Contents
　　ASmileofFortuneTheSecretSharerFreyaoftheSevenIsles
　　ASMILEOFFORTUNE—HARBOURSTORY
　　EversincethesunroseIhadbeenlookingahead。Theshipglidedgentlyinsmoothwater。Afterasixtydays’passageIwasanxioustomakemylandfall，afertileandbeautifulislandofthetropics。
　　Themoreenthusiasticofitsinhabitantsdelightindescribingitasthe"PearloftheOcean。"Well，letuscallitthe"Pearl。"
　　It’sagoodname。Apearldistillingmuchsweetnessupontheworld。
　　Thisisonlyawayoftellingyouthatfirst—ratesugar—caneisgrownthere。AllthepopulationofthePearllivesforitandbyit。Sugaristheirdailybread，asitwere。AndIwascomingtothemforacargoofsugarinthehopeofthecrophavingbeengoodandofthefreightsbeinghigh。
　　Mr。Burns，mychiefmate，madeoutthelandfirst；andverysoonI
　　becameentrancedbythisblue，pinnacledapparition，almosttransparentagainstthelightofthesky，amereemanation，theastralbodyofanislandrisentogreetmefromafar。Itisararephenomenon，suchasightofthePearlatsixtymilesoff。AndI
　　wonderedhalfseriouslywhetheritwasagoodomen，whetherwhatwouldmeetmeinthatislandwouldbeasluckilyexceptionalasthisbeautiful，dreamlikevisionsoveryfewseamenhavebeenprivilegedtobehold。
　　Buthorridthoughtsofbusinessinterferedwithmyenjoymentofanaccomplishedpassage。IwasanxiousforsuccessandIwished，too，todojusticetotheflatteringlatitudeofmyowners’instructionscontainedinonenoblephrase："Weleaveittoyoutodothebestyoucanwiththeship。"……Alltheworldbeingthusgivenmeforastage，myabilitiesappearedtomenobiggerthanapinhead。
　　Meantimethewinddropped，andMr。Burnsbegantomakedisagreeableremarksaboutmyusualbadluck。Ibelieveitwashisdevotionformewhichmadehimcriticallyoutspokenoneveryoccasion。Allthesame，Iwouldnothaveputupwithhishumoursifithadnotbeenmylotatonetimetonursehimthroughadesperateillnessatsea。
　　Aftersnatchinghimoutofthejawsofdeath，sotospeak，itwouldhavebeenabsurdtothrowawaysuchanefficientofficer。ButsometimesIwishedhewoulddismisshimself。
　　Wewerelateinclosinginwiththeland，andhadtoanchoroutsidetheharbourtillnextday。Anunpleasantandunrestfulnightfollowed。Inthisroadstead，strangetousboth，BurnsandI
　　remainedondeckalmostallthetime。Cloudsswirleddowntheporphyrycragsunderwhichwelay。Therisingwindmadeagreatbullyingnoiseamongstthenakedspars，withinterludesofsadmoaning。Iremarkedthatwehadbeeninlucktofetchtheanchoragebeforedark。Itwouldhavebeenanasty，anxiousnighttohangoffaharbourundercanvas。Butmychiefmatewasuncompromisinginhisattitude。
　　"Luck，youcallit，sir！Ay—ourusualluck。ThesortoflucktothankGodit’snoworse！"
　　Andsohefrettedthroughthedarkhours，whileIdrewonmyfundofphilosophy。Ah，butitwasanexasperating，weary，endlessnight，tobelyingatanchorcloseunderthatblackcoast！Theagitatedwatermadesnarlingsoundsallroundtheship。Attimesawildgustofwindoutofagullyhighuponthecliffsstruckonourriggingaharshandplaintivenotelikethewailofaforsakensoul。
　　CHAPTERI
　　Byhalf—pastseveninthemorning，theshipbeingtheninsidetheharbouratlastandmooredwithinalongstone’s—throwfromthequay，mystockofphilosophywasnearlyexhausted。Iwasdressinghurriedlyinmycabinwhenthestewardcametrippinginwithamorningsuitoverhisarm。
　　Hungry，tired，anddepressed，withmyheadengagedinsideawhiteshirtirritatinglystucktogetherbytoomuchstarch，Idesiredhimpeevishlyto"heaveroundwiththatbreakfast。"Iwantedtogetashoreassoonaspossible。
　　"Yes，sir。Readyateight，sir。There’sagentlemanfromtheshorewaitingtospeaktoyou，sir。"
　　Thisstatementwascuriouslyslurredover。Idraggedtheshirtviolentlyovermyheadandemergedstaring。
　　"Soearly！"Icried。"Who’she？Whatdoeshewant？"
　　Oncominginfromseaonehastopickuptheconditionsofanutterlyunrelatedexistence。Everylittleeventatfirsthasthepeculiaremphasisofnovelty。Iwasgreatlysurprisedbythatearlycaller；buttherewasnoreasonformystewardtolooksoparticularlyfoolish。
　　"Didn’tyouaskforthename？"Iinquiredinasterntone。
　　"Hisname’sJacobus，Ibelieve，"hemumbledshamefacedly。
　　"Mr。Jacobus！"Iexclaimedloudly，moresurprisedthanever，butwithatotalchangeoffeeling。"Whycouldn’tyousaysoatonce？"
　　Butthefellowhadscuttledoutofmyroom。ThroughthemomentarilyopeneddoorIhadaglimpseofatall，stoutmanstandinginthecuddybythetableonwhichtheclothwasalreadylaid；a"harbour"table—cloth，stainlessanddazzlinglywhite。Sofargood。
　　Ishoutedcourteouslythroughthecloseddoor，thatIwasdressingandwouldbewithhiminamoment。Inreturntheassurancethattherewasnohurryreachedmeinthevisitor’sdeep，quietundertone。Histimewasmyown。HedaredsayIwouldgivehimacupofcoffeepresently。
　　"Iamafraidyouwillhaveapoorbreakfast，"Icriedapologetically。"Wehavebeensixty—onedaysatsea，youknow。"
　　Aquietlittlelaugh，witha"That’llbeallright，Captain，"washisanswer。Allthis，words，intonation，theglimpsedattitudeofthemaninthecuddy，hadanunexpectedcharacter，asomethingfriendlyinit—propitiatory。Andmysurprisewasnotdiminishedthereby。Whatdidthiscallmean？Wasitthesignofsomedarkdesignagainstmycommercialinnocence？
　　Ah！Thesecommercialinterests—spoilingthefinestlifeunderthesun。Whymusttheseabeusedfortrade—andforwaraswell？
