’Butwhathasthistodowiththepicture？’
’WaitaminuteShehadbeenintheChinapassengertradeandherlowerdeckshadbunksfortwothousandpigtailsThosewerealltakendown，andshewasemptyuptohernose，andthelightscamethroughtheportholes——mostannoyinglightstoworkintillyougotusedtothemI
hadn’tanythingtodoforweeksTheship’schartswereinpiecesandourskipperdaren’trunsouthforfearofcatchingastormSohedidhisbesttoknockalltheSocietyIslandsoutofthewateronebyone，andI
wentintothelowerdeck，anddidmypictureontheportsideasfarforwardinherasIcouldgoTherewassomebrownpaintandsomegreenpaintthattheyusedfortheboats，andsomeblackpaintforironwork，andthatwasallIhad。’
’Thepassengersmusthavethoughtyoumad。’
’Therewasonlyone，anditwasawoman；butitgavemethenotionofmypicture。’
’Whatwasshelike？’saidTorpenhow。
’ShewasasortofNegroid-Jewess-Cuban；withmoralstomatch。
Shecouldn’treadorwrite，andshedidn’twantto，butsheusedtocomedownandwatchmepaint，andtheskipperdidn’tlikeit，becausehewaspayingherpassageandhadtobeonthebridgeoccasionally。’
’IseeThatmusthavebeencheerful。’
’ItwasthebesttimeIeverhadTobeginwith，wedidn’tknowwhetherweshouldgouporgodownanyminutewhentherewasaseaon；
andwhenitwascalmitwasparadise；andthewomanusedtomixthepaintsandtalkbrokenEnglish，andtheskipperusedtostealdowneveryfewminutestothelowerdeck，becausehesaidhewasafraidoffire。
So，yousee，wecouldnevertellwhenwemightbecaught，andIhadasplendidnotiontoworkoutinonlythreekeysofcolour。’
’Whatwasthenotion？’
’TwolinesinPoe——
NeithertheanglesinHeavenabovenorthedemonsdownunderthesea，CaneverdissevermysoulfromthesoulofthebeautifulAnnabelLee。
Itcameoutofthesea——allbyitselfIdrewthatfight，foughtoutingreenwateroverthenaked，chokingsoul，andthewomanservedasthemodelforthedevilsandtheangelsboth——sea-devilsandsea-angels，andthesoulhalfdrownedbetweenthemItdoesn’tsoundmuch，butwhentherewasagoodlightonthelowerdeckitlookedveryfineandcreepyItwassevenbyfourteenfeet，alldoneinshiftinglightforshiftinglight。’
’Didthewomaninspireyoumuch？’saidTorpenhow。
’Sheandtheseabetweenthem——immenselyTherewasaheapofbaddrawinginthatpictureIrememberIwentoutofmywaytoforeshortenforsheerdelightofdoingit，andIforeshorteneddamnably，butforallthatit’sthebestthingI’veeverdone；andnowIsupposetheship’sbrokenuporgonedownWhew！Whatatimethatwas！’
’Whathappenedafterall？’
’ItallendedTheywereloadingherwithwoolwhenIlefttheship，buteventhestevedoreskeptthepicturecleartothelastTheeyesofthedemonsscaredthem，Ihonestlybelieve。’
’Andthewoman？’
’ShewasscaredtoowhenitwasfinishedSheusedtocrossherselfbeforeshewentdowntolookatitJustthreecoloursandnochanceofgettinganymore，andtheseaoutsideandunlimitedlove-makinginside，andthefearofdeathatopofeverythingelse，OLord！’Hehadceasedtolookatthesketch，butwasstaringstraightinfrontofhimacrosstheroom。
’Whydon’tyoutrysomethingofthesamekindnow？’saidtheNilghai。
’BecausethosethingscomenotbyfastingandprayerWhenIfindacargo-boatandaJewess-Cubanandanothernotionandthesameoldlife，Imay。’
’Youwon’tfindthemhere，’saidtheNilghai。
’No，Ishallnot。’Dickshutthesketch-bookwithabang’Thisroom’sashotasanovenOpenthewindow，someone。’
Heleanedintothedarkness，watchingthegreaterdarknessofLondonbelowhimThechambersstoodmuchhigherthantheotherhouses，commandingahundredchimneys——crookedcowlsthatlookedlikesittingcatsastheyswunground，andotheruncouthbrickandzincmysteriessupportedbyironstanchionsandclampedby8-piecesNorthwardthelightsofPiccadillyCircusandLeicesterSquarethrewacopper-colouredglareabovetheblackroofs，andsouthwardbyalltheorderlylightsoftheThamesAtrainrolledoutacrossoneoftherailwaybridges，anditsthunderdrownedforaminutethedullroarofthestreetsTheNilghailookedathiswatchandsaidshortly，’That’stheParisnight-mail。
