Whatdoyoumeanbyabusingpeopleinthatway？——
　　youolduselessboozer，you！"
　　"Can’thelpit.Don’trememberanythingaboutit.
　　Youshouldn’tlisten."
　　"Youdaretotellme！Whatdoyoumeanbygoingonadrunklikethis！"
　　"Don’taskme.Sickofthedam’boilers——youwouldbe.Sickoflife."
　　"Iwishyouweredead，then.You’vemademesickofyou.Don’tyouremembertheuproaryoumadelastnight？Youmiserableoldsoaker！"
　　"No;Idon’t.Don’twantto.Drinkisdrink."
　　"Iwonderwhatpreventsmefromkickingyouout.
　　Whatdoyouwanthere？"
　　"Relieveyou.You’vebeenlongenoughdownthere，George."
　　"Don’tyouGeorgeme——youtipplingoldrascal，you！
　　IfIweretodieto—morrowyouwouldstarve.Remem—
　　berthat.SayMr.Massy."
　　"Mr.Massy，"repeatedtheotherstolidly.
　　Disheveled，withdullblood—shoteyes，asnuffy，grimyshirt，greasytrowsers，nakedfeetthrustintoraggedslippers，heboltedinheaddowndirectlyMassyhadmadewayforhim.
　　Thechiefengineerlookedaround.Thedeckwasemptyasfarasthetaffrail.AllthenativepassengershadleftinBatuBeruthistime，andnoothershadjoined.Thedialofthepatentlogtinkledperiodicallyinthedarkattheendoftheship.Itwasadeadcalm，and，underthecloudedsky，throughthestillairthatseemedtoclingwarm，withaseaweedsmell，toherslimhull，onaseaofsombergrayandunwrinkled，theshipmovedonanevenkeel，asiffloatingdetachedinemptyspace.ButMr.Massyslappedhisforehead，totteredalittle，caughtholdofabelaying—pinatthefootofthemast.
　　"Ishallgomad，"hemuttered，walkingacrossthedeckunsteadily.Ashovelwasscrapingloosecoaldownbe—
　　low——afire—doorclanged.Sterneonthebridgebeganwhistlinganewtune.
　　CaptainWhalley，sittingonthecouch，awakeandfullydressed，heardthedoorofhiscabinopen.Hedidnotmoveintheleast，waitingtorecognizethevoice，withanappallingstrainofprudence.
　　Abulkheadlampblazedonthewhitepaint，thecrim—
　　sonplush，thebrownvarnishofmahoganytops.Thewhitewoodpacking—caseunderthebed—placehadre—
　　mainedunopenedforthreeyearsnow，asthoughCap—
　　tainWhalleyhadfeltthat，aftertheFairMaidwasgone，therecouldbenoabiding—placeonearthforhisaffections.Hishandsrestedonhisknees;hishand—
　　someheadwithbigeyebrowspresentedarigidprofiletothedoorway.Theexpectedvoicespokeoutatlast.
　　"Oncemore，then.WhatamItocallyou？"
　　Ha！Massy.Again.Thewearinessofitcrushedhisheart——andthepainofshamewasalmostmorethanhecouldbearwithoutcryingout.
　　"Well.Isittobe’partner’still？"
　　"Youdon’tknowwhatyouask."
　　"IknowwhatIwant"
　　Massysteppedinandclosedthedoor.
　　"AndIamgoingtohaveatryforitwithyouoncemore."
　　Hiswhinewashalfpersuasive，halfmenacing.
　　"Forit’snomannerofusetotellmethatyouarepoor.Youdon’tspendanythingonyourself，that’strueenough;butthere’sanothernameforthat.Youthinkyouaregoingtohavewhatyouwantoutofmeforthreeyears，andthencastmeoffwithouthearingwhatIthinkofyou.YouthinkIwouldhavesubmittedtoyourairsifIhadknownyouhadonlyabeggarlyfivehundredpoundsintheworld.Yououghttohavetoldme."
　　"Perhaps，"saidCaptainWhalley，bowinghishead.
　　"Andyetithassavedyou."Massylaughedscornfully"Ihavetoldyouoftenenoughsince."
　　"AndIdon’tbelieveyounow.WhenIthinkhowIletyoulorditovermyship！DoyourememberhowyouusedtobullyragmeaboutmycoatandYOURbridge？
　　Itwasinhisway.HISbridge！’AndIwon’tbeapartytothis——andIcouldn’tthinkofdoingthat.’
　　Honestman！Andnowitallcomesout.’Iampoor，andIcan’t.Ihaveonlythisfivehundredintheworld.’"
　　HecontemplatedtheimmobilityofCaptainWhalley，thatseemedtopresentaninconquerableobstacleinhispath.Hisfacetookamournfulcast.
　　"Youareahardman."
　　"Enough，"saidCaptainWhalley，turninguponhim.
　　"Youshallgetnothingfromme，becauseIhavenoth—
　　ingofminetogiveawaynow."
　　"Tellthattothemarines！"
　　Mr.Massy，goingout，lookedbackonce;thenthedoorclosed，andCaptainWhalley，alone，satasstillasbefore.
　　Hehadnothingofhisown——evenhispastofhonor，oftruth，ofjustpride，wasgone.Allhisspotlesslifehadfallenintotheabyss.Hehadsaidhislastgood—bytoit.ButwhatbelongedtoHER，thathemeanttosave.
