heasked，withpainedanxiety。——‘Who——split？’hissedBelfast，comingbackastep。‘IwouldsplityournosethisminytifIhadn’tJimmytolookafter！Whod’yethinkweare？’DonkinroseandwatchedBelfast’sbacklurchthroughthedoorway。Onallsidesmenslept，breathingcalmly。Heseemedtodrawcourageandfuryfromthepeacearoundhim。Venomousandthin—faced，heglaredfromtheamplemisfitofborrowedclothesasiflookingforsomethinghecouldsmash。Hisheartleapedwildlyinhisnarrowchest。Theyslept！Hewantedtowringnecks，gougeeyes，spitonfaces。Heshookadirtypairofmeagrefistsatthesmokinglights。‘Ye’renomen！’hecried，inadeadenedtone。Noonemoved。‘Yer’aven’tthepluckofamouse！’
Hisvoicerosetoahuskyscreech。Wamiboblinked，uncomprehendingbutinterested。Donkinsatdownheavily;heblewwithforcethroughquiveringnostrils，hegroundandsnappedhisteeth，and，withthechinpressedhardagainstthebreast，heseemedbusygnawinghiswaythroughit，asiftogetattheheartwithin……
Inthemorningtheship，beginninganotherdayofherwanderinglife，hadanaspectofsumptuousfreshness，likethespring—timeoftheearth。Thewasheddecksglistenedinalongclearstretch;theobliquesunlightstrucktheyellowbrassesindazzlingsplashes，dartedoverthepolishedrodsinlinesofgold，andthesingledropsofsaltwaterforgottenhereandtherealongtherailwereaslimpidasdropsofdew，andsparkledmorethanscattereddiamonds。Thesailsslepthushedbyagentlebreeze。
Thesun，risinglonelyandsplendidinthebluesky，sawasolitaryshipglidingclose—hauledonthebluesea。
Themenpressedthreedeepabreastofthemainmastandoppositethecabin—door。Theyshuffled，pushed，hadanirresolutemienandstolidfaces。AteveryslightmovementKnowleslurchedheavilyonhisshortleg。Donkinglidedbehindbacks，restlessandanxious，likeamanlookingforanambush。CaptainAllistouncameoutsuddenly。Hewalkedtoandfrobeforethefront。Hewasgrey，slight，alert，shabbyinthesunshine，andashardasadamant。Hehadhisrighthandintheside—pocketofhisjacket，andalsosomethingheavyintherethatmadefoldsalldownthatside。Oneoftheseamenclearedhisthroatominously。——‘Ihaven’ttillnowfoundfaultwithyoumen，’saidthemaster，stoppingshort。Hefacedthemwithhisworn，steelygaze，thatbyanuniversalillusionlookedstraightintoeveryindividualpairofthetwentypairsofeyesbeforehisface。Athisback，Mr。baker，bloomyandbull—necked，gruntedlow;Mr。Creighton，freshaspaint，hadrosycheeksandaready，resolutebearing。‘AndIdon’tnow，’continuedthemaster;‘butIamheretodrivethisshipandkeepeveryman—jackaboardofheruptothemark。IfyouknewyourworkaswellasIdomine，therewouldbenotrouble。You’vebeenbrayinginthedarkabout\"Seeto—morrowmorning！\"
Well，youseemenow。Whatdoyouwant？’Hewaited，steppingquicklytoandfro，givingthemsearchingglances。Whatdidtheywant？
Jimmywasforgotten;noonethoughtofhim，aloneforwardinhiscabin，fightinggreatshadows，clingingtobrazenlies，chucklingpainfullyoverhistransparentdeceptions。No，notJimmy;hewasmoreforgottenthanifhehadbeendead。Theywantedgreatthings。AndsuddenlyallthesimplewordstheyknewseemedtobelostforeverPage99
intheimmensityoftheirvagueandburningdesire。Theyknewwhattheywanted，buttheycouldnotfindanythingworthsaying。Theystirredononespot，swinging，attheendofmusculararms，bigtarryhandswithcrookedfingers。Amurmurdiedout。——‘Whatisit——food？’
askedthemaster，‘youknowthestoreshadbeenspoiledofftheCape。’——‘Weknowthat，sir，’saidabeardedshell—backinthefrontrank——‘Worktoohard——eh？Toomuchforyourstrength？’heaskedagain。Therewasanoffendedsilence。
——‘Wedon’twanttogoshorthanded，sir，’beganatlastDaviesinawaveringvoice，‘andthis’ereblack——……
’——‘Enough！’criedthemaster。Hestoodscanningthemforamoment，thenwalkingafewstepsthiswayandthatbegantostormatthemcoldly，ingustsviolentandcuttinglikethegalesofthoseicyseasthathadknownhisyouth。——‘Tellyouwhat’sthematter？Toobigforyourboots。Thinkyourselvesdamngoodmen。Knowhalfyourwork。Dohalfyourduty。Thinkittoomuch。Ifyoudidtentimesasmuchitwouldn’tbeenough。’——‘Wedidourbestbyher，sir，’criedsomeonewithshakyexasperation。——‘Yourbest，’stormedonthemaster;‘Youherealotonshore，don’tyou？Theydon’ttellyouthereyourbestisn’tmuchtoboastof。
Itellyou——yourbestisnobetterthanbad。Youcandonomore？No，Iknow，andsaynothing。ButyoustopyourcaperorIwillstopitforyou！Stopit！’Heshookafingeratthecrowd。‘Astothatman，’heraisedhisvoiceverymuch;‘astothatman，ifheputshisnoseoutondeckwithoutmyleaveIwillclaphiminirons。There！’Thecookheardhimforward，ranoutofthegalleyliftinghisarms，horrified，unbelieving，amazed，andraninagain。Therewasamomentofprofoundsilenceduringwhichabow—leggedseaman，steppingaside，expectorateddecorouslyintothescupper。‘Thereisanotherthing，’saidthemastercalmly。Hemadeaquickstrideandwithaswingtookanironbelaying—pinoutofhispocket。‘This！’
