第4章

ingrobes，sittinglikeaBiblicalfigure，incongruously，onayellowtintrunkcordedwitharopeoftwistedrattan.Thefather，unmoved，putouthishandtopatthelittleshavenpollprotectingly.

XI

Sternecrossedthedeckuponthetrackofthechiefengineer.Jack，thesecond，retreatingbackwardsdowntheengine—roomladder，andstillwipinghishands，treatedhimtoanincomprehensiblegrinofwhiteteethoutofhisgrimyhardface;Massywasnowheretobeseen.Hemusthavegonestraightintohisberth.

Sternescratchedatthedoorsoftly，then，puttinghislipstotheroseoftheventilator，said——

"Imustspeaktoyou，Mr.Massy.Justgivemeaminuteortwo."

"Iambusy.Goawayfrommydoor."

"Butpray，Mr.Massy"

"Yougoaway.D’youhear？Takeyourselfoffalto—

gether——totheotherendoftheship——quiteaway"

Thevoiceinsidedroppedlow."Tothedevil."

Sternepaused：thenveryquietly——

"It’sratherpressing.Whendoyouthinkyouwillbeatliberty，sir？"

Theanswertothiswasanexasperated"Never";andatonceSterne，withaveryfirmexpressionofface，turnedthehandle.

Mr.Massy’sstateroom——anarrow，one—berthcabin——

smeltstronglyofsoap，andpresentedtoviewaswept，dusted，unadornedneatness，notsomuchbareasbarren，notsomuchsevereasstarvedandlackinginhumanity，likethewardofapublichospital，orrather（owingtothesmallsize）likethecleanretreatofadesperatelypoorbutexemplaryperson.Notasinglephotographframeornamentedthebulkheads;notasinglearticleofclothing，notasmuchasasparecap，hungfromthebrasshooks.Alltheinsidewaspaintedinoneplaintintofpaleblue;twobigsea—chestsinsailclothcoversandwithironpadlocksfittedexactlyinthespaceunderthebunk.Oneglancewasenoughtoembraceallthestripofscrubbedplankswithinthefourunconcealedcorners.Theabsenceoftheusualsetteewasstriking;

theteak—woodtopofthewashing—standseemedhermeti—

callyclosed，andsowasthelidofthewriting—desk，whichprotrudedfromthepartitionatthefootofthebed—place，containingamattressasthinasapancakeunderathreadbareblanketwithafadedredstripe，andafoldedmosquito—netagainstthenightsspentinharbor.

Therewasnotascrapofpaperanywhereinsight，nobootsonthefloor，nolitterofanysort，notaspeckofdustanywhere;notracesofpipe—asheven，which，inaheavysmoker，wasmorallyrevolting，likeamanifesta—

tionofextremehypocrisy;andthebottomoftheoldwoodenarm—chair（theonlyseatthere），polishedwithmuchuse，shoneasifitsshabbinesshadbeenwaxed.

Thescreenofleavesonthebank，passingasifunrolledendlesslyintheroundopeningoftheport，sentawaver—

ingnetworkoflightandshadeintotheplace.

Sterne，holdingthedooropenwithonehand，hadthrustinhisheadandshoulders.AtthisamazingintrusionMassy，whowasdoingabsolutelynothing，jumpedupspeechless.

"Don’tcallnames，"murmuredSternehurriedly."I

won’tbecallednames.Ithinkofnothingbutyourgood，Mr.Massy."

Apauseasofextremeastonishmentfollowed.Theybothseemedtohavelosttheirtongues.Thenthematewentonwithadiscreetglibness.

"Yousimplycouldn’tconceivewhat’sgoingononboardyourship.Itwouldn’tenteryourheadforamoment.Youaretoogood——too——tooupright，Mr.

Massy，tosuspectanybodyofsuchaIt’senoughtomakeyourhairstandonend."

Hewatchedfortheeffect：Massyseemeddazed，un—

comprehending.Heonlypassedthepalmofhishandonthecoal—blackwispsplasteredacrossthetopofhishead.Inatonesuddenlychangedtoconfidentialau—

dacitySternehastenedon.

"Rememberthatthere’sonlysixweekslefttorun"Theotherwaslookingathimstonily

"soanyhowyoushallrequireacaptainfortheshipbeforelong."

Thenonly，asifthatsuggestionhadscarifiedhisfleshinthemannerofred—hotiron，Massygaveastartandseemedreadytoshriek.Hecontainedhimselfbyagreateffort.

"Requireacaptain，"herepeatedwithscathingslow—

ness."Whorequiresacaptain？YoudaretotellmethatIneedanyofyouhumbuggingsailorstorunmyship.Youandyourlikeshavebeenfatteningonmeforyears.Itwouldhavehurtmelesstothrowmymoneyoverboard.Pam——pe——redus——e——lessf—f—f—frauds.Theoldshipknowsasmuchasthebestofyou."Hesnappedhisteethaudiblyandgrowledthroughthem，"Thesillylawrequiresacaptain."

Sternehadtakenheartofgracemeantime.

"Andthesillyinsurancepeopletoo，aswell，"hesaidlightly."Butnevermindthat.WhatIwanttoaskis：Whyshouldn’t_I_do，sir？Idon’tsaybutyoucouldtakeasteamerabouttheworldaswellasanyofussailors.Idon’tpretendtotellYOUthatitisaverygreattrick"Heemittedashort，hollowguffaw，familiarly"Ididn’tmakethelaw——butthereitis;andIamanactiveyoungfellow！Iquiteholdwithyourideas;Iknowyourwaysbythistime，Mr.Massy.

Iwouldn’ttrytogivemyselfairslikethat——that——erlazyspecimenofanoldmanupthere."

Heputamarkedemphasisonthelastsentence，toleadMassyawayfromthetrackincasebuthedidnotdoubtofnowholdinghissuccess.Thechiefengineerseemednonplused，likeaslowmaninvitedtocatchholdofawhirligigofsomesort.

"Whatyouwant，sir，isachapwithnononsenseabouthim，whowouldbecontenttobeyoursailing—master.

Quiteright，too.Well，IamfitfortheworkasmuchasthatSerang.Becausethat’swhatitamountsto.

Doyouknow，sir，thatadam’Malaylikeamonkeyisinchargeofyourship——andnooneelse.Justlistentohisfeetpit—pattingaboveusonthebridge——realofficerincharge.He’stakingheruptheriverwhilethegreatmaniswallowinginthechair——perhapsasleep;

andifheis，thatwouldnotmakeitmuchworseeither——

takemywordforit."