　　Onlyalittlemoney.Hewouldtakeittoherinhisownhands——thislastgiftofamanthathadlastedtoolong.
　　Andanimmenseandfierceimpulse，theverypassionofpaternity，flamedupwithalltheunquenchedvigorofhisworthlesslifeinadesiretoseeherface.
　　JustacrossthedeckMassyhadgonestraighttohiscabin，struckalight，andhuntedupthenoteofthedreamednumberwhosefigureshadflamedupalsowiththefiercenessofanotherpassion.Hemustcontrivesomehownottomissadrawing.Thatnumbermeantsomething.Butwhatexpedientcouldhecontrivetokeephimselfgoing？
　　"Wretchedmiser！"hemumbled.
　　IfMr.Sternecouldatnotimehavetoldhimanythingnewabouthispartner，hecouldhavetoldMr.Sternethatanotherusecouldbemadeofaman’safflictionthanjusttokickhimout，andthusdeferthetermofadiffi—
　　cultpaymentforayear.Tokeepthesecretoftheafflictionandinducehimtostaywasabettermove.Ifwithoutmeans，hewouldbeanxioustoremain;andthatsettledthequestionofrefundinghimhisshare.HedidnotknowexactlyhowmuchCaptainWhalleywasdis—
　　abled;butifitsohappenedthatheputtheshipashoresomewhereforgoodandall，itwasnottheowner’sfault——wasit？Hewasnotobligedtoknowthattherewasanythingwrong.Butprobablynobodywouldraisesuchapoint，andtheshipwasfullyinsured.Hehadhadenoughself—restrainttopayupthepremiums.Butthiswasnotall.HecouldnotbelieveCaptainWhalleytobesoconfoundedlydestituteasnottohavesomemoremoneyputawaysomewhere.Ifhe，Massy，couldgetholdofit，thatwouldpayfortheboilers，andevery—
　　thingwentonasbefore.Andifshegotlostintheend，somuchthebetter.Hehatedher：heloathedthetroublesthattookhismindoffthechancesoffortune.
　　Hewishedheratthebottomofthesea，andthein—
　　surancemoneyinhispocket.Andas，baffled，heleftCaptainWhalley’scabin，heenvelopedinthesamehatredtheshipwiththeworn—outboilersandthemanwiththedimmedeyes.
　　Andourconductafterallissomuchamatterofoutsidesuggestion，thathaditnotbeenforhisJack’sdrunkengabblehewouldhavethereandthenhaditoutwiththismiserableman，whowouldneitherhelp，norstay，noryetlosetheship.Theoldfraud！Helongedtokickhimout.Butherestrainedhimself.Timeenoughforthat——whenheliked.Therewasafearfulnewthoughtputintohishead.Wasn’theuptoitafterall？HowthatbeastJackhadraved！"Findasafetricktogetridofher."Well，Jackwasnotsofarwrong.Averyclevertrickhadoccurredtohim.Aye！Butwhatoftherisk？
　　Afeelingofpride——theprideofsuperioritytocom—
　　monprejudices——creptintohisbreast，madehisheartbeatfast，hismouthturndry.Noteverybodywoulddare;buthewasMassy，andhewasuptoit！
　　Sixbellswerestruckondeck.Eleven！Hedrankaglassofwater，andsatdownfortenminutesorsotocalmhimself.Thenhegotoutofhischestasmallbull’s—eyelanternofhisownandlitit.
　　Almostoppositehisberth，acrossthenarrowpassageunderthebridge，therewas，intheirondeck—structurecoveringthestokeholdfiddleandtheboiler—space，astoreroomwithironsides，ironroof，iron—platedfloor，too，onaccountoftheheatbelow.Allsortsofrubbishwasshotthere：ithadamoundofscrap—ironinacorner;
　　rowsofemptyoil—cans;sacksofcotton—waste，withaheapofcharcoal，adeck—forge，fragmentsofanoldhen—
　　coop，winch—coversallinrags，remnantsoflamps，andabrownfelthat，discardedbyamandeadnow（ofafeverontheBrazilcoast），whohadbeenoncemateoftheSofala，hadremainedforyearsjammedforciblybe—
　　hindalengthofburstcopperpipe，flungatsometimeorotheroutoftheengine—room.Acompleteandim—
　　periousblacknesspervadedthatCapharnaumoffor—
　　gottenthings.AsmallshaftoflightfromMr.Massy’sbull’s—eyefellslantingrightthroughit.
　　Hiscoatwasunbuttoned;heshottheboltofthedoor（therewasnootheropening），and，squattingbeforethescrap—heap，begantopackhispocketswithpiecesofiron.Hepackedthemcarefully，asiftherustynuts，thebrokenbolts，thelinksofcargochain，hadbeensomuchgoldhehadthatonechancetocarryaway.Hepackedhisside—pocketstilltheybulged，thebreastpocket，thepocketsinside.Heturnedoverthepieces.
　　Someherejected.Asmallmistofpowderedrustbegantoriseabouthisbusyhands.Mr.Massyknewsome—
　　thingofthescientificbasisofhisclevertrick.Ifyouwanttodeflectthemagneticneedleofaship’scompass，softironisthebest;likewisemanysmallpiecesinthepocketsofajacketwouldhavemoreeffectthanafewlargeones，becauseinthatwayyouobtainagreateramountofsurfaceforweightinyouriron，andit’ssur—
　　facethattells.