Hismovementwassounexpectedandsuddenthatthecrowdsteppedback。
Hegazedfixedlyattheirfaces，andsomeatonceputonasurprisedairasthoughtheyhadneverseenabelaying—pinbefore。Hehelditup。‘Thisismyaffair。Idon’taskyouanyquestions，butyouallknowit;ithasgottogowhereitcamefrom。’Hiseyesbecameangry。Thecrowdstirreduneasily。Theylookedawayfromthepieceofiron，theyappearedshy，theywerePage100
embarrassedandshockedasthoughithadbeensomethinghorrid，scandalous，orindelicate，thatincommondecencyshouldnothavebeenflourishedlikethisinbroaddaylight。Themasterwatchedthemattentively。‘Donkin，’
hecalledoutinashort，sharptone。
Donkindodgedbehindone，thenbehindanother，buttheylookedovertheirshouldersandmovedaside。Therankskeptonopeningbeforehim，closingbehind，tillatlastheappearedalonebeforethemasterasthoughhehadcomeupthroughthedeck。CaptainAllistounmovedclosetohim。Theyweremuchofasize，andatshortrangethemasterexchangedadeadlyglancewiththebeadyeyes。Theywavered，——‘Youknowthis，’askedthemaster。——‘No，Idon’t，’
answeredtheotherwithcheekytrepidation。——‘Youareacur。
Takeit，’orderedthemaster。Donkin’sarmsseemedgluedtohisthighs;hestood，eyesfront，asifdrawnonparade。‘Takeit，’
repeatedthemaster，andsteppedcloser;theybreathedononeanother。
‘Takeit，’saidCaptainAllistounagain，makingamenacinggesture。Donkintoreawayonearmfromhisside。——‘Vyhareyerdownhonme？’hemumbledwitheffortasifhismouthhadbeenfullofdough。——‘Ifyoudon’t……’beganthemaster。Donkinsnatchedatthepinasthoughhisintentionhadbeentorunawaywithit，andremainedstockstillholdingitlikeacandle。‘Putitbackwhereyoutookitfrom，’saidCaptainAllistoun，lookingathimfiercely。Donkinsteppedbackopeningwideeyes。‘Go，youblackguard，orIwillmakeyou，’criedthemaster，drivinghimslowlybackwardsbyamenacingadvance。Hedodged，andwiththedangerousirontriedtoguardhisheadfromathreateningfist。Mr。Bakerceasedgruntingforamoment。——‘Good！ByJove，’murmuredappreciativelyMr。Creightoninthetoneofaconnoisseur。——‘Don’ttechme，’snarledDonkin，backingaway。——‘Thengo。
Gofaster。’——‘Don’tyer’itme……Iwillpullyerhupaforethemagistryt……I’llshowyerhup。’CaptainAllistounmadealongstrideandDonkin，turninghisbackfairly，ranoffalittle，thenstoppedandoverhisshouldershowedyellowteeth。——‘Furtheron，fore—rigging，’urgedthemaster，pointingwithhisarm。——
‘Hareyergoin’tostandbyandseemebullied，’screamedDonkinatthesilentcrowdthatwatchedhim。CaptainAllistounwalkedathimsmartly。Hestartedoffagainwithaleap，dashedatthefore—rigging，Page101
rammedthepinintoitsholeviolently。‘Iwillbehevenwithyeryet，’hescreamedattheshipatlargeandvanishedbeyondtheforemast。CaptainAllistounspunroundandwalkedbackaftwithacomposedface，asthoughhehadalreadyforgottenthescene。Menmovedoutofhisway。Helookedatnoone。——‘Thatwilldo，Mr。Baker。
Sendthewatchbelow，’hesaidquietly。‘Andyoumentrytowalkstraightforthefuture，’headdedinacalmvoice。
Helookedpensivelyforawhileattheoftheimpressedandretreatingcrowd。‘Breakfast，steward，’hecalledinatoneofreliefthroughthecabindoor。——‘Ididn’tliketoseeyou——
Ough！——givethatpintothatchap，sir，’observedMr。Baker;
‘hecouldhavebust——Ough！——bustyourheadlikeaneggshellwithit。’——‘O！he！’mutteredthemasterabsently。‘Queerlot，’hewentoninalowvoice。‘I
supposeit’sallrightnow。Cannevertelltho’，nowadays，withsucha……yearsago;Iwasayoungmasterthen——oneChinavoyageIhadamutiny;realmutiny，Baker。Differentmentho’。Iknewwhattheywanted：theywantedtobroachcargoandgetattheliquor。Verysimple……Weknockedthemaboutfortwodays，andwhentheyhadenough——gentleaslambs。Goodcrew。
AndasmarttripImade。’Heglancedaloftattheyardsbracedsharpup。‘Headwinddayafterday，’heexclaimedbitterly。
‘Willwenevergetadecentslantthispassage？’——
‘Ready，sir，’saidthestewardappearingbeforethemasifbymagicandwithastainednapkininhishand。——‘Ah！
Allright。ComealongMr。Baker——it’slate——withallthisnonsense。’
chapter05Chapter5Aheavyatmosphereofoppressivequietudepervadedtheship。
Intheafternoonmenwentaboutwashingclothesandhangingthemouttodryintheunprosperousbreezewiththemeditativelanguageofdisenchantedphilosophers。Verylittlewassaid。Theproblemoflifeseemedtoovoluminousforthenarrowlimitsofhumanspeech，andbycommonconsentitwasabandonedtothegreatseathathadfromthebeginningenfoldeditinitsimmensegrip;totheseathatknewall，andwouldintimeinfalliblyunveiltoeachthewisdomhiddeninalltheerrors，thecertitudethatlurksindoubts，therealmofsafetyandpeacebeyondthefrontiersofsorrowandfear。