Hetriedtothrusthimselffartherin.Massy，withloweredforehead，onehandgraspingthebackofthearm—chair，didnotbudge.

"Youthink，sir，thatthemanhasgotyoutightinhisagreement"Massyraisedaheavysnarlingfaceatthis"Well，sir，onecan’thelphearingofitonboard.It’snosecret.Andithasbeenthetalkonshoreforyears;fellowshavebeenmakingbetsaboutit.No，sir！It’sYOUwhohavegothimatyourmercy.Youwillsaythatyoucan’tdismisshimforindolence.Difficulttoproveincourt，andsoon.Why，yes.Butifyousaytheword，sir，Icantellyousome—

thingabouthisindolencethatwillgiveyoutheclearrighttofirehimoutonthespotandputmeinchargefortherestofthisverytrip——yes，sir，beforeweleaveBatuBeru——andmakehimpayadollaradayforhiskeeptillwegetback，ifyoulike.Now，whatdoyouthinkofthat？Come，sir.Saytheword.It’sreallywellworthyourwhile，andIamquitereadytotakeyourbareword.Adefinitestatementfromyouwouldbeasgoodasabond."

Hiseyesbegantoshine.Heinsisted.Asimplestate—

ment，——andhethoughttohimselfthathewouldman—

agesomehowtostickinhisberthaslongasitsuitedhim.Hewouldmakehimselfindispensable;theshiphadabadnameinherport;itwouldbeeasytoscarethefellowsoff.Massywouldhavetokeephim.

"Adefinitestatementfrommewouldbeenough，"

Massyrepeatedslowly.

"Yes，sir.Itwould."Sternestuckouthischincheerilyandblinkedatclosequarterswiththatuncon—

sciousimpudencewhichhadthepowertoenrageMassybeyondanything.

Theengineerspokeverydistinctly.

"Listenwelltome，then，Mr.Sterne：Iwouldn’t——

d’yehear？——Iwouldn’tpromiseyouthevalueoftwopenceforanythingYOUcantellme."

HestruckSterne’sarmawaywithasmartblow，andcatchingholdofthehandlepulledthedoorto.Theterrificslamdarkenedthecabininstantaneouslytohiseyeasifaftertheflashofanexplosion.Atoncehedroppedintothechair."Oh，no！Youdon’t！"hewhisperedfaintly.

Theshiphadinthatplacetoshavethebanksoclosethatthegiganticwallofleavescameglidinglikeashutteragainsttheport;thedarknessoftheprimevalforestseemedtoflowintothatbarecabinwiththeodorofrottingleaves，ofsoddensoil——thestrongmuddysmellofthelivingearthsteaminguncoveredafterthepass—

ingofadeluge.Thebushesswishedloudlyalongside;

abovetherewasaseriesofcracklingsounds，withasharprainofsmallbrokenbranchesfallingonthebridge;acreeperwithagreatrustlesnappedontheheadofaboatdavit，andalong，luxuriantgreentwigactuallywhippedinandoutoftheopenport，leavingbehindafewtornleavesthatremainedsuddenlyatrestonMr.Massy’sblanket.Then，theshipsheeringoutinthestream，thelightbegantoreturnbutdidnotaugmentbeyondasubduedclearness：forthesunwasverylowalready，andtheriver，wendingitssinuouscoursethroughamultitudeofseculartreesasifatthebottomofaprecipitousgorge，hadbeenalreadyin—

vadedbyadeepeninggloom——theswiftprecursorofthenight.

"Oh，no，youdon’t！"murmuredtheengineeragain.

Hislipstrembledalmostimperceptibly;hishandstoo，alittle：andtocalmhimselfheopenedthewriting—desk，spreadoutasheetofthingrayishpapercoveredwithamassofprintedfiguresandbegantoscanthemat—

tentivelyforthetwentiethtimethistripatleast.

Withhiselbowspropped，hisheadbetweenhishands，heseemedtolosehimselfinthestudyofanabstruseprobleminmathematics.Itwasthelistofthewinningnumbersfromthelastdrawingofthegreatlotterywhichhadbeentheoneinspiringfactofsomanyyearsofhisexistence.Theconceptionofalifedeprivedofthatperiodicalsheetofpaperhadslippedawayfromhimentirely，asanotherman，accordingtohisnature，wouldnothavebeenabletoconceiveaworldwithoutfreshair，withoutactivity，orwithoutaffection.A

greatpileofflimsysheetshadbeengrowingforyearsinhisdesk，whiletheSofala，drivenbythefaithfulJack，woreoutherboilersintrampingupanddowntheStraits，fromcapetocape，fromrivertoriver，frombaytobay;accumulatingbythathardlaborofanoverworked，starvedshiptheblackenedmassofthesedocuments.Massykeptthemunderlockandkeylikeatreasure.Therewasinthem，asintheexperienceoflife，thefascinationofhope，theexcitementofahalf—

penetratedmystery，thelongingofahalf—satisfieddesire.

Fordaystogether，onatrip，hewouldshuthimselfupinhisberthwiththem：thethumpofthetoilingenginespulsatedinhisear;andhewouldwearyhisbrainporingovertherowsofdisconnectedfigures，be—

wilderingbytheirsenselesssequence，resemblingthehazardsofdestinyitself.Henourishedaconvictionthattheremustbesomelogiclurkingsomewhereintheresultsofchance.Hethoughthehadseenitsveryform.Hisheadswam;hislimbsached;hepuffedathispipemechanically;acontemplativestuporwouldsoothethefretfulnessofhistemper，likethepassivebodilyquietudeprocuredbyadrug，whiletheintellectremainstenselyonthestretch.Nine，nine，aught，four，two.Hemadeanote.Thenextwinningnumberofthegreatprizewasforty—seventhousandandfive.ThesenumbersofcoursewouldhavetobeavoidedinthefuturewhenwritingtoManillaforthetickets.Hemumbled，pencilinhand"andfive.Hmhm."Hewettedhisfinger：thepapersrustled.Ha！Butwhat’sthis？Threeyearsago，intheSeptemberdrawing，itwasnumbernine，aught，four，twothattookthefirstprize.Mostremarkable.Therewasahintthereofadefiniterule！Hewasafraidofmissingsomereconditeprincipleintheoverwhelmingwealthofhismaterial.

Whatcoulditbe？andforhalfanhourhewouldremaindeadstill，bentlowoverthedesk，withouttwitchingamuscle.Athisbackthewholeberthwouldbethickwithaheavybodyofsmoke，asifabombhadburstinthere，unnoticed，unheard.