　　Heslippedoutswiftly——twostridessufficed——andinhiscabinheperceivedthathishandswereallred——redwithrust.Itdisconcertedhim，asthoughhehadfoundthemcoveredwithblood：helookedhimselfoverhastily.
　　Why，histrowserstoo！Hehadbeenrubbinghisrustypalmsonhislegs.
　　Hetoreoffthewaistbandbuttoninhishaste，brushedhiscoat，washedhishands.Thentheairofguiltlefthim，andhesatdowntowait.
　　Hesatboltuprightandweightedwithironinhischair.Hehadahard，lumpybulkagainsteachhip，feltthescrappyironinhispocketstouchhisribsateverybreath，thedownwarddragofallthesepoundshanginguponhisshoulders.Helookedverydulltoo，sittingidlethere，andhisyellowface，withmotionlessblackeyes，hadsomethingpassiveandsadinitsquiet—
　　ness.
　　Whenheheardeightbellsstruckabovehishead，heroseandmadereadytogoout.Hismovementsseemedaimless，hislowerliphaddroppedalittle，hiseyesroamedaboutthecabin，andthetremendoustensionofhiswillhadrobbedthemofeveryvestigeofintelligence.
　　WiththelaststrokeofthebelltheSerangappearednoiselesslyonthebridgetorelievethemate.Sterneoverflowedwithgoodnature，sincehehadnothingmoretodesire.
　　"Gotyoureyeswellopenyet，Serang？It’smiddlingdark;I’llwaittillyougetyoursightproperly."
　　TheoldMalaymurmured，lookedupwithhisworneyes，sidledawayintothelightofthebinnacle，and，crossinghishandsbehindhisback，fixedhiseyesonthecompass—card.
　　"You’llhavetokeepagoodlook—outaheadforland，abouthalf—pastthree.It’sfairlyclear，though.
　　Youhavelookedinonthecaptainasyoucamealong——eh？Heknowsthetime？Well，then，Iamoff."
　　Atthefootoftheladderhestoodasideforthecaptain.
　　Hewatchedhimgoupwithaneven，certaintread，andremainedthoughtfulforamoment."It’sfunny，"hesaidtohimself，"butyoucannevertellwhetherthatmanhasseenyouornot.Hemighthaveheardmebreathethistime."
　　Hewasawonderfulmanwhenallwassaidanddone.
　　Theysaidhehadhadanameinhisday.Mr.Sternecouldwellbelieveit;andheconcludedserenelythatCaptainWhalleymustbeabletoseepeoplemoreorless——ashimselfjustnow，forinstance——butnotbeingcer—
　　tainofanybody，hadtokeepupthatunnoticingsilenceofmannerforfearofgivinghimselfaway.Mr.Sternewasashrewdguesser.
　　ThisnecessityofeverymomentbroughthometoCap—
　　tainWhalley’sheartthehumiliationofhisfalsehood.
　　Hehaddriftedintoitfrompaternallove，fromin—
　　credulity，fromboundlesstrustindivinejusticemetedouttomen’sfeelingsonthisearth.HewouldgivehispoorIvythebenefitofanothermonth’swork;perhapstheafflictionwasonlytemporary.SurelyGodwouldnotrobhischildofhispowertohelp，andcasthimnakedintoanightwithoutend.Hehadcaughtateveryhope;andwhentheevidenceofhismisfortunewasstrongerthanhope，hetriednottobelievethemani—
　　festthing.
　　Invain.Inthesteadilydarkeninguniverseasinisterclearnessfelluponhisideas.Intheilluminatingmo—
　　mentsofsufferinghesawlife，men，allthings，thewholeearthwithallherburdenofcreatednature，ashehadneverseenthembefore.
　　Sometimeshewasseizedwithasuddenvertigoandanoverwhelmingterror;andthentheimageofhisdaughterappeared.Her，too，hehadneverseensoclearlybefore.
　　Wasitpossiblethatheshouldeverbeunabletodoanythingwhateverforher？Nothing.Andnotseeheranymore？Never.
　　Why？Thepunishmentwastoogreatforalittlepre—
　　sumption，foralittlepride.Andatlasthecametoclingtohisdeceptionwithafiercedeterminationtocarryitouttotheend，tosavehermoneyintact，andbeholdheroncemorewithhisowneyes.Afterwards——what？
　　Theideaofsuicidewasrevoltingtothevigorofhismanhood.Hehadprayedfordeathtilltheprayershadstuckinhisthroat.Allthedaysofhislifehehadprayedfordailybread，andnottobeledintotempta—
　　tion，inachildlikehumilityofspirit.Didwordsmeananything？Whencedidthegiftofspeechcome？Theviolentbeatingofhisheartreverberatedinhishead——
　　seemedtoshakehisbraintopieces.
　　Hesatdownheavilyinthedeck—chairtokeepthepre—
　　tenseofhiswatch.Thenightwasdark.Allthenightsweredarknow.
　　"Serang，"hesaid，halfaloud.
　　"Ada，Tuan.Iamhere."
　　"Therearecloudsonthesky？"
　　"Thereare，Tuan."
　　"Letherbesteeredstraight.North."
　　"Sheisgoingnorth，Tuan."
　　TheSerangsteppedback.CaptainWhalleyrecog—
　　nizedMassy’sfootfallsonthebridge.
