotofusontherightside，andIfeltithitmyback，andIwoke。\"
\"Oneminute，Charlie。Whentheseatoppedthebulwarks，whatdiditlooklike？\"Ihadmyreasonsforasking。Amanofmyacquaintancehadoncegonedownwithaleakingshipinastillsea，andhadseenthewater-levelpauseforaninstantereitfellonthedeck。
\"Itlookedjustlikeabanjo-stringdrawntight，anditseemedtostaythereforyears，\"saidCharlie。
Exactly！Theothermanhadsaid：
\"Itlookedlikeasilverwirelaiddownalongthebulwarks，andI
thoughtitwasnevergoingtobreak。\"Hehadpaideverythingexceptthebarelifeforthislittlevaluelesspieceofknowledge，andIhadtraveledtenthousandwearymilestomeethimandtakehisknowledgeatsecondhand。ButCharlie，thebank-clerk，ontwenty-fiveshillingsaweek，hewhobadneverbeenoutofsightofaLondonomnibus，knewitall。Itwasnoconsolationtomethatonceinhisliveshehadbeenforcedtodieforhisgains。Ialsomusthavediedscoresoftimes，buthebiname，becauseIcouldhaveusedmyknowledge，thedoorswereshut。
\"Andthen？\"Isaid，tryingtoputawaythedevilofenvy。
\"Thefunnythingwas，though，inallthemessIdidn’tfeelabitastonishedorfrightened。ItseemedasifI’dbeeninagoodmanyfights，becauseItoldmynextmansowhentherowbegan。Butthatcadofanoverseeronmydeckwouldn’tunlooseourchainsandgiveusachance。Healwayssaidthatwe’dallhesetfreeafterabattle，butweneverwere;Weneverwere。\"Charlieshookhisheadmournfully。
\"Whatascoundrel！\"
\"Ishouldsayhewas。Henevergaveusenoughtoeat，andsometimesweweresothirstythatweusedtodrinksalt-water。I
cantastethatsalt-waterstill。’’
\"Nowtellmesomethingabouttheharborwherethefightwasfought。\"
\"Ididn’tdreamaboutthat。Iknowitwasaharbor，though;becabseweweretieduptoaringonawhitewallandallthefaceofthestoneunderwaterwascoveredwithwoodtopreventourramgettingchippedwhenthetidemadeusrock。\"
\"That’scurious。Ourherocommandedthegalley？Didn’the？\"
\"Didn’thejust！Hestoodbythebowsandshoutedlikeagood’un。
Hewasthemanwhokilledtheoverseer。\"
\"Butyouwerealldrownedtogether，Charlie，weren’tyou？\"
\"Ican’tmakethatfitquite，\"hesaidwithapuzzledlook。\"ThegalleymusthavegonedownwithallhandsandyetIfancythattheherowentonlivingafterward。Perhapsheclimbedintotheattackingship。Iwouldn’tseethat，ofcourse。Iwasdead，youknow。\"
Heshiveredslightlyandprotestedthathecouldremembernomore。
Ididnotpresshimfurther，buttosatisfymyselfthathelayinignoranceoftheworkingsofhisownmind，deliberatelyintroducedhimtoMortimerCollins’s\"Transmigration，\"andgavehimasketchoftheplotbeforeheopenedthepages。
\"Whatrotitallis！\"hesaid，frankly，attheendofanhour。\"Idon’tunderstandhisnonsenseabouttheRedPlanetMarsandtheKing，andtherestofit。ChuckmetheLongfellowagain。\"
IhandedhimthebookandwroteoutasmuchasIcouldrememberofhisdescriptionofthesea-fight，appealingtohimfromtimetotimeforconfirmationoffactordetail。Hewouldanswerwithoutraisinghiseyesfromthebook，asassuredlyasthoughallhisknowledgelaybeforeflintontheprintedpage。Ispokeunderthenormalkeyofmyvoicethatthecurrentmightnotbebroken，andI
knowthathewasnotawareofwhathewassaying，forhisthoughtswereoutontheseawithLongfellow。
\"Charlie，\"Iasked，\"whentherowersonthegalleysmutiniedhowdidtheykilltheiroverseers？\"
\"Toreupthebenchesandbrained’em。Thathappenedwhenaheavyseawasrunning。Anoverseeronthelowerdeckslippedfromthecentreplankandfellamongtherowers。Theychokedhimtodeathagainstthesideoftheshipwiththeirchainedhandsquitequietly，anditwastoodarkfortheotheroverseertoseewhathadhappened。Whenheasked，hewaspulleddowntooandchoked，andthelowerdeckfoughttheirwayupdeckbydeck，withthepiecesofthebrokenbenchesbangingbehind’em。Howtheyhowled！\"
\"Andwhathappenedafterthat？\"
\"Idon’tknow。Theherowentaway-redhairandredbeardandall。
Thatwasafterhehadcapturedourgalley，Ithink\"
Thesoundofmyvoiceirritatedhim，andhemotionedslightlywithhislefthandasamandoeswheninterruptionjars。