Atlasthewouldlockupthedeskwiththedecisionofunshakenconfidence，jumpandgoout.Hewouldwalkswiftlybackandforthonthatpartoftheforedeckwhichwaskeptclearofthelumberandofthebodiesofthenativepassengers.Theywereagreatnuisance，buttheywerealsoasourceofprofitthatcouldnotbedis—

dained.HeneededeverypennyofprofittheSofalacouldmake.Littleenoughitwas，inallconscience！

Theincertitudeofchancegavehimnoconcern，sincehehadsomehowarrivedattheconvictionthat，inthecourseofyears，everynumberwasboundtohavehiswinningturn.Itwassimplyamatteroftimeandoftakingasmanyticketsashecouldaffordforeverydrawing.Hegenerallytookrathermore;alltheearn—

ingsoftheshipwentthatway，andalsothewagesheallowedhimselfaschiefengineer.Itwasthewageshepaidtoothersthathebegrudgedwithareasonedandatthesametimeapassionateregret.Hescowledatthelascarswiththeirdeckbrooms，atthequarter—

mastersrubbingthebrassrailswithgreasyrags;hewaseagertoshakehisfistandroarabuseinbadMalayatthepoorcarpenter——atimid，sickly，opium—fuddledChinaman，inloosebluedrawersforallcostume，whoinvariablydroppedhistoolsandfledbelow，withstream—

ingtailandshakingallover，beforethefuryofthat"devil."Butitwaswhenheraiseduphiseyestothebridgewhereoneofthesesailorfraudswasalwaysplantedbylawinchargeofhisshipthathefeltalmostdizzywithrage.Heabominatedthemall;itwasanoldfeud，fromthetimehefirstwenttosea，anun—

lickedcubwithagreatopinionofhimself，intheengine—room.Theslightsthathadbeenputuponhim.

Thepersecutionshehadsufferedatthehandsofskip—

pers——ofabsolutenobodiesinasteamshipafterall.

Andnowthathehadrisentobeashipownertheywerestillaplaguetohim：hehadabsolutelytopayawaypreciousmoneytotheconceiteduselessloafers：——Asifafullyqualifiedengineer——whowastheowneraswell——

werenotfittobetrustedwiththewholechargeofaship.Well！hemadeitprettywarmforthem;butitwasapoorconsolation.Hehadcomeintimetohatetheshiptoofortherepairssherequired，forthecoal—

billshehadtopay，forthepoorbeggarlyfreightssheearned.Hewouldclenchhishandashewalkedandhittherailasuddenblow，viciously，asthoughshecouldbemadetofeelpain.Andyethecouldnotdowithouter;heneededher;hemusthangontohertoothandnailtokeephisheadabovewatertilltheexpectedfloodoffortunecamesweepingupandlandedhimsafelyonthehighshoreofhisambition.

Itwasnowtodonothing，nothingwhatever，andhaveplentyofmoneytodoiton.Hehadtastedofpower，thehighestformofithislimitedexperiencewasawareof——thepowerofshipowning.Whatadeception！

Vanityofvanities！Hewonderedathisfolly.Hehadthrownawaythesubstancefortheshadow.Ofthegratificationofwealthhedidnotknowenoughtoexcitehisimaginationwithanyvisionsofluxury.Howcouldhe——thechildofadrunkenboiler—maker——goingstraightfromtheworkshopintotheengine—roomofanorth—countrycollier！Butthenotionoftheabsoluteidlenessofwealthhecouldverywellconceive.Hereveledinit，toforgethispresenttroubles;heimaginedhimselfwalkingaboutthestreetsofHull（heknewtheirgutterswellasaboy）withhispocketsfullofsov—

ereigns.Hewouldbuyhimselfahouse;hismarriedsisters，theirhusbands，hisoldworkshopchums，wouldrenderhiminfinitehomage.Therewouldbenothingtothinkof.Hiswordwouldbelaw.Hehadbeenoutofworkforalongtimebeforehewonhisprize，andherememberedhowCarloMariani（commonlyknownasPaunchyCharley），theMaltesehotel—keeperattheslummyendofDenhamStreet，hadcringedjoyfullybeforehimintheevening，whenthenewshadcome.

PoorCharley，thoughhemadehislivingbyministeringtovariousabjectvices，gavecreditfortheirfoodtomanyapieceofwhitewreckage.Hewasnaivelyover—

joyedattheideaofhisoldbillsbeingpaid，andhereckonedconfidentlyonaspelloffestivitiesinthecavernousgrog—shopdownstairs.Massyrememberedthecurious，respectfullooksofthe"trashy"whitemenintheplace.Hishearthadswelledwithinhim.MassyhadleftCharley’sinfamousdendirectlyhehadrealizedthepossibilitiesopentohim，andwithhisnoseintheair.

Afterwardsthememoryoftheseadulationswasagreatsadness.

Thiswasthetruepowerofmoney，——andnotroublewithit，noranythinkingrequiredeither.Hethoughtwithdifficultyandfeltvividly;tohisbluntbraintheproblemsofferedbyanyorderedschemeoflifeseemedintheircrueltoughnesstohavebeenputinhiswaybytheobviousmalevolenceofmen.Asashipownereveryonehadconspiredtomakehimanobody.Howcouldhehavebeensuchafoolastopurchasethatac—

cursedship.Hehadbeenabominablyswindled;therewasnoendtothisswindling;andasthedifficultiesofhisimprovidentambitiongatheredthickerroundhim，hereallycametohateeverybodyhehadevercomeincon—

tactwith.Atempernaturallyirritableandanamazingsensitivenesstotheclaimsofhisownpersonalityhadendedbymakingoflifeforhimasortofinferno——aplacewherehislostsoulhadbeengivenuptothetor—

mentofsavagebrooding.

Buthehadneverhatedanyonesomuchasthatoldmanwhohadturneduponeeveningtosavehimfromanutterdisaster，——fromtheconspiracyofthewretchedsailors.Heseemedtohavefallenonboardfromthesky.Hisfootstepsechoedontheemptysteamer，andthestrangedeep—tonedvoiceondeckrepeatinginter—

rogativelythewords，"Mr.Massy，Mr.Massythere？"

hadbeenstartlinglikeawonder.Andcomingupfromthedepthsofthecoldengine—room，wherehehadbeenpotteringdismallywithacandleamongsttheenormousshadows，thrownonallsidesbytheskeletonlimbsofma—

chinery，Massyhadbeenstruckdumbbyastonishmentinthepresenceofthatimposingoldmanwithabeardlikeasilverplate，toweringintheduskrenderedluridbytheexpiringflamesofsunset.