Andintheconfusedcurrentofimpotentthoughtsthatsetunceasinglythiswayandthatthroughbodiesofmen，Jimmybobbedupuponthesurface，compellingattention，likeablackbuoychainedtothebottomofamuddystream。Falsehoodtriumphed。Ittriumphedthroughdoubt，throughstupiditythroughpity，throughsentimentalism。Wesetourselvestobolsteritup，fromcompassionfromrecklessness，fromasenseoffun。Jimmy’ssteadfastnesstohisuntruthfulattitudeinthefaceoftheinevitabletruthhadtheproportionsofacolossalenigma——ofamanifestationgrandandincomprehensiblethatattimesinspiredawonderingawe;andtherewasalso，tomany，somethingexquisitelydrollinfoolinghimthustothetopofhisbent。ThelatentegoismoftendernesstosufferingappearedinthedevelopinganxietynottoseePage103
himdie。Hisobstinatenon—recognitionoftheonlycertitudewhoseapproachwecouldwatchfromdaytodaywasasdisquietingasthefailureofsomelawofnature。Hewassoutterlywrongabouthimselfthatonecouldnotbutsuspecthimofhavingaccesstosomesourceofsupernaturalknowledge。
Hewasabsurdtothepointofinspiration。Hewasunique，andasfascinatingasonlysomethinginhumancouldbe;heseemedtoshouthisdenialsalreadyfrombeyondtheawfulborder。Hewasbecomingimmateriallikeanapparition;
hischeekbonesrose，theforeheadslantedmore;thefacewasallhollows，patchesofshade;andthefleshlessheadresembledadisinterredblackskull，fittedwithtworestlessglobesofsilverinthesocketsofeyes。
Hewasdemoralising。Throughhimwewerebecominghighlyhumanised，tender，complex，excessivelydecadent：weunderstoodthesubtletyofhisfear，sympathisedwithallhisrepulsions，shrinkingsevasions，delusions——
asthoughwehadbeenover—civilised，androtten，andwithoutanyknowledgeofthemeaningoflife。Wehadtheairofbeinginitiatedinsomeinfamousmysteries;wehadtheprofoundgrimacesofconspirators，exchangedmeaningglances，significantshortwords。Wewereinexpressiblyvileandverymuchpleasedwithourselves。Weliedtohimwithgravity，withemotion，withunction，asifperformingsomemoraltrickwithaviewtoaneternalreward。
Wemadeachorusofaffirmationtohiswildestassertions，asthoughhehadbeenamillionaire，apolitician，orareformer——andweacrowdofambitiouslubbers。Whenweventuredtoquestionhisstatementswediditafterthemannerofobsequioussycophants。totheendthathisgloryshouldbeaugmentedbytheflatteryofourdissent。Heinfluencedthemoraltoneofourworldasthoughhehaditinhispowertodistributehonours，treasures，orpain;andhecouldgiveuanothingbuthiscontempt。Itwasimmense;
itseemedtogrowgraduallylarger，ashisbodydaybydayshrankalittlemore，whilewelooked。Itwastheonlythingabouthim——ofhim——thatgavetheimpressionofdurabilityandvigour。Itlivedwithinhimwithanunquenchablelife。Itspokethroughtheeternalpoutofhisblacklips;
itlookedatusthroughtheprofoundimpertinenceofhislargeeyes，thatstoodfaroutofhisheadliketheeyesofcrabs。Wewatchedthemintently。
Nothingelseofhimstirred。Heseemedunwillingtomove，asifdistrustfulofhisownsolidity。Theslightestgesturemusthavedisclosedtohim（itcouldnotsurelybeotherwise）hisbodilyweakness，andcausedapangofmentalsuffering。Hewascharyofmovements。Helaystretchedout，chinonblanket，inakindofsly，cautiousimmobility。Onlyhiseyesroamedoverfaces：hiseyesdisdainful，penetratingandsad。
ItwasatthattimethatBelfast’sdevotion——andalsohispugnacity——secureduniversalrespect。HespenteverymomentofhissparetimeinJimmy’scabin。Hetendedhim，talkedtohim;wasasgentleasawoman，astenderlygayasanoldphilanthropist，assentimentallycarefulofhisniggerasamodelslave—owner。Butoutsidehewasirritable，explosiveasgunpowder，sombre，suspicious，andnevermorebrutalthanwhenmostsorrowful。Withhimitwasatearandablow：atearforJimmy，ablowforanyonewhodidnotseemtotakeascrupulouslyorthodoxviewofJimmy’scase。Wetalkedaboutnothingelse。ThetwoScandinavians，even，discussedthesituation——butitwasimpossibletoknowinwhatspirit，becausetheyquarreledintheirownlanguage。Belfastsuspectedthemofirreverence，andinthisincertitudethoughtthattherewasnooptionbuttofightthemboth。Theybecameverymuchterrifiedbyhistruculence，andhenceforthlivedamongstus，dejected，likeapairofmutes。Wamiboneverspokeintelligibly，buthewasassmilelessasananimal——seemedtoknowmuchlessaboutitallthanthecat——andconsequentlywassafe。
MoreoverhehadbelongedtothechosenbandofJimmy’srescuers，andwasabovesuspicion。Archiewassilentgenerally，butoftenspentanhourorsotalkingtoJimmyquietlywithanairofproprietorship。AtanytimeofthedayandoftenthroughthenightsomemancouldbeseensittingonJimmy’sbox。Intheevening，betweensixandeight，thecabinwascrowded，andtherewasaninterestedgroupatthedoor。Everyonestaredatthenigger。
Hebaskedinthewarmthofourinterest。Hiseyesgleamedironically，andinaweakvoicehereproacheduswithourcowardice。Hewouldsay，‘IfyoufellowshadstuckoutformeIwouldbenowondeck。’Wehungourheads。‘Yes，butifyouthinkIamgoingtoletthemputmeinironsjusttoshowyousport……Well，no……Itruinsmyhealth，thislyingup，itdoes。Youdon’tcare。’
WewereasPage105