　　Whykillandtrafficonit，pursuingselfishaimsofnogreatimportanceafterall？Itwouldhavebeensomuchnicerjusttosailaboutwithhereandthereaportandabitoflandtostretchone’slegson，buyafewbooksandgetachangeofcookingforawhile。But，livinginaworldmoreorlesshomicidalanddesperatelymercantile，itwasplainlymydutytomakethebestofitsopportunities。
　　Myowners’letterhadleftittome，asIhavesaidbefore，todomybestfortheship，accordingtomyownjudgment。Butitcontainedalsoapostscriptwordedsomewhatasfollows：
　　"Withoutmeaningtointerferewithyourlibertyofactionwearewritingbytheoutgoingmailtosomeofourbusinessfriendstherewhomaybeofassistancetoyou。WedesireyouparticularlytocallonMr。Jacobus，aprominentmerchantandcharterer。Shouldyouhititoffwithhimhemaybeabletoputyouinthewayofprofitableemploymentfortheship。"
　　Hititoff！Herewastheprominentcreatureabsolutelyonboardaskingforthefavourofacupofcoffee！Andlifenotbeingafairy—taletheimprobabilityoftheeventalmostshockedme。HadI
　　discoveredanenchantednookoftheearthwherewealthymerchantsrushfastingonboardshipsbeforetheyarefairlymoored？Wasthiswhitemagicormerelysomeblacktrickoftrade？Icameintheend（whilemakingthebowofmytie）tosuspectthatperhapsI
　　didnotgetthenameright。IhadbeenthinkingoftheprominentMr。Jacobusprettyfrequentlyduringthepassageandmyhearingmighthavebeendeceivedbysomeremotesimilarityofsound……
　　ThestewardmighthavesaidAntrobus—ormaybeJackson。
　　Butcomingoutofmystateroomwithaninterrogative"Mr。Jacobus？"
　　Iwasmetbyaquiet"Yes，"utteredwithagentlesmile。The"yes"
　　wasratherperfunctory。HedidnotseemtomakemuchofthefactthathewasMr。Jacobus。Itookstockofabig，paleface，hairthinonthetop，whiskersalsothin，ofafadednondescriptcolour，heavyeyelids。Thethick，smoothlipsinreposelookedasifgluedtogether。Thesmilewasfaint。Aheavy，tranquilman。Inamedmytwoofficers，whojustthencamedowntobreakfast；butwhyMr。
　　Burns’ssilentdemeanourshouldsuggestsuppressedindignationI
　　couldnotunderstand。
　　Whileweweretakingourseatsroundthetablesomedisconnectedwordsofanaltercationgoingoninthecompanionwayreachedmyear。Astrangerapparentlywantedtocomedowntointerviewme，andthestewardwasopposinghim。
　　"Youcan’tseehim。"
　　"Whycan’tI？"
　　"TheCaptainisatbreakfast，Itellyou。He’llbegoingonshorepresently，andyoucanspeaktohimondeck。"
　　"That’snotfair。Youlet—"
　　"I’vehadnothingtodowiththat。"
　　"Oh，yes，youhave。Everybodyoughttohavethesamechance。Youletthatfellow—"
　　TherestIlost。Thepersonhavingbeenrepulsedsuccessfully，thestewardcamedown。Ican’tsayhelookedflushed—hewasamulatto—buthelookedflustered。Afterputtingthedishesonthetableheremainedbythesideboardwiththatlackadaisicalairofindifferenceheusedtoassumewhenhehaddonesomethingtoocleverbyhalfandwasafraidofgettingintoascrapeoverit。
　　ThecontemptuousexpressionofMr。Burns’sfaceashelookedfromhimtomewasreallyextraordinary。Icouldn’timaginewhatnewbeehadstungthematenow。
　　TheCaptainbeingsilent，nobodyelsecaredtospeak，asisthewayinships。AndIwassayingnothingsimplybecauseIhadbeenmadedumbbythesplendouroftheentertainment。Ihadexpectedtheusualsea—breakfast，whereasIbeheldspreadbeforeusaveritablefeastofshoreprovisions：eggs，sausages，butterwhichplainlydidnotcomefromaDanishtin，cutlets，andevenadishofpotatoes。ItwasthreeweekssinceIhadseenareal，livepotato。
　　Icontemplatedthemwithinterest，andMr。Jacobusdisclosedhimselfasamanofhuman，homelysympathies，andsomethingofathought—reader。
　　"Trythem，Captain，"heencouragedmeinafriendlyundertone。
　　"Theyareexcellent。"
　　"Theylookthat，"Iadmitted。"Grownontheisland，Isuppose。"
　　"Oh，no，imported。Thosegrownherewouldbemoreexpensive。"
　　Iwasgrievedattheineptitudeoftheconversation。Werethesethetopicsforaprominentandwealthymerchanttodiscuss？I
　　thoughtthesimplicitywithwhichhemadehimselfathomeratherattractive；butwhatisonetotalkabouttoamanwhocomesononesuddenly，aftersixty—onedaysatsea，outofatotallyunknownlittletowninanislandonehasneverseenbefore？Whatwere（besidessugar）theinterestsofthatcrumboftheearth，itsgossip，itstopicsofconversation？Todrawhimonbusinessatoncewouldhavebeenalmostindecent—orevenworse：impolitic。
　　AllIcoulddoatthemomentwastokeeponintheoldgroove。
　　"Aretheprovisionsgenerallydearhere？"Iasked，frettinginwardlyatmyinanity。
　　"Iwouldn’tsaythat，"heansweredplacidly，withthatappearanceofsavinghisbreathhisrestrainedmannerofspeakingsuggested。
　　Hewouldnotbemoreexplicit，yethedidnotevadethesubject。
　　Eyeingthetableinaspiritofcompleteabstemiousness（hewouldn’tletmehelphimtoanyeatables）hewentintodetailsofsupply。ThebeefwasforthemostpartimportedfromMadagascar；
　　muttonofcoursewasrareandsomewhatexpensive，butgoodgoat’sflesh—
　　"Arethesegoat’scutlets？"Iexclaimedhastily，pointingatoneofthedishes。
　　Posedsentimentallybythesideboard，thestewardgaveastart。
　　"Lor’，no，sir！It’srealmutton！"
　　Mr。Burnsgotthroughhisbreakfastimpatiently，asifexasperatedbybeingmadeapartytosomemonstrousfoolishness，mutteredacurtexcuse，andwentondeck。Shortlyafterwardsthesecondmatetookhissmoothredcountenanceoutofthecabin。Withtheappetiteofaschoolboy，andaftertwomonthsofsea—fare，heappreciatedthegenerousspread。ButIdidnot。Itsmackedofextravagance。Allthesame，itwasaremarkablefeattohaveproduceditsoquickly，andIcongratulatedthestewardonhissmartnessinasomewhatominoustone。Hegavemeadeprecatorysmileand，inawayIdidn’tknowwhattomakeof，blinkedhisfinedarkeyesinthedirectionoftheguest。