\"Younevertoldmehewasredheadedbefore，orthathecapturedyourgalley，\"Isaid，afteradiscreetinterval。
Charliedidnotraisehiseyes。
\"Hewasasredasaredbear，\"saidhe，abstractedly。\"Hecamefromthenorth;theysaidsointhegalleywhenhelookedforrowers-riotslaves，butfreemen。Afterward-yearsandyearsafterward-newscamefromanothership，orelsehecameback\"-Hislipsmovedinsilence。Hewasrapturouslyretastingsomepoembeforehim。
\"Wherehadhebeen，then？\"IwasalmostwhisperingthatthesentencemightcomegentletowhicheversectionofCharlie’sbrainwasworkingonmybehalf。
\"TotheBeaches-theLongandWonderfulBeaches！\"wasthereply，afteraminuteofsilence。
\"ToFurdurstrandi？\"Iasked，tinglingfromheadtofoot。
\"Yes，toFurdurstrandi，\"hepronouncedthewordinanewfashion\"AndItoosaw\"-Thevoicefailed。
\"Doyouknowwhatyouhavesaid？\"Ishouted，incautiously。
Heliftedhiseyes，fullyrousednow。\"No！\"hesnapped。\"Iwishyou’dletachapgoonreading。Harktothis：
\"’ButOthere，theoldseacaptain，HeneitherpausednorstirredTillthekinglistened，andthen’OncemoretookuphispenAndwrotedowneveryword。
\"’AndtotheKingoftheSaxonsInwitnessofthetruth，Raisinghisnoblehead，Hestretchedhisbrownhandandsaid，\"Beholdthiswalrustooth。\"
ByJove，whatchapsthosemusthavebeen，togosailingallovertheshopneverknowingwherethey’dfetchtheland！Hah！\"
\"Charlie，\"Ipleaded，\"ifyou’llonlyhesensibleforaminuteortwoI’llmakeourheroinourtaleeveryinchasgoodasOthere。\"
\"Umph！Longfellowwrotethatpoem。Idon’tcareaboutwritingthingsanymore。Iwanttoread。\"Hewasthoroughlyoutoftunenow，andragingovermyownill-luck，Ilefthim。
Conceiveyourselfatthedooroftheworld’streasure-houseguardedbyachild-anidleirresponsiblechildplayingknuckle-
bones-onwhosefavordependsthegiftofthekey，andyouwillimagineone-halfmytorment。TillthateveningCharliehadspokennothingthatmightnotliewithintheexperiencesofaGreekgalley-slave。Butnow，ortherewasnovirtueinbooks，hehadtalkedofsomedesperateadventureoftheVikings，ofThorfinKarlsefne’ssailingtoWineland，whichisAmerica，intheninthortenthcentury。Thebattleintheharborhehadseen;andhisowndeathhehaddescribed。Butthiswasamuchmorestartlingplungeintothepast。Wasitpossiblethathehadskippedhalfadozenlivesandwasthendimlyrememberingsomeepisodeofathousandyearslater？Itwasamaddeningjumble，andtheworstofitwasthatCharlieMearsinhisnormalconditionwasthelastpersonintheworldtoclearitup。Icouldonlywaitandwatch，butIwenttobedthatnightfullofthewildestimaginings。TherewasnothingthatwasnotpossibleifCharlie’sdetestablememoryonlyheldgood。
ImightrewritetheSagaofThorfinKarlsefneasithadneverbeenwrittenbefore，mighttellthestoryofthefirstdiscoveryofAmerica，myselfthediscoverer。ButIwasentirelyatCharlie’smercy，andsolongastherewasathree-and-six-pennyBohnvolumewithinhisreachCharliewouldnottell。Idarednotcursehimopenly;Ihardlydaredjoghismemory，forIwasdealingwiththeexperiencesofathousandyearsago，toldthroughthemouthofaboyoftoday;andaboyofto-dayisaffectedbyeverychangeoftoneandgustofopinion，sothatheliesevenwhenhedesirestospeakthetruth。
Isawnomoreofhimfornearlyaweek。WhennextImethimitwasinGracechurchStreetwithabillbookchainedtohiswaist。
BusinesstookhimoverLondonBridgeandIaccompaniedhim。
Hewasveryfulloftheimportanceofthatbookandmagnifiedit。
AswepassedovertheThameswepausedtolookatasteamer’
unloadinggreatslabsofwhiteandbro\"\"nmarble。Abargedriftedunderthesteamer’ssternandalonelycowinthatbargebellowed。
Charlie’sfacechangedfromthefaceofthebank-clerktothatofanunknownand-thoughhewouldnothavebelievedthis-amuchshrewderman。Heflungouthisarmacrosstheparapetofthebridge，andlaughingveryloudly，said：
\"WhentheyheardourbullsbellowtheSkroelingsranaway！\"
Iwaitedonlyforaninstant，butthebargeandthecowhaddisappearedunderthebowsofthesteamerbeforeIanswered。