"Wanttoseemeonbusiness？Whatbusiness？Iamdoingnobusiness.Can’tyouseethatthisshipislaidup？"Massyhadturnedatbaybeforethepursuingironyofhisdisaster.Afterwardshecouldnotbelievehisears.Whatwasthatoldfellowgettingat？Thingsdon’thappenthatway.Itwasadream.Hewouldpresentlywakeupandfindthemanvanishedlikeashapeofmist.Thegravity，thedignity，thefirmandcourteoustoneofthatathleticoldstrangerimpressedMassy.Hewasalmostafraid.Butitwasnodream.

Fivehundredpoundsarenodream.Atoncehebecamesuspicious.Whatdiditmean？Ofcourseitwasanoffertocatchholdoffordearlife.Butwhatcouldtherebebehind？

Beforetheyhadparted，afterappointingameetinginasolicitor’sofficeearlyonthemorrow，Massywasaskinghimself，Whatishismotive？Hespentthenightinhammeringouttheclausesoftheagreement——auniqueinstrumentofitssortwhosetenorgotbruitedabroadsomehowandbecamethetalkandwonderoftheport.

Massy’sobjecthadbeentosecureforhimselfasmanywaysaspossibleofgettingridofhispartnerwithoutbeingcalleduponatoncetopaybackhisshare.Cap—

tainWhalley’seffortsweredirectedtomakingthemoneysecure.WasitnotIvy’smoney——apartofherfortunewhoseonlyotherassetwasthetime—defyingbodyofheroldfather？Sureofhisforbearanceinthestrengthofhisloveforher，heaccepted，withstatelyserenity，Massy’sstupidlycunningparagraphsagainsthisin—

competence，hisdishonesty，hisdrunkenness，forthesakeofotherstringentstipulations.Attheendofthreeyearshewasatlibertytowithdrawfromthepartner—

ship，takinghismoneywithhim.Provisionwasmadeforformingafundtopayhimoff.ButifhelefttheSofalabeforetheterm，fromwhatevercause（barringdeath），Massywastohaveawholeyearforpaying.

"Illness？"thelawyerhadsuggested：ayoungmanfreshfromEuropeandnotoverburdenedwithbusiness，whowasratheramused.Massybegantowhineunctu—

ously，"Howcouldhebeexpected？"

"Letthatgo，"CaptainWhalleyhadsaidwithasuperbconfidenceinhisbody."ActsofGod，"headded.Inthemidstoflifeweareindeath，buthetrustedhisMakerwithastillgreaterfearlessness——hisMakerwhoknewhisthoughts，hishumanaffections，andhismotives.HisCreatorknewwhatusehewasmakingofhishealth——howmuchhewantedit"Itrustmyfirstillnesswillbemylast.I’veneverbeenillthatIcanremember，"hehadremarked."Letitgo."

ButatthisearlystagehehadalreadyawakenedMassy’shostilitybyrefusingtomakeitsixhundredinsteadoffive."Icannotdothat，"wasallhehadsaid，simply，butwithsomuchdecisionthatMassydesistedatoncefrompressingthepoint，buthadthoughttohimself，"Can’t！Oldcurmudgeon.WON’T！Hemusthavelotsofmoney，buthewouldliketogetholdofasoftberthandthesixthpartofmyprofitsfornothingifheonlycould."

AndduringtheseyearsMassy’sdislikegrewundertherestraintofsomethingresemblingfear.Thesimplicityofthatmanappeareddangerous.Oflatehehadchanged，however，hadappearedlessformidableandwithalessenedvigoroflife，asthoughhehadreceivedasecretwound.Butstillheremainedincomprehensibleinhissimplicity，fearlessness，andrectitude.AndwhenMassylearnedthathemeanttoleavehimattheendofthetime，toleavehimconfrontedwiththeproblemofboilers，hisdislikeblazedupsecretlyintohate.

Ithadmadehimsoclear—eyedthatforalongtimenowMr.Sternecouldhavetoldhimnothinghedidnotknow.Hehadmuchadointryingtoterrorizethatmeansneakintosilence;hewantedtodealalonewiththesituation;and——incredibleasitmighthaveap—

pearedtoMr.Sterne——hehadnotyetgivenupthede—

sireandthehopeofinducingthathatedoldmantostay.Why！therewasnothingelsetodo，unlessheweretoabandonhischancesoffortune.Butnow，suddenly，sincethecrossingofthebaratBatuBeruthingsseemedtobecomingrapidlytoapoint.Itdisquietedhimsomuchthatthestudyofthewinningnumbersfailedtosoothehisagitation：andthetwilightinthecabindeepened，verysomber.

Heputthelistaway，mutteringoncemore，"Oh，no，myboy，youdon’t.NotifIknowit."Hedidnotmeantheblinking，eavesdroppinghumbugtoforcehisaction.Hetookhisheadagainintohishands;hisim—

mobilityconfinedinthedarknessofthisshut—uplittleplaceseemedtomakehimathingapartinfinitelyre—

movedfromthestirandthesoundsofthedeck.

Heheardthem：thepassengerswerebeginningtojabberexcitedly;somebodydraggedaheavyboxpasthisdoor.HeheardCaptainWhalley’svoiceabove——

"Stations，Mr.Sterne."Andtheanswerfromsome—

whereondeckforward——

"Ay，ay，sir."

"Weshallmoorheadupstreamthistime;theebbhasmade."

"Headupstream，sir."

"Youwillseetoit，Mr.Sterne."

Theanswerwascoveredbytheautocraticclangontheengine—roomgong.Thepropellerwentonbeatingslowly：one，two，three;one，two，three——withpausesasifhesitatingontheturn.Thegongclangedtimeaftertime，andthewaterchurnedthiswayandthatbythebladeswasmakingagreatnoisycommotionalongside.

Mr.Massydidnotmove.Ashore—lightontheotherbank，aquarterofamileacrosstheriver，drifted，nobiggerthanatinystar，passingslowlyathwartthecir—

cleoftheport.VoicesfromMr.VanWyk’sjettyan—

sweredthehailsfromtheship;ropeswerethrownandmissedandthrownagain;theswayingflameofatorchcarriedinalargesampancomingtofetchawayinstatetheRajahfromdownthecoastcastasuddenruddyglareintohiscabin，overhisveryperson.Mr.Massydidnotmove.Afterafewlastponderousturnstheenginesstopped，andtheprolongedclangingofthegongsignifiedthatthecaptainhaddonewiththem.A

greatnumberofboatsandcanoesofallsizesboardedtheoff—sideoftheSofala.Thenafteratimethetumultofsplashing，ofcries，ofshufflingfeet，ofpackagesdroppedwithathump，thenoiseofthenativepassen—

gersgoingaway，subsidedslowly.Ontheshore，avoice，cultivated，slightlyauthoritative，spokeveryclosealongside——

"Broughtanymailformethistime？"

"Yes，Mr.VanWyk."ThiswasfromSterne，an—

sweringovertherailinatoneofrespectfulcordiality.