　　Theengineerwalkedovertoportandreturned，pass—
　　ingbehindthechairseveraltimes.CaptainWhalleydetectedanunusualcharacterasofprudentcareinthisprowling.ThenearpresenceofthatmanbroughtwithitalwaysarecrudescenceofmoralsufferingforCaptainWhalley.Itwasnotremorse.Afterall，hehaddonenothingbutgoodtothepoordevil.Therewasalsoasenseofdanger——thenecessityofagreatercare.
　　Massystoppedandsaid——
　　"Soyoustillsayyoumustgo？"
　　"Imustindeed."
　　"Andyoucouldn’tatleastleavethemoneyforatermofyears？"
　　"Impossible."
　　"Can’ttrustitwithmewithoutyourcare，eh？"
　　CaptainWhalleyremainedsilent.Massysigheddeeplyoverthebackofthechair.
　　"Itwouldjustdotosaveme，"hesaidinatremulousvoice.
　　"I’vesavedyouonce."
　　Thechiefengineertookoffhiscoatwithcarefulmovements，andproceededtofeelforthebrasshookscrewedintothewoodenstanchion.Forthispurposeheplacedhimselfrightinfrontofthebinnacle，thushid—
　　ingcompletelythecompass—cardfromthequarter—
　　masteratthewheel."Tuan！"thelascaratlastmur—
　　muredsoftly，meaningtoletthewhitemanknowthathecouldnotseetosteer.
　　Mr.Massyhadaccomplishedhispurpose.Thecoatwashangingfromthenail，withinsixinchesofthebinnacle.Anddirectlyhehadsteppedasidethequarter—
　　master，amiddle—aged，pock—marked，SumatraMalay，almostasdarkasanegro，perceivedwithamazementthatinthatshorttime，inthissmoothwater，withnowindatall，theshiphadgoneswingingfaroutofhercourse.Hehadneverknownhergetawaylikethisbefore.Withaslightgruntofastonishmentheturnedthewheelhastilytobringherheadbacknorth，whichwasthecourse.Thegrindingofthesteering—chains，thechidingmurmursoftheSerang，whohadcomeovertothewheel，madeaslightstir，whichattractedCap—
　　tainWhalley’sanxiousattention.Hesaid，"Takebettercare."Theneverythingsettledtotheusualquietonthebridge.Mr.Massyhaddisappeared.
　　Buttheironinthepocketsofthecoathaddoneitswork;andtheSofala，headingnorthbythecompass，madeuntruebythissimpledevice，wasnolongermak—
　　ingasafecourseforPanguBay.
　　Thehissofwaterpartedbyherstem，thethrobofherengines，allthesoundsofherfaithfulandlaboriouslife，wentonuninterruptedinthegreatcalmoftheseajoin—
　　ingonallsidesthemotionlesslayerofcloudoverthesky.Agentlestillnessasvastastheworldseemedtowaituponherpath，envelopingherlovinglyinasu—
　　premecaress.Mr.Massythoughttherecouldbenobetternightforanarrangedshipwreck.
　　RunuphighanddryononeofthereefseastofPangu——waitfordaylight——holeinthebottom——outboats——PanguBaysameevening.That’saboutit.Assoonasshetouchedhewouldhastenonthebridge，getholdofthecoat（nobodywouldnoticeinthedark），andshakeitupside—downovertheside，orevenflingitintothesea.Adetail.Whocouldguess？Coatbeenseenhangingtherefromthathookhundredsoftimes.
　　Nevertheless，whenhesatdownonthelowerstepofthebridge—ladderhiskneesknockedtogetheralittle.Thewaitingpartwastheworstofit.Attimeshewouldbegintopantquickly，asthoughhehadbeenrunning，andthenbreathelargely，swellingwiththeintimatesenseofamasteredfate.NowandthenhewouldheartheshuffleoftheSerang’sbarefeetupthere：quiet，lowvoiceswouldexchangeafewwords，andlapsealmostatonceintosilence
　　"Tellmedirectlyyouseeanyland，Serang."
　　"Yes，Tuan.Notyet."
　　"No，notyet，"CaptainWhalleywouldagree.
　　Theshiphadbeenthebestfriendofhisdecline.HehadsentallthemoneyhehadmadebyandintheSofalatohisdaughter.Histhoughtlingeredonthename.Howoftenheandhiswifehadtalkedoverthecotofthechildinthebigstern—cabinoftheCondor;shewouldgrowup，shewouldmarry，shewouldlovethem，theywouldlivenearherandlookatherhappiness——itwouldgoonwithoutend.Well，hiswifewasdead，tothechildhehadgivenallhehadtogive;hewishedhecouldcomenearher，seeher，seeherfaceonce，liveinthesoundofhervoice，thatcouldmakethedarknessofthelivinggravereadyforhimsupportable.Hehadbeenstarvedoflovetoolong.Heimaginedhertender—
　　ness.
　　TheSeranghadbeenpeeringforward，andnowandthenglancingatthechair.Hefidgetedrestlessly，andsuddenlyburstoutclosetoCaptainWhalley——
　　"Tuan，doyouseeanythingoftheland？"
　　ThealarmedvoicebroughtCaptainWhalleytohisfeetatonce.He！See！Andatthequestion，thecurseofhisblindnessseemedtofallonhimwithahundredfoldforce.
　　"What’sthetime？"hecried.
