I
ForalongtimeafterthecourseofthesteamerSofalahadbeenalteredfortheland，thelowswampycoasthadretaineditsappearanceofameresmudgeofdarknessbeyondabeltofglitter.Thesunraysseemedtofallviolentlyuponthecalmsea——seemedtoshatterthem—
selvesuponanadamantinesurfaceintosparklingdust，intoadazzlingvaporoflightthatblindedtheeyeandweariedthebrainwithitsunsteadybrightness.
CaptainWhalleydidnotlookatit.WhenhisSerang，approachingtheroomycanearm—chairwhichhefilledcapably，hadinformedhiminalowvoicethatthecoursewastobealtered，hehadrisenatonceandhadremainedonhisfeet，faceforward，whiletheheadofhisshipswungthroughaquarterofacircle.Hehadnotutteredasingleword，noteventhewordtosteadythehelm.ItwastheSerang，anelderly，alert，littleMalay，withaverydarkskin，whomurmuredtheordertothehelmsman.AndthenslowlyCaptainWhalleysatdownagaininthearm—chaironthebridgeandfixedhiseyesonthedeckbetweenhisfeet.
Hecouldnothopetoseeanythingnewuponthislaneofthesea.Hehadbeenonthesecoastsforthelastthreeyears.FromLowCapetoMalantanthedistancewasfiftymiles，sixhours’steamingfortheoldshipwiththetide，orsevenagainst.Thenyousteeredstraightfortheland，andby—and—bythreepalmswouldappearonthesky，tallandslim，andwiththeirdisheveledheadsinabunch，asifinconfidentialcriticismofthedarkmangroves.TheSofalawouldbeheadedtowardsthesomberstripofthecoast，whichatagivenmoment，astheshipclosedwithitobliquely，wouldshowseveralcleanshiningfractures——thebrimfulestuaryofariver.
Thenonthroughabrownliquid，threepartswaterandonepartblackearth，onandonbetweenthelowshores，threepartsblackearthandonepartbrackishwater，theSofalawouldplowherwayup—stream，asshehaddoneonceeverymonthforthesesevenyearsormore，longbeforehewasawareofherexistence，longbeforehehadeverthoughtofhavinganythingtodowithherandherinvariablevoyages.Theoldshipoughttohaveknowntheroadbetterthanhermen，whohadnotbeenkeptsolongatitwithoutachange;betterthanthefaithfulSerang，whomhehadbroughtoverfromhislastshiptokeepthecaptain’swatch;betterthanhehimself，whohadbeenhercaptainforthelastthreeyearsonly.Shecouldalwaysbedependedupontomakehercourses.Hercompasseswereneverout.Shewasnotroubleatalltotakeabout，asifhergreatagehadgivenherknowledge，wisdom，andsteadiness.Shemadeherlandfallstoadegreeofthebearing，andal—
mosttoaminuteofherallowedtime.Atanymoment，ashesatonthebridgewithoutlookingup，orlaysleep—
lessinhisbed，simplybyreckoningthedaysandthehourshecouldtellwherehewas——theprecisespotofthebeat.Heknewitwelltoo，thismonotonoushuckster’sround，upanddowntheStraits;heknewitsorderanditssightsanditspeople.Malaccatobeginwith，inatdaylightandoutatdusk，tocrossoverwitharigidphosphorescentwakethishighwayoftheFarEast.
Darknessandgleamsonthewater，clearstarsonablacksky，perhapsthelightsofahomesteamerkeepingherunswervingcourseinthemiddle，ormaybetheelusiveshadowofanativecraftwithhermatsailsflittingbysilently——andthelowlandontheothersideinsightatdaylight.Atnoonthethreepalmsofthenextplaceofcall，upasluggishriver.Theonlywhitemanre—
sidingtherewasaretiredyoungsailor，withwhomhehadbecomefriendlyinthecourseofmanyvoyages.
Sixtymilesfartherontherewasanotherplaceofcall，adeepbaywithonlyacoupleofhousesonthebeach.
Andsoon，inandout，pickingupcoastwisecargohereandthere，andfinishingwithahundredmiles’steadysteamingthroughthemazeofanarchipelagoofsmallislandsuptoalargenativetownattheendofthebeat.
Therewasathreedays’restfortheoldshipbeforehestartedheragainininverseorder，seeingthesameshoresfromanotherbearing，hearingthesamevoicesinthesameplaces，backagaintotheSofala’sportofregis—
tryonthegreathighwaytotheEast，wherehewouldtakeupaberthnearlyoppositethebigstonepileoftheharborofficetillitwastimetostartagainontheoldroundof1600milesandthirtydays.Notaveryenterprisinglife，this，forCaptainWhalley，HenryWhalley，otherwiseDare—devilHarry——WhalleyoftheCondor，afamousclipperinherday.No.Notaveryenterprisinglifeforamanwhohadservedfamousfirms，whohadsailedfamousships（morethanoneortwoofthemhisown）;whohadmadefamouspassages，hadbeenthepioneerofnewroutesandnewtrades;whohadsteeredacrosstheunsurveyedtractsoftheSouthSeas，andhadseenthesunriseonunchartedislands.Fiftyyearsatsea，andfortyoutintheEast（"aprettythor—
oughapprenticeship，"heusedtoremarksmilingly），hadmadehimhonorablyknowntoagenerationofship—
ownersandmerchantsinalltheportsfromBombayclearovertowheretheEastmergesintotheWestuponthecoastofthetwoAmericas.Hisfameremainedwrit，notverylargebutplainenough，ontheAdmiraltycharts.WastherenotsomewherebetweenAustraliaandChinaaWhalleyIslandandaCondorReef？Onthatdangerouscoralformationthecelebratedclipperhadhungstrandedforthreedays，hercaptainandcrewthrowinghercargooverboardwithonehandandwiththeother，asitwere，keepingoffheraflotillaofsavagewar—canoes.Atthattimeneithertheislandnorthereefhadanyofficialexistence.LatertheofficersofherMajesty’ssteamvesselFusilier，dispatchedtomakeasurveyoftheroute，recognizedintheadoptionofthesetwonamestheenterpriseofthemanandthesolidityoftheship.Besides，asanyonewhocaresmaysee，the"GeneralDirectory，"vol.ii.p.410，beginsthedescrip—
tionofthe"MalotuorWhalleyPassage"withthewords："Thisadvantageousroute，firstdiscoveredin1850byCaptainWhalleyintheshipCondor，"&c.，andendsbyrecommendingitwarmlytosailingvesselsleavingtheChinaportsforthesouthinthemonthsfromDecembertoAprilinclusive.
Thiswastheclearestgainhehadoutoflife.Nothingcouldrobhimofthiskindoffame.ThepiercingoftheIsthmusofSuez，likethebreakingofadam，hadletinupontheEastafloodofnewships，newmen，newmethodsoftrade.IthadchangedthefaceoftheEast—
ernseasandtheveryspiritoftheirlife;sothathisearlyexperiencesmeantnothingwhatevertothenewgenerationofseamen.
Inthosebygonedayshehadhandledmanythousandsofpoundsofhisemployers’moneyandofhisown;hehadattendedfaithfully，asbylawashipmasterisex—
pectedtodo，totheconflictinginterestsofowners，charterers，andunderwriters.Hehadneverlostashiporconsentedtoashadytransaction;andhehadlastedwell，outlastingintheendtheconditionsthathadgonetothemakingofhisname.Hehadburiedhiswife（intheGulfofPetchili），hadmarriedoffhisdaughtertothemanofherunluckychoice，andhadlostmorethananamplecompetenceinthecrashofthenotoriousTra—
vancoreandDeccanBankingCorporation，whosedown—
fallhadshakentheEastlikeanearthquake.Andhewassixty—fiveyearsold.
