Whereupon，andthenamewithinfinitehardbreathingbeingsigned，thecommissionerwouldproceedtofillintheman’sappearance，height，etc。，ontheofficialform。Inthistaskofliteraryportraitureheseemedtorelywhollyupontemperament；
forIcouldnotperceivehimtocastoneglanceonanyofhismodels。Hewasassisted，however，byarunningcommentaryfromthecaptain：“Hairblueandeyesred，nosefivefootseven，andstaturebroken“——jestsasold，presumably，astheAmericanmarine；and，likethesimilarpleasantriesofthebilliardboard，perenniallyrelished。ThehighestnoteofhumourwasreachedinthecaseoftheChinesecook，whowasshippedunderthenameof“OneLung。”tothesoundofhisownprotestsandtheself-approvingchucklesofthefunctionary。
“Now，captain。”saidthelatter，whenthemenweregone，andhehadbundleduphispapers，“thelawrequiresyoutocarryaslop-chestandachestofmedicines。”
“IguessIknowthat。”saidNares。
“Iguessyoudo。”returnedthecommissioner，andhelpedhimselftoport。
Butwhenhewasgone，IappealedtoNaresonthesamesubject，forIwaswellawarewecarriednoneoftheseprovisions。
“Well。”drawledNares，“there’ssixtypoundsofniggerheadonthequay，isn’tthere？andtwentypoundsofsalts；andInevertravelwithoutsomepainkillerinmygripsack。”
Asamatteroffact，wewerericher。Thecaptainhadtheusualsailor’sprovisionofquackmedicines，withwhich，intheusualsailorfashion，hewoulddailydrughimself，displayinganextremeinconstancy，andflittingfromKennedy’sRedDiscoverytoKennedy’sWhite，andfromHood’sSarsaparillatoMotherSeigel’sSyrup。Andtherewere，besides，somemildewedandhalf-emptybottles，thelabelsobliterated，overwhichNareswouldsometimessniffandspeculate。“Seemstosmelllikediarrhoeastuff。”hewouldremark。“Iwish’tIknew，andIwouldtryit。”Buttheslop-chestwasindeedrepresentedbytheplugsofniggerhead，andnothingelse。Thuspaternallawsaremade，thustheyareevaded；andtheschoonerputtosea，likeplentyofherneighbours，liabletoafineofsixhundreddollars。
Thischaracteristicscene，whichhasdelayedmeoverlong，wasbutamomentinthatdayofexerciseandagitation。Tofitoutaschoonerforsea，andimproviseamarriagebetweendawnanddusk，involvesheroiceffort。AlldayJimandIran，andtramped，andlaughed，andcamenearcrying，andfellinsuddenanxiousconsultations，andwerespedwithapreparedsarcasmonourlipstosomefallaciousmilliner，andmadedashestotheschoonerandJohnSmith’s，andateverysecondcornerwereremindedbyourownhugepostersofourdesperateestate。
Betweenwhiles，Ihadfoundthetimetohoveratsomehalf-a-
dozenjewellers’windows；andmypresent，thusintemperatelychosen，wasgraciouslyaccepted。Ibelieve，indeed，thatwasthelastthoughnottheleastofmyconcerns，beforetheoldminister，shabbyandbenign，wasroutedfromhishouseandledtotheofficelikeaperformingpoodle；andthere，inthegrowingdusk，underthecoldglitterofThirteenStar，twohundredstrong，andbesidethegarishgloriesoftheagriculturalengine，MamieandJimweremadeone。Thescenewasincongruous，butthebusinesspretty，whimsical，andaffecting：
thetypewriterswithsuchkindlyfacesandfineposies，Mamiesodemure，andJim——howshallIdescribethatpoor，transfiguredJim？Hebeganbytakingtheministerasidetothefarendoftheoffice。Iknewnotwhathesaid，butIhavereasontobelievehewasprotestinghisunfitness；forheweptashesaidit：andtheoldminister，himselfgenuinelymoved，washeardtoconsoleandencouragehim，andatonetimetousethisexpression：“Iassureyou，Mr。Pinkerton，therearenotmanywhocansaysomuch“——fromwhichIgatheredthatmyfriendhadtemperedhisself-accusationswithatleastonelegitimateboast。Fromthisghostlycounselling，Jimturnedtome；andthoughhenevergotbeyondtheexplosiveutteranceofmynameandonefiercehandgrip，communicatedsomeofhisownemotion，likeachargeofelectricity，tohisbestman。Westooduptotheceremonyatlast，inageneralandkindlydiscomposure。Jimwasallabroad；andthedivinehimselfbetrayedhissympathyinvoiceanddemeanour，andconcludedwithafatherlyallocution，inwhichhecongratulatedMamiecallingher“mydear“uponthefortuneofanexcellenthusband，andprotestedhehadrarelymarriedamoreinterestingcouple。