　　Thelatteraskedunderhisbreathforanothercupofcoffee，andnibbledasceticallyatapieceofveryhardship’sbiscuit。I
　　don’tthinkheconsumedasquareinchintheend；butmeantimehegaveme，casuallyasitwere，acompleteaccountofthesugarcrop，ofthelocalbusinesshouses，ofthestateofthefreightmarket。
　　Allthattalkwasinterspersedwithhintsastopersonalities，amountingtoveiledwarnings，buthispale，fleshyfaceremainedequable，withoutagleam，asifignorantofhisvoice。AsyoumayimagineIopenedmyearsverywide。Everywordwasprecious。Myideasastothevalueofbusinessfriendshipwerebeingfavourablymodified。Hegavemethenamesofallthedisponibleshipstogetherwiththeirtonnageandthenamesoftheircommanders。
　　Fromthat，whichwasstillcommercialinformation，hecondescendedtomereharbourgossip。TheHildahadunaccountablylostherfigureheadintheBayofBengal，andhercaptainwasgreatlyaffectedbythis。Heandtheshiphadbeengettingoninyearstogetherandtheoldgentlemanimaginedthisstrangeeventtobetheforerunnerofhisownearlydissolution。TheStellahadexperiencedawfulweatherofftheCape—hadherdecksswept，andthechiefofficerwashedoverboard。Andonlyafewhoursbeforereachingportthebabydied。
　　PoorCaptainH—andhiswifewereterriblycutup。Iftheyhadonlybeenabletobringitintoportaliveitcouldhavebeenprobablysaved；butthewindfailedthemforthelastweekorso，lightbreezes，and……thebabywasgoingtobeburiedthisafternoon。HesupposedIwouldattend—
　　"DoyouthinkIoughtto？"Iasked，shrinkingly。
　　Hethoughtso，decidedly。Itwouldbegreatlyappreciated。Allthecaptainsintheharbourweregoingtoattend。PoorMrs。H—wasquiteprostrated。PrettyhardonH—altogether。
　　"Andyou，Captain—youarenotmarriedIsuppose？"
　　"No，Iamnotmarried，"Isaid。"Neithermarriednorevenengaged。"
　　MentallyIthankedmystars；andwhilehesmiledinamusing，dreamyfashion，Iexpressedmyacknowledgmentsforhisvisitandfortheinterestingbusinessinformationhehadbeengoodenoughtoimparttome。ButIsaidnothingofmywonderthereat。
　　"Ofcourse，Iwouldhavemadeapointofcallingonyouinadayortwo，"Iconcluded。
　　Heraisedhiseyelidsdistinctlyatme，andsomehowmanagedtolookrathermoresleepythanbefore。
　　"Inaccordancewithmyowners’instructions，"Iexplained。"Youhavehadtheirletter，ofcourse？"
　　Bythattimehehadraisedhiseyebrowstoobutwithoutanyparticularemotion。Onthecontraryhestruckmethenasabsolutelyimperturbable。
　　"Oh！Youmustbethinkingofmybrother。"
　　Itwasforme，then，tosay"Oh！"ButIhopethatnomorethancivilsurpriseappearedinmyvoicewhenIaskedhimtowhat，then，Iowedthepleasure……Hewasreachingforaninsidepocketleisurely。
　　"Mybrother’saverydifferentperson。ButIamwellknowninthispartoftheworld。You’veprobablyheard—"
　　Itookacardheextendedtome。Athickbusinesscard，asI
　　lived！AlfredJacobus—theotherwasErnest—dealerineverydescriptionofship’sstores！Provisionssaltandfresh，oils，paints，rope，canvas，etc。，etc。Shipsinharbourvictualledbycontractonmoderateterms—
　　"I’veneverheardofyou，"Isaidbrusquely。
　　Hislow—pitchedassurancedidnotabandonhim。
　　"Youwillbeverywellsatisfied，"hebreathedoutquietly。
　　Iwasnotplacated。Ihadthesenseofhavingbeencircumventedsomehow。YetIhaddeceivedmyself—iftherewasanydeception。
　　Buttheconfoundedcheekofinvitinghimselftobreakfastwasenoughtodeceiveanyone。Andthethoughtstruckme：Why！Thefellowhadprovidedalltheseeatableshimselfinthewayofbusiness。Isaid：
　　"Youmusthavegotupmightyearlythismorning。"
　　Headmittedwithsimplicitythathewasonthequaybeforesixo’clockwaitingformyshiptocomein。Hegavemetheimpressionthatitwouldbeimpossibletogetridofhimnow。
　　"Ifyouthinkwearegoingtoliveonthatscale，"Isaid，lookingatthetablewithanirritatedeye，"youarejollywellmistaken。"
　　"You’llfinditallright，Captain。Iquiteunderstand。"
　　Nothingcoulddisturbhisequanimity。Ifeltdissatisfied，butI
　　couldnotverywellflyoutathim。Hehadtoldmemanyusefulthings—andbesideshewasthebrotherofthatwealthymerchant。
　　Thatseemedqueerenough。
　　IroseandtoldhimcurtlythatImustnowgoashore。Atonceheofferedtheuseofhisboatforallthetimeofmystayinport。
　　"Ionlymakeanominalcharge，"hecontinuedequably。"Mymanremainsalldayatthelanding—steps。Youhaveonlytoblowawhistlewhenyouwanttheboat。"
　　And，standingasideateverydoorwaytoletmegothroughfirst，hecarriedmeoffinhiscustodyafterall。Aswecrossedthequarter—decktwoshabbyindividualssteppedforwardandinmournfulsilenceofferedmebusinesscardswhichItookfromthemwithoutawordunderhisheavyeye。Itwasauselessandgloomyceremony。
　　Theywerethetoutsoftheothership—chandlers，andheplacidatmyback，ignoredtheirexistence。
　　Wepartedonthequay，afterhehadexpressedquietlythehopeofseeingmeoften"atthestore。"Hehadasmoking—roomforcaptainsthere，withnewspapersandaboxof"ratherdecentcigars。"Ilefthimveryunceremoniously。
　　Myconsigneesreceivedmewiththeusualbusinessheartiness，buttheiraccountofthestateofthefreight—marketwasbynomeanssofavourableasthetalkofthewrongJacobushadledmetoexpect。
　　NaturallyIbecameinclinednowtoputmytrustinhisversion，rather。AsIclosedthedooroftheprivateofficebehindmeI
　　thoughttomyself："H’m。Alotoflies。Commercialdiplomacy。
　　That’sthesortofthingamancomingfromseahasgottoexpect。