"ShallIbringituptoyou？"

Butthevoiceaskedagain——

"Where’sthecaptain？"

"Stillonthebridge，Ibelieve.Hehasn’tlefthischair.ShallI"

Thevoiceinterruptednegligently.

"Iwillcomeonboard."

"Mr.VanWyk，"Sternesuddenlybrokeoutwithaneagereffort，"willyoudomethefavor"

Thematewalkedawayquicklytowardsthegangway.

Asilencefell.Mr.Massyinthedarkdidnotmove.

Hedidnotmoveevenwhenheheardslowshufflingfootstepspasshiscabinlazily.Hecontentedhimselftobellowoutthroughthecloseddoor——

"You——Jack！"

Thefootstepscamebackwithouthaste;thedoorhandlerattled，andthesecondengineerappearedintheopening，shadowyinthesheenoftheskylightathisback，withhisfaceapparentlyasblackastherestofhisfigure.

"Wehavebeenverylongcomingupthistime，"Mr.

Massygrowled，withoutchanginghisattitude.

"Whatdoyouexpectwithhalftheboilertubespluggedupforleaks."Theseconddefendedhimselfloquaciously.

"Noneofyourlip，"saidMassy.

"Noneofyourrottenboilers——Isay，"retortedhisfaithfulsubordinatewithoutanimation，huskily."Godownthereandcarryaheadofsteamonthemyourself——

ifyoudare.Idon’t."

"Youaren’tworthyoursaltthen，"Massysaid.Theothermadeafaintnoisewhichresembledalaughbutmighthavebeenasnarl.

"Bettergoslowthanstoptheshipaltogether，"headmonishedhisadmiredsuperior.Mr.Massymovedatlast.Heturnedinhischair，andgrindinghisteeth——

"Dam’youandtheship！Iwishshewereatthebottomofthesea.Thenyouwouldhavetostarve."

Thetrustysecondengineerclosedthedoorgently.

Massylistened.Insteadofpassingontothebath—

roomwhereheshouldhavegonetocleanhimself，thesecondenteredhiscabin，whichwasnextdoor.Mr.

Massyjumpedupandwaited.Suddenlyheheardthelocksnapinthere.Herushedoutandgaveaviolentkicktothedoor.

"Ibelieveyouarelockingyourselfuptogetdrunk，"

heshouted.

Amuffledanswercameafterawhile.

"Myowntime."

"IfyoutaketoboozingonthetripI’llfireyouout，"

Massycried.

Anobstinatesilencefollowedthatthreat.Massymovedawayperplexed.Onthebanktwofiguresap—

peared，approachingthegangway.Heheardavoicetingedwithcontempt——

"Iwouldratherdoubtyourword.ButIshallcer—

tainlyspeaktohimofthis."

Theothervoice，Sterne’s，saidwithasortofregretfulformality——

"Thanks.That’sallIwant.Imustdomyduty."

Mr.Massywassurprised.Ashort，dapperfigureleapedlightlyonthedeckandnearlyboundedintohimwherehestoodbeyondthecircleoflightfromthegang—

waylamp.Whenithadpassedtowardsthebridge，afterexchangingahurried"Goodevening，"MassysaidsurlilytoSternewhofollowedwithslowsteps——

"Whatisityou’remakinguptoMr.VanWykfor，now？"

"Farfromit，Mr.Massy.IamnotgoodenoughforMr.VanWyk.Neitherareyou，sir，inhisopinion，I

amafraid.CaptainWhalleyis，itseems.He’sgonetoaskhimtodineupatthehousethisevening."

Thenhemurmuredtohimselfdarkly——

"Ihopehewilllikeit."

XII

Mr.VanWyk，thewhitemanofBatuBeru，anex—

navalofficerwho，forreasonsbestknowntohimself，hadthrownawaythepromiseofabrilliantcareertobecomethepioneeroftobacco—plantingonthatremotepartofthecoast，hadlearnedtolikeCaptainWhalley.Theappearanceofthenewskipperhadattractedhisatten—

tion.NothingmoreunlikeallthediversetypeshehadseensucceedingeachotheronthebridgeoftheSofalacouldbeimagined.

AtthattimeBatuBeruwasnotwhatithasbecomesince：thecenterofaprosperoustobacco—growingdis—

trict，atropicallysuburban—lookinglittlesettlementofbungalowsinonelongstreetshadedwithtworowsoftrees，emboweredbythefloweringandtrimluxurianceofthegardens，withathree—mile—longcarriage—roadfortheafternoondrivesandafirst—classResidentwithafat，cheerywifetoleadthesocietyofmarriedestate—

managersandunmarriedyoungfellowsintheserviceofthebigcompanies.

Allthisprosperitywasnotyet;andMr.VanWykprosperedaloneontheleftbankonhisdeepclearingcarvedoutoftheforest，whichcamedownaboveandbelowtothewater’sedge.HislonelybungalowfacedacrosstheriverthehousesoftheSultan：arestlessandmelancholyoldrulerwhohaddonewithloveandwar，forwhomlifenolongerheldanysavor（exceptofevilforebodings）andtimeneverhadanyvalue.Hewasafraidofdeath，andhopedhewoulddiebeforethewhitemenwerereadytotakehiscountryfromhim.Hecrossedtheriverfrequently（withneverlessthantenboatscrammedfullofpeople），inthewistfulhopeofextractingsomeinformationonthesubjectfromhisownwhiteman.Therewasacertainchairontheverandahealwaystook：thedignitariesofthecourtsquattedontherugsandskinsbetweenthefurniture：

theinferiorpeopleremainedbelowonthegrassplotbetweenthehouseandtheriverinrowsthreeorfourdeepallalongthefront.Notseldomthevisitbeganatdaybreak.Mr.VanWyktoleratedtheseinroads.Hewouldnodoutofhisbedroomwindow，tooth—brushorrazorinhand，orpassthroughthethrongofcourtiersinhisbathingrobe.Heappearedanddisappearedhum—

mingatune，polishedhisnailswithattention，rubbedhisshavedfacewitheau—de—Cologne，drankhisearlytea，wentouttoseehiscooliesatwork：returned，lookedthroughsomepapersonhisdesk，readapageortwoinabookorsatbeforehiscottagepianoleaningbackonthestool，hisarmsextended，fingersonthekeys，hisbodyswayingslightlyfromsidetoside.Whenabso—

lutelyforcedtospeakhegaveevasivevaguelysoothinganswersoutofpurecompassion：thesamefeelingper—

hapsmadehimsolavishlyhospitablewiththeaerateddrinksthatmorethanoncehelefthimselfwithoutsoda—

waterforawholeweek.Thatoldmanhadgrantedhimasmuchlandashecaredtohavecleared：itwasneithermorenorlessthanafortune.