II
Hisagesatlightlyenoughonhim;andofhisruinhewasnotashamed.HehadnotbeenalonetobelieveinthestabilityoftheBankingCorporation.Menwhosejudgmentinmattersoffinancewasasexpertashissea—
manshiphadcommendedtheprudenceofhisinvest—
ments，andhadthemselveslostmuchmoneyinthegreatfailure.Theonlydifferencebetweenhimandthemwasthathehadlosthisall.Andyetnothisall.Therehadremainedtohimfromhislostfortuneaveryprettylittlebark，FairMaid，whichhehadboughttooccupyhisleisureofaretiredsailor——"toplaywith，"asheex—
pressedithimself.
Hehadformallydeclaredhimselftiredoftheseatheyearprecedinghisdaughter’smarriage.ButaftertheyoungcouplehadgonetosettleinMelbournehefoundoutthathecouldnotmakehimselfhappyonshore.Hewastoomuchofamerchantsea—captainformereyacht—
ingtosatisfyhim.Hewantedtheillusionofaffairs;
andhisacquisitionoftheFairMaidpreservedthecon—
tinuityofhislife.Heintroducedhertohisacquaint—
ancesinvariousportsas"mylastcommand."Whenhegrewtoooldtobetrustedwithaship，hewouldlayherupandgoashoretobeburied，leavingdirectionsinhiswilltohavethebarktowedoutandscuttleddecentlyindeepwateronthedayofthefuneral.Hisdaughterwouldnotgrudgehimthesatisfactionofknowingthatnostrangerwouldhandlehislastcommandafterhim.Withthefortunehewasabletoleaveher，thevalueofa500—tonbarkwasneitherherenorthere.
Allthiswouldbesaidwithajoculartwinkleinhiseye：
thevigorousoldmanhadtoomuchvitalityforthesen—
timentalismofregret;andalittlewistfullywithal，be—
causehewasathomeinlife，takingagenuinepleasureinitsfeelingsanditspossessions;inthedignityofhisreputationandhiswealth，inhisloveforhisdaughter，andinhissatisfactionwiththeship——theplaythingofhislonelyleisure.
Hehadthecabinarrangedinaccordancewithhissimpleidealofcomfortatsea.Abigbookcase（hewasagreatreader）occupiedonesideofhisstateroom;theportraitofhislatewife，aflatbituminousoil—paintingrepresentingtheprofileandonelongblackringletofayoungwoman，facedhisbedplace.Threechronometerstickedhimtosleepandgreetedhimonwakingwiththetinycompetitionoftheirbeats.Heroseatfiveeveryday.Theofficerofthemorningwatch，drinkinghisearlycupofcoffeeaftbythewheel，wouldhearthroughthewideorificeofthecopperventilatorsallthesplash—
ings，blowings，andsplutteringsofhiscaptain’stoilet.
ThesenoiseswouldbefollowedbyasustaineddeepmurmuroftheLord’sPrayerrecitedinaloudearnestvoice.FiveminutesafterwardstheheadandshouldersofCaptainWhalleyemergedoutofthecompanion—
hatchway.Invariablyhepausedforawhileonthestairs，lookingallroundatthehorizon;upwardsatthetrimofthesails;inhalingdeepdraughtsofthefreshair.Onlythenhewouldstepoutonthepoop，acknowl—
edgingthehandraisedtothepeakofthecapwithamajesticandbenign"Goodmorningtoyou."Hewalkedthedecktilleightscrupulously.Sometimes，notabovetwiceayear，hehadtouseathickcudgel—likestickonaccountofastiffnessinthehip——aslighttouchofrheumatism，hesupposed.Otherwiseheknewnothingoftheillsoftheflesh.Attheringingofthebreakfastbellhewentbelowtofeedhiscanaries，windupthechronometers，andtaketheheadofthetable.Fromtherehehadbeforehiseyesthebigcarbonphotographsofhisdaughter，herhusband，andtwofat—leggedbabies——hisgrandchildren——setinblackframesintothemaple—
woodbulkheadsofthecuddy.Afterbreakfasthedustedtheglassovertheseportraitshimselfwithacloth，andbrushedtheoilpaintingofhiswifewithaplumatekeptsuspendedfromasmallbrasshookbythesideoftheheavygoldframe.Thenwiththedoorofhisstate—
roomshut，hewouldsitdownonthecouchundertheportraittoreadachapteroutofathickpocketBible——herBible.Butonsomedaysheonlysatthereforhalfanhourwithhisfingerbetweentheleavesandtheclosedbookrestingonhisknees.Perhapshehadre—
memberedsuddenlyhowfondofboat—sailingsheusedtobe.
Shehadbeenarealshipmateandatruewomantoo.
Itwaslikeanarticleoffaithwithhimthatthereneverhadbeen，andnevercouldbe，abrighter，cheerierhomeanywhereafloatorashorethanhishomeunderthepoop—
deckoftheCondor，withthebigmaincabinallwhiteandgold，garlandedasifforaperpetualfestivalwithanunfadingwreath.Shehaddecoratedthecenterofeverypanelwithaclusterofhomeflowers.Ittookheratwelvemonthtogoroundthecuddywiththislaboroflove.Tohimithadremainedamarvelofpainting，thehighestachievementoftasteandskill;andastooldSwinburne，hismate，everytimehecamedowntohismealshestoodtransfixedwithadmirationbeforetheprogressofthework.Youcouldalmostsmelltheseroses，hedeclared，sniffingthefaintflavorofturpentinewhichatthattimepervadedthesaloon，and（ashecon—
fessedafterwards）madehimsomewhatlessheartythanusualintacklinghisfood.Buttherewasnothingofthesorttointerferewithhisenjoymentofhersinging.
"Mrs.Whalleyisaregularout—and—outnightingale，sir，"hewouldpronouncewithajudicialairafterlisten—
ingprofoundlyovertheskylighttotheveryendofthepiece.Infineweather，intheseconddog—watch，thetwomencouldhearhertrillsandrouladesgoingontotheaccompanimentofthepianointhecabin.OntheverydaytheygotengagedhehadwrittentoLondonfortheinstrument;buttheyhadbeenmarriedforoverayearbeforeitreachedthem，comingoutroundtheCape.
ThebigcasemadepartofthefirstdirectgeneralcargolandedinHongkongharbor——aneventthattothemenwhowalkedthebusyquaysofto—dayseemedashazilyremoteasthedarkagesofhistory.ButCaptainWhal—
leycouldinahalfhourofsolitudeliveagainallhislife，withitsromance，itsidyl，anditssorrow.Hehadtoclosehereyeshimself.Shewentawayfromundertheensignlikeasailor’swife，asailorherselfatheart.
Hehadreadtheserviceoverher，outofherownprayer—
book，withoutabreakinhisvoice.WhenheraisedhiseyeshecouldseeoldSwinburnefacinghimwithhiscappressedtohisbreast，andhisrugged，weather—beaten，impassivefacestreamingwithdropsofwaterlikealumpofchippedredgraniteinashower.Itwasallverywellforthatoldsea—dogtocry.Hehadtoreadontotheend;butafterthesplashhedidnotremembermuchofwhathappenedforthenextfewdays.Anelderlysailorofthecrew，deftatneedlework，putto—
getheramourningfrockforthechildoutofoneofherblackskirts.