　　Theywouldtrytochartertheshipunderthemarketrate。"
　　Inthebig，outerroom，fullofdesks，thechiefclerk，atall，lean，shavedpersoninimmaculatewhiteclothesandwithashiny，closely—croppedblackheadonwhichsilverygleamscameandwent，rosefromhisplaceanddetainedmeaffably。Anythingtheycoulddoforme，theywouldbemosthappy。WasIlikelytocallagainintheafternoon？What？Goingtoafuneral？Oh，yes，poorCaptainH—。
　　Hepulledalong，sympatheticfaceforamoment，then，dismissingfromthisworkadayworldthebaby，whichhadgotillinatempestandhaddiedfromtoomuchcalmatsea，heaskedmewithadental，shark—likesmile—ifsharkshadfalseteeth—whetherIhadyetmademylittlearrangementsfortheship’sstayinport。
　　"Yes，withJacobus，"Iansweredcarelessly。"Iunderstandhe’sthebrotherofMr。ErnestJacobustowhomIhaveanintroductionfrommyowners。"
　　IwasnotsorrytolethimknowIwasnotaltogetherhelplessinthehandsofhisfirm。Hescrewedhisthinlipsdubiously。
　　"Why，"Icried，"isn’thethebrother？"
　　"Oh，yes……Theyhaven’tspokentoeachotherforeighteenyears，"headdedimpressivelyafterapause。
　　"Indeed！What’sthequarrelabout？"
　　"Oh，nothing！Nothingthatonewouldcaretomention，"heprotestedprimly。"He’sgotquitealargebusiness。Thebestship—chandlerhere，withoutadoubt。Businessisallverywell，butthereissuchathingaspersonalcharacter，too，isn’tthere？
　　Good—morning，Captain。"
　　Hewentawaymincinglytohisdesk。Heamusedme。Heresembledanoldmaid，acommercialoldmaid，shockedbysomeimpropriety。Wasitacommercialimpropriety？Commercialimproprietyisaseriousmatter，foritaimsatone’spocket。OrwasheonlyapuristinconductwhodisapprovedofJacobusdoinghisowntouting？Itwascertainlyundignified。Iwonderedhowthemerchantbrotherlikedit。Butthendifferentcountries，differentcustoms。Inacommunitysoisolatedandsoexclusively"trading"socialstandardshavetheirownscale。
　　CHAPTERII
　　Iwouldhavegladlydispensedwiththemournfulopportunityofbecomingacquaintedbysightwithallmyfellow—captainsatonce。
　　HoweverIfoundmywaytothecemetery。Wemadeaconsiderablegroupofbareheadedmeninsombregarments。Inoticedthatthoseofourcompanymostapproachingtothenowobsoletesea—dogtypewerethemostmoved—perhapsbecausetheyhadless"manner"thanthenewgeneration。Theoldsea—dog，awayfromhisnaturalelement，wasasimpleandsentimentalanimal。Inoticedone—hewasfacingmeacrossthegrave—whowasdroppingtears。Theytrickleddownhisweather—beatenfacelikedropsofrainonanoldruggedwall。Ilearnedafterwardsthathewaslookeduponastheterrorofsailors，ahardman；thathehadneverhadwifeorchickofhisown，andthat，engagedfromhistenderestyearsindeep—seavoyages，heknewwomenandchildrenmerelybysight。
　　Perhapshewasdroppingthosetearsoverhislostopportunities，fromsheerenvyofpaternityandinstrangejealousyofasorrowwhichhecouldneverknow。Man，andeventhesea—man，isacapriciousanimal，thecreatureandthevictimoflostopportunities。Buthemademefeelashamedofmycallousness。I
　　hadnotears。
　　IlistenedwithhorriblycriticaldetachmenttothatserviceIhadhadtoreadmyself，onceortwice，overchildlikemenwhohaddiedatsea。Thewordsofhopeanddefiance，thewingedwordssoinspiringinthefreeimmensityofwaterandsky，seemedtofallwearilyintothelittlegrave。WhatwastheuseofaskingDeathwhereherstingwas，beforethatsmall，darkholeintheground？
　　Andthenmythoughtsescapedmealtogether—awayintomattersoflife—andnoveryhighmattersatthat—ships，freights，business。Intheinstabilityofhisemotionsmanresemblesdeplorablyamonkey。Iwasdisgustedwithmythoughts—andI
　　thought：ShallIbeabletogetachartersoon？Time’smoney……WillthatJacobusreallyputgoodbusinessinmyway？Imustgoandseehiminadayortwo。
　　Don’timaginethatIpursuedthesethoughtswithanyprecision。
　　Theypursuedmerather：vague，shadowy，restless，shamefaced。
　　Theirswasacallous，abominable，almostrevolting，pertinacity。
　　Anditwasthepresenceofthatpertinaciousship—chandlerwhichhadstartedthem。Hestoodmournfullyamongstourlittlebandofmenfromthesea，andIwasangryathispresence，which，suggestinghisbrotherthemerchant，hadcausedmetobecomeoutrageoustomyself。ForindeedIhadpreservedsomedecencyoffeeling。Itwasonlythemindwhich—
　　Itwasoveratlast。Thepoorfather—amanoffortywithblack，bushyside—whiskersandapatheticgashonhisfreshly—shavedchin—thankedusall，swallowinghistears。Butforsomereason，eitherbecauseIlingeredatthegateofthecemeterybeingsomewhathazyastomywayback，orbecauseIwastheyoungest，orascribingmymoodinesscausedbyremorsetosomemoreworthyandappropriatesentiment，orsimplybecauseIwasevenmoreofastrangertohimthantheothers—hesingledmeout。Keepingatmyside，herenewedhisthanks，whichIlistenedtoinagloomy，conscience—strickensilence。Suddenlyheslippedonehandundermyarmandwavedtheotherafteratall，stoutfigurewalkingawaybyitselfdownastreetinaflutterofthin，greygarments：
　　"That’sagoodfellow—arealgoodfellow"—heswalloweddownabelatedsob—"thisJacobus。"
　　AndhetoldmeinalowvoicethatJacobuswasthefirstmantoboardhisshiponarrival，and，learningoftheirmisfortune，hadtakenchargeofeverything，volunteeredtoattendtoallroutinebusiness，carriedofftheship’spapersonshore，arrangedforthefuneral—
　　"Agoodfellow。Iwasknockedover。Ihadbeenlookingatmywifefortendays。Andhelpless。Justyouthinkofthat！Thedearlittlechapdiedtheverydaywemadetheland。HowImanagedtotaketheshipinGodaloneknows！Icouldn’tseeanything；I