\"Charlie，whatdoyousupposeareSkroelings？\"
\"Neverheardof’embefore。Theysoundlikeanewkindofseagull。Whatachapyouareforaskingquestions！\"hereplied。\"I
havetogotothecashieroftheOmnibusCompanyyonder。Willyouwaitformeandwecanlunchsomewheretogether？I’veanotionforapoem。\"
\"No，thanks。I’moff。You’resureyouknownothingaboutSkroelings？\"
\"Notunlesshe’sbeenenteredfortheLiverpoolHandicap。\"Henoddedanddisappearedinthecrowd。
NowitiswrittenintheSagaofErictheRedorthatofThorfinKarlsefne，thatninehundredyearsagowhenKarlsefne’sgalleyscametoLeif’sbooths，whichLeifhaderectedintheunknownlandcalledMarkland，whichmayormaynothavebeenRhodeIsland，theSkroelings-andtheLordHeknowswhothesemayormaynothavebeen-cametotradewiththeVikings，andranawaybecausetheywerefrightenedatthebellowingofthecattlewhichThorfinhadbroughtwithhimintheships。ButwhatintheworldcouldaGreekslaveknowofthataffair？Iwanderedupanddownamongthestreetstryingtounravelthemystery，andthemoreI
consideredit，themorebafflingitgrew。Onethingonlyseemedcertainandthatcertaintytookawaymybreathforthemoment。IfIcametofullknowledgeofanythingatall，itwouldnotbeonelifeofthesoulinCharlieMears’sbody，buthalfadozen-halfadozenseveralandseparateexistencesspentonbluewaterinthemorningoftheworld！
ThenIwalkedroundthesituation。
ObviouslyifIusedmyknowledgeIshouldstandaloneandunapproachableuntilallmenwereaswiseasmyself。Thatwouldbesomething，butmanlikeIwasungrateful。ItseemedbitterlyunfairthatCharlie’smemoryshouldfailmewhenIneededitmost。
GreatPowersabove-Ilookedupatthemthroughthefogsmoke-
didtheLordsofLifeandDeathknowwhatthismeanttome？
Nothinglessthaneternalfameofthebestkind;thatcomesfromOne，andissharedbyonealone。Iwouldbecontent-rememberingClive，Istoodastoundedatmyownmoderation，-withthemererighttotellonestory，toworkoutonelittlecontributiontothelightliteratureoftheday。IfCharliewerepermittedfullrecollectionforonehour-forsixtyshortminutes-ofexistencesthathadextendedoverathousandyears-IwouldforegoallprofitandhonorfromallthatIshouldmakeofhisspeech。Iwouldtakenoshareinthecommotionthatwouldfollowthroughouttheparticularcorneroftheearththatcallsitself\"theworld。\"Thethingshouldbeputforthanonymously。Nay，Iwouldmakeothermenbelievethattheyhadwrittenit。Theywouldhirebull-hidedself-advertisingEnglishmentobellowitabroad。Preacherswouldfoundafreshconductoflifeuponit，swearingthatitwasnewandthattheyhadliftedthefearofdeathfromallmankind。
EveryOrientalistinEuropewouldpatronizeitdiscursivelywithSanskritandPalitexts。Terriblewomenwouldinventuncleanvariantsofthemen’sbelieffortheelevationoftheirsisters。
Churchesandreligionswouldwaroverit。Betweenthehailingandre-startingofanomnibusIforesawthescufflesthatwouldariseamonghalfadozendenominationsallprofessing\"thedoctrineoftheTrueMetempsychosisasappliedtotheworldandtheNewEra\";andsaw，too，therespectableEnglishnewspapersshying，likefrightenedkine，overthebeautifulsimplicityofthetale。Themindleapedforwardahundred-twohundred-athousandyears。Isawwithsorrowthatmenwouldmutilateandgarblethestory;thatrivalcreedswouldturnitupsidedowntill，atlast，thewesternworldwhichclingstothedreadofdeathmorecloselythanthehopeoflife，wouldsetitasideasaninterestingsuperstitionandstampedeaftersomefaithsolongforgottenthatitseemedaltogethernew。UponthisIchangedthetermsofthebargainthatI
wouldmakewiththeLordsofLifeandDeath。Onlyletmeknow，letmewrite，thestorywithsureknowledgethatIwrotethetruth，andIwouldburnthemanuscriptasasolemnsacrifice。FiveminutesafterthelastlinewaswrittenIwoulddestroyitall。ButI
mustbeallowedtowriteitwithabsolutecertainty。