abashedasifithadbeentrue。Hissuperbimpudencecarriedallbeforeit。Wewouldnothavedaredtorevolt。Wedidn’twanttoreally。Wewantedtokeephimalivetillhome——totheendofthevoyage。
Singletonasusualheldaloof，appearingtoscorntheinsignificanteventsofanendedlife。Onceonlyhecamealong，andunexpectedlystoppedinthedoorway。HepeeredatJimmyinprofoundsilence，asifdesiroustoaddthatblackimagetothecrowdofShadesthatpeopledhisoldmemory。
WekeptveryquietandforalongtimeSingletonstoodthereasthoughhehadcomebyappointmenttocallforsomeone，ortoseesomeimportantevent。JamesWaitlayperfectlystillandapparentlynotawareofthegazescrutinisinghimwithasteadinessfullofexpectation。Therewasasenseoftussleintheair。Wefelttheinwardstrainofmenwatchingawrestlingbout。AtlastJimmywithperceptibleapprehensionturnedhisheadonthepillow。——‘Goodevening，’hesaidinaconciliatingtone。——‘H’m，’answeredtheoldseaman，grumpily。
ForamomentlongerhelookedatJimmywithseverefixity，thensuddenlywentaway。Itwasalongtimebeforeanyonespokeinthelittlecabin，thoughweallbreathedmorefreelyasmendoafteranescapefromsomedangeroussituation。Weallknewtheoldman’sideasaboutJimmy，andnobodydaredtocombatthem。Theywereunsettlingtheycausedpain;and，whatwasworse，theymighthavebeentrueforallweknew。Onlyoncedidhecondescendtoexplainthemfully，buttheimpressionwaslasting。HesaidthatJimmywasthecauseofheadwinds。Mortallysickmen——hemaintained——lingertillthefirstsightofland，andthendie;andJimmyknewthatthelandwoulddrawhislifefromhim。Itissoineveryshi。Didn’tweknowit？Heaskeduswithausterecontempt：whatdidweknow？Whatwouldwedoubtnext？Jimmy’sdesireencouragedbyusandaidedbyWamibo’sspellsdelayedtheshipintheopensea。Onlylubberlyfoolscouldn’tseeit。
Whoeverheardofsucharunofcalmsandheadwinds？Itwasn’tnatural……
Wecouldnotdenythatitwasstrange。Wefeltuneasy。Thecommonsaying，‘moredays，moredollars，’didnotgivetheusualcomfortbecausethestoreswererunningshort。MuchhadbeenspoiledofftheCape，andwewereonhalfallowanceofbiscuit。Peas，sugarandteahadbeenfinishedPage106
longago。Saltmeatwasgivingout。Wehadplentyofcoffeebutverylittlewatertomakeitwith。Wetookupanotherholeinourbeltsandwentonscraping，polishing，paintingtheshipfrommorningtonight。Andsoonshelookedasthoughshehadcomeoutofaband—box;buthungerlivedonboardofher。Notdeadstarvation，butsteady，livinghungerthatstalkedaboutonthedecks，sleptintheforecastle;thetormentorofwakingmoments，thedisturberofdreams。Welookedtowindwardforsignsofchange。Everyfewhoursofnightanddayweputherroundwiththehopethatshewouldcomeuponthattackatlast！Shedidn’t。Sheseemedtohaveforgottenthewayhome;sherushedtoandfro，headingnorth—west，headingeast;
sheranbackwardsandforwards，distracted，likeatimidcreatureatthefootofawall。Sometimes，asiftiredtodeath，shewouldwallowlanguidlyforadayinthesmoothswellofanunruffledsea。Alluptotheswingingmaststhesailsthrashedfuriouslythroughthehotstillnessofthecalm。
Wewereweary，hungry，thirsty;wecommencedtobelieveSingleton，butwithunshakenfidelitydissembledtoJimmy。Wespoketohimwithjocoseallusiveness，likecheerfulaccomplicesinacleverplot;butwelookedtothewestwardovertherailwithmournfuleyesforasignofhope，forasignoffairwind;evenifitsfirstbreathshouldbringdeathtoourreluctantJimmy。Invain！TheuniverseconspiredwithJamesWait。Lightairsfromthenorthwardsprungupagain;theskyremainedclear;androundourwearinesstheglitteringsea。touchedbythebreeze，baskedvoluptuouslyinthegreatsunshine，asthoughithadforgottenourlifeandtrouble。
Donkinlookedoutforafairwindalongwiththerest。
Nooneknewthevenomofhisthoughtsnow。Hewassilent，andappearedthinner，asifconsumedslowlybyaninwardrageattheinjusticeofmenandfate。Hewasignoredbyallandspoketonoone，buthishateforeverymanlookedoutthroughhiseyes。Hetalkedwiththecookonly，havingsomehowpersuadedthegoodmanthathe——Donkin——wasamuchcalumniatedandpersecutedperson。Togethertheybewailedtheimmoralityoftheship’scompany。Therecouldbenogreatercriminalsthanwe，whobyourliesconspiredtosendthesoulofapoorignorantblackmantoever—lastingperdition。
Podmorecookedwhattherewastocook，remorsefully，Page107