　　couldn’tspeak；Icouldn’t……You’veheard，perhaps，thatwelostourmateoverboardonthepassage？Therewasnoonetodoitforme。Andthepoorwomannearlycrazydownbelowthereallalonewiththe……BytheLord！Itisn’tfair。"
　　Wewalkedinsilencetogether。Ididnotknowhowtopartfromhim。Onthequayheletgomyarmandstruckfiercelyhisfistintothepalmofhisotherhand。
　　"ByGod，itisn’tfair！"hecriedagain。"Don’tyouevermarryunlessyoucanchucktheseafirst……Itisn’tfair。"
　　Ihadnointentionto"chuckthesea，"andwhenheleftmetogoaboardhisshipIfeltconvincedthatIwouldnevermarry。WhileI
　　waswaitingatthestepsforJacobus’sboatman，whohadgoneoffsomewhere，thecaptainoftheHildajoinedme，aslendersilkumbrellainhishandandthesharppointsofhisarchaic，Gladstonianshirt—collarframingasmall，clean—shaved，ruddyface。
　　Itwaswonderfullyfreshforhisage，beautifullymodelledandlitupbyremarkablyclearblueeyes。Alotofwhitehair，glossylikespunglass，curledupwardsslightlyunderthebrimofhisvaluable，ancient，panamahatwithabroadblackribbon。Intheaspectofthatvivacious，neat，littleoldmantherewassomethingquaintlyangelicandalsoboyish。
　　Heaccostedme，asthoughhehadbeeninthehabitofseeingmeeverydayofhislifefrommyearliestchildhood，withawhimsicalremarkontheappearanceofastoutnegrowomanwhowassittinguponastoolneartheedgeofthequay。PresentlyheobservedamiablythatIhadaveryprettylittlebarque。
　　Ireturnedthiscivilspeechbysayingreadily：
　　"NotsoprettyastheHilda。"
　　Atoncethecornersofhisclear—cut，sensitivemouthdroppeddismally。
　　"Oh，dear！Icanhardlybeartolookathernow。"
　　DidIknow，heaskedanxiously，thathehadlostthefigureheadofhisship；awomaninabluetunicedgedwithgold，thefaceperhapsnotsovery，verypretty，butherbarewhitearmsbeautifullyshapedandextendedasifshewereswimming？DidI？Whowouldhaveexpectedsuchathings……Aftertwentyyearstoo！
　　Nobodycouldhaveguessedfromhistonethatthewomanwasmadeofwood；histremblingvoice，hisagitatedmannergavetohislamentationsaludicrouslyscandalousflavour……Disappearedatnight—aclearfinenightwithjustaslightswell—inthegulfofBengal。Wentoffwithoutasplash；nooneintheshipcouldtellwhy，how，atwhathour—aftertwentyyearslastOctober……DidIeverhear！……
　　IassuredhimsympatheticallythatIhadneverheard—andhebecameverydoleful。Thismeantnogoodhewassure。Therewassomethinginitwhichlookedlikeawarning。ButwhenIremarkedthatsurelyanotherfigureofawomancouldbeprocuredIfoundmyselfbeingsoundlyratedformylevity。TheoldboyflushedpinkunderhiscleartanasifIhadproposedsomethingimproper。Onecouldreplacemasts，Iwastold，oralostrudder—anyworkingpartofaship；butwherewastheuseofstickingupanewfigurehead？Whatsatisfaction？Howcouldonecareforit？ItwaseasytoseethatIhadneverbeenshipmateswithafigureheadforovertwentyyears。
　　"Anewfigurehead！"hescoldedinunquenchableindignation。"Why！
　　I’vebeenawidowernowforeight—and—twentyyearscomenextMayandIwouldjustassoonthinkofgettinganewwife。You’reasbadasthatfellowJacobus。"
　　Iwashighlyamused。
　　"WhathasJacobusdone？Didhewantyoutomarryagain，Captain？"
　　Iinquiredinadeferentialtone。Buthewaslaunchednowandonlygrinnedfiercely。
　　"Procure—indeed！He’sthesortofchaptoprocureyouanythingyoulikeforaprice。Ihadn’tbeenmooredhereforanhourwhenhegotonboardandatonceofferedtosellmeafigureheadhehappenstohaveinhisyardsomewhere。HegotSmith，mymate，totalktomeaboutit。’Mr。Smith，’saysI，’don’tyouknowmebetterthanthat？AmIthesortthatwouldpickupwithanotherman’scast—offfigurehead？’Andafteralltheseyearstoo！Thewaysomeofyouyoungfellowstalk—"
　　Iaffectedgreatcompunction，andasIsteppedintotheboatIsaidsoberly：
　　"ThenIseenothingforitbuttofitinaneatfiddlehead—
　　perhaps。Youknow，carvedscrollwork，nicelygilt。"
　　Hebecameverydejectedafterhisoutburst。
　　"Yes。Scrollwork。Maybe。Jacobushintedatthattoo。He’sneveratalosswhenthere’sanymoneytobeextractedfromasailorman。
　　Hewouldmakemepaythroughthenoseforthatcarving。Agiltfiddleheaddidyousay—eh？Idaresayitwoulddoforyou。Youyoungfellowsdon’tseemtohaveanyfeelingforwhat’sproper。"
　　Hemadeaconvulsivegesturewithhisrightarm。
　　"Nevermind。Nothingcanmakemuchdifference。Iwouldjustassoonlettheoldthinggoabouttheworldwithabarecutwater，"hecriedsadly。Thenastheboatgotawayfromthestepsheraisedhisvoiceontheedgeofthequaywithcomicalanimosity：
　　"Iwould！Ifonlytospitethatfigurehead—procuringbloodsucker。
　　Iamanoldbirdhereanddon’tyouforgetit。Comeandseemeonboardsomeday！"
　　Ispentmyfirsteveninginportquietlyinmyship’scuddy；andgladenoughwasItothinkthattheshorelifewhichstrikesoneassopettilycomplex，discordant，andsofullofnewfacesonfirstcomingfromsea，couldbekeptoffforafewhourslonger。IwashoweverfatedtoheartheJacobusnoteoncemorebeforeIslept。
　　Mr。Burnshadgoneashoreaftertheeveningmealtohave，ashesaid，"alookround。"AsitwasquitedarkwhenheannouncedhisintentionIdidn’taskhimwhatitwasheexpectedtosee。Sometimeaboutmidnight，whilesittingwithabookinthesaloon，I
　　heardcautiousmovementsinthelobbyandhailedhimbyname。
　　Burnscamein，stickandhatinhand，incrediblyvulgarisedbyhissmartshoretogs，withajauntyairandanodioustwinkleinhiseye。Beingaskedtositdownhelaidhishatandstickonthetableandafterwehadtalkedofshipaffairsforalittlewhile：
