"Worthyofmyundyingregard"
　　TO
　　BORYS
　　ANDALLOTHERSWHO，LIKEHIMSELF，HAVECROSSED
　　INEARLYYOUTHTHESHADOWLINEOF
　　THEIRGENERATIONWITHLOVE
　　PARTONE
　　——D’autrefois，calmeplat，grandmiroirDemondesespoir。
　　——BAUDELAIRE
　　ChapterI
　　ONLYtheyounghavesuchmoments。Idon’tmeantheveryyoung。No。Theveryyounghave，properlyspeaking，nomoments。Itistheprivi-
　　legeofearlyyouthtoliveinadvanceofitsdaysinallthebeautifulcontinuityofhopewhichknowsnopausesandnointrospection。
　　Oneclosesbehindonethelittlegateofmereboyishness——andentersanenchantedgarden。Itsveryshadesglowwithpromise。Everyturnofthepathhasitsseduction。Anditisn’tbecauseitisanundiscoveredcountry。Oneknowswellenoughthatallmankindhadstreamedthatway。
　　Itisthecharmofuniversalexperiencefromwhichoneexpectsanuncommonorpersonalsensation——
　　abitofone’sown。
　　Onegoesonrecognizingthelandmarksofthepredecessors，excited，amused，takingthehardluckandthegoodlucktogether——thekicksandthehalfpence，asthesayingis——thepicturesquecommonlotthatholdssomanypossibilitiesforthedeservingorperhapsforthelucky。Yes。
　　Onegoeson。Andthetime，too，goeson——tilloneperceivesaheadashadow-linewarningonethattheregionofearlyyouth，too，mustbeleftbe-
　　hind。
　　ThisistheperiodoflifeinwhichsuchmomentsofwhichIhavespokenarelikelytocome。Whatmoments？Why，themomentsofboredom，ofweariness，ofdissatisfaction。Rashmoments。
　　Imeanmomentswhenthestillyoungareinclinedtocommitrashactions，suchasgettingmarriedsuddenlyorelsethrowingupajobfornorea-
　　son。
　　Thisisnotamarriagestory。Itwasn’tsobadasthatwithme。Myaction，rashasitwas，hadmorethecharacterofdivorce——almostofdeser-
　　tion。FornoreasononwhichasensiblepersoncouldputafingerIthrewupmyjob——chuckedmyberth——lefttheshipofwhichtheworstthatcouldbesaidwasthatshewasasteamshipandtherefore，perhaps，notentitledtothatblindloyaltywhich……However，it’snousetry-
　　ingtoputaglossonwhatevenatthetimeImyselfhalfsuspectedtobeacaprice。
　　ItwasinanEasternport。ShewasanEasternship，inasmuchasthenshebelongedtothatport。
　　Shetradedamongdarkislandsonabluereef-
　　scarredsea，withtheRedEnsignoverthetaffrailandathermastheadahouse-flag，alsored，butwithagreenborderandwithawhitecrescentinit。ForanArabownedher，andaSyedatthat。
　　Hencethegreenborderontheflag。HewastheheadofagreatHouseofStraitsArabs，butasloyalasubjectofthecomplexBritishEmpireasyoucouldfindeastoftheSuezCanal。Worldpoliticsdidnottroublehimatall，buthehadagreatoccultpoweramongsthisownpeople。
　　Itwasallonetouswhoownedtheship。Hehadtoemploywhitemenintheshippingpartofhisbusiness，andmanyofthosehesoemployedhadneverseteyesonhimfromthefirsttothelastday。Imyselfsawhimbutonce，quiteaccidentallyonawharf——anold，darklittlemanblindinoneeye，inasnowyrobeandyellowslippers。HewashavinghishandseverelykissedbyacrowdofMalaypilgrimstowhomhehaddonesomefavour，inthewayoffoodandmoney。
　　Hisalms-giving，Ihaveheard，wasmostexten-
　　sive，coveringalmostthewholeArchipelago。Forisn’titsaidthat"ThecharitablemanisthefriendofAllah"？
　　Excellent（andpicturesque）Arabowner，aboutwhomoneneedednottotroubleone’shead，amostexcellentScottishship——forshewasthatfromthekeepup——excellentsea-boat，easytokeepclean，mosthandyineveryway，andifithadnotbeenforherinternalpropulsion，worthyofanyman’slove，Icherishtothisdayaprofoundrespectforhermemory。Astothekindoftradeshewasengagedinandthecharacterofmyship-
　　mates，IcouldnothavebeenhappierifIhadhadthelifeandthemenmadetomyorderbyabenevolentEnchanter。
　　AndsuddenlyIleftallthis。Ileftitinthat，tous，inconsequentialmannerinwhichabirdfliesawayfromacomfortablebranch。ItwasasthoughallunknowingIhadheardawhisperorseensomething。Well——perhaps！OnedayIwasperfectlyrightandthenexteverythingwasgone——glamour，flavour，interest，contentment——every-
　　thing。Itwasoneofthesemoments，youknow。
　　Thegreensicknessoflateyouthdescendedonmeandcarriedmeoff。Carriedmeoffthatship，I
　　mean。
　　Wewereonlyfourwhitemenonboard，withalargecrewofKalashesandtwoMalaypettyofficers。TheCaptainstaredhardasifwonderingwhatailedme。Buthewasasailor，andhe，too，hadbeenyoungatonetime。Presentlyasmilecametolurkunderhisthickiron-graymoustache，andheobservedthat，ofcourse，ifIfeltImustgohecouldn’tkeepmebymainforce。AnditwasarrangedthatIshouldbepaidoffthenextmorn-
　　ing。AsIwasgoingoutofhiscabinheaddedsuddenly，inapeculiarwistfultone，thathehopedIwouldfindwhatIwassoanxioustogoandlookfor。Asoft，crypticutterancewhichseemedtoreachdeeperthananydiamond-hardtoolcouldhavedone。Idobelieveheunderstoodmycase。
　　Butthesecondengineerattackedmedifferently。
　　HewasasturdyyoungScot，withasmoothfaceandlighteyes。Hishonestredcountenanceemergedoutoftheengine-roomcompanionandthenthewholerobustman，withshirtsleevesturnedup，wipingslowlythemassivefore-armswithalumpofcotton-waste。Andhislighteyesexpressedbitterdistaste，asthoughourfriendshiphadturnedtoashes。Hesaidweightily："Oh！Aye！I’vebeenthinkingitwasabouttimeforyoutorunawayhomeandgetmarriedtosomesillygirl。"
　　ItwastacitlyunderstoodintheportthatJohnNievenwasafiercemisogynist;andtheabsurdcharacterofthesallyconvincedmethathemeanttobenasty——verynasty——hadmeanttosaythemostcrushingthinghecouldthinkof。Mylaughsoundeddeprecatory。Nobodybutafriendcouldbesoangryasthat。Ibecamealittlecrestfallen。
　　Ourchiefengineeralsotookacharacteristicviewofmyaction，butinakindlierspirit。
　　Hewasyoung，too，butverythin，andwithamistoffluffybrownbeardallroundhishaggardface。Alldaylong，atseaorinharbour，hecouldbeseenwalkinghastilyupanddowntheafter-