Therewasnoanswer。TheflamingcolorsofanAquariumpostercaughtmyeyeandIwonderedwhetheritwouldbewiseorprudenttolureCharlieintothehandsoftheprofessionalmesmerist，andwhether，ifhewereunderhispower，hewouldspeakofhispastlives。Ifhedid，andifpeoplebelievedhim……butCharliewouldbefrightenedandflustered，ormadeconceitedbytheinterviews。
Ineithercasehewouldbegintolie，throughfearorvanity。Hewassafestinmyownhands。
\"Theyareveryfunnyfools，yourEnglish，\"saidavoiceatmyelbow，andturningroundIrecognizedacasualacquaintance，ayoungBengalilawstudent，calledGrishChunder，whosefatherhadsenthimtoEnglandtobecomecivilized。Theoldmanwasaretirednativeofficial，andonanincomeoffivepoundsamonthcontrivedtoallowhissontwohundredpoundsayear，andtherunofhisteethinacitywherehecouldpretendtobethecadetofaroyalhouse，andtellstoriesofthebrutalIndianbureaucratswhogroundthefacesofthepoor。
GrishChunderwasayoung，fat，full-bodiedBengalidressedwithscrupulouscareinfrockcoat，tallhat，lighttrousersandtangloves。
ButIhadknownhiminthedayswhenthebrutalIndianGovernmentpaidforhisuniversityeducation，andhecontributedcheapseditiontoSachiDurpan，andintriguedwiththewivesofhisschoolmates。
\"Thatisveryfunnyandveryfoolish，\"hesaid，noddingattheposter。\"IamgoingdowntotheNorthbrookClub。Willyoucometoo？\"
Iwalkedwithhimforsometime。\"You’arenotwell，\"hesaid。
\"Whatisthereinyourmind？Youdonottalk。\"
\"GrishChunder，you’vebeentoowelleducatedtobelieveinaGod，haven’tvou？\"
\"Oah，yes，here！ButwhenIgohomeImustconciliatepopularsuperstition，andmakeceremoniesofpurification，andmywomenwillanointidols。\"
\"Andbanguptulsiandfeastthepurohit，andtakeyoubackintocasteagainandmakeagoodkhuttrjofyouagain，youadvancedsocialFree-thinker。Andyou’lleatdesifood，andlikeitall，fromthesmellinthecourtyardtothemustardoiloveryou。\"
\"Ishallverymuchlikeit，\"saidGrishChunder，unguardedly。
\"OnceaHindu-alwaysaHindu。ButIliketoknowwhattheEnglishthinktheyknow。\"
\"I’lltellyousomethingthatoneEnglishmanknows。It’sanoldtaletoyou。\"
IbegantotellthestoryofCharlieinEnglish，butGrishChunderputaquestioninthevernacular，andthehistorywentforwardnaturallyinthetonguebestsuitedforitstelling。AfterallitcouldneverhavebeentoldinEnglish。GrishChunderheardme，noddingfromtimetotime，andthencameuptomyroomswhereIfinishedthetale。
\"Beshak，\"hesaid，philosophically。\"Lekindarwazabandhai。
（Withoutdoubt，butthedoorisshut。）Ihaveheardofthisrememberingofpreviousexistencesamongmypeople。Itisofcourseanoldtalewithus，but，tohappentoanEnglishman-acow-fedMalechk-anoutcast。ByJove，thatismostpeculiar！\"
\"Outcastyourself，GrishChunder！Youeatcow-beefeveryday。
Let’sthinkthethingover。Theboyremembershisincarnations。\"
\"Doesheknowthat？\"saidGrishChunder，quietly，swingingh’slegsashesatonmytable。HewasspeakinginEnglishnow。
\"Hedoesnotknowanything。WouldIspeaktoyouifhedid？Goon！\"
\"Thereisnogoingonatall。Ifyoutellthattoyourfriendstheywillsayyouaremadandputitinthepapers。Suppose，now，youprosecuteforlibel。\"
\"Let’sleavethatoutofthequestionentirely。Isthereanychanceofhisbeingmadetospeak？\"
\"Thereisachance。Osh，yess！Butifhespokeitwouldmeanthatallthisworldwouldendnow-instanto-falldownonyourhead。
Thesethingsarenotallowed，youknow。AsIsaid，thedoorisshut。\"
\"Notaghostofachance？\"
\"Howcantherebe？YouareaChristi-an，anditisforbiddentoeat，inyourbooks，oftheTreeofLife，orelseyouwouldneverdie。
Howshallyouallfeardeathifyouallknowwhatyourfrienddoesnotknowthatheknows？Iamafraidtobekicked，butIamnotafraidtodie，becauseIknowwhatIknow。Youarenotafraidtobekicked，butyouareafraidtodie。Ifyouwerenot，byGod！youEnglishwouldbeallovertheshopinanhour，upsettingthebalancesofpower，andmakingcommotions。Itwouldnotbegood。Butnofear。Hewillrememberalittleandalittleless，andhewillcallitdreams。Thenhewillforgetaltogether。WhenI
passedmyFirstArtsExaminationinCalcuttathatwasallinthecram-bookonWordsworth。Trailingcloudsofglory，youknow。\"