　　"I’vebeenhearingprettytalesonshoreaboutthatship—chandlerfellowwhosnatchedthejobfromyousoneatly，sir。"
　　Iremonstratedwithmylatepatientforhismannerofexpressinghimself。Butheonlytossedhisheaddisdainfully。Aprettydodgeindeed：boardingastrangeshipwithbreakfastintwobasketsforallhandsandcalmlyinvitinghimselftothecaptain’stable！
　　Neverheardofanythingsocraftyandsoimpudentinhislife。
　　IfoundmyselfdefendingJacobus’sunusualmethods。
　　"He’sthebrotherofoneofthewealthiestmerchantsintheport。"
　　Themate’seyesfairlysnappedgreensparks。
　　"Hisgrandbrotherhasn’tspokentohimforeighteenortwentyyears，"hedeclaredtriumphantly。"Sothere！"
　　"Iknowallaboutthat，"Iinterruptedloftily。
　　"Doyousir？H’m！"Hismindwasstillrunningontheethicsofcommercialcompetition。"Idon’tliketoseeyourgoodnaturetakenadvantageof。He’sbribedthatstewardofourswithafive—
　　rupeenotetolethimcomedown—ortenforthatmatter。Hedon’tcare。Hewillshovethatandmoreintothebillpresently。"
　　"Isthatoneofthetalesyouhaveheardashore？"Iasked。
　　Heassuredmethathisownsensecouldtellhimthatmuch。No；
　　whathehadheardonshorewasthatnorespectablepersoninthewholetownwouldcomenearJacobus。Helivedinalargeold—
　　fashionedhouseinoneofthequietstreetswithabiggarden。
　　AftertellingmethisBurnsputonamysteriousair。"Hekeepsagirlshutuptherewho，theysay—"
　　"Isupposeyou’veheardallthisgossipinsomeeminentlyrespectableplace？"Isnappedathiminamostsarcastictone。
　　Theshafttold，becauseMr。Burns，likemanyotherdisagreeablepeople，wasverysensitivehimself。Heremainedasifthunderstruck，withhismouthopenforsomefurthercommunication，butIdidnotgivehimthechance。"And，anyhow，whatthedeucedoIcare？"Iadded，retiringintomyroom。
　　Andthiswasanaturalthingtosay。YetsomehowIwasnotindifferent。Iadmititisabsurdtobeconcernedwiththemoralsofone’sship—chandler，ifeversowellconnected；buthispersonalityhadstampeditselfuponmyfirstdayinharbour，inthewayyouknow。
　　AfterthisinitialexploitJacobusshowedhimselfanythingbutintrusive。Hewasoutinaboatearlyeverymorninggoingroundtheshipsheserved，andoccasionallyremainingonboardoneofthemforbreakfastwiththecaptain。
　　AsIdiscoveredthatthispracticewasgenerallyaccepted，Ijustnoddedtohimfamiliarlywhenonemorning，oncomingoutofmyroom，Ifoundhiminthecabin。GlancingoverthetableIsawthathisplacewasalreadylaid。Hestoodawaitingmyappearance，verybulkyandplacid，holdingabeautifulbunchofflowersinhisthickhand。Heofferedthemtomynoticewithafaint，sleepysmile。
　　Fromhisowngarden；hadaveryfineoldgarden；pickedthemhimselfthatmorningbeforegoingouttobusiness；thoughtIwouldlike……Heturnedaway。"Steward，canyouobligemewithsomewaterinalargejar，please。"
　　Iassuredhimjocularly，asItookmyplaceatthetable，thathemademefeelasifIwereaprettygirl，andthathemustn’tbesurprisedifIblushed。Buthewasbusyarranginghisfloraltributeatthesideboard。"StanditbeforetheCaptain’splate，steward，please。"Hemadethisrequestinhisusualundertone。
　　TheofferingwassopointedthatIcoulddonolessthantoraiseittomynose，andashesatdownnoiselesslyhebreathedouttheopinionthatafewflowersimprovednotablytheappearanceofaship’ssaloon。HewonderedwhyIdidnothaveashelffittedallroundtheskylightforflowersinpotstotakewithmetosea。Hehadaskilledworkmanabletofitupshelvesinaday，andhecouldprocuremetwoorthreedozengoodplants—
　　Thetipsofhisthick，roundfingersrestedcomposedlyontheedgeofthetableoneachsideofhiscupofcoffee。Hisfaceremainedimmovable。Mr。Burnswassmilingmaliciouslytohimself。I
　　declaredthatIhadn’ttheslightestintentionofturningmyskylightintoaconservatoryonlytokeepthecabin—tableinaperpetualmessofmouldanddeadvegetablematter。
　　"Rearmostbeautifulflowers，"heinsistedwithanupwardglance。
　　"It’snotroublereally。"
　　"Oh，yes，itis。Lotsoftrouble，"Icontradicted。"Andintheendsomefoolleavestheskylightopeninafreshbreeze，aflickofsaltwatergetsatthemandthewholelotisdeadinaweek。"
　　Mr。Burnssnortedacontemptuousapproval。Jacobusgaveupthesubjectpassively。AfteratimeheungluedhisthicklipstoaskmeifIhadseenhisbrotheryet。Iwasverycurtinmyanswer。
　　"No，notyet。"
　　"Averydifferentperson，"heremarkeddreamilyandgotup。Hismovementswereparticularlynoiseless。"Well—thankyou，Captain。
　　Ifanythingisnottoyourlikingpleasementionittoyoursteward。Isupposeyouwillbegivingadinnertotheoffice—
　　clerkspresently。"
　　"Whatfor？"Icriedwithsomewarmth。"IfIwereasteadytradertotheportIcouldunderstandit。Butacompletestranger！……
　　Imaynotturnupagainhereforyears。Idon’tseewhy！……Doyoumeantosayitiscustomary？"
　　"Itwillbeexpectedfromamanlikeyou，"hebreathedoutplacidly。"Eightoftheprincipalclerks，themanager，that’snine，youthreegentlemen，that’stwelve。Itneedn’tbeveryexpensive。Ifyoutellyourstewardtogivemeaday’snotice—"
　　"Itwillbeexpectedofme！Whyshoulditbeexpectedofme？IsitbecauseIlookparticularlysoft—orwhat？
　　Hisimmobilitystruckmeasdignifiedsuddenly，hisimperturbablequalityasdangerous。"There’splentyoftimetothinkaboutthat，"Iconcludedweaklywithagesturethattriedtowavehimaway。Butbeforehedepartedhetooktimetomentionregretfullythathehadnotyethadthepleasureofseeingmeathis"store"tosamplethosecigars。Hehadaparcelofsixthousandtodisposeof，verycheap。