Atthisstage，likeaglorydescending，therewashandedin，exmachina，thecardofDouglasB。Longhurst，withcongratulationsandfourdozenPerrier-Jouet。Abottlewasopened；andtheministerpledgedthebride，andthebridesmaidssimperedandtasted，andImadeaspeechwithairybacchanalianism，glassinhand。ButpoorJimmustleavethewineuntasted。“Don’ttouchit。”Ihadfoundtheopportunitytowhisper；“inyourstateitwillmakeyouasdrunkasafiddler。”AndJimhadwrungmyhandwitha“Godblessyou，Loudon！——savedmeagain！”
Hardfollowinguponthis，thesupperpassedoffatFrank’swithsomewhattremulousgaiety。Andthence，withonehalfofthePerrier-Jouet——Iwouldacceptnomore——wevoyagedinahacktotheNorahCreina。
“Whatadearlittleship！”criedMamie，asourminiaturecraftwaspointedouttoher。Andthen，onsecondthought，sheturnedtothebestman。“Andhowbraveyoumustbe，Mr。
Dodd。”shecried，“togointhattinythingsofarupontheocean！”AndIperceivedIhadriseninthelady’sestimation。
Thedearlittleshippresentedahorridpictureofconfusion，anditsoccupantsofwearinessandill-humour。Fromthecabinthecookwasstoringtinsintothelazarette，andthefourhands，sweatyandsullen，werepassingthemfromonetoanotherfromthewaist。Johnsonwasthreepartsasleepoverthetable；andinhisbunk，inhisowncabin，thecaptainsourlychewedandpuffedatacigar。
“Seehere。”hesaid，rising；“you’llbesorryyoucame。Wecan’tstopworkifwe’retogetawayto-morrow。Ashipgettingreadyforseaisnoplaceforpeople，anyway。You’llonlyinterruptmymen。”
Iwasonthepointofansweringsomethingtart；butJim，whowasacquaintedwiththebreed，ashewaswithmostthingsthathadabearingonaffairs，madehastetopourinoil。
“Captain。”hesaid，“Iknowwe’reanuisancehere，andthatyou’vehadaroughtime。Butallwewantisthatyoushoulddrinkoneglassofwinewithus，Perrier-Jouet，fromLonghurst，ontheoccasionofmymarriage，andLoudon’s——Mr。Dodd’s——
departure。”
“Well，it’syourlookout。”saidNares。“Idon’tmindhalfanhour。Spell，O！”headdedtothemen；“goandkickyourheelsforhalfanhour，andthenyoucanturntoagainatriflelivelier。
Johnson，seeifyoucan’twipeoffachairforthelady。”
Histonewasnomoregraciousthanhislanguage；butwhenMamiehadturneduponhimthesoftfireofhereyes，andinformedhimthathewasthefirstsea-captainshehadevermet，“exceptcaptainsofsteamers，ofcourse“——shesoqualifiedthestatement——andhadexpressedalivelysenseofhiscourage，andperhapsimpliedforIsupposetheartsofladiesarethesameasthoseofmenamodestconsciousnessofhisgoodlooks，ourbearbeganinsensiblytosoften；anditwasalreadypartasanapology，thoughstillwithunaffectedheatoftemper，thathevolunteeredsomesketchofhisannoyances。
“Aprettymesswe’vehad！”saidhe。“Halfthestoreswerewrong；I’llwringJohnSmith’sneckforhimsomeofthesedays。
Thentwonewspaperbeastscamedown，andtriedtoraisecopyoutofme，tillIthreatenedthemwiththefirstthinghandy；andthensomekindofmissionarybug，wantingtoworkhispassagetoRaiateaorsomewhere。ItoldhimIwouldtakehimoffthewharfwiththebuttendofmyboot，andhewentawaycursing。
Thisvessel’sbeendepreciatedbythelookofhim。”
Whilethecaptainspoke，withhisstrange，humorous，arrogantabruptness，IobservedJimtobesizinghimup，likeathingatoncequaintandfamiliar，andwithascrutinythatwasbothcuriousandknowing。
“Oneword，dearboy。”hesaid，turningsuddenlytome。Andwhenhehaddrawnmeondeck，“Thatman。”sayshe，“willcarrysailtillyourhairgrowswhite；butneveryouleton，neverbreatheaword。Iknowhisline：he’lldiebeforehe’lltakeadvice；andifyougethisbackup，he’llrunyourightunder。I
don’toftenjaminmyadvice，Loudon；andwhenIdo，itmeansI’mthoroughlyposted。”
Thelittlepartyinthecabin，sodisastrouslybegun，finished，underthemellowinginfluenceofwineandwoman，inexcellentfeelingandwithsomehilarity。Mamie，inaplushGainsboroughhatandagownofwine-colouredsilk，sat，anapparentqueen，amongherrudesurroundingsandcompanions。