　　deck，wearinganintense，spirituallyraptex-
　　pression，whichwascausedbyaperpetualcon-
　　sciousnessofunpleasantphysicalsensationsinhisinternaleconomy。Forhewasaconfirmeddyspeptic。Hisviewofmycasewasverysimple。
　　Hesaiditwasnothingbutderangedliver。Ofcourse！HesuggestedIshouldstayforanothertripandmeantimedosemyselfwithacertainpatentmedicineinwhichhisownbeliefwasab-
　　solute。"I’lltellyouwhatI’lldo。I’llbuyyoutwobottles，outofmyownpocket。There。I
　　can’tsayfairerthanthat，canI？"
　　Ibelievehewouldhaveperpetratedtheatrocity（orgenerosity）atthemerestsignofweakeningonmypart。Bythattime，however，Iwasmorediscontented，disgusted，anddoggedthanever。
　　Thepasteighteenmonths，sofullofnewandvariedexperience，appearedadreary，prosaicwasteofdays。Ifelt——howshallIexpressit？——thattherewasnotruthtobegotoutofthem。
　　Whattruth？Ishouldhavebeenhardputtoittoexplain。Probably，ifpressed，Iwouldhaveburstintotearssimply。Iwasyoungenoughforthat。
　　NextdaytheCaptainandItransactedourbusi-
　　nessintheHarbourOffice。Itwasalofty，big，cool，whiteroom，wherethescreenedlightofdayglowedserenely。Everybodyinit——theofficials，thepublic——wereinwhite。Onlytheheavypolisheddesksgleameddarklyinacentralavenue，andsomepaperslyingonthemwereblue。Enor-
　　mouspunkahssentfromonhighagentledraughtthroughthatimmaculateinterioranduponourperspiringheads。
　　Theofficialbehindthedeskweapproachedgrinnedamiablyandkeptituptill，inanswertohisperfunctoryquestion，"Signoffandonagain？"
　　myCaptainanswered，"No！Signingoffforgood。"
　　Andthenhisgrinvanishedinsuddensolemnity。
　　Hedidnotlookatmeagaintillhehandedmemypaperswithasorrowfulexpression，asiftheyhadbeenmypassportsforHades。
　　WhileIwasputtingthemawayhemurmuredsomequestiontotheCaptain，andIheardthelatteranswergood-humouredly：
　　"No。Heleavesustogohome。"
　　"Oh！"theotherexclaimed，noddingmournfullyovermysadcondition。
　　Ididn’tknowhimoutsidetheofficialbuilding，butheleanedforwardthedesktoshakehandswithme，compassionately，asonewouldwithsomepoordevilgoingouttobehanged;andIamafraidIperformedmypartungraciously，inthehardenedmannerofanimpenitentcriminal。
　　Nohomeward-boundmail-boatwasdueforthreeorfourdays。Beingnowamanwithoutaship，andhavingforatimebrokenmyconnectionwiththesea——become，infact，amerepotentialpassenger——itwouldhavebeenmoreappropriateperhapsifIhadgonetostayatanhotel。Thereitwas，too，withinastone’sthrowoftheHarbourOffice，low，butsomehowpalatial，displayingitswhite，pillaredpavilionssurroundedbytrimgrassplots。Iwouldhavefeltapassengerindeedinthere！IgaveitahostileglanceanddirectedmystepstowardtheOfficers’Sailors’Home。
　　Iwalkedinthesunshine，disregardingit，andintheshadeofthebigtreesontheesplanadewithoutenjoyingit。TheheatofthetropicalEastde-
　　scendedthroughtheleafyboughs，envelopingmythinly-cladbody，clingingtomyrebelliousdis-
　　content，asiftorobitofitsfreedom。
　　TheOfficers’Homewasalargebungalowwithawideverandahandacuriouslysuburban-lookinglittlegardenofbushesandafewtreesbetweenitandthestreet。Thatinstitutionpartooksome-
　　whatofthecharacterofaresidentialclub，butwithaslightlyGovernmentalflavouraboutit，becauseitwasadministeredbytheHarbourOffice。
　　ItsmanagerwasofficiallystyledChiefSteward。
　　Hewasanunhappy，wizenedlittleman，whoifputintoajockey’srigwouldhavelookedtheparttoperfection。Butitwasobviousthatatsometimeorotherinhislife，insomecapacityorother，hehadbeenconnectedwiththesea。Possiblyinthecomprehensivecapacityofafailure。
　　Ishouldhavethoughthisemploymentaveryeasyone，butheusedtoaffirmforsomereasonorotherthathisjobwouldbethedeathofhimsomeday。Itwasrathermysterious。Perhapseverythingnaturallywastoomuchtroubleforhim。Hecer-
　　tainlyseemedtohatehavingpeopleinthehouse。
　　OnenteringitIthoughthemustbefeelingpleased。Itwasasstillasatomb。Icouldseenooneinthelivingrooms;andtheverandah，too，wasempty，exceptforamanatthefarenddozingproneinalongchair。Atthenoiseofmyfootstepsheopenedonehorriblyfish-likeeye。Hewasastrangertome。Iretreatedfromthere，andcross-
　　ingthediningroom——averybareapartmentwithamotionlesspunkahhangingoverthecentretable——Iknockedatadoorlabelledinblackletters：
　　"ChiefSteward。"
　　Theanswertomyknockbeingavexedanddole-
　　fulplaint："Oh，dear！Oh，dear！Whatisitnow？"Iwentinatonce。
　　Itwasastrangeroomtofindinthetropics。
　　Twilightandstuffinessreignedinthere。Thefellowhadhungenormouslyample，dusty，cheaplacecurtainsoverhiswindows，whichwereshut。
　　Pilesofcardboardboxes，suchasmillinersanddressmakersuseinEurope，cumberedthecorners;
　　andbysomemeanshehadprocuredforhimselfthesortoffurniturethatmighthavecomeoutofarespectableparlourintheEastEndofLondon——ahorsehairsofa，arm-chairsofthesame。I
　　glimpsedgrimyantimacassarsscatteredoverthathorridupholstery，whichwasawe-inspiring，in-
　　somuchthatonecouldnotguesswhatmysteriousaccident，need，orfancyhadcollecteditthere。
　　Itsownerhadtakenoffhistunic，andinwhitetrousersandathin，short-sleevedsingletprowledbehindthechair-backsnursinghismeagreel-
　　bows。
　　AnexclamationofdismayescapedhimwhenheheardthatIhadcomeforastay;buthecouldnotdenythattherewereplentyofvacantrooms。
　　"Verywell。CanyougivemetheoneIhadbefore？"
　　Heemittedafaintmoanfrombehindapileofcardboardboxesonthetable，whichmighthavecontainedglovesorhandkerchiesorneckties。I
　　wonderwhatthefellowdidkeepinthem？Therewasasmellofdecayingcoral，orOrientaldustofzoologicalspecimentsinthatdenofhis。I
　　couldonlyseethetopofhisheadandhisun-
　　happyeyeslevelledatmeoverthebarrier。
　　"It’sonlyforacoupleofdays，"Isaid，intendingtocheerhimup。