Hewasnotlikelytoforget;butyoucannotdamuplifelikeasluggishstream.Itwillbreakoutandflowoveraman’stroubles，itwillcloseuponasorrowliketheseauponadeadbody，nomatterhowmuchlovehasgonetothebottom.Andtheworldisnotbad.Peoplehadbeenverykindtohim;especiallyMrs.Gardner，thewifeoftheseniorpartnerinGardner，Patteson，&Co.，theownersoftheCondor.Itwasshewhovolunteeredtolookafterthelittleone，andinduecoursetookhertoEngland（somethingofajourneyinthosedays，evenbytheoverlandmailroute）withherowngirlstofinishhereducation.Itwastenyearsbeforehesawheragain.
Asalittlechildshehadneverbeenfrightenedofbadweather;shewouldbegtobetakenupondeckinthebosomofhisoilskincoattowatchthebigseashurlingthemselvesupontheCondor.Theswirlandcrashofthewavesseemedtofillhersmallsoulwithabreathlessde—
light."Agoodboyspoiled，"heusedtosayofherinjoke.HehadnamedherIvybecauseofthesoundoftheword，andobscurelyfascinatedbyavagueassocia—
tionofideas.Shehadtwinedherselftightlyroundhisheart，andheintendedhertoclingclosetoherfatherastoatowerofstrength;forgetting，whileshewaslittle，thatinthenatureofthingsshewouldprobablyelecttoclingtosomeoneelse.Buthelovedlifewellenoughforeventhateventtogivehimacertainsatisfaction，apartfromhismoreintimatefeelingofloss.
AfterhehadpurchasedtheFairMaidtooccupyhisloneliness，hehastenedtoacceptaratherunprofitablefreighttoAustraliasimplyfortheopportunityofseeinghisdaughterinherownhome.Whatmadehimdis—
satisfiedtherewasnottoseethatsheclungnowtosome—
bodyelse，butthatthepropshehadselectedseemedoncloserexamination"aratherpoorstick"——eveninthematterofhealth.Hedislikedhisson—in—law’sstudiedcivilityperhapsmorethanhismethodofhandlingthesumofmoneyhehadgivenIvyathermarriage.Butofhisapprehensionshesaidnothing.Onlyonthedayofhisdeparture，withthehall—dooropenalready，hold—
ingherhandsandlookingsteadilyintohereyes，hehadsaid，"Youknow，mydear，allIhaveisforyouandthechicks.Mindyouwritetomeopenly."Shehadansweredhimbyanalmostimperceptiblemovementofherhead.Sheresembledhermotherinthecolorofhereyes，andincharacter——andalsointhis，thatsheunder—
stoodhimwithoutmanywords.
Sureenoughshehadtowrite;andsomeoftheselettersmadeCaptainWhalleylifthiswhiteeye—brows.Fortherestheconsideredhewasreapingthetruerewardofhislifebybeingthusabletoproduceondemandwhat—
everwasneeded.Hehadnotenjoyedhimselfsomuchinawaysincehiswifehaddied.Characteristicallyenoughhisson—in—law’spunctualityinfailurecausedhimatadistancetofeelasortofkindnesstowardstheman.
Thefellowwassoperpetuallybeingjammedonaleeshorethattochargeitalltohisrecklessnavigationwouldbemanifestlyunfair.No，no！Heknewwellwhatthatmeant.Itwasbadluck.Hisownhadbeensimplymarvelous，buthehadseeninhislifetoomanygoodmen——seamenandothers——gounderwiththesheerweightofbadlucknottorecognizethefatalsigns.Forallthat，hewascogitatingonthebestwayoftyingupverystrictlyeverypennyhehadtoleave，when，withapreliminaryrumbleofrumors（whosefirstsoundreachedhiminShanghaiasithappened），theshockofthebigfailurecame;and，afterpassingthroughthephasesofstupor，ofincredulity，ofindignation，hehadtoacceptthefactthathehadnothingtospeakoftoleave.
Uponthat，asifhehadonlywaitedforthiscatas—
trophe，theunluckyman，awaythereinMelbourne，gaveuphisunprofitablegame，andsatdown——inaninvalid’sbath—chairatthattoo."Hewillneverwalkagain，"
wrotethewife.ForthefirsttimeinhislifeCaptainWhalleywasabitstaggered.
TheFairMaidhadtogotoworkinbitterearnestnow.
ItwasnolongeramatterofpreservingalivethememoryofDare—devilHarryWhalleyintheEasternSeas，orofkeepinganoldmaninpocket—moneyandclothes，with，perhaps，abillforafewhundredfirst—classcigarsthrowninattheendoftheyear.Hewouldhavetobuckle—to，andkeephergoinghardonascantallowanceofgiltfortheginger—breadscrollsatherstemandstern.
Thisnecessityopenedhiseyestothefundamentalchangesoftheworld.Ofhispastonlythefamiliarnamesremained，hereandthere，butthethingsandthemen，ashehadknownthem，weregone.ThenameofGardner，Patteson，&Co.wasstilldisplayedonthewallsofwarehousesbythewaterside，onthebrassplatesandwindow—panesinthebusinessquartersofmorethanoneEasternport，buttherewasnolongeraGardneroraPattesoninthefirm.TherewasnolongerforCap—
tainWhalleyanarm—chairandawelcomeintheprivateoffice，withabitofbusinessreadytobeputinthewayofanoldfriend，forthesakeofbygoneservices.ThehusbandsoftheGardnergirlssatbehindthedesksinthatroomwhere，longafterhehadlefttheemploy，hehadkepthisrightofentranceintheoldman’stime.
Theirshipsnowhadyellowfunnelswithblacktops，andatime—tableofappointedrouteslikeaconfoundedserviceoftramways.ThewindsofDecemberandJunewereallonetothem;theircaptains（excellentyoungmenhedoubtednot）were，tobesure，familiarwithWhalleyIsland，becauseoflateyearstheGovernmenthadestablishedawhitefixedlightonthenorthend（withareddangersectorovertheCondorReef），butmostofthemwouldhavebeenextremelysurprisedtohearthataflesh—and—bloodWhalleystillexisted——anoldmangoingabouttheworldtryingtopickupacargohereandthereforhislittlebark.
Andeverywhereitwasthesame.Departedthemenwhowouldhavenoddedappreciativelyatthementionofhisname，andwouldhavethoughtthemselvesboundinhonortodosomethingforDare—devilHarryWhalley.
Departedtheopportunitieswhichhewouldhaveknownhowtoseize;andgonewiththemthewhite—wingedflockofclippersthatlivedintheboisterousuncertainlifeofthewinds，skimmingbigfortunesoutofthefoamofthesea.Inaworldthatpareddowntheprofitstoanirreducibleminimum，inaworldthatwasabletocountitsdisengagedtonnagetwiceovereveryday，andinwhichleanchartersweresnappedupbycablethreemonthsinadvance，therewerenochancesoffortuneforanindividualwanderinghaphazardwithalittlebark——hardlyindeedanyroomtoexist.
Hefounditmoredifficultfromyeartoyear.Hesuf—
feredgreatlyfromthesmallnessofremittanceshewasabletosendhisdaughter.Meantimehehadgivenupgoodcigars，andeveninthematterofinferiorcherootslimitedhimselftosixaday.Henevertoldherofhisdifficulties，andsheneverenlargeduponherstruggletolive.Theirconfidenceineachotherneedednoex—
planations，andtheirperfectunderstandingenduredwithoutprotestationsofgratitudeorregret.Hewouldhavebeenshockedifshehadtakenitintoherheadtothankhiminsomanywords，buthefounditperfectlynaturalthatsheshouldtellhimsheneededtwohundredpounds.