andfeltallthetimethatbypreparingthefoodofsuchsinnersheimperilledhisownsalvation。AstotheCaptain——hehadlivedwithhimforsevenyears，hesaid，andwouldnothavebelieveditpossiblethatsuchaman……‘Well。Well……Thereitis……Can’tgetoutofit。Judgmentcapsizedallinaminute……Struckinallhispride……Morelikeavisitationthananythingelse。’Donkin，perchedsullenlyonthecoal—locker，swunghislegsandconcurred。Hepaidinthecoinofspuriousassentfortheprivilegetositinthegalley;hewasdisheartenedandscandalised;heagreedwiththecook;couldfindnowordssevereenoughtocriticiseourconduct;andwhenintheheatofreprobationhesworeatus，Podmore，whowouldhavelikedtoswearalsoifithadn’tbeenforhisprinciples，pretendednottohear。SoDonkin，unrebuked，cursedenoughfortwo，cadgedformatches，borrowedtobacco，andloafedforhours，verymuchathomebeforethestove。Fromtherehecouldhearusontheothersideofthebulkhead，talkingtoJimmy。Thecookknockedthepotsabout，slammedtheovendoor，mutteredpropheciesofdamnationforalltheship’scompany;andDonkin，whodidnotadmitofanyhereafter，exceptforthepurposesofblasphemy，listened，concentratedandangry，gloatingfiercelyoveracalled—upimageofinfinitetorment——likemengloatovertheaccursedimagesofcrueltyandrevenge，ofgreed，andofpower……
Oncleareveningsthesilentship，underthecoldsheenofthedeadmoon，tookonthefalseaspectofpassionlessreposeresemblingthewinteroftheearth。Underheralongbandofgoldbarredtheblackdiscofthesea。Footstepsechoedonherquietdecks。Themoonlightclungtoherlikeafrostedmist，andthewhitesailsstoodoutindazzlingconesasofstainlesssnow。Inthemagnificenceofthephantomraystheshipappearedpurelikeavisionofidealbeauty，illusivelikeatenderdreamofserenepeace。Andnothinginherwasreal，nothingwasdistinctandsolidbuttheheavyshadowsthatfilledherdeckswiththeirunceasingandnoiselessstir;theshadowsblackerthanthenightandmorerestlessthanthethoughtsofmen。
Donkinprowledspitefulandaloneamongsttheshadows，thinkingthatJimmytoolongdelayedtodie。Thatevening，justbeforedark，landhadbeenreportedfromaloft，andthemaster，Page108
whileadjustingthetubesofthelongglass，hadobservedwithquietbitternesstoMr。Bakerthat，afterfightingourwayinchbyinchtotheWesternIslandstherewasnothingtoexpectnowbutaspellofcalm。Theskywasclearandthebarometerhigh。Thelightbreezedroppedwiththesun，andanenormousstillness，theforerunnerofanightwithoutwind，descendedupontheheatedwatersoftheocean。Aslongasdaylightlasted，thehandscollectedontheforecastle—headwatchedontheeasternskytheislandofFlores，thatroseabovethelevelexpanseoftheseawithirregularandbrokenoutlineslikeasombreruinuponavastanddesertedplain。
Itwasthefirstlandseenfornearlyfourmonths。Charleywasexcited，andinthemidstofgeneralindulgencetooklibertieswithhisbetters。
Menstrangelyelatedwithoutknowingwhy，talkedingroups，andpointedwithbaredarms。ForthefirsttimethatvoyageJimmy’sshamexistenceseemedforamomentforgotteninthefaceofasolidreality。Wehadgotsofaranyhow。Belfastdiscoursed，quotingimaginaryexamplesofshorthomewardpassagesfromtheIslands。‘Themsmartfruitschoonersdoitinfivedays，’heaffirmed。‘Whatdoyouwant？
——onlyagoodlittlebreeze。’Archiemaintainedthatsevendayswastheshortestpassage，andtheydisputedamicablywithinsultingwords。
Knowlesdeclaredhecouldalreadysmellhomefromthere，andwithaheavylistonhisshortleglaughedfittosplithissides。Agroupofgrizzledsea—dogslookedoutforatimeinsilenceandwithgrimabsorbedfaces。
Onesaidsuddenly——‘Tain’tfartoLondonnow。’——
‘Myfirstnightashore，blammeifIhaven’tsteakandonionsforsupper……andapintofbitter，’saidanother。——‘A
barrelyemean，’shoutedsomeone。——‘Haman’eggsthreetimesaday。That’sthewayIlive！’criedanexcitedvoice。
Therewasastir，appreciativemurmurs;eyesbegantoshine;jawschamped;
shortnervouslaughswereheard。Archiesmiledwithreservealltohimself。
Singletoncameup，gaveanegligentglance，andwentdownagainwithoutsayingaword，indifferent，likeamanwhohadseenFloresanincalculablenumberoftimes。ThenighttravellingfromtheEastblottedoutofthelimpidskythepurplestainofthehighland。‘Deadcalm，’
saidsomebodyquietly。Themurmuroflivelytalksuddenlywavered，diedout;theclustersbrokeup;menbegantodriftawayonebyone，descendingtheladdersslowlyandwithseriousfacesasifsoberedbythatreminderoftheirdependenceupontheinvisible。Andwhenthebigyellowmoonascendedgentlyabovethesharprimoftheclearhorizonitfoundtheshipwrappedupinabreathlesssilence;afearlessshipthatseemedtosleepprofoundly，dreamlessly，onthebosomofthesleepingandterriblesea。
Donkinchafedatthepeace——attheship——attheseathatstretchedawayonallsidesmergedintotheillimitablesilenceofallcreation。Hefelthimselfpulledupsharpbyunrecognisedgrievances。
Hehadbeenphysicallycowed，buthisinjureddignityremainedindomitabe，andnothingcouldhealhislaceratedfeelings。Herewaslandalready——
homeverysoon——abadpay—day——noclothes——morehardwork。Howoffensiveallthiswas。Land。Thelanddrawsawaylifefromsicksailors。Thatniggertherehadmoney——clothes——easytimes;andwouldnotdie。Landdrawslifeaway……Hefelttemptedtogoandseewhetheritdid。Perhapsalready……Itwouldbeabitofluck。Therewasmoneyinthebeggar’schest。Hesteppedbrisklyoutoftheshadowsintothemoonlight，and，instantly，hiscraving，hungryfacefromsallowbecamelivid。Heopenedthedoorofthecabinandhadashock。Sureenough，Jimmywasdead！Hemovednomorethanarecumbentfigurewithclaspedhands，carvedonthelidofastonecoffin。Donkinglaredwithavidity。ThenJimmy，withoutstirring，blinkedhiseyelids，andDonkinhadanothershock。Thoseeyeswereratherstartling。Heshutthedoorbehindhisbackwithgentlecare，lookingintentlythewhileatJamesWaitasthoughhehadcomeinthereatgreatrisktotellsomesecretofstartlingimportance。Jimmydidnotmovebutglancedlanguidlyoutofthecornersofhiseyes。‘Calm？’heasked。——‘Yuss，’