　　"Perhapsyouwouldliketopayinadvance？"
　　hesuggestedeagerly。
　　"Certainlynot！"IburstoutdirectlyIcouldspeak。"Neverheardofsuchathing！Thisisthemostinfernalcheek……"
　　Hehadseizedhisheadinbothhands——agestureofdespairwhichcheckedmyindignation。
　　"Oh，dear！Oh，dear！Don’tflyoutlikethis。
　　Iamaskingeverybody。"
　　"Idon’tbelieveit，"Isaidbluntly。
　　"Well，Iamgoingto。AndifyougentlemenallagreedtopayinadvanceIcouldmakeHamil-
　　tonpayup，too。He’salwaysturningupashoredeadbroke，andevenwhenhehassomemoneyhewon’tsettlehisbills。Idon’tknowwhattodowithhim。HeswearsatmeandtellsmeIcan’tchuckawhitemanoutintothestreethere。Soifyouonlywould……"
　　Iwasamazed。Incredulous，too。Isuspectedthefellowofgratuitousimpertinence。ItoldhimwithmarkedemphasisthatIwouldseehimandHamiltonhangedfirst，andrequestedhimtocon-
　　ductmetomyroomwithnomoreofhisnonsense。
　　Heproducedthenakeyfromsomewhereandledthewayoutofhislair，givingmeavicioussidelonglookinpassing。
　　"AnyoneIknowstayinghere？"Iaskedhimbeforeheleftmyroom。
　　Hehadrecoveredhisusualpainedimpatienttone，andsaidthatCaptainGileswasthere，backfromaSoloSeatrip。Twootherguestswerestay-
　　ingalso。Hepaused。And，ofcourse，Hamilton，headded。
　　"Oh，yes！Hamilton，"Isaid，andthemiserablecreaturetookhimselfoffwithafinalgroan。
　　HisimpudencestillrankledwhenIcameintothediningroomattiffintime。HewasthereondutyoverlookingtheChinamenservants。Thetiffinwaslaidononeendonlyofthelongtable，andthepunkahwasstirringthehotairlazily——mostlyaboveabarrenwasteofpolishedwood。
　　Wewerefouraroundthecloth。Thedozingstrangerfromthechairwasone。Bothhiseyeswerepartlyopenednow，buttheydidnotseemtoseeanything。Hewassupine。Thedignifiedpersonnexthim，withshortsidewhiskersandacarefullyscrapedchin，was，ofcourse，Hamilton。
　　IhaveneverseenanyonesofullofdignityforthestationinlifeProvidencehadbeenpleasedtoplacehimin。Ihadbeentoldthatheregardedmeasarankoutsider。Heraisednotonlyhiseyes，buthiseyebrowsaswell，atthesoundImadepullingbackmychair。
　　CaptainGileswasattheheadofthetable。I
　　exchangedafewwordsofgreetingwithhimandsatdownonhisleft。Stoutandpale，withagreatshinydomeofabaldforeheadandprominentbrowneyes，hemighthavebeenanythingbutaseaman。Youwouldnothavebeensurprisedtolearnthathewasanarchitect。Tome（Iknowhowabsurditis）tomehelookedlikeachurch-
　　warden。Hehadtheappearanceofamanfromwhomyouwouldexpectsoundadvice，moralsentiments，withperhapsaplatitudeortwothrowninonoccasion，notfromadesiretodazzle，butfromhonestconviction。
　　Thoughverywellknownandappreciatedintheshippingworld，hehadnoregularemployment。
　　Hedidnotwantit。Hehadhisownpeculiarposition。Hewasanexpert。Anexpertin——howshallIsayit？——inintricatenavigation。Hewassupposedtoknowmoreaboutremoteandim-
　　perfectlychartedpartsoftheArchipelagothananymanliving。Hisbrainmusthavebeenaperfectwarehouseofreefs，positions，bearings，imagesofheadlands，shapesofobscurecoasts，aspectsofinnumerableislands，desertandotherwise。Anyship，forinstance，boundonatriptoPalawanorsomewherethatwaywouldhaveCaptainGilesonboard，eitherintemporarycommandor"toassistthemaster。"ItwassaidthathehadaretainingfeefromawealthyfirmofChinesesteamshipowners，inviewofsuchservices。Besides，hewasalwaysreadytorelieveanymanwhowishedtotakeaspellashoreforatime。Noownerwaseverknowntoobjecttoanarrangementofthatsort。
　　ForitseemedtobetheestablishedopinionattheportthatCaptainGileswasasgoodasthebest，ifnotalittlebetter。ButinHamilton’sviewhewasan"outsider。"IbelievethatforHamiltonthegeneralisation"outsider"coveredthewholelotofus;thoughIsupposethathemadesomedis-
　　tinctionsinhismind。
　　Ididn’ttrytomakeconversationwithCaptainGiles，whomIhadnotseenmorethantwiceinmylife。But，ofcourse，heknewwhoIwas。
　　Afterawhile，inclininghisbigshinyheadmyway，headdressedmefirstinhisfriendlyfashion。Hepresumedfromseeingmethere，hesaid，thatIhadcomeashoreforacoupleofdays’leave。
　　Hewasalow-voicedman。Ispokealittlelouder，sayingthat：No——Ihadlefttheshipforgood。
　　"Afreemanforabit，"washiscomment。
　　"IsupposeImaycallmyselfthat——sinceeleveno’clock，"Isaid。
　　Hamiltonhadstoppedeatingatthesoundofourvoices。Helaiddownhisknifeandforkgently，gotup，andmutteringsomethingabout"thisinfernalheatcuttingone’sappetite，"wentoutoftheroom。Almostimmediatelyweheardhimleavethehousedowntheverandahsteps。
　　OnthisCaptainGilesremarkedeasilythatthefellowhadnodoubtgoneofftolookaftermyoldjob。TheChiefSteward，whohadbeenleaningagainstthewall，broughthisfaceofanunhappygoatnearertothetableandaddressedusdole-
　　fully。HisobjectwastounburdenhimselfofhiseternalgrievanceagainstHamilton。ThemankepthiminhotwaterwiththeHarbourOfficeastothestateofhisaccounts。Hewishedtogood-
　　nesshewouldgetmyjob，thoughintruthwhatwoulditbe？Temporaryreliefatbest。
　　Isaid："Youneedn’tworry。Hewon’tgetmyjob。Mysuccessorisonboardalready。"
　　Hewassurprised，andIbelievehisfacefellalittleatthenews。CaptainGilesgaveasoftlaugh。Wegotupandwentoutontheverandah，leavingthesupinestrangertobedealtwithbytheChinamen。ThelastthingIsawtheyhadputaplatewithasliceofpine-appleonitbeforehimandstoodbacktowatchwhatwouldhappen。
　　Buttheexperimentseemedafailure。Hesatin-
　　sensible。
　　ItwasimpartedtomeinalowvoicebyCaptainGilesthatthiswasanofficerofsomeRajah’syachtwhichhadcomeintoourporttobedry-docked。
　　Musthavebeen"seeinglife"lastnight，headded，wrinklinghisnoseinanintimate，confidentialwaywhichpleasedmevastly。ForCaptainGileshadprestige。Hewascreditedwithwonderfulad-