Theduskylitterofthecabinsetoffherradianttrimness：tarryJohnsonwasafoiltoherfairbeauty；sheglowedinthatpoorplace，fairasastar；untilevenI，whowasnotusuallyofheradmirers，caughtasparkofadmiration；andeventhecaptain，whowasinnocourtlyhumour，proposedthatthesceneshouldbecommemoratedbymypencil。Itwasthelastactoftheevening。HurriedlyasIwentaboutmytask，thehalf-hourhadlengthenedouttomorethanthreebeforeitwascompleted：
Mamieinfullvalue，therestofthepartyfiguringinoutlineonly，andtheartisthimselfintroducedinabackview，whichwaspronouncedalikeness。ButitwastoMamiethatIdevotedthebestofmyattention；anditwaswithherImademychiefsuccess。
“O！”shecried，“amIreallylikethat？NowonderJim。”Shepaused。“Whyit’sjustaslovelyashe’sgood！”shecried：anepigramwhichwasappreciated，andrepeatedaswemadeoursalutations，andcalledoutaftertheretreatingcoupleastheypassedawayunderthelamplightonthewharf。
Thusitwasthatourfarewellsweresmuggledthroughunderanambuscadeoflaughter，andthepartingoverereIknewitwasbegun。Thefiguresvanished，thestepsdiedawayalongthesilentcityfront；onboard，themenhadreturnedtotheirlabours，thecaptaintohissolitarycigar；andafterthatlongandcomplexdayofbusinessandemotion，Iwasatlastaloneandfree。Itwas，perhaps，chieflyfatiguethatmademyheartsoheavy。Ileanedatleastuponthehouse，andstaredatthefoggyheaven，orovertherailatthewaveringreflectionofthelamps，likeamanthatwasquitedonewithhopeandwouldhavewelcomedtheasylumofthegrave。Andallatonce，asIthusstood，theCityofPekinflashedintomymind，racingherthirteenknotsforHonolulu，withthehatedTrent——perhapswiththemysteriousGoddedaal——onboard；andwiththethought，thebloodleapedandcareeredthroughallmybody。Itseemednochaseatall；itseemedwehadnochance，aswelaythereboundtoironpillars，andfoolingawaythepreciousmomentsovertinsofbeans。“Letthemgettherefirst！”Ithought。“Letthem！Wecan’tbelongbehind。”Andfromthatmoment，Idatemyselfamanofaroundedexperience：nothinghadlackedbutthis，thatIshouldentertainandwelcomethegrimthoughtofbloodshed。
Itwaslongbeforethetoilremittedinthecabin，anditwasworthmywhiletogettobed；longafterthat，beforesleepfavouredme；andscarceamomentlaterorsoitseemedwhenIwasrecalledtoconsciousnessbybawlingmenandthejarofstraininghawsers。
TheschoonerwascastoffbeforeIgotondeck。Inthemistyobscurityofthefirstdawn，Isawthetugheadinguswithglowingfiresandblowingsmoke，andheardherbeattheroughenedwatersofthebay。Besideus，onherflockofhills，thelightedcitytoweredupandstoodswollenintherawfog。Itwasstrangetoseeherburnonthuswastefully，withhalf-
quenchedluminaries，whenthedawnwasalreadygrownstrongenoughtoshowme，andtosuffermetorecognise，asolitaryfigurestandingbythepiles。
Orwasitreallytheeye，andnotrathertheheart，thatidentifiedthatshadowinthedusk，amongtheshoresidelamps？Iknownot。ItwasJim，atleast；Jim，comeforalastlook；andwehadbuttimetowaveavaledictorygestureandexchangeawordlesscry。Thiswasoursecondparting，andourcapacitieswerenowreversed。ItwasminetoplaytheArgonaut，tospeedaffairs，toplanandtoaccomplish——ifneedwere，atthepriceoflife；itwashistositathome，tostudythecalendar，andtowait。Iknewbesidesanotherthingthatgavemejoy。Iknewthatmyfriendhadsucceededinmyeducation；thattheromanceofbusiness，ifourfantasticpurchasemeritedthename，hadatlaststirredmydilletantenature；and，aswesweptundercloudyTamalpaisandthroughtheroaringnarrowsofthebay，theYankeebloodsanginmyveinswithsuspenseandexultation。
Outsidetheheads，asiftomeetmydesire，wefounditblowingfreshfromthenortheast。Notimehadbeenlost。Thesunwasnotyetupbeforethetugcastoffthehawser，gaveusasaluteofthreewhistles，andturnedhomewardtowardthecoast，whichnowbegantogleamalongitsmarginwiththeearliestraysofday。TherewasnoothershipinviewwhentheNorahCreina，lyingoverunderallplainsail，beganherlongandlonelyvoyagetothewreck。