　　"Ithinkitwouldbeworthyourwhiletosecuresome，"headdedwithafat，melancholysmileandleftthecabin。
　　Mr。Burnsstruckhisfistonthetableexcitedly。
　　"Didyoueverseesuchimpudence！He’smadeuphismindtogetsomethingoutofyouonewayoranother，sir。"
　　AtoncefeelinginclinedtodefendJacobus，Iobservedphilosophicallythatallthiswasbusiness，Isupposed。Butmyabsurdmate，mutteringbrokendisjointedsentences，suchas："I
　　cannotbear！……Markmywords！……"andsoon，flungoutofthecabin。IfIhadn’tnursedhimthroughthatdeadlyfeverI
　　wouldn’thavesufferedsuchmannersforasingleday。
　　CHAPTERIII
　　JacobushavingputmeinmindofhiswealthybrotherIconcludedI
　　wouldpaythatbusinesscallatonce。Ihadbythattimeheardalittlemoreofhim。HewasamemberoftheCouncil，wherehemadehimselfobjectionabletotheauthorities。Heexercisedaconsiderableinfluenceonpublicopinion。Lotsofpeopleowedhimmoney。Hewasanimporteronagreatscaleofallsortsofgoods。
　　Forinstance，thewholesupplyofbagsforsugarwaspracticallyinhishands。ThislastfactIdidnotlearntillafterwards。Thegeneralimpressionconveyedtomewasthatofalocalpersonage。
　　Hewasabachelorandgaveweeklycard—partiesinhishouseoutoftown，whichwereattendedbythebestpeopleinthecolony。
　　Thegreater，then，wasmysurprisetodiscoverhisofficeinshabbysurroundings，quiteawayfromthebusinessquarter，amongstalotofhovels。Guidedbyablackboardwithwhitelettering，Iclimbedanarrowwoodenstaircaseandenteredaroomwithabarefloorofplankslitteredwithbitsofbrownpaperandwispsofpackingstraw。Agreatnumberofwhatlookedlikewine—caseswerepiledupagainstoneofthewalls。Alanky，inky，light—yellow，mulattoyouth，miserablylong—neckedandgenerallyrecallingasickchicken，gotoffathree—leggedstoolbehindacheapdealdeskandfacedmeasifgonedumbwithfright。Ihadsomedifficultyinpersuadinghimtotakeinmyname，thoughIcouldnotgetfromhimthenatureofhisobjection。HediditatlastwithanalmostagonisedreluctancewhichceasedtobemysterioustomewhenI
　　heardhimbeingswornatmenacinglywithsavage，suppressedgrowls，thenaudiblycuffedandfinallykickedoutwithoutanyconcealmentwhatever；becausehecamebackflyingheadforemostthroughthedoorwithastifledshriek。
　　TosayIwasstartledwouldnotexpressit。Iremainedstill，likeamanlostinadream。Clappingbothhishandstothatpartofhisfrailanatomywhichhadreceivedtheshock，thepoorwretchsaidtomesimply：
　　"Willyougoin，please。"Hislamentableself—possessionwaswonderful；butitdidnotdoawaywiththeincredibilityoftheexperience。ApreposterousnotionthatIhadseenthisboysomewherebefore，athingobviouslyimpossible，waslikeadelicatefinishingtouchofweirdnessaddedtoascenefittoraisedoubtsastoone’ssanity。Istaredanxiouslyaboutmelikeanawakenedsomnambulist。
　　"Isay，"Icriedloudly，"thereisn’tamistake，isthere？ThisisMr。Jacobus’soffice。"
　　Theboygazedatmewithapainedexpression—andsomehowsofamiliar！Avoicewithingrowledoffensively：
　　"Comein，comein，sinceyouarethere……Ididn’tknow。"
　　Icrossedtheouterroomasoneapproachesthedenofsomeunknownwildbeast；withintrepiditybutinsomeexcitement。Onlynowildbeastthateverlivedwouldrouseone’sindignation；thepowertodothatbelongstotheodiousnessofthehumanbrute。AndIwasveryindignant，whichdidnotpreventmefrombeingatoncestruckbytheextraordinaryresemblanceofthetwobrothers。
　　Thisonewasdarkinsteadofbeingfairliketheother；buthewasasbig。Hewaswithouthiscoatandwaistcoat；hehadbeendoubtlesssnoozingintherocking—chairwhichstoodinacornerfurthestfromthewindow。Abovethegreatbulkofhiscrumpledwhiteshirt，buttonedwiththreediamondstuds，hisroundfacelookedswarthy。Itwasmoist；hisbrownmoustachehunglimpandragged。Hepushedacommon，cane—bottomedchairtowardsmewithhisfoot。
　　"Sitdown。"
　　Iglancedatitcasually，then，turningmyindignanteyesfulluponhim，IdeclaredinpreciseandincisivetonesthatIhadcalledinobediencetomyowners’instructions。
　　"Oh！Yes。H’m！Ididn’tunderstandwhatthatfoolwassaying……Butnevermind！Itwillteachthescoundreltodisturbmeatthistimeoftheday，"headded，grinningatmewithsavagecynicism。
　　Ilookedatmywatch。Itwaspastthreeo’clock—quitethefullswingofafternoonofficeworkintheport。Hesnarledimperiously："Sitdown，Captain。"
　　Iacknowledgedthegraciousinvitationbysayingdeliberately：
　　"Icanlistentoallyoumayhavetosaywithoutsittingdown。"
　　Emittingaloudandvehement"Pshaw！"heglaredforamoment，veryround—eyedandfierce。Itwaslikeagigantictomcatspittingatonesuddenly。"Lookathim！……Whatdoyoufancyyourselftobe？Whatdidyoucomeherefor？Ifyouwon’tsitdownandtalkbusinessyouhadbettergotothedevil。"
　　"Idon’tknowhimpersonally，"Isaid。"ButafterthisIwouldn’tmindcallingonhim。Itwouldberefreshingtomeetagentleman。"
　　Hefollowedme，growlingbehindmyback：
　　"Theimpudence！I’veagoodmindtowritetoyourownerswhatI
　　thinkofyou。"
　　Iturnedonhimforamoment：
　　"AsithappensIdon’tcare。FormypartIassureyouIwon’teventakethetroubletomentionyoutothem。"
　　HestoppedatthedoorofhisofficewhileItraversedthelitteredanteroom。Ithinkhewassomewhattakenaback。
　　"Iwillbreakeveryboneinyourbody，"heroaredsuddenlyatthemiserablemulattolad，"ifyoueverdaretodisturbmebeforehalf—
　　pastthreeforanybody。D’yehear？Foranybody！……Letaloneanydamnedskipper，"headded，inalowergrowl。
　　Thefrailyoungster，swayinglikeareed，madealowmoaningsound。
