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—
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