\"Thisseemstobeanexceptiontotherule。\"
\"Therearenoexceptionstorules。Somearenotsohard-lookingasothers，buttheyareallthesamewhenyoutouch。Ifthisfriendofyourssaidso-and-soandso-and-so，indicatingthatherememberedallhislostlives，oronepieceofalostlife，hewouldnotbeinthebankanotherhour。Hewouldbewhatyoucalledsackbecausehewasmad，andtheywouldsendhimtoanasylumforlunatics。Youcanseethat，myfriend。\"
\"OfcourseIcan，butIwasn’tthinkingofhim。Hisnameneedneverap~pearinthestory。\"
\"Ah！Isee。Thatstorywillneverbewritten。Youcantry。\"
\"Iamgoingto。\"
\"Foryourowncreditandforthesakeofmoney，ofcourse？\"
\"No。Forthesakeofwritingthestory。Onmyhonorthatwillbeall。\"
\"Eventhenthereisnochance。YoucannotplaywiththeGods。Itisaveryprettystorynow。Astheysay，Letitgoonthat-Imeanatthat。Bequick;hewillnotlastlong。\"
\"Howdoyoumean？\"
\"WhatIsay。Hehasnever，sofar，thoughtaboutawoman。\"
\"Hasn’thethough！\"IrememberedsomeofCharlie’sconfidences。
\"Imeannowomanhasthoughtabouthim。Whenthatcomes;
bus-hogya-allup’Iknow。Therearemillionsofwomenhere。
Housemaids，forin-stance。\"
Iwincedatthethoughtofmystorybeingruinedbyahousemaid。
Andyetnothingwasmoreprobable。
GrishChundergrinned。
\"Yes-alsoprettygirls-cousinsofhishouse，andperhapsnotofhishouse。Onekissthathegivesbackagainandrememberswillcureallthisnonsense。orelse\"-
\"Orelsewhat？Rememberhedoesnotknowthatheknows。\"
\"Iknowthat。Orelse，ifnothinghappenshewillbecomeimmersedinthetradeandthefinancialspeculationsliketherest。
Itmustbeso。Youcanseethatitmustbeso。Butthewomanwillcomefirst，Ithink。\"
Therewasarapatthedoor，andCharliechargedinimpetuously。
Hehadbeenreleasedfromoffice，andbythelookinhiseyesI
couldseethathehadcomeoverforalongtalk;mostprobablywithpoemsinhispockets。Charlie’spoemswereverywearying，butsometimestheyledhimtotalkaboutthegalley。
GrishChunderlookedathimkeenlyforaminute。
\"Ibegyourpardon，\"Charliesaid，uneasily;\"Ididn’tknowyouhadanyonewithyou。\"
\"Iamgoing，\"saidGrishChunder。
Hedrewmeintothelobbyashede。parted。
\"Thatisyourman，\"hesaid，quickly。\"Itellyouhewillneverspeakallyouwish。Thatisrot-bosh。Buthewouldbemostgoodtomaketoseethings。Supposenowwepretendthatitwasonlyplay\"-IhadneverseenGrishChundersoexcited-\"andpourtheink-poolintohishand。Eh，whatdoyouthink？Itellyouthathecouldseeanythingthatamancouldsee。Letmegettheinkandthecamphor。Heisaseerandhewilltellusverymanythings。\"
\"Hemaybeallyousay，butI’mnotgoingtotrusthimtoyourGodsanddevils。\"
\"Itwillnothurthim。Hewillonlyfeelalittlestupidanddullwhenhewakesup。Youhaveseenboyslookintotheink-poolbefore。\"
\"ThatisthereasonwhyIamnotgoingtoseeitanymore。You’dbettergo，GrishChunder。\"
Hewent，declaringfardownthestaircasethatitwasthrowingawaymyonlychanceoflookingintothefuture。
Thisleftmeunmoved，forIwasconcernedforthepast，andnopeeringofhypnotizedboysintomirrorsandink-poolswouldhelpmedothat。ButIrecognizedGrishChunder’spointofviewandsympathizedwithit。
’~Whatabigblackbrutethatwas！\"saidCharlie，whenIreturnedtohim。\"Well，lookhere，I’vejustdoneapoem;dilitinsteadofplayingdominoesafterlunch。MayIreadit？\"
\"Letmereadittomyself。\"
\"Thenyoumisstheproperexpression。Besides，youalwaysmakemythingssoundasiftherhymeswereallwrong。
\"Readitaloud，then。You’reliketherestof’em。\"
Charliemouthedmehispoem，anditwasnotmuchworsethantheaverageofhisverses。Hehadbeenreadinghisbookfaithfully，buthewasnotpleasedwhenItoldhimthatIpreferredmyLongfellowundilutedwithCharlie。
ThenwebegantogothroughtheMS。linebyline;Charlieparryingeveryobjectionandcorrectionwith：
\"Yes，thatmaybebetter，butyoudon’tcatchwhatI’mdrivingat。\"
Charliewas，inonewayatleast，verylikeonekindofpoet。
Therewasapencilscrawlatthebackofthepaperand\"What’sthat？\"Isaid。