　　"Half—pastthree，Tuan."
　　"Weareclose.YouMUSTsee.Look，Isay.Look."
　　Mr.Massy，awakenedbythesuddensoundoftalkingfromashortdozeontheloweststep，wonderedwhyhewasthere.Ah！Afaintnesscameoverhim.Itisonethingtosowtheseedofanaccidentandanothertoseethemonstrousfruithangingoveryourheadreadytofallinthesoundofagitatedvoices.
　　"There’snodanger，"hemutteredthickly.
　　ThehorrorofincertitudehadseizeduponCaptainWhalley，themiserablemistrustofmen，ofthings——oftheveryearth.Hehadsteeredthatverycoursethirty—
　　sixtimesbythesamecompass——ifanythingwascertaininthisworlditwasitsabsolute，unerringcorrectness.
　　Thenwhathadhappened？DidtheSeranglie？Whylie？Why？Washegoingblindtoo？
　　"Isthereamist？Looklowonthewater.Lowdown，Isay."
　　"Tuan，there’snomist.Seeforyourself."
　　CaptainWhalleysteadiedthetremblingofhislimbsbyaneffort.Shouldhestoptheenginesatonceandgivehimselfaway.Agustofirresolutionswayedallsortsofbizarrenotionsinhismind.Theunusualhadcome，andhewasnotfittodealwithit.Inthispassageofinexpressibleanguishhesawherface——thefaceofayounggirl——withanamazingstrengthofillusion.
　　No，hemustnotgivehimselfawayafterhavinggonesofarforhersake."Yousteeredthecourse？Youmadeit？Speakthetruth."
　　"Ya，Tuan.Onthecoursenow.Look."
　　CaptainWhalleystrodetothebinnacle，whichtohimmadesuchadimspotoflightinaninfinityofshape—
　　lessshadow.Bybendinghisfacerightdowntotheglasshehadbeenablebefore
　　Havingtostoopsolow，heputout，instinctively，hisarmtowhereheknewtherewasastanchiontosteadyhimselfagainst.Hishandclosedonsomethingthatwasnotwoodbutcloth.Theslightpulladdingtotheweight，theloopbroke，andMr.Massy’scoatfalling，struckthedeckheavilywithadullthump，accompaniedbyalotofclicks.
　　"What’sthis？"
　　CaptainWhalleyfellonhisknees，withgropinghandsextendedinafrankgestureofblindness.Theytrem—
　　bled，thesehandsfeelingforthetruth.Hesawit.Ironnearthecompass.Wrongcourse.Wreckher！Hisship.Ohno.Notthat.
　　"Jumpandstopher！"heroaredoutinavoicenothisown.
　　Heranhimself——handsforward，ablindman，andwhiletheclangingofthegongechoedstillallovertheship，sheseemedtobuttfulltiltintothesideofamountain.
　　Itwaslowwateralongthenorthsideofthestrait.
　　Mr.Massyhadnotreckonedonthat.Insteadofrun—
　　ningagroundforhalfherlength，theSofalabuttedthesheerridgeofastonereefwhichwouldhavebeenawashathighwater.Thismadetheshockabsolutelyterrific.Everybodyintheshipthatwasstandingwasthrowndownheadlong：theshakenriggingmadeagreatrattlingtotheverytrucks.Allthelightswentout：
　　severalchain—guys，snapping，clatteredagainstthefunnel：therewerecrashes，pingsofpartedwire—rope，splinteringsounds，loudcracks，themastheadlampflewoverthebows，andallthedoorsaboutthedeckbegantobangheavily.Then，afterhavinghit，sherebounded，hitthesecondtimetheverysamespotlikeabattering—
　　ram.Thiscompletedthehavoc：thefunnel，withalltheguysgone，felloverwithahollowsoundofthunder，smashingthewheeltobits，crushingtheframeoftheawnings，breakingthelockers，fillingthebridgewithamassofsplinters，sticks，andbrokenwood.CaptainWhalleypickedhimselfupandstoodknee—deepinwreckage，torn，bleeding，knowingthenatureofthedangerhehadescapedmostlybythesound，andholdingMr.Massy’scoatinhisarms.
　　BythistimeSterne（hehadbeenflungoutofhisbunk）hadsettheenginesastern.Theyworkedforafewturns，thenavoicebawledout，"Getoutofthedamnedengine—room，Jack！"——andtheystopped;buttheshiphadgoneclearofthereefandlaystill，withaheavycloudofsteamissuingfromthebrokendeck—
　　pipes，andvanishinginwispyshapesintothenight.
　　Notwithstandingthesuddennessofthedisastertherewasnoshouting，asiftheveryviolenceoftheshockhadhalf—stunnedtheshadowylotofpeopleswayinghereandthereaboutherdecks.ThevoiceoftheSerangpronounceddistinctlyabovetheconfusedmurmurs——
　　"Eightfathom."Hehadheavedthelead.
　　Mr.Sternecriedoutnextinastrainedpitch——
　　"Wherethedevilhasshegotto？Wherearewe？"
　　CaptainWhalleyrepliedinacalmbass——
　　"Amongstthereefstotheeastward."
　　"Youknowit，sir？Thenshewillnevergetoutagain."
　　"Shewillbesunkinfiveminutes.Boats，Sterne.
　　Evenonewillsaveyouallinthiscalm."