YoucanbookfromheretoStPetersburgifyouchoose。’
DickcrammedheadandshouldersoutofthewindowandlookedacrosstheriverTorpenhowcametohisside，whiletheNilghaipassedoverquietlytothepianoandopeneditBinkie，makinghimselfaslargeaspossible，spreadoutuponthesofawiththeairofonewhoisnottobelightlydisturbed。
’Well，’saidtheNilghaitothetwopairsofshoulders，’haveyouneverseenthisplacebefore？’
Asteam-tugontheriverhootedasshetowedherbargestowharf。
ThentheboomofthetrafficcameintotheroomTorpenhownudgedDick。
’Goodplacetobankin——badplacetobunkin，Dickie，isn’tit？’
Dick’schinwasinhishandasheanswered，inthewordsofageneralnotwithoutfame，stilllookingoutonthedarkness——’“MyGod，whatacitytoloot！”’
Binkiefoundthenightairticklinghiswhiskersandsneezedplaintively。
’WeshallgivetheBinkie-dogacold，’saidTorpenhow’Comein，’
andtheywithdrewtheirheads’You’llbeburiedinKensalGreen，Dick，oneofthesedays，ifitisn’tclosedbythetimeyouwanttogothere——buriedwithintwofeetofsomeoneelse，hiswifeandhisfamily。’
’Allahforbid！IshallgetawaybeforethattimecomesGiveamanroomtostretchhislegs，MrBinkie。’DickflunghimselfdownonthesofaandtweakedBinkie’svelvetears，yawningheavilythewhile。
’You’llfindthatwardrobe-caseverymuchoutoftune，’TorpenhowsaidtotheNilghai’It’snevertouchedexceptbyyou。’
’Apieceofgrossextravagance，’Dickgrunted’TheNilghaionlycomeswhenI’mout。’
’That’sbecauseyou’realwaysoutHowl，Nilghai，andlethimhear。’
’ThelifeoftheNilghaiisfraudandslaughter，HiswritingsarewateredDickensandwater；
ButthevoiceoftheNilghairaisedonhighMakeseventheMahdiehgladtodie！’
DickquotedfromTorpenhow’sletterpressintheNungapungaBook。
’HowdotheycallmooseinCanada，Nilghai？’
ThemanlaughedSingingwashisonepoliteaccomplishment，asmanyPress-tentsinfar-offlandshadknown。
’WhatshallIsing？’saidhe，turninginthechair。
’“MollRoeintheMorning。”’saidTorpenhow，ataventure。
’No，’saidDick，sharply，andtheNilghaiopenedhiseyesTheoldchantywhereofhe，amongaveryfew，possessedallthewordswasnotaprettyone，butDickhadhearditmanytimesbeforewithoutwincing。
Withoutpreludehelaunchedintothatstatelytunethatcallstogetherandtroublestheheartsofthegipsiesofthesea——
’Farewellandadieutoyou，Spanishladies，Farewellandadieutoyou，ladiesofSpain。’
Dickturneduneasilyonthesofa，forhecouldhearthebowsoftheBarralongcrashingintothegreenseasonherwaytotheSouthernCross。
Thencamethechorus——
’We’llrantandwe’llroarliketrueBritishsailors，We’llrantandwe’llroaracrossthesaltseas，UntilwetakesoundingsintheChannelofOldEnglandFromUshanttoScilly’tisforty-fiveleagues。’
’Thirty-five-thirty-five，’saidDick，petulantly’Don’ttamperwithHolyWritGoon，Nilghai。’
’ThefirstlandwemadeitwascalledtheDeadman，’
andtheysangtotheendveryvigourously。
’Thatwouldbeabettersongifherheadwereturnedtheotherway——totheUshantlight，forinstance，’saidtheNilghai。
’Flinginghisarmsaboutlikeamadwindmill，’saidTorpenhow。
’Giveussomethingelse，NilghaiYou’reinfinefog-hornformtonight。’
’Giveusthe“GangesPilot“；yousangthatinthesquarethenightbeforeEl-MaghribBytheway，Iwonderhowmanyofthechorusarealiveto-night，’saidDick。
Torpenhowconsideredforaminute’ByJove！IbelieveonlyyouandI。