\"Ohthat’snotpoetry’tall。It’ssomerotIwrotelastnightbeforeI
wenttobedanditwastoomuchbothertohuntforrhymes;soI
madeitasortofablankverseinstead。\"
HereisCharlie’s\"blankverse\"：
\"Wepulledforyouwhenthewindwasagainstusandthesailswerelow。
Willyouneverletusgo？
Weatebreadandonionswhenyoutooktownsorranaboardquicklywhenyouwerebeatenbackbythefoe，Thecaptainswalkedupanddownthedeckinfairweathersingingsongs，butwewerebelow，Wefaintedwithourchinsontheoarsandyoudidnotseethatwewereidleforwestillswungtoandfro。
Willyouneverletusgo？
Thesaltmadetheoarhandleslikesharkskin;ourkneeswerecuttothebonewithsaltcracks;ourhairwasstucktoourforeheads;andourlipswerecuttoourgumsandyouwhippedusbecausewecouldnotrow。
Willyouneverletusgo？
Butinalittletimeweshallrunoutoftheportholesasthewaterrunsalongthroarblade，andthoughyoutelltheotherstorowafterusyouwillnevercatchustillyoucatchtheoar-threshandtieupthewindsinthebellyofthesail。Aho！
Willyouneverletusgo？\"
\"H’m。What’soar-thresh，Charlie？\"
\"Thewaterwashedupbytheoars。That’sthesortofsongtheymightsinginthegalley，y’know。Aren’tyouevergoingtofinishthatstoryandgivemesomeoftheprofits？\"
\"Itdependsonyourself。Ifyouhadonlytoldmemoreaboutyourherointhefirstinstanceitmighthavebeenfinishedbynow。
You’resohazyinyournotions。\"
\"Ionlywanttogiveyouthegeneralnotionofit-theknockingaboutfromplacetoplaceandthefightingandall\"THEFINESTSTORYINTHEWORLD\"183
~hat。Can’tyoufillintherestyour-self？Maketheherosaveagirlonapirate-galleyandmarryherordosomething。\"
’You’reareallyhelpfulcollaborator。Isupposetheherowentthroughsomefewadventuresbeforehemarried。\"
\"Wellthen，makehimaveryartfulcard-alowsortofman-asortofpoliticalmanwhowentaboutmakingtreatiesandbreakingthem-ablack-hairedchapwhohidbehindthemastwhenthefightingbegan。\"
\"Butyousaidtheotherdaythathewasred-haired。\"
\"Icouldn’thave。Makehimblack-hairedofcourse。You’venoimagination。\"
SeeingthatIhadjustdiscoveredtheentireprinciplesuponwhichthehalf-memoryfalselycalledimaginationisbased，Ifeltentitledtolaugh，butforbore，forthesakeofthetale。
\"You’reright。You’rethemanwithimagination。Ablack-hairedchapinadeckedship，\"Isaid。
\"No，anopenship-likeabigboat。\"
Thiswasmaddening。
\"Yourshiphasbeenbuiltanddesigned，closedanddeckedin;yousaidsoyourself，\"Iprotested。
\"No，no，notthatship。Thatwasopen，orhalfdeckedbecause。ByJoveyou’reright。Youmademethinkoftheheroasared-hairedchap。Ofcourseifhewerered，theshipwouldbeanopenonewithpaintedsails。\"
Surely，Ithoughthewouldremembernowthathehadservedintwogalleysatleast-inathree-deckedGreekoneundertheblack-haired\"politicalman，\"andagaininaViking’sopensea-serpentundertheman\"redasaredbear\"whowenttoMarkland。Thedevilpromptedmetospeak。
\"Why，’ofcourse，’Charlie？\"saidI。\"Idon’tknow。Areyoumakingfunofme？\"
Thecurrentwasbrokenforthetimebeing。Itookupanotebookandpretendedtomakemanyentriesinit。
\"It’sapleasuretoworkwithanimaginativechaplikeyourself，\"I
saidafterapause。\"Thewaythatyou’vebroughtoutthecharacteroftheheroissimplywonderful。\"
\"Doyouthinkso？\"heanswered，withapleasedflush。\"Ioftentellmyselfthatthere’smoreinmethanmym~thanpeoplethink。\"
\"There’sanenormousamountinyou。\"
\"Then，won’tyouletmesendanessayonTheWaysofBankClerkstoTit-Bits，andgettheguineaprize？\"
\"Thatwasn’texactlywhatImeant，oldfellow：perhapsitwouldbebettertowaitalittleandgoaheadwiththegalley-story。\"
\"Ah，butIsha’n’tgetthecreditofthat。Tit-BitswouldpublishmynameandaddressifIwin。Whatareyougrinningat？Theywou’d。\"
\"Iknowit。Supposeyougoforawalk。Iwanttolookthroughmynotesaboutourstory。\"
Nowthisreprehensibleyouthwholeftme，alittlehurtandputback，mightforaughtheorIknewhavebeenoneofthecrewoftheArgo-hadbeencertainlyslaveorcomradetoThorfinKarlsefne。Thereforehewasdeeplyinterestedinguineacompetitions。RememberingwhatGrishChunderhadsaidI