　　Istoppedshortandaddressedthissuffererwithadvice。Itwaspromptedbythesightofahammer（usedforopeningthewine—cases，Isuppose）whichwaslyingonthefloor。
　　"IfIwereyou，myboy，IwouldhavethatthingupmysleevewhenI
　　wentinnextandatthefirstoccasionIwould—"
　　Whatwastheresofamiliarinthatlad’syellowface？Entrenchedandquakingbehindtheflimsydesk，heneverlookedup。Hisheavy，loweredeyelidsgavemesuddenlytheclueofthepuzzle。Heresembled—yes，thosethickgluedlips—heresembledthebrothersJacobus。Heresembledboth，thewealthymerchantandthepushingshopkeeper（whoresembledeachother）；heresembledthemasmuchasathin，light—yellowmulattoladmayresembleabig，stout，middle—
　　agedwhiteman。Itwastheexoticcomplexionandtheslightnessofhisbuildwhichhadputmeoffsocompletely。NowIsawinhimunmistakablytheJacobusstrain，weakened，attenuated，dilutedasitwereinabucketofwater—andIrefrainedfromfinishingmyspeech。Ihadintendedtosay："Crackthisbrute’sheadforhim。"
　　Istillfelttheconclusiontobesound。Butitisnotriflingresponsibilitytocounselparricidetoanyone，howeverdeeplyinjured。
　　"Beggarly—cheeky—skippers。"
　　Idespisedtheemphaticgrowlatmyback；only，beingmuchvexedandupset，IregrettosaythatIslammedthedoorbehindmeinamostundignifiedmanner。
　　ItmaynotappearaltogetherabsurdifIsaythatIbroughtoutfromthatinterviewakindlierviewoftheotherJacobus。Itwaswithafeelingresemblingpartisanshipthat，afewdayslater，I
　　calledathis"store。"Thatlong，cavern—likeplaceofbusiness，verydimatthebackandstuffedfullofallsortsofgoods，wasenteredfromthestreetbyaloftyarchway。AtthefarendIsawmyJacobusexertinghimselfinhisshirt—sleevesamonghisassistants。Thecaptains’roomwasasmall，vaultedapartmentwithastonefloorandheavyironbarsinitswindowslikeadungeonconvertedtohospitablepurposes。Acoupleofcheerfulbottlesandseveralgleamingglassesmadeabrilliantclusterroundatall，coolredearthenwarepitcheronthecentretablewhichwaslitteredwithnewspapersfromallpartsoftheworld。Awell—groomedstrangerinasmartgreychecksuit，sittingwithonelegflungoverhisknee，putdownoneofthesesheetsbrisklyandnoddedtome。
　　Iguessedhimtobeasteamer—captain。Itwasimpossibletogettoknowthesemen。Theycameandwenttooquicklyandtheirshipslaymooredfarout，attheveryentranceoftheharbour。Theirswasanotherlifealtogether。Heyawnedslightly。
　　"Dullhole，isn’tit？"
　　Iunderstoodthistoalludetothetown。
　　"Doyoufinditso？"Imurmured。
　　"Don’tyou？ButI’moffto—morrow，thankgoodness。"
　　Hewasaverygentlemanlyperson，good—naturedandsuperior。I
　　watchedhimdrawtheopenboxofcigarstohissideofthetable，takeabigcigar—caseoutofhispocketandbegintofillitverymethodically。Presently，onoureyesmeeting，hewinkedlikeacommonmortalandinvitedmetofollowhisexample。"Theyarereallydecentsmokes。"Ishookmyhead。
　　"Iamnotoffto—morrow。"
　　"Whatofthat？ThinkIamabusingoldJacobus’shospitality？
　　Heavens！Itgoesintothebill，ofcourse。Hespreadssuchlittlemattersalloverhisaccount。Hecantakecareofhimself！Why，it’sbusiness—"
　　Inotedashadowfalloverhiswell—satisfiedexpression，amomentaryhesitationinclosinghiscigar—case。Butheendedbyputtingitinhispocketjauntily。Aplacidvoiceutteredinthedoorway："That’squitecorrect，Captain。"
　　ThelargenoiselessJacobusadvancedintotheroom。Hisquietness，inthecircumstances，amountedtocordiality。Hehadputonhisjacketbeforejoiningus，andhesatdowninthechairvacatedbythesteamer—man，whonoddedagaintomeandwentoutwithashort，jarringlaugh。Aprofoundsilencereigned。WithhisdrowsystareJacobusseemedtobeslumberingopen—eyed。Yet，somehow，Iwasawareofbeingprofoundlyscrutinisedbythoseheavyeyes。Intheenormouscavernofthestoresomebodybegantonaildownacase，expertly：tap—tap……tap—tap—tap。
　　Twootherexperts，oneslowandnasal，theothershrillandsnappy，startedcheckinganinvoice。
　　"Ahalf—coilofthree—inchmanillarope。"
　　"Right！"
　　"Sixassortedshackles。"
　　"Right！"
　　"Sixtinsassortedsoups，threeofpate，twoasparagus，fourteenpoundstobacco，cabin。"
　　"Right！"
　　"It’sforthecaptainwhowasherejustnow，"breathedouttheimmovableJacobus。"Thesesteamerordersareverysmall。Theypickupwhattheywantastheygoalong。ThatmanwillbeinSamaranginlessthanafortnight。Verysmallordersindeed。"
　　Thecallingoveroftheitemswentonintheshop；anextraordinaryjumbleofvariedarticles，paint—brushes，YorkshireRelish，etc。，etc……"Threesacksofbestpotatoes，"readoutthenasalvoice。
　　AtthisJacobusblinkedlikeasleepingmanrousedbyashake，anddisplayedsomeanimation。Athisorder，shoutedintotheshop，asmirkinghalf—casteclerkwithhisringletsmuchoiledandwithapenstuckbehindhisear，broughtinasampleofsixpotatoeswhichheparadedinarowonthetable。
　　BeingurgedtolookattheirbeautyIgavethemacoldandhostileglance。Calmly，JacobusproposedthatIshouldordertenorfifteentons—tons！Icouldn’tbelievemyears。Mycrewcouldnothaveeatensuchalotinayear；andpotatoes（excusethesepracticalremarks）areahighlyperishablecommodity。Ithoughthewasjoking—orelsetryingtofindoutwhetherIwasanunutterableidiot。Buthispurposewasnotsosimple。I
　　discoveredthathemeantmetobuythemonmyownaccount。
　　"Iamproposingyouabitofbusiness，Captain。Iwouldn’tchargeyouagreatprice。"
　　ItoldhimthatIdidnotgoinfortrade。IevenaddedgrimlythatIknewonlytoowellhowthatsortofspec。generallyended。