　　venturesandwithsomemysterioustragedyinhislife。Andnomanhadawordtosayagainsthim。
　　Hecontinued：
　　"Irememberhimfirstcomingashoreheresomeyearsago。Seemsonlytheotherday。Hewasaniceboy。Oh！theseniceboys！"
　　Icouldnothelplaughingaloud。Helookedstartled，thenjoinedinthelaugh。"No！No！
　　Ididn’tmeanthat，"hecried。"WhatImeantisthatsomeofthemdogosoftmightyquickouthere。"
　　JocularlyIsuggestedthebeastlyheatasthefirstcause。ButCaptainGilesdisclosedhimselfpossessedofadeeperphilosophy。ThingsoutEastweremadeeasyforwhitemen。Thatwasallright。Thedifficultywastogoonkeepingwhite，andsomeoftheseniceboysdidnotknowhow。Hegavemeasearchinglook，andinabenevolent，heavy-unclemanneraskedpointblank：
　　"Whydidyouthrowupyourberth？"
　　Ibecameangryallofasudden;foryoucanunderstandhowexasperatingsuchaquestionwastoamanwhodidn’tknow。IsaidtomyselfthatIoughttoshutupthatmoralist;andtohimaloudIsaidwithchallengingpoliteness：
　　"Why……？Doyoudisapprove？"
　　Hewastoodisconcertedtodomorethanmutterconfusedly："I！……Inageneralway……"andthengavemeup。Butheretiredingoodorder，underthecoverofaheavilyhumorousremarkthathe，too，wasgettingsoft，andthatthiswashistimefortakinghislittlesiesta——whenhewasonshore。"Verybadhabit。Verybadhabit。"
　　Therewasasimplicityinthemanwhichwouldhavedisarmedatouchinessevenmoreyouthfulthanmine。SowhennextdayattiffinhebenthisheadtowardmeandsaidthathehadmetmylateCaptainlastevening，addinginanundertone：
　　"He’sverysorryyouleft。Hehadneverhadamatethatsuitedhimsowell，"Iansweredhimearnestly，withoutanyaffectation，thatIcertainlyhadn’tbeensocomfortableinanyshiporwithanycommanderinallmysea-goingdays。
　　"Well——then，"hemurmured。
　　"Haven’tyouheard，CaptainGiles，thatIin-
　　tendtogohome？"
　　"Yes，"hesaidbenevolently。"Ihaveheardthatsortofthingsooftenbefore。"
　　"Whatofthat？"Icried。Ithoughthewasthemostdull，unimaginativemanIhadevermet。I
　　don’tknowwhatmoreIwouldhavesaid，butthemuch-belatedHamiltoncameinjustthenandtookhisusualseat。SoIdroppedintoamum-
　　ble。
　　"Anyhow，youshallseeitdonethistime。"
　　Hamilton，beautifullyshaved，gaveCaptainGilesacurtnod，butdidn’tevencondescendtoraisehiseyebrowsatme;andwhenhespokeitwasonlytotelltheChiefStewardthatthefoodonhisplatewasn’tfittobesetbeforeagentleman。Theindividualaddressedseemedmuchtoounhappytogroan。Hecasthiseyesuptothepunkahandthatwasall。
　　CaptainGilesandIgotupfromthetable，andthestrangernexttoHamiltonfollowedourex-
　　ample，manoeuvringhimselftohisfeetwithdifficulty。He，poorfellow，notbecausehewashungrybutIverilybelieveonlytorecoverhisself-respect，hadtriedtoputsomeofthatun-
　　worthyfoodintohismouth。Butafterdroppinghisforktwiceandgenerallymakingafailureofit，hehadsatstillwithanairofintensemortifica-
　　tioncombinedwithaghastlyglazedstare。BothGilesandIhadavoidedlookinghiswayattable。
　　OntheverandahhestoppedshortonpurposetoaddresstousanxiouslyalongremarkwhichI
　　failedtounderstandcompletely。Itsoundedlikesomehorribleunknownlanguage。ButwhenCaptainGiles，afteronlyaninstantforreflection，assuredhimwithhomelyfriendliness，"Aye，tobesure。Youarerightthere，"heappearedverymuchgratifiedindeed，andwentaway（prettystraight，too）toseekadistantlongchair。
　　"Whatwashetryingtosay？"Iaskedwithdisgust。
　　"Idon’tknow。Mustn’tbedowntoomuchonafellow。He’sfeelingprettywretched，youmaybesure;andto-morrowhe’llfeelworseyet。"
　　Judgingbytheman’sappearanceitseemedim-
　　possible。Iwonderedwhatsortofcomplicatedde-
　　bauchhadreducedhimtothatunspeakablecon-
　　dition。CaptainGiles’benevolencewasspoiledbyacuriousairofcomplacencywhichIdisliked。I
　　saidwithalittlelaugh：
　　"Well，hewillhaveyoutolookafterhim。"
　　Hemadeadeprecatorygesture，satdown，andtookupapaper。Ididthesame。Thepaperswereoldanduninteresting，filledupmostlywithdrearystereotypeddescriptionsofQueenVictoria’sfirstjubileecelebrations。ProbablyweshouldhavequicklyfallenintoatropicalafternoondozeifithadnotbeenforHamilton’svoiceraisedinthediningroom。Hewasfinishinghistiffinthere。
　　Thebigdoubledoorsstoodwideopenpermanently，andhecouldnothavehadanyideahowneartothedoorwayourchairswereplaced。Hewasheardinaloud，supercilioustoneansweringsomestate-
　　mentventuredbytheChiefSteward。
　　"Iamnotgoingtoberushedintoanything。
　　TheywillbegladenoughtogetagentlemanI
　　imagine。Thereisnohurry。"
　　AloudwhisperingfromtheStewardsucceededandthenagainHamiltonwasheardwithevenintenserscorn。
　　"What？ThatyoungasswhofancieshimselfforhavingbeenchiefmatewithKentsolong？……Preposterous。"
　　GilesandIlookedateachother。Kentbeingthecameofmylatecommander，CaptainGiles’
　　whisper，"He’stalkingofyou，"seemedtomesheerwasteofbreath。TheChiefStewardmusthavestucktohispoint，whateveritwas，becauseHamil-
　　tonwasheardagainmoresuperciliousifpossible，andalsoveryemphatic：
　　"Rubbish，mygoodman！Onedoesn’tCOMPETEwitharankoutsiderlikethat。There’splentyoftime。"
　　Thentherewerepushingofchairs，footstepsinthenextroom，andplaintiveexpostulationsfromtheSteward，whowaspursuingHamilton，evenoutofdoorsthroughthemainentrance。
　　"That’saveryinsultingsortofman，"remarkedCaptainGiles——superfluously，Ithought。"Veryinsulting。Youhaven’toffendedhiminsomeway，haveyou？"
　　"Neverspoketohiminmylife，"Isaidgrumpily。
　　"Can’timaginewhathemeansbycompeting。HehasbeentryingformyjobafterIleft——anddidn’tgetit。Butthatisn’texactlycompetition。"
　　CaptainGilesbalancedhisbigbenevolentheadthoughtfully。"Hedidn’tgetit，"herepeatedveryslowly。"No，notlikelyeither，withKent。
　　Kentisnoendsorryyoulefthim。Hegivesyouthenameofagoodseaman，too。"