saidDonkin，verydisappointed，andsatdownonthebox。
Jimmybreathedwithcomposure。Hewasusetosuchvisitsatalltimesofnightorday。Mensucceededoneanother。Theyspokeinclearvoices，pronouncedcheerfulwords，repeatedoldjokes，listenedtohim;andeach，goingout，seemedtoleavebehindalittleofhisownvitality，surrendersomeofhisownstrength，renewtheassuranceoflife——theindestructablething！Hedidnotliketobealoneinhiscabin，because，whenhewasalone，itseemedtohimasifhehadn’tbeenthereatall。
Therewasnothing。Nopain。Notnow。Perfectlyright——buthecouldn’tenjoyhishealthfulreposeunlesssomeonewasbytoseeit。Thismanwoulddoasanybody。Donkinwatchedhimstealthily。——‘Soonhomenow，’observedWait。——‘Whyd’yerwhisper？’askedDonkinwithinterest，‘can’tyouspeakhupz？’Jimmylookedannoyedandsaidnothingforawhile;theninalifelessunringingvoice：——‘WhyshouldIshout？Youain’tdeafthatIknow。——‘Oh！Ican’earrightenough，’answeredDonkininalowtone，andlookeddown。
HewasthinkingsadlyofgoingoutwhenJimmyspokeagain。——‘Timewedidgethome……togetsomethingdecenttoeat……Iamalwayshungry。’
Donkinfeltangryallofasudden。——‘Whathaboutme，’
hehissed，‘Iam’ungrytooan’gotterwork。You，’ungry！——
‘Yourworkwon’tkillyou，’commentedWait，feebly;‘there’sacoupleofbiscuitsinthelowerbunkthere——youmayhaveone。Ican’teatthem。’Donkindivedin，gropedinthecornerandwhenhecameupagainhismouthwasfull。Hemunchedwithardour。Jimmyseemedtodozewithopeneyes。Donkinfinishedhishardbreadandgotup。——‘You’renotgoing？askedJimmy，staringattheceiling。——‘No，’
saidDonkinimpulsively，andinsteadofgoingoutleanedhisbackagainstthecloseddoor。HelookedatJamesWait，andsawhimlong，lean，driedup，asthoughallhisfleshhadshrivelledonhisbonesintheheatofawhitefurnace;themeagrefingersofonehandmovedlightlyupontheedgeofthebunkplayinganendlesstune。Tolookathimwasirritatingandfatiguing;hecouldlastlikethisfordays;hewasoutrageous——belongingwhollyneithertodeathnorlife，andperfectlyinvulnerableinhisapparentignoranceofboth。Donkinfelttemptedtoenlightenhim。——‘Whathareyerthinkin’of？’heaskedsurlily。JamesWaithadagrimacingsmilethatpassedoverthedeathlikeimpassivenessofhisbonyface。incredibleandfrightfulaswould，inadream，havebeenthesuddensmileofacorpse。
‘Thereisagirl，’whisperedWait……‘CantonStreetgirl——ShechuckedathirdengineerofaRennieboat——forme。
CooksoystersjustasIlike……Shesays——shewouldchuck——anytoff——foracolouredgentleman……That’sme。Iamkindtowomen。’
headdedashadelouder。
Donkincouldhardlybelievehisears。Hewasscandalised。
——‘Wouldshe？Yerwouldn’tbehanygoodto’er，’hesaidwithunrestraineddisgust。Waitwasnottheretohearhim。HewasPage111
swaggeringuptheeastIndiaDockRoad;sayingkindly，‘Comealongforatreat。’pushingglassswing—doors，，posingwithsuperbassuranceinthegaslightaboveamahoganycounter。——‘D’yerthinkyerwillhevergetashore？’askedDonkinangrily。Waitcamebackwithastart。——‘Tendays，’hesaidpromptly，andreturnedatoncetotheregionsofmemorythatknownothingoftime。
Hefeltuntired，calm，andasifsafelywithdrawnwithinhimselfbeyondthereachofeverygraveincertitude。Therewassomethingoftheimmutablequalityofeternityintheslowmomentsofhiscompleterestfulness。Hewasveryquietandeasyamongsthisvividreminiscenceswhichhemistookjoyfullyforimagesofanundoubtedfuture。Hecaredfornoone。Donkinfeltthisvaguelylikeablindmanmayfeelinhisdarknessthefatalantagonismofallthesurroundingexistences，thattohimshallforeverremainirrealisable，unseenandenviable。Hehadadesiretoasserthisimportance，tobreak，tocrush;tobeevenwitheverybodyforeverything;toteartheveil，unmaskexpose，leavenorefuge——aperfidiousdesireoftruthfulness！Helaughedinamockingsplutterandsaid：
‘Tendays。StrikemeblindifIhever！……Youwillbedeadbythistimeto—morrowp’r’aps。Tendays！’Hewaitedforawhile。‘D’ye’earme？Blammeifyerdon’tlookdeadhalready。’
Jimmymusthavebeencollectinghisstrengthforhesaidalmostaloud——‘You’reastinking，cadgingliar。Everyoneknowsyou。’Andsittingup，againstallprobability，startledhisvisitorhorribly。ButverysoonDonkinrecoveredhimself。Heblustered，‘What？
What？Who’saliar？Youhare——thecrowdhare——theskipper——heverybody。
Ihaint！Puttingonhairs！who’syer？’Henearlychokedhimselfwithindignation。‘Who’syertoputonhairs，’herepeatedtrembling。‘’Aveone——’aveone，says’ee——an’cawn’theat’em’isself。NowI’ll’aveboth。ByGawd——Iwill！Yernobody！’