WhetheritwasfortuneorseclusionfromhiskindthatMr.VanWyksought，hecouldnothavepitcheduponabetterplace.Eventhemail—boatsofthesubsidizedcompanycallingontheveriestclustersofpalm—thatchedhovelsalongthecoaststeamedpastthemouthofBatuBeruriverfarawayintheoffing.Thecontractwasold：perhapsinafewyears’time，whenithadexpired，BatuBeruwouldbeincludedintheservice;meantimeallMr.VanWyk’smailwasaddressedtoMalacca，whencehisagentsentitacrossonceamonthbytheSofala.ItfollowedthatwheneverMassyhadrunshortofmoney（throughtakingtoomanylotterytickets），orgotintoadifficultyaboutaskipper，Mr.VanWykwasdeprivedofhisletterandnewspapers.InsofarhehadapersonalinterestinthefortunesoftheSofala.

Thoughheconsideredhimselfahermit（andfornopassingwhimevidently，sincehehadstoodeightyearsofitalready），helikedtoknowwhatwentonintheworld.

Handyontheverandauponawalnutetagere（ithadcomelastyearbytheSofala——everythingcamebytheSofala）therelay，piledupunderbronzeweights，apileoftheTimes’weeklyedition，thelargesheetsoftheRotterdamCourant，theGraphicinitsworld—widegreenwrappers，anillustratedDutchpublicationwith—

outacover，thenumbersofaGermanmagazinewithcoversofthe"Bismarckmalade"color.Therewerealsoparcelsofnewmusic——thoughthepiano（ithadcomeyearsagobytheSofalainthedampatmosphereoftheforestswasgenerallyoutoftune.Itwasvexingtobecutofffromeverythingforsixtydaysatastretchsometimes，withoutanymeansofknowingwhatwasthematter.AndwhentheSofalareappearedMr.VanWykwoulddescendthestepsoftheverandaandstrolloverthegrassplotinfrontofhishouse，downtothewater—

side，withafrownonhiswhitebrow.

"You’vebeenlaidupafteranaccident，Ipresume."

Headdressedthebridge，butbeforeanybodycouldanswerMassywassuretohavealreadyscrambledashoreovertherailandpushedin，squeezingthepalmsofhishandstogether，bowinghissleekheadasifgummedalloverthetopwithblackthreadsandtapes.Andhewouldbesoenragedatthenecessityofhavingtooffersuchanexplanationthathismoaningwouldbeposi—

tivelypitiful，whileallthetimehetriedtocomposehisbiglipsintoasmile.

"No，Mr.VanWyk.Youwouldnotbelieveit.I

couldn’tgetoneofthosewretchestotaketheshipout.

Notasingleoneofthelazybeastscouldbeinduced，andthelaw，youknow，Mr.VanWyk"

Hemoanedatgreatlengthapologetically;thewordsconspiracy，plot，envy，cameoutprominently，whinedwithgreaterenergy.Mr.VanWyk，examiningwithafaintgrimacehispolishedfinger—nails，wouldsay，"H’m.Veryunfortunate，"andturnhisbackonhim.

Fastidious，clever，slightlyskeptical，accustomedtothebestsociety（hehadheldamuch—enviedshoreappoint—

mentattheMinistryofMarineforayearprecedinghisretreatfromhisprofessionandfromEurope），hepossessedalatentwarmthoffeelingandacapacityforsympathywhichwereconcealedbyasortofhaughty，arbitraryindifferenceofmannerarisingfromhisearlytraining;andbyasomethinganenemymighthavecalledfoppish，inhisaspect——likeadistortedechoofpastelegance.Hemanagedtokeepanalmostmili—

tarydisciplineamongstthecooliesoftheestatehehaddraggedintothelightofdayoutofthetangleandshadowsofthejungle;andthewhiteshirtheputoneveryeveningwithitsstiffglossyfrontandhighcollarlookedasifhehadmeanttopreservethedecentceremonyofevening—dress，buthadwoundathickcrim—

sonsashabovehishipsasaconcessiontothewilderness，oncehisadversary，nowhisvanquishedcompanion.

Moreover，itwasahygienicprecaution.Wornwideopeninfront，ashortjacketofsomeairysilkenstufffloatedfromhisshoulders.Hisfluffy，fairhair，thinatthetop，curledslightlyatthesides;acarefullyar—

rangedmustache，anungarnishedforehead，thegleamoflowpatentshoespeepingunderthewidebottomoftrowserscutstraightfromthesamestuffasthegossa—

mercoat，completedafigurerecalling，withitssash，apiratechiefofromance，andatthesametimetheele—

ganceofaslightlybalddandyindulging，inseclusion，atasteforunorthodoxcostume.

Itwashiseveningget—up.ThepropertimefortheSofalatoarriveatBatuBeruwasanhourbeforesun—

set，andhelookedpicturesque，andsomehowquitecor—

recttoo，walkingatthewater’sedgeonthebackgroundofgrassslopecrownedwithalowlongbungalowwithanimmenselysteeproofofpalmthatch，andcladtotheeavesinfloweringcreepers.WhiletheSofalawasbeingmadefasthestrolledintheshadeofthefewtreesleftnearthelanding—place，waitingtillhecouldgoonboard.Herwhitemenwerenotofhiskind.TheoldSultan（thoughhiswistfulinvasionswereanuisance）

wasreallymuchmoreacceptabletohisfastidioustaste.

Butstilltheywerewhite;theperiodicalvisitsoftheshipmadeabreakinthewell—filledsamenessofthedayswithoutdisturbinghisprivacy.Moreover，theywerenecessaryfromabusinesspointofview;andthroughastrainofprecisenessinhisnaturehewasirritatedwhenshefailedtoappearattheappointedtime.