　　IflungawaythepaperIwasstillholding。Isatup，Islappedthetablewithmyopenpalm。I
　　wantedtoknowwhyhewouldkeepharpingonthat，myabsolutelyprivateaffair。Itwasexas-
　　perating，really。
　　CaptainGilessilencedmebytheperfectequanimityofhisgaze。"Nothingtobeannoyedabout，"hemurmuredreasonably，withanevidentdesiretosoothethechildishirritationhehadaroused。Andhewasreallyamanofanappear-
　　ancesoinoffensivethatItriedtoexplainmyselfasmuchasIcould。ItoldhimthatIdidnotwanttohearanymoreaboutwhatwaspastandgone。
　　Ithadbeenverynicewhileitlasted，butnowitwasdonewithIpreferrednottotalkaboutitoreventhinkaboutit。Ihadmadeupmymindtogohome。
　　Helistenedtothewholetiradeinaparticularlending-the-earattitude，asiftryingtodetectafalsenoteinitsomewhere;thenstraightenedhim-
　　selfupandappearedtopondersagaciouslyoverthematter。
　　"Yes。Youtoldmeyoumeanttogohome。
　　Anythinginviewthere？"
　　InsteadoftellinghimthatitwasnoneofhisbusinessIsaidsullenly：
　　"NothingthatIknowof。"
　　IhadindeedconsideredthatratherblanksideofthesituationIhadcreatedformyselfbyleavingsuddenlymyverysatisfactoryemployment。AndIwasnotverypleasedwithit。Ihaditonthetipofmytonguetosaythatcommonsensehadnoth-
　　ingtodowithmyaction，andthatthereforeitdidn’tdeservetheinterestCaptainGilesseemedtobetakinginit。Buthewaspuffingatashortwoodenpipenow，andlookedsoguileless，dense，andcommonplace，thatitseemedhardlyworthwhiletopuzzlehimeitherwithtruthorsarcasm。
　　Heblewacloudofsmoke，thensurprisedmebyaveryabrupt："Paidyourpassagemoneyyet？"
　　Overcomebytheshamelesspertinacityofamantowhomitwasratherdifficulttoberude，IrepliedwithexaggeratedmeeknessthatIhadnotdonesoyet。Ithoughttherewouldbeplentyoftimetodothatto-morrow。
　　AndIwasabouttoturnaway，withdrawingmyprivacyfromhisfatuous，objectlessattemptstotestwhatsortofstuffitwasmadeof，whenhelaiddownhispipeinanextremelysignificantmanner，youknow，asifacriticalmomenthadcome，andleanedsidewaysoverthetablebe-
　　tweenus。
　　"Oh！Youhaven’tyet！"Hedroppedhisvoicemysteriously。"Well，thenIthinkyououghttoknowthatthere’ssomethinggoingonhere。"
　　Ihadneverinmylifefeltmoredetachedfromallearthlygoingson。Freedfromtheseaforatime，Ipreservedthesailor’sconsciousnessofcompleteindependencefromalllandaffairs。
　　Howcouldtheyconcernme？IgazedatCaptainGiles’animationwithscornratherthanwithcuriosity。
　　TohisobviouslypreparatoryquestionwhetherourStewardhadspokentomethatdayIsaidhehadn’t。Andwhat’smorehewouldhavehadpreciouslittleencouragementifhehadtriedto。
　　Ididn’twantthefellowtospeaktomeatall。
　　Unrebukedbymypetulance，CaptainGiles，withanairofimmensesagacity，begantotellmeaminutetaleaboutaHarbourOfficepeon。Itwasabsolutelypointless。Apeonwasseenwalk-
　　ingthatmorningontheverandahwithaletterinhishand。Itwasinanofficialenvelope。Asthehabitofthesefellowsis，hehadshownittothefirstwhitemanhecameacross。Thatmanwasourfriendinthearm-chair。He，asIknew，wasnotinastatetointeresthimselfinanysub-
　　lunarymatters。Hecouldonlywavethepeonaway。ThepeonthenwanderedonalongtheverandahandcameuponCaptainGiles，whowastherebyanextraordinarychance……
　　Atthispointhestoppedwithaprofoundlook。
　　Theletter，hecontinued，wasaddressedtotheChiefSteward。NowwhatcouldCaptainEllis，theMasterAttendant，wanttowritetotheStewardfor？Thefellowwenteverymorning，anyhow，totheHarbourOfficewithhisreport，forordersorwhatnot。Hehadn’tbeenbackmorethananhourbeforetherewasanofficepeonchasinghimwithanote。Nowwhatwasthatfor？
　　Andhebegantospeculate。Itwasnotforthis——anditcouldnotbeforthat。Astothatotherthingitwasunthinkable。
　　Thefatuousnessofallthismademestare。IfthemanhadnotbeensomehowasympatheticpersonalityIwouldhaveresenteditlikeanin-
　　sult。Asitwas，Ifeltonlysorryforhim。Some-
　　thingremarkablyearnestinhisgazepreventedmefromlaughinginhisface。NeitherdidI
　　yawnathim。Ijuststared。
　　Histonebecameashademoremysterious。
　　Directlythefellow（meaningtheSteward）gotthatnoteherushedforhishatandboltedoutofthehouse。Butitwasn’tbecausethenotecalledhimtotheHarbourOffice。Hedidn’tgothere。
　　Hewasnotabsentlongenoughforthat。Hecamedartingbackinnotime，flunghishataway，andracedaboutthediningroommoaningandslappinghisforehead。Alltheseexcitingfactsandmani-
　　festationshadbeenobservedbyCaptainGiles。
　　Hehad，itseems，beenmeditatinguponthemeversince。
　　Ibegantopityhimprofoundly。AndinatonewhichItriedtomakeaslittlesarcasticaspossibleIsaidthatIwasgladhehadfoundsomethingtooccupyhismorninghours。
　　Withhisdisarmingsimplicityhemademeob-
　　serve，asifitwereamatterofsomeconsequence，howstrangeitwasthatheshouldhavespentthemorningindoorsatall。Hegenerallywasoutbeforetiffin，visitingvariousoffices，seeinghisfriendsintheharbour，andsoon。Hehadfeltoutofsortssomewhatonrising。Nothingmuch。
　　Justenoughtomakehimfeellazy。
　　Allthiswithasustained，holdingstarewhich，inconjunctionwiththegeneralinanityofthediscourse，conveyedtheimpressionofmild，drearylunacy。Andwhenhehitchedhischairalittleanddroppedhisvoicetothelownoteofmystery，itflasheduponmethathighprofessionalreputa-
　　tionwasnotnecessarilyaguaranteeofsoundmind。
　　ItneveroccurredtomethenthatIdidn’tknowinwhatsoundnessofmindexactlycon-
　　sistedandwhatadelicateand，uponthewhole，unimportantmatteritwas。WithsomeideaofnothurtinghisfeelingsIblinkedathiminaninterestedmanner。ButwhenheproceededtoaskmemysteriouslywhetherIrememberedwhathadpassedjustnowbetweenthatStewardofoursand"thatmanHamilton，"Ionlygruntedsourlyassentandturnedawaymyhead。
　　"Aye。Butdoyouremembereveryword？"heinsistedtactfully。