Raynor，Vicery，andDeenes——alldead；VincentcaughtsmallpoxinCairo，carriedithereanddiedofitYes，onlyyouandIandtheNilghai。’
’Umph！Andyetthemenherewho’vedonetheirworkinawell-warmedstudioalltheirlives，withapolicemanateachcorner，saythatI
chargetoomuchformypictures。’
’Theyarebuyingyourwork，notyourinsurancepolicies，dearchild，’
saidtheNilghai。
’IgambledwithonetogetattheotherDon’tpreachGoonwiththe“Pilot。”Whereintheworlddidyougetthatsong？’
’Onatombstone，’saidtheNilghai’OnatombstoneinadistantlandI
madeitanaccompanimentwithheapsofbasechords。’
’Oh，Vanity！Begin。’AndtheNilghaibegan——
’Ihaveslippedmycable，messmates，I’mdriftingdownwiththetide，Ihavemysailingorders，whileyetananchorride。
AndneveronfairJunemorninghaveIputouttoseaWithclearerconscienceorbetterhope，oraheartmorelightandfree。
’Shouldertoshoulder，Joe，myboy，intothecrowdlikeawedgeStrikewiththehangers，messmates，butdonotcutwiththeedge。
CriesCharnock，“Scatterthefaggots，doublethatBrahminintwo，Thetallpalewidowforme，Joe，thelittlebrowngirlforyou！”
’YoungJoeyou’renearingsixty，whyisyourhidesodark？
Katiehassoftfairblueeyes，whoblackenedyours？——Why，hark！’
Theywereallsingingnow，Dickwiththeroarofthewindoftheopenseaabouthisearsasthedeepbassvoiceletitselfgo。
’Themorninggun——Ho，steady！thearquebusestome！
Iha’soundedtheDutchHighAdmiral’sheartasmyleaddothsoundthesea。
’Sounding，soundingtheGanges，floatingdownwiththetide，MooremeclosetoCharnock，nexttomynut-brownbride。
MyblessingtoKateatFairlight——Holwell，mythankstoyou；
Steady！Westeerforheaven，throughsand-driftscoldandblue。’
’Nowwhatisthereinthatnonsensetomakeamanrestless？’saidDick，haulingBinkiefromhisfeettohischest。
’Itdependsontheman，’saidTorpenhow。
’Themanwhohasbeendowntolookatthesea，’saidtheNilghai。
’Ididn’tknowshewasgoingtoupsetmeinthisfashion。’
’That’swhatmensaywhentheygotosaygood-byetoawomanIt’smoreeasythoughtogetridofthreewomenthanapieceofone’slifeandsurroundings。’
’Butawomancanbe——’beganDick，unguardedly。
’Apieceofone’slife，’continuedTorpenhow’No，shecan’tHisfacedarkenedforamoment’Shesaysshewantstosympathisewithyouandhelpyouinyourwork，andeverythingelsethatclearlyamanmustdoforhimselfThenshesendsroundfivenotesadaytoaskwhythedickensyouhaven’tbeenwastingyourtimewithher。’
’Don’tgeneralise，’saidtheNilghai’Bythetimeyouarriveatfivenotesadayyoumusthavegonethroughagooddealandbehavedaccordingly。
Shouldn’tbeginthesethings，myson。’
’Ishouldn’thavegonedowntothesea，’saidDick，justalittleanxioustochangetheconversation’Andyoushouldn’thavesung。’
’Theseaisn’tsendingyoufivenotesaday，’saidtheNilghai。
’No，butI’mfatallycompromisedShe’sanenduringoldhag，andI’msorryIevermetherWhywasn’tIbornandbredanddeadinathree-pairback？’
’Hearhimblaspheminghisfirstlove！Whyintheworldshouldn’tyoulistentoher？’saidTorpenhow。
BeforeDickcouldreplytheNilghailifteduphisvoicewithashoutthatshookthewindows，in’TheMenoftheSea，’thatbegins，asallknow，’Theseaisawickedoldwoman，’andafterradingthrougheightlineswhoseimageryistruthful，endsinarefrain，slowastheclackingofacapstanwhentheboatcomesunwillinglyuptothebarswherethemensweatandtrampintheshingle。
’“Yethatboreus，Orestoreus！
Sheiskinderthanye；
Forthecallisonourheart-strings！”
SaidTheMenoftheSea。’
TheNilghaisangthatversetwice，withsimplecunning，intendingthatDickshouldhearButDickwaswaitingforthefarewellofthementotheirwives。
’“Yethatloveus，canyemoveus？
Sheisdearerthanye；
Andyoursleepwillbethesweeter。”
SaidTheMenoftheSea。’