HehadcomeinwiththeFairMaidinballasttolookforafreightintheSofala’sportofregistry，andherlettermethimthere.Itstenorwasthatitwasnousemincingmatters.Heronlyresourcewasinopeningaboarding—house，forwhichtheprospects，shejudged，weregood.Goodenough，atanyrate，tomakehertellhimfranklythatwithtwohundredpoundsshecouldmakeastart.Hehadtorntheenvelopeopen，hastily，ondeck，whereitwashandedtohimbytheship—
chandler’srunner，whohadbroughthismailatthemo—
mentofanchoring.Forthesecondtimeinhislifehewasappalled，andremainedstock—stillatthecabindoorwiththepapertremblingbetweenhisfingers.Openaboarding—house！Twohundredpoundsforastart！Theonlyresource！Andhedidnotknowwheretolayhishandsontwohundredpence.
AllthatnightCaptainWhalleywalkedthepoopofhisanchoredship，asthoughhehadbeenabouttoclosewiththelandinthickweather，anduncertainofhispositionafterarunofmanygraydayswithoutasightofsun，moon，orstars.Theblacknighttwinkledwiththeguidinglightsofseamenandthesteadystraightlinesoflightsonshore;andallaroundtheFairMaidtheridinglightsofshipscasttremblingtrailsuponthewateroftheroadstead.CaptainWhalleysawnotagleamanywheretillthedawnbrokeandhefoundoutthathisclothingwassoakedthroughwiththeheavydew.
Hisshipwasawake.Hestoppedshort，strokedhiswetbeard，anddescendedthepoopladderbackwards，withtiredfeet.Atthesightofhimthechiefofficer，loungingaboutsleepilyonthequarterdeck，remainedopen—mouthedinthemiddleofagreatearly—morningyawn.
"Goodmorningtoyou，"pronouncedCaptainWhal—
leysolemnly，passingintothecabin.Buthecheckedhimselfinthedoorway，andwithoutlookingback，"Bythebye，"hesaid，"thereshouldbeanemptywoodencaseputawayinthelazarette.Ithasnotbeenbrokenup——hasit？"
Themateshuthismouth，andthenaskedasifdazed，"Whatemptycase，sir？"
"Abigflatpacking—casebelongingtothatpaintinginmyroom.Letitbetakenupondeckandtellthecarpentertolookitover.Imaywanttouseitbeforelong."
Thechiefofficerdidnotstiralimbtillhehadheardthedoorofthecaptain’sstate—roomslamwithinthecuddy.Thenhebeckonedaftthesecondmatewithhisforefingertotellhimthattherewassomething"inthewind."
WhenthebellrangCaptainWhalley’sauthoritativevoiceboomedoutthroughacloseddoor，"Sitdownanddon’twaitforme."Andhisimpressedofficerstooktheirplaces，exchanginglooksandwhispersacrossthetable.
What！Nobreakfast？Andafterapparentlyknock—
ingaboutallnightondeck，too！Clearly，therewassomethinginthewind.Intheskylightabovetheirheads，bowedearnestlyovertheplates，threewirecagesrockedandrattledtotherestlessjumpingofthehungrycanaries;andtheycoulddetectthesoundsoftheir"oldman’s"deliberatemovementswithinhisstate—room.Cap—
tainWhalleywasmethodicallywindingupthechro—
nometers，dustingtheportraitofhislatewife，gettingacleanwhiteshirtoutofthedrawers，makinghimselfreadyinhispunctiliousunhurriedmannertogoashore.
Hecouldnothaveswallowedasinglemouthfuloffoodthatmorning.HehadmadeuphismindtoselltheFairMaid.
III
JustatthattimetheJapanesewerecastingfarandwideforshipsofEuropeanbuild，andhehadnodiffi—
cultyinfindingapurchaser，aspeculatorwhodroveahardbargain，butpaidcashdownfortheFairMaid，withaviewtoaprofitableresale.ThusitcameaboutthatCaptainWhalleyfoundhimselfonacertainafter—
noondescendingthestepsofoneofthemostimportantpost—officesoftheEastwithaslipofbluishpaperinhishand.Thiswasthereceiptofaregisteredletteren—
closingadraftfortwohundredpounds，andaddressedtoMelbourne.CaptainWhalleypushedthepaperintohiswaistcoat—pocket，tookhisstickfromunderhisarm，andwalkeddownthestreet.
Itwasarecentlyopenedanduntidythoroughfarewithrudimentaryside—walksandasoftlayerofdustcushion—
ingthewholewidthoftheroad.OneendtouchedtheslummystreetofChineseshopsneartheharbor，theotherdrovestraighton，withouthouses，foracoupleofmiles，throughpatchesofjungle—likevegetation，totheyardgatesofthenewConsolidatedDocksCompany.ThecrudefrontagesofthenewGovernmentbuildingsalter—
natedwiththeblankfencingofvacantplots，andtheviewoftheskyseemedtogiveanaddedspaciousnesstothebroadvista.Itwasemptyandshunnedbynativesafterbusinesshours，asthoughtheyhadexpectedtoseeoneofthetigersfromtheneighborhoodoftheNewWaterworksonthehillcomingatalopingcanterdownthemiddletogetaChineseshopkeeperforsupper.Cap—
tainWhalleywasnotdwarfedbythesolitudeofthegrandlyplannedstreet.Hehadtoofineapresenceforthat.Hewasonlyalonelyfigurewalkingpurposefully，withagreatwhitebeardlikeapilgrim，andwithathickstickthatresembledaweapon.OnonesidethenewCourtsofJusticehadalowandunadornedporticoofsquatcolumnshalfconcealedbyafewoldtreesleftintheapproach.OntheotherthepavilionwingsofthenewColonialTreasurycameouttothelineofthestreet.
ButCaptainWhalley，whohadnownoshipandnohome，rememberedinpassingthatonthatverysitewhenhefirstcameoutfromEnglandtherehadstoodafishingvillage，afewmathutserectedonpilesbetweenamuddytidalcreekandamirypathwaythatwentwrithingintoatangledwildernesswithoutanydocksorwaterworks.
Noship——nohome.AndhispoorIvyawaytherehadnohomeeither.Aboarding—houseisnosortofhomethoughitmaygetyoualiving.Hisfeelingswerehorriblyraspedbytheideaoftheboarding—house.Inhisrankoflifehehadthattrulyaristocratictempera—
mentcharacterizedbyascornofvulgargentilityandbyprejudicedviewsastothederogatorynatureofcer—
tainoccupations.Forhisownparthehadalwayspre—
ferredsailingmerchantships（whichisastraight—
forwardoccupation）tobuyingandsellingmerchandise，ofwhichtheessenceistogetthebetterofsomebodyinabargain——anundignifiedtrialofwitsatbest.HisfatherhadbeenColonelWhalley（retired）oftheH.E.I.Com—
pany’sservice，withveryslendermeansbesideshispen—
sion，butwithdistinguishedconnections.Hecouldre—
memberasaboyhowfrequentlywaitersattheinns，coun—
trytradesmenandsmallpeopleofthatsort，usedto"Mylord"theoldwarrioronthestrengthofhisappear—
ance.
