ThoughtheremarkofCaptainDelano，amanofsuchnativesimplicityastobeincapableofsatireorirony，hadbeendroppedinplayfulallusiontotheSpaniard\'ssingularlyevidencedlordshipovertheblack；yetthehypochondriacseemedinsomewaytohavetakenitasamaliciousreflectionuponhisconfessedinabilitythusfartobreakdown，atleast，onaverbalsummons，theentrenchedwilloftheslave。Deploringthissupposedmisconception，yetdespairingofcorrectingit，CaptainDelanoshiftedthesubject；butfindinghiscompanionmorethaneverwithdrawn，asifstillslowlydigestingtheleesofthepresumedaffrontabove-mentioned，by-and-byCaptainDelanolikewisebecamelesstalkative，oppressed，againsthisownwill，bywhatseemedthesecretvindictivenessofthemorbidlysensitiveSpaniard。Butthegoodsailorhimself，ofaquitecontrarydisposition，refrained，onhispart，alikefromtheappearanceasfromthefeelingofresentment，andifsilent，wasonlysofromcontagion。
PresentlytheSpaniard，assistedbyhisservant，somewhatdiscourteouslycrossedoverfromCaptainDelano；aprocedurewhich，sensiblyenough，mighthavebeenallowedtopassforidlecapriceofill-humour，hadnotmasterandman，lingeringroundthecorneroftheelevatedskylight，begunwhisperingtogetherinlowvoices。Thiswasunpleasing。Andmore：themoodyairoftheSpaniard，whichattimeshadnotbeenwithoutasortofvaletudinarianstateliness，nowseemedanythingbutdignified；whilethemenialfamiliarityoftheservantlostitsoriginalcharmofsimple-heartedattachment。
Inhisembarrassment，thevisitorturnedhisfacetotheothersideoftheship。Bysodoing，hisglanceaccidentallyfellonayoungSpanishsailor，acoilofropeinhishand，juststeppedfromthedecktothefirstroundofthemizzen-rigging。Perhapsthemanwouldnothavebeenparticularlynoticed，wereitnotthat，duringhisascenttooneoftheyards，he，withasortofcovertintentness，kepthiseyefixedonCaptainDelano，fromwhom，presently，itpassed，asifbyanaturalsequence，tothetwowhisperers。
Hisownattentionthusredirectedtothatquarter，CaptainDelanogaveaslightstart。FromsomethinginDonBenito\'smannerjustthen，itseemedasifthevisitorhad，atleastpartly，beenthesubjectofthewithdrawnconsultationgoingon-aconjectureaslittleagreeabletotheguestasitwaslittleflatteringtothehost。
Thesingularalternationsofcourtesyandill-breedingintheSpanishcaptainwereunaccountable，exceptononeoftwosuppositions-