　　"Idon’tknow。It’snoneofmybusiness，"I
　　snappedout，consigning，moreover，theStewardandHamiltonaloudtoeternalperdition。
　　Imeanttobeveryenergeticandfinal，butCaptainGilescontinuedtogazeatmethought-
　　fully。Nothingcouldstophim。Hewentontopointoutthatmypersonalitywasinvolvedinthatconversation。WhenItriedtopreservethesemblanceofunconcernhebecamepositivelycruel。Iheardwhatthemanhadsaid？Yes？
　　WhatdidIthinkofitthen？——hewantedtoknow。
　　CaptainGiles’appearanceexcludingthesus-
　　picionofmereslymalice，Icametotheconclusionthathewassimplythemosttactlessidiotonearth。
　　Ialmostdespisedmyselffortheweaknessofattemptingtoenlightenhiscommonunderstand-
　　ing。IstartedtoexplainthatIdidnotthinkanythingwhatever。Hamiltonwasnotworthathought。Whatsuchanoffensiveloafer……
　　"Aye！thatheis，"interjectedCaptainGiles……thoughtorsaidwasbelowanydecentman’scontempt，andIdidnotproposetotaketheslightestnoticeofit。
　　Thisattitudeseemedtomesosimpleandob-
　　viousthatIwasreallyastonishedatGilesgivingnosignofassent。Suchperfectstupiditywasalmostinteresting。
　　"Whatwouldyoulikemetodo？"Iasked，laughing。"Ican’tstartarowwithhimbecauseoftheopinionhehasformedofme。Ofcourse，I’veheardofthecontemptuouswayhealludestome。Buthedoesn’tintrudehiscontemptonmynotice。Hehasneverexpresseditinmyhearing。Forevenjustnowhedidn’tknowwecouldhearhim。Ishouldonlymakemyselfridiculous。"
　　ThathopelessGileswentonpuffingathispipemoodily。Allatoncehisfacecleared，andhespoke。
　　"Youmissedmypoint。"
　　"HaveI？Iamverygladtohearit，"Isaid。
　　WithincreasinganimationhestatedagainthatIhadmissedhispoint。Entirely。Andinatoneofgrowingself-consciouscomplacencyhetoldmethatfewthingsescapedhisattention，andhewasratherusedtothinkthemout，andgenerallyfromhisexperienceoflifeandmenar-
　　rivedattherightconclusion。
　　Thisbitofself-praise，ofcourse，fittedexcel-
　　lentlythelaboriousinanityofthewholeconversa-
　　tion。Thewholethingstrengthenedinmethatobscurefeelingoflifebeingbutawasteofdays，which，half-unconsciously，haddrivenmeoutofacomfortableberth，awayfrommenIliked，tofleefromthemenaceofemptiness……andtofindinanityatthefirstturn。Herewasamanofrecognizedcharacterandachievementdisclosedasanabsurdanddrearychatterer。Anditwasprobablylikethiseverywhere——fromeasttowest，fromthebottomtothetopofthesocialscale。
　　Agreatdiscouragementfellonme。Aspiritualdrowsiness。Giles’voicewasgoingoncompla-
　　cently;theveryvoiceoftheuniversalhollowconceit。AndIwasnolongerangrywithit。
　　Therewasnothingoriginal，nothingnew，star-
　　tling，informing，toexpectfromtheworld;noop-
　　portunitiestofindoutsomethingaboutoneself，nowisdomtoacquire，nofuntoenjoy。Every-
　　thingwasstupidandoverrated，evenasCaptainGileswas。Sobeit。
　　ThenameofHamiltonsuddenlycaughtmyearandrousedmeup。
　　"Ithoughtwehaddonewithhim，"Isaid，withthegreatestpossibledistaste。
　　"Yes。ButconsideringwhatwehappenedtohearjustnowIthinkyououghttodoit。"
　　"Oughttodoit？"Isatupbewildered。"Dowhat？"
　　CaptainGilesconfrontedmeverymuchsur-
　　prised。
　　"Why！DowhatIhavebeenadvisingyoutotry。YougoandasktheStewardwhatwasthereinthatletterfromtheHarbourOffice。Askhimstraightout。"
　　Iremainedspeechlessforatime。Herewassomethingunexpectedandoriginalenoughtobealtogetherincomprehensible。Imurmured，as-
　　tounded：
　　"ButIthoughtitwasHamiltonthatyou……"
　　"Exactly。Don’tyoulethim。YoudowhatI
　　tellyou。YoutacklethatSteward。You’llmakehimjump，Ibet，"insistedCaptainGiles，wavinghissmoulderingpipeimpressivelyatme。Thenhetookthreerapidpuffsatit。
　　Hisaspectoftriumphantacutenesswasinde-
　　scribable。Yetthemanremainedastrangelysympatheticcreature。Benevolenceradiatedfromhimridiculously，mildly，impressively。Itwasirritating，too。ButIpointedoutcoldly，asonewhodealswiththeincomprehensible，thatI
　　didn’tseeanyreasontoexposemyselftoasnubfromthefellow。Hewasaveryunsatisfactorystewardandamiserablewretchbesides，butI
　　wouldjustassoonthinkoftweakinghisnose。
　　"Tweakinghisnose，"saidCaptainGilesinascandalizedtone。"Muchuseitwouldbetoyou。"
　　Thatremarkwassoirrelevantthatonecouldmakenoanswertoit。Butthesenseoftheab-
　　surditywasbeginningatlasttoexerciseitswell-
　　knownfascination。IfeltImustnotletthemantalktomeanymore。Igotup，observingcurtlythathewastoomuchforme——thatI
　　couldn’tmakehimout。
　　BeforeIhadtimetomoveawayhespokeagaininachangedtoneofobstinacyandpuffingnervouslyathispipe。
　　"Well——he’sa——noaccountcuss——anyhow。
　　Youjust——askhim。That’sall。"
　　Thatnewmannerimpressedme——orrathermademepause。ButsanityassertingitsswayatonceIlefttheverandahaftergivinghimamirthlesssmile。InafewstridesIfoundmyselfinthediningroom，nowclearedandempty。Butduringthatshorttimevariousthoughtsoccurredtome，suchas：thatGileshadbeenmakingfunofme，expectingsomeamusementatmyexpense;
　　thatIprobablylookedsillyandgullible;thatI
　　knewverylittleoflife……
　　Thedoorfacingmeacrossthediningroomflewopentomyextremesurprise。Itwasthedoorinscribedwiththeword"Steward"andthemanhimselfranoutofhisstuffy，Philistinishlairinhisabsurd，hunted-animalmanner，makingforthegardendoor。
　　TothisdayIdon’tknowwhatmademecallafterhim。"Isay！Waitaminute。"Perhapsitwasthesidelongglancehegaveme;orpossiblyIwasyetundertheinfluenceofCaptainGiles’
　　mysteriousearnestness。Well，itwasanimpulseofsomesort;aneffectofthatforcesomewherewithinourliveswhichshapesthemthiswayorthat。Forifthesewordshadnotescapedfrommylips（mywillhadnothingtodowiththat）myexistencewould，tobesure，havebeenstillasea-
　　man’sexistence，butdirectedonnowtomeutterlyinconceivablelines。