Heplungedintothelowerbunk，rootedinthereandbroughttolightanotherdustybiscuit。HehelditupbeforeJimmy——weethentookabitedefiantly。
‘Whatnow？’heaskedwithfeverishimpatience。‘Yermaytakeone——saysyer。Whynotgiv’meboth？
No。I’mamangydorg。Oneforamangydorg。I’lltykeboth。Canyerstopme？Try。Comeon。Try。’
Jimmywasclaspinghislegsandhidinghisfaceontheknees。Hisshirtclungtohim。Everyribwasvisible。Hisemaciatedbackwasshakeninrepeatedjerksbythepantingcatchesofhisbreath。
‘Yerwon’t？Yercan’t？WhatdidIsay？’
wentonDonkinfiercely。Heswallowedanotherdrymouthfulwithahastyeffort。Theother’ssilenthelplessness，hisweakness，hisshrinkingattitudeexasperatedhim。‘Ye’redone！’hecried。‘Who’syertobeliedto;tobewaitedon’andandfootlikeabloomin’hymperor。
Yernobody。Yernooneatall！’hesplutteredwithsuchastrengthofunerringconvictionthatitshookhimfromheadtofootincomingout，andlefthimvibratinglikeareleasedstring。
Jimmyralliedagain。HeliftedhisheadandturnedbravelyatDonkin，whosawastrangeface，anunknownface，afantasticandgrimacingmaskofdespairandfury。Itslipsmovedrapidly;andhollow，moaning，whistlingsoundsfilledthecabinwithavaguemutterfullofmenace，complaintanddesolation，likethefar—offmurmurofarisingwind。Waitshookhishead;rolledhiseyes;hedenied，cursed，menaced——andnotawordhadthestrengthtopassbeyondthesorrowfulpoutofthoseblacklips。Itwasincomprehensibleanddisturbing;agibberishofemotions，afranticdumbshowofspeechpleadingforimpossiblethings，threateningashadowyvengeance。ItsoberedDonkinintoascrutinisingwatchfulness。
‘Yercan’tholler。See？WhatdidItellyer？’
hesaidslowlyafteramomentofattentiveexamination。Theotherkeptonheadlongandunheard，noddingpassionately，grinningwithgrotesqueandappallingflashesofbigwhiteteeth。Donkin，asiffascinatedbythedumbeloquenceandangerofthatblackphantom，approached，stretchinghisneckoutwithdistrustfulcuriosity;anditseemedtohimsuddenlythathewaslookingonlyattheshadowofamancrouchinghighinthebunkonthelevelwithhiseyes。——‘What？What？’hesaid。
Heseemedtocatchtheshapeofsomewordsinthecontinuouspantinghiss。
‘YerwilltellBelfast！Willyer？Hareyerabloomin’kid？’
Hetrembledwithalarmandrage。‘Tellyergran’mother！Yerafeard！
Who’syerterbeafeardmore’nhanyone？’Hispassionatesenseofhisownimportanceranawaywithalastremnantofcaution。‘Tellan’bedamned！Tellifyercan！’hecried。‘I’vebeentreatedworse’nadorgbyyourbloomingback—lickers。They’assetmeon，honlytoturnagainstme，IhamthehonlymanPage113
’ere。Theychokedme，kickedme——an’yerlaffed——yerblack，rottenincumbrance，you！Youwillpayfurit。Theygiv’yertheirgrub，theirwater——yerwillpayfurhittome，byGawd！Whohaxedmeter’aveadrinkofwater？Theyputtheirbloomin’ragsonyerthatnight，an’whatdidtheygiv’terme——acloutonthebloomin’mouth——blasttheir……S’elpme！……Yerwillpayfurhitwithyermoney。Hi’mgoin’ter’aveitinaminyte;hassoonhasye’redead，yerbloomin’uselessfraud。That’sthemanIham。Anye’reathing————abloodything。Yah——youcorpse！
HeflungatJimmy’sheadthebiscuithehadbeenallthetimeclutchinghard，butitonlygrazed，andstrikingwithaloudcrackthebulkheadbeyondburstlikeahand—grenadeintoflyingpieces。JamesWait，asthoughwoundedmortally，fellbackonthepillow。Hislipsceasedtomoveandtherollingeyesbecamequietandstaredupwardswithanintenseandsteadypersistence。Donkinwassurprised;hesatsuddenlyonthechest，andlookeddown，exhaustedandgloomy。Afteramomenthebegantomuttertohimself，‘Die，youbeggar——die。Somebody’llcomein……I
wishIwasdrunk……Tendays……Hoysters……’Helookedupandspokelouder。‘No……nomoreforyer……nomorebloomin’galsthatcookhoysters……Who’syer？Hit’smyturnnow……IwishIwasdrunk;
Iwouldsoongiv’youaleguphaloft。That’swhereyerwillgo。Feetfirst，throughaport……Splash！Neverseeyerhanymore。Hoverboard！Good’nufffuryer。’
Jimmy’sheadmovedslightlyandheturnedhiseyestoDonkin’sface;agazeunbelieving，desolatedandappealing，ofachildfrightenedbythemenaceofbeingshutupaloneinthedark。Donkinobservedhimfromthechestwithhopefuleyes;thenwithoutrisinghetriedthelid。Locked。
‘IwishIwasdrunk。’hemutteredandgettinguplistenedanxiouslytothedistantsoundoffootstepsonthedeck。Theyapproached——ceased。Someoneyawnedinterminablyjustoutsidethedoor，andthefootstepswentawayshufflinglazily。Donkin’sflutteringhearteaseditspace，andwhenhelookedtowardsthebunkagainJimmywasstaringasbeforeatthewhitebeam。——‘’Owd’yerfeelnow？’heasked。
——‘Bad，’breathedoutJimmy。
Donkinsatdownpatientandpurposeful。Everyhalf—hourthebellsspoketooneanotherringingalongthewholelengthoftheship。
Jimmy’srespirationwassorapidthatitcouldn’tbecounted，sofaintthatitcouldn’tbeheard。Hiseyeswereterrifiedasthoughhehadbeenlookingatunspeakablehorrors;andbyhisfaceonecouldseethathewasthinkingofabominablethings。Suddenlywithanincrediblystrongandheart—breakingvoicehesobbedout：