laughedaloud。TheLordsofLifeandDeathwouldneverallowCharlieMearstospeakwithfullknowledgeofhispasts，andI
mustevenpieceoutwhathehadtoldmewithmyownpoorinventionswhileCharliewroteofthewaysofbank-clerks。
Igottogetherandplacedononefileallmynotes;andthenetresultwasnotcheering。Ireadthemasecondtime。Therewasnothingthatmightnothavebeencompiledatsecond-handfromotherpeople’sbooks-except，perhaps，thestoryofthefightintheharbor。TheadventuresofaVikingbadbeenwrittenmanytimesbefore;thehistoryofaGreekgalley-slavewasnonewthing，andthoughIwroteboth，whocouldchallengeorconfirmtheaccuracyofmydetails？Imightaswelltellataleoftwothousandyearshence。TheLordsofLifeandDeathwereascunningasGrishChunderhadhinted。Theywouldallownothingtoescapethatmighttroubleormakeeasythemindsofmen。ThoughIwasconvincedofthis，yetIcouldnotleavethetalealone。Exaltationfollowedreaction，notonce，buttwentytimesinthenextfewweeks。MymoodsvariedwiththeMarchsunlightandflyingclouds。BynightorinthebeautyofaspringmorningIperceivedthatIcouldwritethattaleandshiftcontinentsthereby。Inthewet，windyafternoons，Isawthatthetalemightindeedbewritten，butwouldbenothingmorethanafaked，false-varnished，sham-rustedpieceofWardourStreetworkattheend。ThenIblessedCharlieinmanyways-thoughitwasnofaultofhis。Heseemedtobebusywithprizecompetitions，andIsawlessandlessofhimastheweekswentbyandtheearthcrackedandgrewripetospring，andthebudsswelledintheirsheaths。Hedidnotcaretoreadortalkofwhathehadread，andtherewasanewringofself-assertioninhisvoice。Ihardlycaredtoremindhimofthegalleywhenwemet;
butCharliealludedtoitoneveryoccasion，alwaysasastoryfromwhichmoneywastobemade。
\"IthinkIdeservetwenty-fivepercent。，don’tI，atleast，\"besaid，withbeautifulfrankness。\"Isuppliedalltheideas，didn’tI？\"
Thisgreedinessforsilverwasanewsideinhisnature。IassumedthatithadbeendevelopedintheCity，whereCharliewaspickingupthecuriousnasaldrawloftheunderbredCityman。
\"Whenthething’sdonewe’lltalkaboutit。Ican’tmakeanythingofitatpresent。Red-hairedorblack-hairedheroareequallydifficult。\"
Hewassittingbythefirestaringattheredcoals。\"Ican’tunderstandwhatyoufindsodifficult。It’sallascleanasmudtome，\"hereplied。Ajetofgaspuffedoutbetweenthebars，tooklightandwhistledsoftly。\"Supposewetakethered-hairedhero’sadventuresfirst，fromthetimethathecamesouthtomygalleyandcaptureditandsailedtotheBeaches。\"
IknewbetternowthantointerruptCharlie。Iwasoutofreachofpenandpaper，anddarednotmovetogetthemlestIshouldbreakthecurrent。Thegas-jetpuffedandwhinnied，Charlie’svoicedroppedalmosttoawhisper，andhetoldataleofthesail。mgofanopengalleytoFurdurstrandi，ofsunsetsontheopensea，seenunderthecurveoftheonesaileveningafteteveningwhenthegalley’sbeakwasnotchedintothecentreofthesinkingdisc，and\"wesailedbythatforwehadnootherguide，\"quothCharlie。Hespokeofalandingonanislandandexplorationsinitswoods，wherethecrewkilledthreemenwhomtheyfoundasleepunderthepines。Theirghosts，Charliesaid，followedthegalley，swimmingandchokinginthewater，andthecrewcastlotsandthrewoneoftheirnumberoverboardasasacrificetothestrangegodswhomtheybadoffended。Thentheyatesea-weedwhentheirprovisionsfailed，andtheirlegsswelled，andtheirleader，thered-hairedman，killedtworowerswhomutinied，andafterayearspentamongthewoodstheysetsailfortheirowncountry，andawindthatneverfailedcarriedthembacksosafelythattheyallsleptatnight。ThisandmuchmoreCharlietold。SometimesthevoicefellsolowthatIcouldnotcatchthewords，thougheverynervewasonthestrain。Hespokeoftheirleader，thered-hairedman，asapaganspeaksofhisGod;foritwashewhocheeredthemandslewthemimpartiallyashethoughtbestfortheirneeds;anditwashewhosteeredthemforthreedaysamongfloatingice，eachfloecrowdedwithstrangebeaststhat\"triedtosailwithus，’saidCharlie，\"andwebeatthembackwiththehandlesoftheoars。\"