　　TheChinamanstokerswentinadisorderlyrushfortheportboats.Nobodytriedtocheckthem.TheMalays，afteramomentofconfusion，becamequiet，andMr.Sterneshowedagoodcountenance.CaptainWhalleyhadnotmoved.Histhoughtsweredarkerthanthisnightinwhichhehadlosthisfirstship.
　　"Hemademeloseaship."
　　Anothertallfigurestandingbeforehimamongstthelitterofthesmashonthebridgewhisperedinsanely——
　　"Saynothingofit."
　　Massystumbledcloser.CaptainWhalleyheardthechatteringofhisteeth.
　　"Ihavethecoat."
　　"Throwitdownandcomealong，"urgedthechatter—
　　ingvoice."B—b—b—b—boat！"
　　"Youwillgetfifteenyearsforthis."
　　Mr.Massyhadlosthisvoice.Hisspeechwasameredryrustlinginhisthroat.
　　"Havemercy！"
　　"Hadyouanywhenyoumademelosemyship？Mr.
　　Massy，youshallgetfifteenyearsforthis！"
　　"Iwantedmoney！Money！Myownmoney！Iwillgiveyousomemoney.Takehalfofit.Youlovemoneyyourself."
　　"There’sajustice"
　　Massymadeanawfuleffort，andinastrange，halfchokedutterance——
　　"Youblinddevil！It’syouthatdrovemetoit."
　　CaptainWhalley，huggingthecoattohisbreast，madenosound.Thelighthadebbedforeverfromtheworld——leteverythinggo.Butthismanshouldnotescapescot—free.
　　Sterne’svoicecommanded——
　　"Loweraway！"
　　Theblocksrattled.
　　"Nowthen，"hecried，"overwithyou.Thisway.
　　You，Jack，here.Mr.Massy！Mr.Massy！Captain！
　　Quick，sir！Let’sget——
　　"Ishallgotoprisonfortryingtocheattheinsurance，butyou’llgetexposed;you，honestman，whohasbeencheatingme.Youarepoor.Aren’tyou？You’venothingbutthefivehundredpounds.Well，youhavenothingatallnow.Theship’slost，andtheinsurancewon’tbepaid."
　　CaptainWhalleydidnotmove.True！Ivy’smoney！
　　Goneinthiswreck.Againhehadaflashofinsight.
　　Hewasindeedattheendofhistether.
　　Urgentvoicescriedouttogetheralongside.Massydidnotseemabletotearhimselfawayfromthebridge.
　　Hechatteredandhisseddespairingly——
　　"Giveituptome！Giveitup！"
　　"No，"saidCaptainWhalley;"Icouldnotgiveitup.
　　Youhadbettergo.Don’twait，man，ifyouwanttolive.She’ssettlingdownbytheheadfast.No;Ishallkeepit，butIshallstayonboard."
　　Massydidnotseemtounderstand;buttheloveoflife，awakenedsuddenly，drovehimawayfromthebridge.
　　CaptainWhalleylaidthecoatdown，andstumbledamongsttheheapsofwreckagetotheside.
　　"IsMr.Massyinwithyou？"hecalledoutintothenight.
　　Sternefromtheboatshouted——
　　"Yes;we’vegothim.Comealong，sir.It’smadnesstostaylonger."
　　CaptainWhalleyfeltalongtherailcarefully，and，withoutaword，castoffthepainter.Theywereex—
　　pectinghimstilldownthere.Theywerewaiting，tillavoicesuddenlyexclaimed——
　　"Weareadrift！Shoveoff！"
　　"CaptainWhalley！Leap！pullupalittle
　　leap！Youcanswim."
　　Inthatoldheart，inthatvigorousbody，therewas，thatnothingshouldbewanting，ahorrorofdeaththatapparentlycouldnotbeovercomebythehorrorofblindness.Butafterall，forIvyhehadcarriedhispoint，walkinginhisdarknesstotheveryvergeofacrime.Godhadnotlistenedtohisprayers.Thelighthadfinishedebbingoutoftheworld;notaglimmer.Itwasadarkwaste;butitwasunseemlythataWhalleywhohadgonesofartocarryapointshouldcontinuetolive.Hemustpaytheprice.
　　"Leapasfarasyoucan，sir;wewillpickyouup."
　　Theydidnothearhimanswer.Buttheirshoutingseemedtoremindhimofsomething.Hegropedhiswayback，andsoughtforMr.Massy’scoat.Hecouldswimindeed;peoplesuckeddownbythewhirlpoolofasinkingshipdocomeupsometimestothesurface，anditwasunseemlythataWhalley，whohadmadeuphismindtodie，shouldbebeguiledbychanceintoastruggle.Hewouldputallthesepiecesofironintohisownpockets.
　　They，lookingfromtheboat，sawtheSofala，ablackmassuponablacksea，lyingstillatanappallingcant.
　　Nosoundcamefromher.Then，withagreatbizarreshufflingnoise，asiftheboilershadbrokenthroughthebulkheads，andwithafaintmuffleddetonation，wheretheshiphadbeenthereappearedforamomentsome—
　　thingstandinguprightandnarrow，likearockoutofthesea.Thenthattoodisappeared.