CaptainWhalleyhimself（hewouldhaveenteredtheNavyifhisfatherhadnotdiedbeforehewasfourteen）
hadsomethingofagrandairwhichwouldhavesuitedanoldandgloriousadmiral;buthebecamelostlikeastrawintheeddyofabrookamongsttheswarmofbrownandyellowhumanityfillingathoroughfare，thatbycontrastwiththevastandemptyavenuehehadleftseemedasnarrowasalaneandabsolutelyriotouswithlife.Thewallsofthehouseswereblue;theshopsoftheChinamenyawnedlikecavernouslairs;heapsofnondescriptmerchandiseoverflowedthegloomofthelongrangeofarcades，andthefieryserenityofsunsettookthemiddleofthestreetfromendtoendwithaglowlikethereflectionofafire.Itfellonthebrightcolorsandthedarkfacesofthebare—footedcrowd，onthepallidyellowbacksofthehalf—nakedjostlingcoolies，ontheaccoutermentsofatallSikhtrooperwithapartedbeardandfiercemustachesonsentrybeforethegateofthepolicecompound.Loomingverybigabovetheheadsinaredhazeofdust，thetightlypackedcarofthecabletramwaynavigatedcautiouslyupthehu—
manstream，withtheincessantblareofitshorn，inthemannerofasteamergropinginafog.
CaptainWhalleyemergedlikeadiverontheotherside，andinthedesertshadebetweenthewallsofclosedwarehousesremovedhishattocoolhisbrow.Acertaindisreputeattachedtothecallingofalandladyofaboarding—house.Thesewomenweresaidtoberapacious，unscrupulous，untruthful;andthoughhecontemnednoclassofhisfellow—creatures——Godforbid！——theseweresuspicionstowhichitwasunseemlythataWhalleyshouldlayherselfopen.Hehadnotexpostulatedwithher，however.Hewasconfidentshesharedhisfeelings;
hewassorryforher;hetrustedherjudgment;hecon—
sidereditamercifuldispensationthathecouldhelpheroncemore，——butinhisaristocraticheartofheartshewouldhavefounditmoreeasytoreconcilehimselftotheideaofherturningseamstress.Vaguelyherememberedreadingyearsagoatouchingpiececalledthe"SongoftheShirt."Itwasallverywellmakingsongsaboutpoorwomen.ThegranddaughterofColonelWhalley，thelandladyofaboarding—house！Pooh！Hereplacedhishat，divedintotwopockets，andstoppingamomenttoapplyaflaringmatchtotheendofacheapcheroot，blewanembitteredcloudofsmokeataworldthatcouldholdsuchsurprises.
Ofonethinghewascertain——thatshewastheownchildofaclevermother.Nowhehadgotoverthewrenchofpartingwithhisship，heperceivedclearlythatsuchastephadbeenunavoidable.Perhapshehadbeengrowingawareofitallalongwithanunconfessedknowledge.Butshe，farawaythere，musthavehadanintuitiveperceptionofit，withtheplucktofacethattruthandthecouragetospeakout——allthequalitieswhichhadmadehermotherawomanofsuchexcellentcounsel.
Itwouldhavehadtocometothatintheend！Itwasfortunateshehadforcedhishand.Inanotheryearortwoitwouldhavebeenanutterlybarrensale.Tokeeptheshipgoinghehadbeeninvolvinghimselfdeepereveryyear.Hewasdefenselessbeforetheinsidiousworkofadversity，towhosemoreopenassaultshecouldpre—
sentafirmfront;likeacliffthatstandsunmovedtheopenbatteringofthesea，withaloftyignoranceofthetreacherousbackwashunderminingitsbase.Asitwas，everyliabilitysatisfied，herrequestanswered，andowingnomanapenny，thereremainedtohimfromthepro—
ceedsasumoffivehundredpoundsputawaysafely.Inadditionhehaduponhispersonsomefortyodddollars——enoughtopayhishotelbill，providinghedidnotlingertoolonginthemodestbedroomwherehehadtakenrefuge.
Scantilyfurnished，andwithawaxedfloor，itopenedintooneoftheside—verandas.Thestragglingbuildingofbricks，asairyasabird—cage，resoundedwiththeincessantflappingofrattanscreensworriedbythewindbetweenthewhite—washedsquarepillarsofthesea—front.
Theroomswerelofty，arippleofsunshineflowedovertheceilings;andtheperiodicalinvasionsoftouristsfromsomepassengersteamerintheharborflittedthroughthewind—sweptduskoftheapartmentswiththetumultoftheirunfamiliarvoicesandimpermanentpresences，likerelaysofmigratoryshadescondemnedtospeedheadlongroundtheearthwithoutleavingatrace.Thebabbleoftheirirruptionsebbedoutassuddenlyasithadarisen;
thedraughtycorridorsandthelongchairsoftheve—
randasknewtheirsight—seeinghurryortheirprostratereposenomore;andCaptainWhalley，substantialanddignified，leftwellnighaloneinthevasthotelbyeachlight—heartedskurry，feltmoreandmorelikeastrandedtouristwithnoaiminview，likeaforlorntravelerwith—
outahome.Inthesolitudeofhisroomhesmokedthoughtfully，gazingatthetwosea—chestswhichheldallthathecouldcallhisowninthisworld.Athickrollofchartsinasheathofsailclothleanedinacorner;theflatpacking—casecontainingtheportraitinoilsandthethreecarbonphotographshadbeenpushedunderthebed.Hewastiredofdiscussingterms，ofassistingatsurveys，ofalltheroutineofthebusiness.Whattotheotherpartieswasmerelythesaleofashipwastohimamomentouseventinvolvingaradicallynewviewofexistence.Heknewthatafterthisshiptherewouldbenoother;andthehopesofhisyouth，theexerciseofhisabilities，everyfeelingandachievementofhisman—
hood，hadbeenindissolublyconnectedwithships.Hehadservedships;hehadownedships;andeventheyearsofhisactualretirementfromtheseahadbeenmadebearablebytheideathathehadonlytostretchouthishandfullofmoneytogetaship.Hehadbeenatlibertytofeelasthoughheweretheownerofalltheshipsintheworld.Thesellingofthisonewaswearywork;butwhenshepassedfromhimatlast，whenhesignedthelastreceipt，itwasasthoughalltheshipshadgoneoutoftheworldtogether，leavinghimontheshoreofinaccessibleoceanswithsevenhundredpoundsinhishands.
Stridingfirmly，withouthaste，alongthequay，CaptainWhalleyavertedhisglancesfromthefamiliarroadstead.
Twogenerationsofseamenbornsincehisfirstdayatseastoodbetweenhimandalltheseshipsattheanchor—
age.Hisownwassold，andhehadbeenaskinghim—
self，Whatnext？
Fromthefeelingofloneliness，ofinwardemptiness，——andoflosstoo，asifhisverysoulhadbeentakenoutofhimforcibly，——therehadsprungatfirstadesiretostartrightoffandjoinhisdaughter."Herearethelastpence，"hewouldsaytoher;"takethem，mydear.
Andhere’syouroldfather：youmusttakehimtoo."