Thegas-jetwentout，aburnedcoalgaveway，andthefiresettleddownwithatinycrashtothebottomofthegrate。Charlieceasedspeaking，andIsaidnoword。
\"ByJove！\"hesaid，atlast，shakinghishead。\"I’vebeenstaringatthefiretillI’mdizzy。WhatwasIgoingtosay。
\"Somethingaboutthegalley。\"
\"Iremembernow。It’s25percent。oftheprofits，isn’tit？\"
\"It’sanythingyoulikewhenI’vedonethetale。\"
\"Iwantedtobesureofthat。Imustgonow。I’ve，I’veanappointment。\"Andheleftme。
HadmyeyesnotbeenheldImighthaveknowthatthatbrokenmutteringoverthefirewastheswan-songofCharlieMears。ButI
thoughtitthepreludetofullerrevelation。AtlastandatlastI
shouldcheattheLordsofLifeandDeath！
WhennextCharliecametomeIreceivedhimwithrapture。Hewasnervousandembarrassed，buthiseyeswereveryfulloflight，andhislipsalittleparted。
\"I’vedoneapoem，\"hesaid;andthenquickly：\"it’sthebestI’veeverdone。Readit。\"Hethrustitintomyhandandretreatedtothewindow。
Igroanedinwardly。Itwouldbetheworkofhalfanhourtocriticise-thatistosaypraise-thepoemsufficientlytopleaseCharlie。ThenIhadgoodreasontogroan，forCharlie，discardinghisfavoritecentipedemetres，hadlaunchedintoshorterandchoppierverse，andversewithamotiveatthebackofit。ThisiswhatIread：
\"Thedayismostfair，thecheerywindHalloosbehindthehill，Wherebebendsthewoodasseemethgood，Andthesaplingtohiswill！
RiotOwind;thereisthatinmybloodThatwouldnothavetheestill！
\"Shegavemeherself，OEarth，OSky：
Greysea，sheisminealoneI
Letthesullenbouldersbearmycry，Andrejoicetho’theybebutstone！
’Mine！IhavewonherOgoodbrownearth，Makemerry！’TisbardonSpring;
Makemerry;myloveisdoublyworthAllworshipyourfieldscanbring！
LetthebindtbattillsyoufeelmymirthAttheearlyharrowing。\"
\"Yes，it’stheearlyharrowing，pastadoubt，\"Isaid，withadreadatmyheart。Charliesmiled，butdidnotanswer。
\"Redcloudofthesunset，tellitabroad;
Iamvictor。GreetmeOSun，DominantmasterandabsolutelordOverthesoulofone！\"
\"Well？\"saidCharlie，lookingovermyshoulder。
Ithoughtitfarfromwell，andveryevilindeed，whenhesilentlylaidaphotographonthepaper-thephotographofagirlwithacurlyhead，andafoolishslackmouth。
\"Isn’tit-isn’titwonderful？\"hewhispered，pinktothetipsofhisears，wrappedintherosymysteryoffirstlove。\"Ididn’tknow;I
didn’tthink-itcamelikeathunderclap。\"
\"Yes。Itcomeslikeathunderclap。Areyouveryhappy，Charlie？\"
\"MyGod-she-shelovesmel\"Hesatdownrepeatingthelastwordstohimself。Ilookedatthehairlessface，thenarrowshouldersalreadybowedbydesk-work，andwonderedwhen，where，andbowhehadlovedinhispastlives。
\"Whatwillyourmothersay？\"Iasked，cheerfully。
\"Idon’tcareadamnwhatshesays。\"
Attwentythethingsforwhichonedoesnotcareadamnshould，properly，bemany，butonemustnotincludemothersinthelist。I
toldhimthisgently;andhedescribedHer，evenasAdammusthavedescribedtothenewlynamedbeaststhegloryandtendernessandbeautyofEve。IncidentallyIlearnedthatShewasatobacconist’sassistantwithaweaknessforprettydress，andhadtoldhimfourorfivetimesalreadythatShehadneverbeenkissedbyamanbefore。
Charliespokeon，andon，andon;whileI，separatedfromhimbythousandsofyears，wasconsideringthebeginningsofthings。NowIunderstoodwhytheLordsofLifeandDeathshutthedoorssocarefullybehindus。Itisthatwemaynotrememberourfirstwooings。Wereitnotso，ourworldwouldbewithoutinhabitantsinahundredyears。
\"Now，aboutthatgalley-story，\"1said，stillmorecheerfully，inapauseintherushofthespeech。
Charlielookedupasthoughhehadbeenhit。\"Thegalley-whatgalley？Goodheavens，don’tjoke，man！Thisisserious！Youdon’tknowhowseriousitis！\"
GrishChunderwasright。Charliehadtastedtheloveofwomanthatkillsremembrance，andthefineststory’intheworldwouldneverbewritten。