Thecauseoftheirregularitywastooabsurd，andMassy，inhisopinion，wasacontemptibleidiot.ThefirsttimetheSofalareappearedunderthenewagree—

mentswingingoutofthebendbelow，afterhehadalmostgivenupallhopeofeverseeingheragain，hefeltsoangrythathedidnotgodownatoncetothelanding—place.Hisservantshadcomerunningtohimwiththenews，andhehaddraggedachaircloseagainstthefrontrailoftheveranda，spreadhiselbowsout，restedhischinonhishands，andwentonglaringatherfixedlywhileshewasbeingmadefastoppositehishouse.Hecouldmakeouteasilyallthewhitefacesonboard.Whoonearthwasthatkindofpatriarchtheyhadgotthereonthebridgenow？

Atlasthesprangupandwalkeddownthegravelpath.

ItwasafactthattheverygravelforhispathshadbeenimportedbytheSofala.Exasperatedoutofhisquietsuperciliousness，withoutlookingatanyonerightorleft，heaccostedMassystraightwayinsodeterminedamannerthattheengineer，takenaback，begantostammerunintelligibly.Nothingcouldbeheardbutthewords："Mr.VanWykIndeed，Mr.VanWykForthefuture，Mr.VanWyk"——andbythesuffusionofbloodMassy’svastbiliousfaceacquiredanunnaturalorangetint，outofwhichthedisconcertedcoal—blackeyesshoneinanextraordinarymanner.

"Nonsense.Iamtiredofthis.IwonderyouhavetheimpudencetocomealongsidemyjettyasifIhaditmadeforyourconveniencealone."

Massytriedtoprotestearnestly.Mr.VanWykwasveryangry.HehadagoodmindtoaskthatGermanfirm——thosepeopleinMalacca——whatwastheirname？——

boatswithgreenfunnels.Theywouldbeonlytoogladoftheopeningtoputoneoftheirsmallsteamersontherun.Yes;Schnitzler，JacobSchnitzler，wouldinamoment.Yes.Hehaddecidedtowritewithoutdelay.

InhisagitationMassycaughtuphisfallingpipe.

"Youdon’tmeanit，sir！"heshrieked.

"Youshouldn’tmismanageyourbusinessinthisridiculousmanner."

Mr.VanWykturnedonhisheel.Theotherthreewhitesonthebridgehadnotstirredduringthescene.

Massywalkedhastilyfromsidetoside，puffedouthischeeks，suffocated.

"StuckupDutchman！"

Andhemoanedoutfeverishlyalongtaleofgriefs.

Theeffortshehadmadeforalltheseyearstopleasethatman.Thiswasthereturnyougotforit，eh？

Pretty.WritetoSchnitzler——letinthegreen—funnelboats——getanoldHamburgJewtoruinhim.No，reallyhecouldlaughHelaughedsobbingly

Ha！ha！ha！Andmakehimcarrytheletterinhisownshippresumably.

Hestumbledacrossagratingandswore.HewouldnothesitatetoflingtheDutchman’scorrespondenceoverboard——thewholeconfoundedbundle.Hehadnever，nevermadeanychargeforthataccommodation.

ButCaptainWhalley，hisnewpartner，wouldnotlethimprobably;besides，itwouldbeonlyputtingofftheevilday.Forhisownparthewouldmakeaholeinthewaterratherthanlookontamelyatthegreenfunnelsoverrunninghistrade.

Heravedaloud.TheChinaboyshungbackwiththedishesatthefootoftheladder.Heyelledfromthebridgedownatthedeck，"Aren’twegoingtohaveanychowthiseveningatall？"thenturnedviolentlytoCaptainWhalley，whowaited，graveandpatient，attheheadofthetable，smoothinghisbeardinsilencenowandthenwithaforbearinggesture.

"Youdon’tseemtocarewhathappenstome.Don’tyouseethatthisaffectsyourinterestsasmuchasmine？

It’snojokingmatter."

Hetookthefootofthetablegrowlingbetweenhisteeth.

"Unlessyouhaveafewthousandsputawaysome—

where.Ihaven’t."

Mr.VanWykdinedinhisthoroughlylit—upbunga—

low，puttingapointofsplendorinthenightofhisclearingabovethedarkbankoftheriver.Afterwardshesatdowntohispiano，andinapausehebecameawareofslowfootstepspassingonthepathalongthefront.

Aplankortwocreakedunderaheavytread;heswunghalfroundonthemusic—stool，listeningwithhisfinger—

tipsatrestonthekeyboard.Hislittleterrierbarkedviolently，backinginfromtheveranda.Adeepvoiceapologizedgravelyfor"thisintrusion."Hewalkedoutquickly.

Attheheadofthestepsthepatriarchalfigure，whowasthenewcaptainoftheSofalaapparently（hehadseenarounddozenofthem，butnotoneofthatsort），toweredwithoutadvancing.Thelittledogbarkedun—

ceasingly，tillaflickofMr.VanWyk’shandkerchiefmadehimspringasideintosilence.CaptainWhalley，openingthematter，wasmetbyapunctiliouslypolitebutdeterminedopposition.

Theycarriedontheirdiscussionstandingwheretheyhadcomefacetoface.Mr.VanWykobservedhisvisitorwithattention.Thenatlast，asifforcedoutofhisreserve——

"Iamsurprisedthatyoushouldintercedeforsuchaconfoundedfool."

Thisoutbreakwasalmostcomplimentary，asifitsmeaninghadbeen，"Thatsuchamanasyoushouldintercede！"CaptainWhalleyletitpassbywithoutflinching.Onewouldhavethoughthehadheardnoth—

ing.Hesimplywentontostatethathewaspersonallyinterestedinputtingthingsstraightbetweenthem.

Personally

ButMr.VanWyk，reallycarriedawaybyhisdisgustwithMassy，becameveryincisive——

"Indeed——ifIamtobefrankwithyou——hiswholecharacterdoesnotseemtomeparticularlyestimableortrustworthy"

CaptainWhalley，alwaysstraight，seemedtogrowaninchtallerandbroader，asifthegirthofhischesthadsuddenlyexpandedunderhisbeard.

"Mydearsir，youdon’tthinkIcameheretodiscussamanwithwhomIam——Iam——h’m——closelyasso—

ciated."

Asortofsolemnsilencelastedforamoment.Hewasnotusedtoaskingfavors，buttheimportanceheat—

tachedtothisaffairhadmadehimwillingtotry

Mr.VanWyk，favorablyimpressed，andsuddenlymol—

lifiedbyadesiretolaugh，interrupted——

"That’sallrightifyoumakeitapersonalmatter;

butyoucandonolessthansitdownandsmokeacigarwithme."