Hissoulrecoiled，asifafraidofwhatlayhiddenatthebottomofthisimpulse.Giveup！Never！Whenoneisthoroughlywearyallsortsofnonsensecomeintoone’shead.Aprettygiftitwouldhavebeenforapoorwoman——thissevenhundredpoundswiththeincumbranceofahaleoldfellowmorethanlikelytolastforyearsandyearstocome.Washenotasfittodieinharnessasanyoftheyoungstersinchargeoftheseanchoredshipsoutyonder？Hewasassolidnowaseverhehadbeen.Butastowhowouldgivehimworktodo，thatwasanothermatter.Werehe，withhisappearanceandantecedents，togoaboutlookingforajunior’sberth，people，hewasafraid，wouldnottakehimseriously;orelseifhesucceededinimpressingthem，hewouldmaybeobtaintheirpity，whichwouldbelikestrippingyour—
selfnakedtobekicked.Hewasnotanxioustogivehimselfawayforlessthannothing.Hehadnouseforanybody’spity.Ontheotherhand，acommand——
theonlythinghecouldtryforwithdueregardforcommondecency——wasnotlikelytobelyinginwaitforhimatthecornerofthenextstreet.Commandsdon’tgoa—beggingnowadays.Eversincehehadcomeashoretocarryoutthebusinessofthesalehehadkepthisearsopen，buthadheardnohintofonebeingvacantintheport.Andeveniftherehadbeenone，hissuc—
cessfulpastitselfstoodinhisway.Hehadbeenhisownemployertoolong.Theonlycredentialhecouldproducewasthetestimonyofhiswholelife.Whatbetterrecommendationcouldanyonerequire？ButvaguelyhefeltthattheuniquedocumentwouldbelookeduponasanarchaiccuriosityoftheEasternwaters，ascreedtracedinobsoletewords——inahalf—for—
gottenlanguage.
IV
Revolvingthesethoughts，hestrolledonneartherail—
ingsofthequay，broad—chested，withoutastoop，asthoughhisbigshouldershadneverfelttheburdenoftheloadsthatmustbecarriedbetweenthecradleandthegrave.Nosinglebetrayingfoldorlineofcaredisfiguredthereposefulmodelingofhisface.Itwasfullanduntanned;andtheupperpartemerged，mas—
sivelyquiet，outofthedownwardflowofsilveryhair，withthestrikingdelicacyofitsclearcomplexionandthepowerfulwidthoftheforehead.Thefirstcastofhisglancefellonyoucandidandswift，likeaboy’s;
butbecauseoftheraggedsnowythatchoftheeyebrowstheaffabilityofhisattentionacquiredthecharacterofadarkandsearchingscrutiny.Withagehehadputonfleshalittle，hadincreasedhisgirthlikeanoldtreepresentingnosymptomsofdecay;andeventheopulent，lustrousrippleofwhitehairsuponhischestseemedanattributeofunquenchablevitalityandvigor.
Onceratherproudofhisgreatbodilystrength，andevenofhispersonalappearance，consciousofhisworth，andfirminhisrectitude，therehadremainedtohim，liketheheritageofdepartedprosperity，thetranquilbearingofamanwhohadprovedhimselffitineverysortofwayforthelifeofhischoice.HestrodeonsquarelyundertheprojectingbrimofanancientPanamahat.Ithadalowcrown，acreasethroughitswholediameter，anarrowblackribbon.Imperishableandalittlediscolored，thisheadgearmadeiteasytopickhimoutfromafaronthrongedwharvesandinthebusystreets.Hehadneveradoptedthecomparativelymodernfashionofpipeclayedcorkhelmets.Hedislikedtheform;andhehopedhecouldmanagetokeepacoolheadtotheendofhislifewithoutallthesecontrivancesforhygienicventilation.Hishairwascroppedclose，hislinenalwaysofimmaculatewhiteness;asuitofthingrayflannel，wornthreadbarebutscrupulouslybrushed，floatedabouthisburlylimbs，addingtohisbulkbytheloosenessofitscut.Theyearshadmellowedthegood—
humored，imperturbableaudacityofhisprimeintoatempercarelesslyserene;andtheleisurelytappingofhisiron—shodstickaccompaniedhisfootfallswithaself—
confidentsoundontheflagstones.Itwasimpossibletoconnectsuchafinepresenceandthisunruffledaspectwiththebelittlingtroublesofpoverty;theman’swholeexistenceappearedtopassbeforeyou，facileandlarge，inthefreedomofmeansasampleastheclothingofhisbody.
Theirrationaldreadofhavingtobreakintohisfivehundredpoundsforpersonalexpensesinthehoteldis—
turbedthesteadypoiseofhismind.Therewasnotimetolose.Thebillwasrunningup.Henourishedthehopethatthisfivehundredwouldperhapsbethemeans，ifeverythingelsefailed，ofobtainingsomeworkwhich，keepinghisbodyandsoultogether（notamatterofgreatoutlay），wouldenablehimtobeofusetohisdaughter.Tohisminditwasherownmoneywhichheemployed，asitwere，inbackingherfatherandsolelyforherbenefit.Onceatwork，hewouldhelpherwiththegreaterpartofhisearnings;hewasgoodformanyyearsyet，andthisboarding—housebusiness，hearguedtohimself，whatevertheprospects，couldnotbemuchofagold—minefromthefirststart.Butwhatwork？Hewasreadytolayholdofanythinginanhonestwaysothatitcamequicklytohishand;becausethefivehun—
dredpoundsmustbepreservedintactforeventualuse.
Thatwasthegreatpoint.Withtheentirefivehundredonefeltasubstanceatone’sback;butitseemedtohimthatshouldheletitdwindletofour—fiftyorevenfour—
eighty，alltheefficiencywouldbegoneoutofthemoney，asthoughthereweresomemagicpowerintheroundfigure.Butwhatsortofwork？
Confrontedbythathauntingquestionasbyanuneasyghost，forwhomhehadnoexorcisingformula，CaptainWhalleystoppedshortontheapexofasmallbridgespanningsteeplythebedofacanalizedcreekwithgraniteshores.Mooredbetweenthesquareblocksasea—
goingMalaypraufloatedhalfhiddenunderthearchofmasonry，withhersparslowereddown，withoutasoundoflifeonboard，andcoveredfromstemtosternwitharidgeofpalm—leafmats.Hehadleftbehindhimtheoverheatedpavementsborderedbythestonefrontagesthat，likethesheerfaceofcliffs，followedthesweepofthequays;andanunconfinedspaciousnessoforderlyandsylvanaspectopenedbeforehimitswideplotsofrolledgrass，likepiecesofgreencarpetsmoothlypeggedout，itslongrangesoftreeslinedupincolossalporticosofdarkshaftsroofedwithavaultofbranches.
Someoftheseavenuesendedatthesea.Itwasater—
racedshore;andbeyond，uponthelevelexpanse，pro—
foundandglisteninglikethegazeofadark—blueeye，anobliquebandofstippledpurplelengtheneditselfin—
definitelythroughthegapbetweenacoupleofverdanttwinislets.Themastsandsparsofafewshipsfaraway，hulldownintheouterroads，sprangstraightfromthewaterinafinemazeofrosylinespenciledontheclearshadowoftheeasternboard.CaptainWhalleygavethemalongglance.Theship，oncehisown，wasanchoredoutthere.Itwasstaggeringtothinkthatitwasopentohimnolongertotakeaboatatthejettyandgethimselfpulledofftoherwhentheeveningcame.
Tonoship.Perhapsnevermore.Beforethesalewasconcluded，andtillthepurchase—moneyhadbeenpaid，hehadspentdailysometimeonboardtheFairMaid.
Themoneyhadbeenpaidthisverymorning，andnow，allatonce，therewaspositivelynoshipthathecouldgoonboardofwhenheliked;noshipthatwouldneedhispresenceinordertodoherwork——tolive.Itseemedanincrediblestateofaffairs，somethingtoobizarretolast.Andtheseawasfullofcraftofallsorts.Therewasthatpraulyingsostillswathedinhershroudofsewnpalm—leaves——shetoohadherindispensableman.
Theylivedthrougheachother，thisMalayhehadneverseen，andthishigh—sternedthingofnosizethatseemedtoberestingafteralongjourney.Andofalltheshipsinsight，nearandfar，eachwasprovidedwithaman，themanwithoutwhomthefinestshipisadeadthing，afloatingandpurposelesslog.