　　WhentheSofalafailedtocomebacktoBatuBeruatthepropertime，Mr.VanWykunderstoodatoncethathewouldneverseeheranymore.Buthedidnotknowwhathadhappenedtillsomemonthsafterwards，when，inanativecraftlenthimbyhisSultan，hehadmadehiswaytotheSofala’sportofregistry，wherealreadyherexistenceandtheofficialinquiryintoherlosswasbeginningtobeforgotten.
　　Ithadnotbeenaveryremarkableorinterestingcase，exceptforthefactthatthecaptainhadgonedownwithhissinkingship.Itwastheonlylifelost;andMr.VanWykwouldnothavebeenabletolearnanydetailshaditnotbeenforSterne，whomhemetonedayonthequaynearthebridgeoverthecreek，almostontheveryspotwhereCaptainWhalley，topreservehisdaughter’sfivehundredpoundsintact，hadturnedtogetasampanwhichwouldtakehimonboardtheSofala.
　　FromafarMr.VanWyksawSterneblinkstraightathimandraisehishandtohishat.Theydrewintotheshadeofabuilding（itwasabank），andthematere—
　　latedhowtheboatwiththecrewgotintoPanguBayaboutsixhoursaftertheaccident，andhowtheyhadlivedforafortnightinastateofdestitutionbeforetheyfoundanopportunitytogetawayfromthatbeastlyplace.Theinquiryhadexoneratedeverybodyfromallblame.Thelossoftheshipwasputdowntoanun—
　　usualsetofthecurrent.Indeed，itcouldnothavebeenanythingelse：therewasnootherwaytoaccountfortheshipbeingsetsevenmilestotheeastwardofherpositionduringthemiddlewatch.
　　"Apieceofbadluckforme，sir."
　　Sternepassedhistongueonhislips，andglancedaside.
　　"Ilosttheadvantageofbeingemployedbyyou，sir.
　　Icanneverbesorryenough.Buthereitis：oneman’spoison，anotherman’smeat.ThiscouldnothavebeenhandierforMr.Massyifhehadarrangedthatship—
　　wreckhimself.ThemosttimelytotallossI’veeverheardof."
　　"WhatbecameofthatMassy？"askedMr.VanWyk.
　　"He，sir？Ha！ha！Hewouldkeepontellingmethathemeanttobuyanothership;butassoonashehadthemoneyinhispocketheclearedoutforManillabymail—boatearlyinthemorning.Igavehimchaserightaboard，andhetoldmethenhewasgoingtomakehisfortunedeadsureinManilla.Icouldgotothedevilforallhecared.AndyetheasgoodaspromisedtogivemethecommandifIdidn’ttalktoomuch."
　　"Youneversaidanything"Mr.VanWykbegan.
　　"NotI，sir.WhyshouldI？Imeantogeton，butthedeadaren’tinmyway，"saidSterne.Hiseyelidswerebeatingrapidly，thendroopedforaninstant.
　　"Besides，sir，itwouldhavebeenanawkwardbusiness.
　　Youmademeholdmytonguejustabittoolong."
　　"DoyouknowhowitwasthatCaptainWhalleyre—
　　mainedonboard？Didhereallyrefusetoleave？Comenow！Orwasitperhapsanaccidental？"
　　"Nothing！"Sterneinterruptedwithenergy."ItellyouIyelledforhimtoleapoverboard.HesimplyMUSThavecastoffthepainteroftheboathimself.Weallyelledtohim——thatis，JackandI.Hewouldn’tevenanswerus.Theshipwasassilentasagravetothelast.
　　Thentheboilersfetchedaway，anddownshewent.
　　Accident！Notit！Thegamewasup，sir，Itellyou."
　　ThiswasallthatSternehadtosay.
　　Mr.VanWykhadbeenofcoursemadetheguestoftheclubforafortnight，anditwastherethathemetthelawyerinwhoseofficehadbeensignedtheagreementbetweenMassyandCaptainWhalley.
　　"Extraordinaryoldman，"hesaid."Hecameintomyofficefromnowhereinparticularasyoumaysay，withhisfivehundredpoundstoplace，andthatengineerfellowfollowinghimanxiously.Andnowheisgoneoutalittleinexplicably，justashecame.Icouldneverunderstandhimquite.TherewasnomysteryatallaboutthatMassy，eh？IwonderwhetherWhalleyre—
　　fusedtoleavetheship.Itwouldhavebeenfoolish.
　　Hewasblameless，asthecourtfound."
　　Mr.VanWykhadknownhimwell，hesaid，andhecouldnotbelieveinsuicide.Suchanactwouldnothavebeenincharacterwithwhatheknewoftheman.
　　"Itismyopinion，too，"thelawyeragreed.Thegen—
　　eraltheorywasthatthecaptainhadremainedtoolongonboardtryingtosavesomethingofimportance.Per—
　　hapsthechartwhichwouldclearhim，orelsesomethingofvalueinhiscabin.Thepainteroftheboathadcomeadriftofitselfitwassupposed.However，strangetosay，somelittletimebeforethatvoyagepoorWhalleyhadcalledinhisofficeandhadleftwithhimasealedenvelopeaddressedtohisdaughter，tobeforwardedtoherincaseofhisdeath.Stillitwasnothingveryun—
　　usual，especiallyinamanofhisage.Mr.VanWykshookhishead.CaptainWhalleylookedgoodforahundredyears.