‘Overboard！……I！……MyGod！’
Donkinwrithedalittleonthebox。Helookedunwillingly。
Jimmywasmute。Histwolongbonyhandssmoothedtheblanketupwards，asthoughhehadwishedtogatheritallupunderhischin。Atear，abigsolitarytear，escapedfromthecornerofhiseyeand，withouttouchingthehollowcheek，fellonthepillow，histhroatrattledfaintly。
AndDonkin，watchingtheendofthathatefulnigger，felttheanguishinggraspofagreatsorrowonhisheartatthethoughtthathehimself，someday，wouldhavetogothroughitall——justlikethis——perhaps！Hiseyesbecamemoist。‘Poorbeggar，’hemurmured。Thenightseemedtogobyinaflash;itseemedtohimhecouldheartheirremediablerushofpreciousminutes。Howlongwouldthisbloomingaffairlast？Toolongsurely。Noluck。Hecouldnotrestrainhimself。Hegotupandapproachedthebunk。Waitdidnotstir。Onlyhiseyesappearedaliveandhishandscontinuedtheirsmoothingmovementwithahorribleandtirelessindustry。Donkinbentover。
‘Jimmy，’hecalledlow。Therewasnoanswer，buttherattlestopped。‘D’yerseeme？’heaskedtrembling。Jimmy’schestheaved。Donkin，lookingaway，benthiseartoJimmy’slipsandheardasoundliketherustleofasingledryleafdrivenalongthesmoothsandofabeach。Itshapeditself。
‘Light……thelamp……and……go。’breathedoutWait。
Donkin，instinctively，glancedoverhisshoulderattheblazingflame;then，stilllookingaway，feltunderthepillowforakey。
hegotitatonceandforthenextfewminuteswasshakilybutswiftlybusyaboutthebox。whenhegotup，hisface——forthefisttimeinhislife——hadapinkflush——perhapsoftriumph。
Heslippedthekeyunderthepillowagain，avoidingtoglanceatJimmy，whohadnotmoved。Heturnedhisbacksquarelyfromthebunkandstartedtothedoorasthoughheweregoingtowalkamile。Athissecondstridehehadhisnoseagainstit。HeclutchedPage115
thehandlecautiously，butatthatmomenthereceivedtheirresistibleimpressionofsomethinghappeningbehindhisback。Hespunroundasthoughhehadbeentappedontheshoulder。HewasjustintimetoseeJimmy’seyesblazeupandgooutatonceliketwolampsoverturnedtogetherbyasweepingblow。Somethingresemblingascarletthreadhungdownhischinoutofthecornerofhislips——andhehadceasedtobreathe。
Donkinclosedthedoorbehindhimgentlybutfirmly。Sleepingmen，huddledunderjackets，madeonthelighteddeckshapelessdarkmoundsthathadtheappearanceofneglectedgraves。Nothinghadbeendoneallthroughthenightandhehadn’tbeenmissed。Hestoodmotionlessandperfectlyastoundedtofindtheworldoutsideashehadleftit;therewasthesea，theship——sleepingmen;andhewonderedabsurdlyatit，asthoughhehadexpectedtofindthemendead，familiarthingsgoneforever;asthough，likeawandererreturningaftermanyyears，hehadexpectedtoseebewilderingchanges。Heshudderedalittleinthepenetratingfreshnessoftheair，andhuggedhimselfforlornly。Thedecliningmoondroopedsadlyinthewesternboardasifwitheredbythecoldtouchofapaledawn。Theshipslept。
Andtheimmortalseastretchedaway，immenseandhazy，liketheimageoflifewithaglitteringsurfaceandlightlessdepths;promising，emptyinspiring——terrible。Donkingaveitadefiantglanceandslunkoffnoiselesslyasifjudgedandcastoutbytheaugustsilenceofitsmight。
Jimmy’sdeath，afterall，cameasatremendoussurprise。
Wedidnotknowtillthenhowmuchfaithwehadputinhisdelusions。Wehadtakenhischancesoflifesomuchathisownvaluationthathisdeath，likethedeathofanoldbeliefshookthefoundationsofoursociety。A
commonbondwasgone;thestrong，effectiveandrespectablebondofasentimentallie。Allthatdaywemoonedatourwork，withsuspiciouslooksandadisabusedair。InourheartswethoughtthatinthematterofhisdepartureJimmyhadactedinaperverseandunfriendlymanner。Hedidn’tbackusup，asashipmateshould。Ingoinghetookawaywithhimselfthegloomyandsolemnshadowinwhichourfollyhadposed，withhumansatisfaction，asatenderarbiteroffate。AndnowwesawitwasnoPage116
suchthing。Itwasjustcommonfoolishness;asillyandineffectualmeddlingwithissuesofmajesticimport——thatis，ifPodmorewasright。
Perhapshewas？DoubtsurvivedJimmy;and，likeacommunityofbandedcriminalsdisintegratedbyatouchofgrace，wewereprofoundlyscandalisedwitheachother。Menspokeunkindlytotheirbestchums。Othersrefusedtospeakatall。Singletononlywasnotsurprised。‘Dead——ishe？Ofcourse，’hesaid，pointingattheislandrightabeam：forthecalmstillheldtheshipspell—boundwithinsightofFlores。Dead——ofcourse。Hewasn’tsurprised。Herewastheland，andthere，ontheforehatchandwaitingforthesailmaker——therewasthatcorpse。Causeandeffect。Andforthefisttimethatvoyage，theoldseamanbecamequitecheeryandgarrulous，explainingandillustratingfromthestoresofexperiencehow，insickness，thesightofanisland（evenaverysmallone）isgenerallymorefatalthantheviewofacontinent。Buthecouldn’texplainwhy。