Afterhisoneglanceattheroadsteadhewenton，sincetherewasnothingtoturnbackfor，andthetimemustbegotthroughsomehow.TheavenuesofbigtreesranstraightovertheEsplanade，cuttingeachotheratdi—
verseangles，columnarbelowandluxuriantabove.Theinterlacedboughshighupthereseemedtoslumber;notaleafstirredoverhead：andthereedycast—ironlamp—
postsinthemiddleoftheroad，giltlikescepters，diminishedinalongperspective，withtheirglobesofwhiteporcelainatop，resemblingabarbarousdecorationofostriches’eggsdisplayedinarow.Theflamingskykindledatinycrimsonsparkupontheglisteningsur—
faceofeachglassyshell.
Withhischinsunkalittle，hishandsbehindhisback，andtheendofhisstickmarkingthegravelwithafaintwaveringlineathisheels，CaptainWhalleyreflectedthatifashipwithoutamanwaslikeabodywithoutasoul，asailorwithoutashipwasofnotmuchmoreaccountinthisworldthananaimlesslogadriftuponthesea.Thelogmightbesoundenoughbyitself，toughoffiber，andhardtodestroy——butwhatofthat！Andasuddensenseofirremediableidlenessweightedhisfeetlikeagreatfatigue.
Asuccessionofopencarriagescamebowlingalongthenewlyopenedsea—road.Youcouldseeacrossthewidegrass—plotsthediscsofvibrationmadebythespokes.
Thebrightdomesoftheparasolsswayedlightlyout—
wardslikefull—blownblossomsontherimofavase;andthequietsheetofdark—bluewater，crossedbyabarofpurple，madeabackgroundforthespinningwheelsandthehighactionofthehorses，whilsttheturbanedheadsoftheIndianservantselevatedabovethelineoftheseahorizonglidedrapidlyonthepalerblueofthesky.Inanopenspacenearthelittlebridgeeachturn—outtrottedsmartlyinawidecurveawayfromthesunset;thenpull—
ingupsharp，enteredthemainalleyinalongslow—
movingfilewiththegreatredstillnessoftheskyattheback.Thetrunksofmightytreesstoodalltouchedwithredonthesameside，theairseemedaflameunderthehighfoliage，theverygroundunderthehoofsofthehorseswasred.Thewheelsturnedsolemnly;oneafteranotherthesunshadesdrooped，foldingtheircolorslikegorgeousflowersshuttingtheirpetalsattheendoftheday.Inthewholehalf—mileofhumanbeingsnovoiceutteredadistinctword，onlyafaintthuddingnoisewentonmingledwithslightjinglingsounds，andthemotion—
lessheadsandshouldersofmenandwomensittingincouplesemergedstolidlyabovetheloweredhoods——asifwooden.Butonecarriageandpaircominglatedidnotjointheline.
Itfledalonginanoiselessroll;butonenteringtheavenueoneofthedarkbayssnorted，archinghisneckandshyingagainstthesteel—tippedpole;aflakeoffoamfellfromthebituponthepointofasatinyshoul—
der，andtheduskyfaceofthecoachmanleanedfor—
wardatonceoverthehandstakingafreshgripofthereins.Itwasalongdark—greenlandau，havingadigni—
fiedandbuoyantmotionbetweenthesharplycurvedC—springs，andasortofstrictlyofficialmajestyinitssupremeelegance.Itseemedmoreroomythanisusual，itshorsesseemedslightlybigger，theappointmentsashademoreperfect，theservantsperchedsomewhathigheronthebox.Thedressesofthreewomen——twoyoungandpretty，andone，handsome，large，ofmatureage——seemedtofillcompletelytheshallowbodyofthecarriage.Thefourthfacewasthatofaman，heavylidded，distinguishedandsallow，withasomber，thick，iron—grayimperialandmustaches，whichsomehowhadtheairofsolidappendages.HisExcellency——
Therapidmotionofthatoneequipagemadealltheothersappearutterlyinferior，blighted，andreducedtocrawlpainfullyatasnail’space.Thelandaudistancedthewholefileinasortofsustainedrush;thefeaturesoftheoccupantwhirlingoutofsightleftbehindanimpressionoffixedstaresandimpassivevacancy;andafterithadvanishedinfullflightasitwere，notwith—
standingthelonglineofvehicleshuggingthecurbatawalk，thewholeloftyvistaoftheavenueseemedtolieopenandemptiedoflifeintheenlargedimpressionofanaugustsolitude.
CaptainWhalleyhadliftedhisheadtolook，andhismind，disturbedinitsmeditation，turnedwithwonder（asmen’smindswilldo）tomattersofnoimportance.
Itstruckhimthatitwastothisport，wherehehadjustsoldhislastship，thathehadcomewiththeveryfirsthehadeverowned，andwithhisheadfullofaplanforopeninganewtradewithadistantpartoftheArchipelago.Thethengovernorhadgivenhimnoendofencouragement.NoExcellencyhe——thisMr.Den—
ham——thisgovernorwithhisjacketoff;amanwhotendednightandday，sotospeak，thegrowingpros—
perityofthesettlementwiththeself—forgetfuldevotionofanurseforachildsheloves;alonebachelorwholivedasinacampwiththefewservantsandhisthreedogsinwhatwascalledthentheGovernmentBungalow：
alow—roofedstructureonthehalf—clearedslopeofahill，withanewflagstaffinfrontandapoliceorderlyontheveranda.Herememberedtoilingupthathillunderaheavysunforhisaudience;theunfurnishedaspectofthecoolshadedroom;thelongtablecoveredatoneendwithpilesofpapers，andwithtwoguns，abrasstelescope，asmallbottleofoilwithafeatherstuckintheneckattheother——andtheflatteringattentiongiventohimbythemaninpower.Itwasanunder—
takingfullofriskhehadcometoexpound，butatwentyminutes’talkintheGovernmentBungalowonthehillhadmadeitgosmoothlyfromthestart.AndashewasretiringMr.Denham，alreadyseatedbeforethepapers，calledoutafterhim，"NextmonththeDidostartsforacruisethatway，andIshallrequesthercaptainofficiallytogiveyoualookinandseehowyougeton."TheDidowasoneofthesmartfrigatesontheChinastation——andfive—and—thirtyyearsmakeabigsliceoftime.Five—and—thirtyyearsagoanenterpriselikehishadforthecolonyenoughimportancetobelookedafterbyaQueen’sship.Abigsliceoftime.
Individualswereofsomeaccountthen.Menlikehim—
self;men，too，likepoorEvans，forinstance，withhisredface，hiscoal—blackwhiskers，andhisrestlesseyes，whohadsetupthefirstpatentslipforrepairingsmallships，ontheedgeoftheforest，inalonelybaythreemilesupthecoast.Mr.Denhamhadencouragedthatenterprisetoo，andyetsomehowpoorEvanshadendedbydyingathomedeucedlyhardup.Hisson，theysaid，wassqueezingoiloutofcocoa—nutsforalivingonsomeGod—forsakenisletoftheIndianOcean;butitwasfromthatpatentslipinalonelywoodedbaythathadsprungtheworkshopsoftheConsolidatedDocksCompany，withitsthreegravingbasinscarvedoutofsolidrock，itswharves，itsjetties，itselectric—lightplant，itssteam—
powerhouses——withitsgiganticsheer—legs，fittolifttheheaviestweightevercarriedafloat，andwhoseheadcouldbeseenlikethetopofaqueerwhitemonumentpeepingoverbushypointsoflandandsandypromontories，asyouapproachedtheNewHarborfromthewest.