　　"Perfectlytrue，"assentedthelawyer."Theoldfellowlookedasthoughhehadcomeintotheworldfull—
　　grownandwiththatlongbeard.Icouldnever，some—
　　how，imaginehimeitheryoungerorolder——don’tyouknow.Therewasasenseofphysicalpoweraboutthatmantoo.Andperhapsthatwasthesecretofthatsome—
　　thingpeculiarinhispersonwhichstruckeverybodywhocameincontactwithhim.Helookedindestructiblebyanyordinarymeansthatputanendtotherestofus.
　　Hisdeliberate，statelycourtesyofmannerwasfullofsignificance.Itwasasthoughhewerecertainofhav—
　　ingplentyoftimeforeverything.Yes，therewassomethingindestructibleabouthim;andthewayhetalkedsometimesyoumighthavethoughthebelievedithimself.Whenhecalledonmelastwiththatletterhewantedmetotakechargeof，hewasnotdepressedatall.Perhapsashademoredeliberateinhistalkandmanner.Notdepressedintheleast.Hadheapre—
　　sentiment，Iwonder？Perhaps！Stillitseemsamisera—
　　bleendforsuchastrikingfigure."
　　"Ohyes！Itwasamiserableend，"Mr.VanWyksaid，withsomuchfervorthatthelawyerlookedupathimcuriously;andafterwards，afterpartingwithhim，heremarkedtoanacquaintance——
　　"QueerpersonthatDutchtobacco—planterfromBatuBeru.Knowanythingofhim？"
　　"Heapsofmoney，"answeredthebankmanager."I
　　hearhe’sgoinghomebythenextmailtoformacom—
　　panytotakeoverhisestates.Anothertobaccodistrictthrownopen.He’swise，Ithink.Thesegoodtimeswon’tlastforever."
　　InthesouthernhemisphereCaptainWhalley’sdaugh—
　　terhadnopresentimentofevilwhensheopenedtheenvelopeaddressedtoherinthelawyer’shandwriting.
　　Shehadreceiveditintheafternoon;alltheboardershadgoneout，herboyswereatschool，herhusbandsatupstairsinhisbigarm—chairwithabook，thin—faced，wrappedupinrugstothewaist.Thehousewasstill，andthegraynessofacloudydaylayagainstthepanesofthreeloftywindows.
　　Inashabbydining—room，whereafaintcoldsmellofdisheslingeredalltheyearround，sittingattheendofalongtablesurroundedbymanychairspushedinwiththeirbackscloseagainsttheedgeoftheperpetuallylaidtable—cloth，shereadtheopeningsentence："Mostpro—
　　foundregret——painfulduty——yourfatherisnomore——
　　inaccordancewithhisinstructions——fatalcasualty——
　　consolation——noblameattachedtohismemory"
　　Herfacewasthin，hertemplesalittlesunkunderthesmoothbandsofblackhair，herlipsremainedresolutelycompressed，whileherdarkeyesgrewlarger，tillatlast，withalowcry，shestoodup，andinstantlystoopedtopickupanotherenvelopewhichhadslippedoffherkneesontothefloor.
　　Shetoreitopen，snatchedouttheinclosure
　　"Mydearestchild，"itsaid，"IamwritingthiswhileIamableyettowritelegibly.Iamtryinghardtosaveforyouallthemoneythatisleft;Ihaveonlykeptittoserveyoubetter.Itisyours.Itshallnotbelost：
　　itshallnotbetouched.There’sfivehundredpounds.
　　OfwhatIhaveearnedIhavekeptnothingbacktillnow.Forthefuture，ifIlive，Imustkeepbacksome——
　　alittle——tobringmetoyou.Imustcometoyou.I
　　mustseeyouoncemore.
　　"Itishardtobelievethatyouwilleverlookontheselines.Godseemstohaveforgottenme.Iwanttoseeyou——andyetdeathwouldbeagreaterfavor.Ifyoueverreadthesewords，Ichargeyoutobeginbythank—
　　ingaGodmercifulatlast，forIshallbedeadthen，anditwillbewell.Mydear，Iamattheendofmytether."
　　Thenextparagraphbeganwiththewords："Mysightisgoing"
　　Shereadnomorethatday.Thehandholdingupthepapertohereyesfellslowly，andherslenderfigureinaplainblackdresswalkedrigidlytothewindow.Hereyesweredry：nocryofsorroworwhisperofthankswentuptoheavenfromherlips.Lifehadbeentoohard，foralltheeffortsofhislove.Ithadsilencedheremotions.Butforthefirsttimeinalltheseyearsitsstinghaddeparted，thecarkingcareofpoverty，themeannessofahardstruggleforbread.Eventheimageofherhusbandandofherchildrenseemedtoglideawayfromherintothegraytwilight;itwasherfather’sfacealonethatshesaw，asthoughhehadcometoseeher，alwaysquietandbig，asshehadseenhimlast，butwithsomethingmoreaugustandtenderinhisaspect.
　　Sheslippedhisfoldedletterbetweenthetwobuttonsofherplainblackbodice，andleaningherforeheadagainstawindow—paneremainedtheretilldusk，per—
　　fectlymotionless，givinghimallthetimeshecouldspare.Gone！Wasitpossible？MyGod，wasitpossi—
　　ble！Theblowhadcomesoftenedbythespacesoftheearth，bytheyearsofabsence.Therehadbeenwholedayswhenshehadnotthoughtofhimatall——hadnotime.Butshehadlovedhim，shefeltshehadlovedhim，afterall.