　　No。Mywillhadnothingtodowithit。In-
　　deed，nosoonerhadImadethatfatefulnoisethanIbecameextremelysorryforit。HadthemanstoppedandfacedmeIwouldhavehadtoretireindisorder。ForIhadnonotiontocarryoutCaptainGiles’idioticjoke，eitheratmyownexpenseorattheexpenseoftheSteward。
　　Butheretheoldhumaninstinctofthechasecameintoplay。Hepretendedtobedeaf，andI，withoutthinkingasecondaboutit，dashedalongmyownsideofthediningtableandcuthimoffattheverydoor。
　　"Whycan’tyouanswerwhenyouarespokento？"Iaskedroughly。
　　Heleanedagainstthelintelofthedoor。Helookedextremelywretched。Humannatureis，I
　　fear，notverynicerightthrough。Thereareuglyspotsinit。Ifoundmyselfgrowingangry，andthat，Ibelieve，onlybecausemyquarrylookedsowoe-begone。Miserablebeggar！
　　Iwentforhimwithoutmoreado。"Iunder-
　　standtherewasanofficialcommunicationtotheHomefromtheHarbourOfficethismorning。Isthatso？"
　　Insteadoftellingmetomindmyownbusiness，ashemighthavedone，hebegantowhinewithanundertoneofimpudence。Hecouldn’tseemeanywherethismorning。Hecouldn’tbeexpectedtorunalloverthetownafterme。
　　"Whowantsyouto？"Icried。Andthenmyeyesbecameopenedtotheinwardnessofthingsandspeechesthetrivialityofwhichhadbeensobafflingandtiresome。
　　ItoldhimIwantedtoknowwhatwasinthatletter。Mysternnessoftoneandbehaviourwasonlyhalfassumed。Curiositycanbeaveryfiercesentiment——attimes。
　　Hetookrefugeinasilly，mutteringsulkiness。
　　Itwasnothingtome，hemumbled。IhadtoldhimIwasgoinghome。AndsinceIwasgoinghomehedidn’tseewhyheshould……
　　Thatwasthelineofhisargument，anditwasirrelevantenoughtobealmostinsulting。Insult-
　　ingtoone’sintelligence，Imean。
　　Inthattwilightregionbetweenyouthandmaturity，inwhichIhadmybeingthen，oneispeculiarlysensitivetothatkindofinsult。IamafraidmybehaviourtotheStewardbecameveryroughindeed。Butitwasn’tinhimtofaceoutanythingoranybody。Drughabitorsolitarytippling，perhaps。AndwhenIforgotmyselfsofarastoswearathimhebrokedownandbegantoshriek。
　　Idon’tmeantosaythathemadeagreatout-
　　cry。Itwasacynicalshriekingconfession，onlyfaint——piteouslyfaint。Itwasn’tverycoherenteither，butsufficientlysotostrikemedumbatfirst。
　　Iturnedmyeyesfromhiminrighteousindig-
　　nation，andperceivedCaptainGilesintheve-
　　randahdoorwaysurveyingquietlythescene，hisownhandiwork，ifImayexpressitinthatway。
　　Hissmoulderingblackpipewasverynoticeableinhisbig，paternalfist。So，too，wastheglitterofhisheavygoldwatch-chainacrossthebreastofhiswhitetunic。Heexhaledanatmosphereofvirtu-
　　oussagacitysereneenoughforanyinnocentsoultoflytoconfidently。Iflewtohim。
　　"Youwouldneverbelieveit，"Icried。"Itwasanotificationthatamasteriswantedforsomeship。There’sacommandapparentlygoingaboutandthisfellowputsthethinginhispocket。"
　　TheStewardscreamedoutinaccentsoflouddespair："Youwillbethedeathofme！"
　　Themightyslaphegavehiswretchedforeheadwasveryloud，too。ButwhenIturnedtolookathimhewasnolongerthere。Hehadrushedawaysomewhereoutofsight。Thissuddendisappear-
　　ancemademelaugh。
　　Thiswastheendoftheincident——forme。
　　CaptainGiles，however，staringattheplacewheretheStewardhadbeen，begantohaulathisgor-
　　geousgoldchaintillatlastthewatchcameupfromthedeeppocketlikesolidtruthfromawell。
　　Solemnlyhelowereditdownagainandonlythensaid：
　　"Justthreeo’clock。Youwillbeintime——ifyoudon’tloseany，thatis。"
　　"Intimeforwhat？"Iasked。
　　"GoodLord！FortheHarbourOffice。Thismustbelookedinto。
　　Strictlyspeaking，hewasright。ButI’veneverhadmuchtasteforinvestigation，forshowingpeopleupandallthatnodoubtethicallymeri-
　　toriouskindofwork。Andmyviewoftheepisodewaspurelyethical。IfanyonehadtobethedeathoftheStewardIdidn’tseewhyitshouldn’tbeCaptainGileshimself，amanofageandstanding，andapermanentresident。Whereas，Iincom-
　　parison，feltmyselfamerebirdofpassageinthatport。Infact，itmighthavebeensaidthatIhadalreadybrokenoffmyconnection。ImutteredthatIdidn’tthink——itwasnothingtome……
　　"Nothing！"repeatedCaptainGiles，givingsomesignsofquiet，deliberateindignation。"Kentwarnedmeyouwereapeculiaryoungfellow。Youwilltellmenextthatacommandisnothingtoyou——andafterallthetroubleI’vetaken，too！"
　　"Thetrouble！"Imurmured，uncomprehending。
　　Whattrouble？AllIcouldrememberwasbeingmystifiedandboredbyhisconversationforasolidhouraftertiffin。Andhecalledthattakingalotoftrouble。
　　Hewaslookingatmewithaself-complacencywhichwouldhavebeenodiousinanyotherman。
　　Allatonce，asifapageofabookhadbeenturnedoverdisclosingawordwhichmadeplainallthathadgonebefore，Iperceivedthatthismatterhadalsoanotherthananethicalaspect。
　　AndstillIdidnotmove。CaptainGileslosthispatiencealittle。Withanangrypuffathispipeheturnedhisbackonmyhesitation。
　　Butitwasnothesitationonmypart。Ihadbeen，ifImayexpressmyselfso，putoutofgearmentally。ButassoonasIhadconvincedmy-
　　selfthatthisstale，unprofitableworldofmydis-
　　contentcontainedsuchathingasacommandtobeseized，Irecoveredmypowersoflocomo-
　　tion。
　　It’sagoodstepfromtheOfficers’HometotheHarbourOffice;butwiththemagicword"Com-
　　mand"inmyheadIfoundmyselfsuddenlyonthequayasiftransportedthereinthetwinklingofaneye，beforeaportalofdressedwhitestoneaboveaflightofshallowwhitesteps。
　　Allthisseemedtoglidetowardmeswiftly。Thewholegreatroadsteadtotherightwasjustamereflickerofblue，andthedimcoolhallswallowedmeupoutoftheheatandglareofwhichIhadnotbeenawaretilltheverymomentIpassedinfromit。
　　Thebroadinnerstaircaseinsinuateditselfundermyfeetsomehow。Commandisastrongmagic。
　　ThefirsthumanbeingsIperceiveddistinctlysinceIhadpartedwiththeindignantbackofCaptainGileswerethecrewoftheharboursteam-launchloungingonthespaciouslandingaboutthecur-