Aslightpause，thenCaptainWhalleysteppedforwardheavily.Astotheregularityoftheservice，forthefuturehemadehimselfresponsibleforit;andhisnamewasWhalley——perhapstoasailor（hewasspeakingtoasailor，washenot？）notaltogetherunfamiliar.Therewasalighthousenow，onanisland.MaybeMr.VanWykhimself

"Ohyes.Ohindeed."Mr.VanWykcaughtonatonce.Heindicatedachair.Howveryinteresting.

ForhisownparthehadseensomeserviceinthelastAcheenWar，buthadneverbeensofarEast.WhalleyIsland？Ofcourse.Nowthatwasveryinteresting.

Whatchangeshisguestmusthaveseensince.

"Icanlookfurtherbackeven——onawholehalf—

century."

CaptainWhalleyexpandedabit.Theflavorofagoodcigar（itwasaweakness）hadgonestraighttohisheart，alsothecivilityofthatyoungman.Therewassomethinginthataccidentalcontactofwhichhehadbeenstarvedinhisyearsofstruggle.

Thefrontwallretreatingmadeasquarerecessfur—

nishedlikearoom.Alampwithamilkyglassshade，suspendedbelowtheslopeofthehighroofattheendofaslenderbrasschain，threwabrightroundoflightuponalittletablebearinganopenbookandanivorypaper—knife.And，inthetranslucentshadowsbeyond，othertablescouldbeseen，anumberofeasy—chairsofvariousshapes，withagreatprofusionofskinrugsstrewnontheteakwoodplankingallovertheveranda.

Thefloweringcreepersscentedtheair.Theirfoliageclippedoutbetweentheuprightsmadeasifseveralframesofthickunstirringleavesreflectingthelamp—

lightinagreenglow.ThroughtheopeningathiselbowCaptainWhalleycouldseethegangwaylanternoftheSofalaburningdimbytheshore，theshadowymassesofthetownbeyondtheopenlustrousdarknessoftheriver，and，asifhungalongthestraightedgeoftheprojectingeaves，anarrowblackstripofthenightskyfullofstars——resplendent.Thefamouscigarinhandhehadamomentofcomplacency.

"Atrifle.Somebodymustleadtheway.Ijustshowedthatthethingcouldbedone;butyoumenbroughtuptotheuseofsteamcannotconceivethevastimportanceofmybitofventuresomenesstotheEasterntradeofthetime.Why，thatnewroutereducedtheaveragetimeofasouthernpassagebyelevendaysformorethanhalftheyear.Elevendays！

It’sonrecord.Buttheremarkablething——speakingtoasailor——Ishouldsaywas"

Hetalkedwell，withoutegotism，professionally.Thepowerfulvoice，producedwithouteffort，filledthebungalowevenintotheemptyroomswithadeepandlimpidresonance，seemedtomakeastillnessoutside;

andMr.VanWykwassurprisedbytheserenequalityofitstone，liketheperfectionofmanlygentleness.

Nursingonesmallfoot，inasilksockandapatentleathershoe，onhisknee，hewasimmenselyentertained.

Itwasasifnobodycouldtalklikethisnow，andtheovershadowedeyes，theflowingwhitebeard，thebigframe，theserenity，thewholetemperoftheman，wereanamazingsurvivalfromtheprehistorictimesoftheworldcominguptohimoutofthesea.

CaptainWhalleyhadbeenalsothepioneeroftheearlytradeintheGulfofPe—tchi—li.Heevenfoundoccasiontomentionthathehadburiedhis"dearwife"theresix—and—twentyyearsago.Mr.VanWyk，impassive，couldnothelpspeculatinginhismindswiftlyastothesortofwomanthatwouldmatewithsuchaman.

Didtheymakeanadventurousandwell—matchedpair？

No.Verypossibleshehadbeensmall，frail，nodoubtveryfeminine——ormostlikelycommonplacewithdo—

mesticinstincts，utterlyinsignificant.ButCaptainWhalleywasnogarrulousbore，andshakinghisheadasiftodissipatethemomentarygloomthathadsettledonhishandsomeoldface，healludedconversationallytoMr.VanWyk’ssolitude.

Mr.VanWykaffirmedthatsometimeshehadmorecompanythanhewanted.Hementionedsmilinglysomeofthepeculiaritiesofhisintercoursewith"MySultan."Hemadehisvisitsinforce.Thosepeopledamagedhisgrassplotinfront（itwasnoteasytoobtainsomeapproachtoalawninthetropics，andtheotherdayhadbrokendownsomerarebusheshehadplantedoverthere.AndCaptainWhalleyrememberedimmediatelythat，in’forty—seven，thethenSultan，"thisman’sgrandfather，"hadbeennotoriousasagreatpro—

tectorofthepiraticalfleetsofprausfromfartherEast.

TheyhadasaferefugeintheriveratBatuBeru.HefinancedmoreespeciallyaBalininichiefcalledHajiDaman.CaptainWhalley，noddingsignificantlyhisbushywhiteeyebrows，hadverygoodreasontoknowsomethingofthat.Theworldhadprogressedsincethattime.

Mr.VanWykdemurredwithunexpectedacrimony.

Progressedinwhat？hewantedtoknow.

Why，inknowledgeoftruth，indecency，injustice，inorder——inhonestytoo，sincemenharmedeachothermostlyfromignorance.Itwas，CaptainWhalleycon—

cludedquaintly，morepleasanttolivein.

Mr.VanWykwhimsicallywouldnotadmitthatMr.

Massy，forinstance，wasmorepleasantnaturallythantheBalininipirates.

Theriverhadnotgainedmuchbythechange.Theywereintheirwayeverybitashonest.MassywaslessferociousthanHajiDamannodoubt，but

"Andwhataboutyou，mygoodsir？"CaptainWhalleylaughedadeepsoftlaugh."YOUareanim—

provement，surely."

Hecontinuedinaveinofpleasantry.Agoodcigarwasbetterthanaknockonthehead——thesortofwel—

comehewouldhavefoundonthisriverfortyorfiftyyearsago.Thenleaningforwardslightly，hebecameearnestlyserious.Itseemsasif，outsidetheirownsea—

gypsytribes，theserovershadhatedallmankindwithanincomprehensible，bloodthirstyhatred.Meantimetheirdepredationshadbeenstopped，andwhatwastheconsequence？Thenewgenerationwasorderly，peace—