Therehadbeenatimewhenmencounted：therewerenotsomanycarriagesinthecolonythen，thoughMr.
Denham，hefancied，hadabuggy.AndCaptainWhal—
leyseemedtobesweptoutofthegreatavenuebytheswirlofamentalbackwash.Herememberedmuddyshores，aharborwithoutquays，theonesolitarywoodenpier（butthatwasapublicwork）juttingoutcrookedly，thefirstcoal—shedserectedonMonkeyPoint，thatcaughtfiremysteriouslyandsmolderedfordays，sothatamazedshipscameintoaroadsteadfullofsulphuroussmoke，andthesunhungblood—redatmidday.Here—
memberedthethings，thefaces，andsomethingmorebesides——likethefaintflavorofacupquaffedtothebottom，likeasubtlesparkleoftheairthatwasnottobefoundintheatmosphereofto—day.
Inthisevocation，swiftandfullofdetaillikeaflashofmagnesiumlightintothenichesofadarkmemorialhall，CaptainWhalleycontemplatedthingsonceimpor—
tant，theeffortsofsmallmen，thegrowthofagreatplace，butnowrobbedofallconsequencebythegreat—
nessofaccomplishedfacts，byhopesgreaterstill;andtheygavehimforamomentsuchanalmostphysicalgripupontime，suchacomprehensionofourunchange—
ablefeelings，thathestoppedshort，struckthegroundwithhisstick，andejaculatedmentally，"WhatthedevilamIdoinghere！"Heseemedlostinasortofsurprise;
butheheardhisnamecalledoutinwheezytonesonce，twice——andturnedonhisheelsslowly.
Hebeheldthen，waddlingtowardshimautocratically，amanofanold—fashionedandgoutyaspect，withhairaswhiteashisown，butwithshaved，floridcheeks，wear—
inganecktie——almostaneckcloth——whosestiffendspro—
jectedfarbeyondhischin;withroundlegs，roundarms，aroundbody，aroundface——generallyproducingtheeffectofhisshortfigurehavingbeendistendedbymeansofanair—pumpasmuchastheseamsofhisclothingwouldstand.ThiswastheMaster—Attendantoftheport.Amaster—attendantisasuperiorsortofharbor—
master;aperson，outintheEast，ofsomeconsequenceinhissphere;aGovernmentofficial，amagistrateforthewatersoftheport，andpossessedofvastbutill—
defineddisciplinaryauthorityoverseamenofallclasses.
ThisparticularMaster—Attendantwasreportedtocon—
sideritmiserablyinadequate，onthegroundthatitdidnotincludethepoweroflifeanddeath.Thiswasajocularexaggeration.CaptainEliottwasfairlysatis—
fiedwithhisposition，andnursednoinconsiderablesenseofsuchpowerashehad.Hisconceitedandtyrannicaldispositiondidnotallowhimtoletitdwindleinhishandsforwantofuse.Theuproarious，cholericfrank—
nessofhiscommentsonpeople’scharacterandconductcausedhimtobefearedatbottom;thoughinconversa—
tionmanypretendednottomindhimintheleast，otherswouldonlysmilesourlyatthementionofhisname，andtherewereevensomewhodaredtopronouncehim"ameddlesomeoldruffian."ButforalmostallofthemoneofCaptainEliott’soutbreakswasnearlyasdistaste—
fultofaceasachanceofannihilation.
V
Assoonashehadcomeupquiteclosehesaid，mouth—
inginagrowl——
"What’sthisIhear，Whalley？Isittrueyou’resell—
ingtheFairMaid？"
CaptainWhalley，lookingaway，saidthethingwasdone——moneyhadbeenpaidthatmorning;andtheotherexpressedatoncehisapprobationofsuchanextremelysensibleproceeding.Hehadgotoutofhistraptostretchhislegs，heexplained，onhiswayhometodinner.
SirFredericklookedwellattheendofhistime.Didn’the？
CaptainWhalleycouldnotsay;hadonlynoticedthecarriagegoingpast.
TheMaster—Attendant，plunginghishandsintothepocketsofanalpacajacketinappropriatelyshortandtightforamanofhisageandappearance，struttedwithaslightlimp，andwithhisheadreachingonlytotheshoulderofCaptainWhalley，whowalkedeasily，staringstraightbeforehim.Theyhadbeengoodcom—
radesyearsago，almostintimates.AtthetimewhenWhalleycommandedtherenownedCondor，EliotthadchargeofthenearlyasfamousRingdoveforthesameowners;andwhentheappointmentofMaster—Attendantwascreated，Whalleywouldhavebeentheonlyotherseriouscandidate.ButCaptainWhalley，thenintheprimeoflife，wasresolvedtoservenoonebuthisownauspiciousFortune.Faraway，tendinghishotirons，hewasgladtoheartheotherhadbeensuccessful.TherewasaworldlysupplenessinbluffNedEliottthatwouldservehimwellinthatsortofofficialappointment.AndtheyweresodissimilaratbottomthatastheycameslowlytotheendoftheavenuebeforetheCathedral，ithadnevercomeintoWhalley’sheadthathemighthavebeeninthatman’splace——providedfortotheendofhisdays.
Thesacrededifice，standinginsolemnisolationamongsttheconvergingavenuesofenormoustrees，asiftoputgravethoughtsofheavenintothehoursofease，pre—
sentedaclosedGothicportaltothelightandgloryofthewest.Theglassoftherosaceabovetheogiveglowedlikefierycoalinthedeepcarvingsofawheelofstone.
Thetwomenfacedabout.
"I’lltellyouwhattheyoughttodonext，Whalley，"
growledCaptainEliottsuddenly.
"Well？"
"TheyoughttosendareallivelordoutherewhenSirFrederick’stimeisup.Eh？"
CaptainWhalleyperfunctorilydidnotseewhyalordoftherightsortshouldnotdoaswellasanyoneelse.
Butthiswasnottheother’spointofview.
"No，no.Placerunsitself.Nothingcanstopitnow.
Goodenoughforalord，"hegrowledinshortsentences.
"Lookatthechangesinourtime.Weneedalordherenow.TheyhavegotalordinBombay."
HedinedonceortwiceeveryyearattheGovernmentHouse——amany—windowed，arcadedpalaceuponahilllaidoutinroadsandgardens.AndlatelyhehadbeentakingaboutadukeinhisMaster—Attendant’ssteam—
launchtovisittheharborimprovements.Beforethathehad"mostobligingly"goneoutinpersontopickoutagoodberthfortheducalyacht.Afterwardshehadaninvitationtolunchonboard.Theduchessher—
selflunchedwiththem.Abigwomanwitharedface.
Complexionquitesunburnt.Heshouldthinkruined.
Verygraciousmanners.TheyweregoingontoJapan
HeejaculatedthesedetailsforCaptainWhalley’sedi—
fication，pausingtoblowouthischeeksasifwithapent—upsenseofimportance，andrepeatedlyprotrudinghisthicklipstillthebluntcrimsonendofhisnoseseemedtodipintothemilkofhismustache.Theplaceranitself;itwasfitforanylord;itgavenotroubleexceptinitsMarinedepartment——initsMarinedepartmentherepeatedtwice，andafteraheavysnortbegantorelatehowtheotherdayherMajesty’sConsul—GeneralinFrenchCochin—Chinahadcabledtohim——inhisofficialcapacity——askingforaqualifiedmantobesentovertotakechargeofaGlasgowshipwhosemasterhaddiedinSaigon.