　　tainedarchwayoftheshippingoffice。
　　Itwastherethatmybuoyancyabandonedme。
　　Theatmosphereofofficialdomwouldkillanythingthatbreathestheairofhumanendeavour，wouldextinguishhopeandfearalikeinthesupremacyofpaperandink。IpassedheavilyunderthecurtainwhichtheMalaycoxswainoftheharbourlaunchraisedforme。Therewasnobodyintheofficeexcepttheclerks，writingintwoindustriousrows。
　　ButtheheadShipping-Masterhoppeddownfromhiselevationandhurriedalongonthethickmatstomeetmeinthebroadcentralpassage。
　　HehadaScottishname，buthiscomplexionwasofaricholivehue，hisshortbeardwasjetblack，andhiseyes，alsoblack，hadalanguishingex-
　　pression。Heaskedconfidentially：
　　"YouwanttoseeHim？"
　　Alllightnessofspiritandbodyhavingdepartedfrommeatthetouchofofficialdom，Ilookedatthescribewithoutanimationandaskedinmyturnwearily：
　　"Whatdoyouthink？Isitanyuse？"
　　"Mygoodness！Hehasaskedforyoutwiceto-
　　day。"
　　ThisemphaticHewasthesupremeauthority，theMarineSuperintendent，theHarbour-Master——averygreatpersonintheeyesofeverysinglequill-driverintheroom。Butthatwasnothingtotheopinionhehadofhisowngreatness。
　　CaptainEllislookeduponhimselfasasortofdivine（pagan）emanation，thedeputy-Neptuneforthecircumambientseas。Ifhedidnotactuallyrulethewaves，hepretendedtorulethefateofthemortalswhoseliveswerecastuponthewaters。
　　Thisupliftingillusionmadehiminquisitorialandperemptory。Andashistemperamentwascholerictherewerefellowswhowereactuallyafraidofhim。Hewasredoubtable，notinvirtueofhisoffice，butbecauseofhisunwarrantableassump-
　　tions。Ihadneverhadanythingtodowithhimbefore。
　　Isaid："Oh！Hehasaskedformetwice。ThenperhapsIhadbettergoin。"
　　"Youmust！Youmust！"
　　TheShipping-Masterledthewaywithamincinggaitaroundthewholesystemofdeskstoatallandimportant-lookingdoor，whichheopenedwithadeferentialactionofthearm。
　　Hesteppedrightin（butwithoutlettinggoofthehandle）and，aftergazingreverentlydowntheroomforawhile，beckonedmeinbyasilentjerkofthehead。Thenheslippedoutatonceandshutthedooraftermemostdelicately。
　　Threeloftywindowsgaveontheharbour。
　　Therewasnothinginthembutthedark-bluesparklingseaandthepalerluminousblueofthesky。Myeyecaughtinthedepthsanddistancesofthesebluetonesthewhitespeckofsomebigshipjustarrivedandabouttoanchorintheouterroad-
　　stead。Ashipfromhome——afterperhapsninetydaysatsea。Thereissomethingtouchingaboutashipcominginfromseaandfoldingherwhitewingsforarest。
　　ThenextthingIsawwasthetop-knotofsilverhairsurmountingCaptainEllis’smoothredface，whichwouldhavebeenapoplecticifithadn’thadsuchafreshappearance。
　　Ourdeputy-Neptunehadnobeardonhischin，andtherewasnotridenttobeseenstandinginacorneranywhere，likeanumbrella。Buthishandwasholdingapen——theofficialpen，farmightierthantheswordinmakingormarringthefortuneofsimpletoilingmen。Hewaslookingoverhisshoulderatmyadvance。
　　WhenIhadcomewellwithinrangehesalutedmebyanerve-shattering："Wherehaveyoubeenallthistime？"
　　AsitwasnoconcernofhisIdidnottaketheslightestnoticeoftheshot。IsaidsimplythatI
　　hadheardtherewasamasterneededforsomevessel，andbeingasailing-shipmanIthoughtI
　　wouldapply……
　　Heinterruptedme。"Why！Hangit！YOUaretherightmanforthatjob——iftherehadbeentwentyothersafterit。Butnofearofthat。Theyareallafraidtocatchhold。That’swhat’sthematter。"
　　Hewasveryirritated。Isaidinnocently："Arethey，sir。Iwonderwhy？"
　　"Why！"hefumed。"Afraidofthesails。
　　Afraidofawhitecrew。Toomuchtrouble。Toomuchwork。Toolongouthere。Easylifeanddeck-chairsmoretheirmark。HereIsitwiththeConsul-General’scablebeforeme，andtheonlymanfitforthejobnottobefoundanywhere。I
　　begantothinkyouwerefunkingit，too……"
　　"Ihaven’tbeenlonggettingtotheoffice，"I
　　remarkedcalmly。
　　"Youhaveagoodnameouthere，though，"hegrowledsavagelywithoutlookingatme。
　　"Iamverygladtohearitfromyou，sir，"Isaid。
　　"Yes。Butyouarenotonthespotwhenyouarewanted。Youknowyouweren’t。Thatstew-
　　ardofyourswouldn’tdaretoneglectamessagefromthisoffice。Wherethedevildidyouhideyourselfforthebestpartoftheday？"
　　Ionlysmiledkindlydownonhim，andheseemedtorecollecthimself，andaskedmetotakeaseat。HeexplainedthatthemasterofaBritishshiphavingdiedinBangkoktheConsul-Generalhadcabledtohimarequestforacompetentmantobesentouttotakecommand。
　　Apparently，inhismind，Iwasthemanfromthefirst，thoughforthelooksofthethingthenotifica-
　　tionaddressedtotheSailors’Homewasgeneral。
　　Anagreementhadalreadybeenprepared。Hegaveittometoread，andwhenIhandeditbacktohimwiththeremarkthatIaccepteditsterms，thedeputy-Neptunesignedit，stampeditwithhisownexaltedhand，foldeditinfour（itwasasheetofbluefoolscap）andpresentedittome——agiftofex-
　　traordinarypotency，for，asIputitinmypocket，myheadswamalittle。
　　"Thisisyourappointmenttothecommand，"hesaidwithacertaingravity。"Anofficialappoint-
　　mentbindingtheownerstoconditionswhichyouhaveaccepted。Now——whenwillyoubereadytogo？"
　　IsaidIwouldbereadythatverydayifneces-
　　sary。Hecaughtmeatmywordwithgreatalacrity。ThesteamerMelitawasleavingforBangkokthateveningaboutseven。Hewouldrequesthercaptainofficiallytogivemeapassageandwaitformetillteno’clock。
　　Thenherosefromhisofficechair，andIgotup，too。Myheadswam，therewasnodoubtaboutit，andIfeltacertainheavinessoflimbsasiftheyhadgrownbiggersinceIhadsatdownonthatchair。Imademybow。
　　AsubtlechangeinCaptainEllis’mannerbecameperceptibleasthoughhehadlaidasidethetridentofdeputy-Neptune。Inreality，itwasonlyhisofficialpenthathehaddroppedongettingup。