“Oh，she’sallright，“hesaid。“Butitisn’tthat——“Thenhestopped；hecouldn’texplain——especiallywiththatidiotAuntAmythere，who’donlylaughathim，orkisshim，orsomethingelsehorrible。
Afterwards，ashewentslowlyuptobed，hestoppedforamomentinthedarkpassagethinking。Thewholehousewassilentabouthim，onlytheclockswhispering。
WhatatiresomebotherAuntAmywas！Howhewishedthatsheweredead！AndwhataboreitwouldbebeinggoodnowwithMissJones。Atthesametime，therenewedconsciousnessofherpersonaldramamoststrangelymovedhim——herbrotherwhorowed，herneuralgia，herlackofrelations。PerhapsAuntAmyalsohadanexcitinghistory！Perhapsshealsocried！
Theworldseemedtobesuddenlyfilledwithpressing，throngingfigures，allwithbusinessesoftheirown。
Itwasveryodd。
Hepushedbacktheschoolroomdoorandblinkedatthesuddenlight。
CHAPTERV
THESEA-CAPTAIN
I
Veryfewmatter-of-factcitizensofthepresent-dayworldwillunderstandthepartthattheseausedtoplayinouryounglivesthirtyyearsagoinPolchester。
ItisveryeasytolookatthemapandsaythattheseaisaconsiderabledistancefromPolchester，andthatevenifyoustoodonthehighestridgeofthehighestcornfieldabovethetownyouwouldnotbeabletocatchthefaintestglimpseofit。Thatmaybetrue，althoughImyselfcanneverbecompletelyassured，possessingsovividlyasIdoamemoryofadaywhenIstoodwithmynurseattheedgeofMerazionWoodsand，gazingouttothehorizon，sawafleetofshipsfull-sailuponthebluestofseas，andwouldnotbepersuadedthatitwasmerelywrackofclouds。Thatmaybeorno；thefactremainsthatPolchestersniffedtheseafromafar，wascaughtwithseabreezesandbathedinreflectedsea-lights；againandagainofaneveningtheCathedralsailedondustandshadowtowardsthehorizon，agreatwhiteghostofagalleon，andtheyoungcitizensofthetownwithwonderingeyes，watcheditgo。Butthereweremorepositiveinfluencesthanmerecloudandlight。Wehad，inthelowerpartofourtown，sailors，quiteanumberofthem。Thereweretheoldwhite-beardedoneswhowouldsitupontubsandtellsmugglingtales；thesehauntedtheRiverPol，fishedinit，ferriedpeopleacrossit，andletoutboatsforhire。Therewereyoungersailorswho，tiredofthestilllifeoftheirlittlevillagesanddreadingtherealhardworkofalifeatsea，lurchedandslouchedbythePol’sriverbed，fishingalittle，sleeping，eatinganddrinkingagreatdeal。
Andtherewerethetruesailors，passingthroughperhapsontheirwaytoDrymouthtojointheirships，stayinginthetownforadayortwotovisittheirrelations，orsimplystoppingforanhourorsotogazeopen-mouthedattheCathedralandthemarket-placeandtheCanonsandtheoldwomen。Thesemenhadsometimesgoldringsintheirears，andtheirfaceswereoftencolouredadarkrichbrown，andtheycarriedbundlesacrosstheirbacksallinthetraditionalstyle。
Thentherewereinfluencesmoresubtlethaneithercloudsormen。
Thereweretheinfluencesoftheplacesthatwehadourselvesseeninoursummerholidays——RafielandSt。Lowe，MarionBayorBorhaze——
and，ontheothercoast，Newbockwithitsvaststretchofyellowsand，St。BorsewithitswildseasandgiantBorseHead，orSt。
Nails-in-Covewithitscolouredrocksandsparklingshells。Everychildhadhisownplace；myplacewas，likeJeremy’s，Rafiel，andabetter，morebeautifulplace，inthewholeworldyouwillnotfind。
Andeachplacehasitsownlegend：atRafieltheGoldluredPirates，andtheTurnip-Field；atPolwinttheGiantExciseMan；atBorhazetheSmugglersofTrezentRock；atSt。Borsethewreckof“TheGoldenGalleon“intheyear1563，withitswonderfultreasure；andatSt。
MaitsinCovethefamousWitchofSt。MaitsinChurchTownwhoturnedmen’sbonesintowaterandfilledSt。MaitsinChurchwithsnakes。
Backfromonesummerholiday，treasuringthesestoriestogetherwithourcollectionsofshellsandseaweedanddriedflowers，wecame，andsothetalessettledinPolchesterstreetsandcreptintotheheartofthePolchestercobblesandhauntedthePolchestercornersbythefire，andeveninvadedwiththeirromantic，peering，mischievousfacesthesolemnaislesoftheCathedralitself。
Theseawasattheheartofallofthem，andwheneverasea-breezeblewdownthestreetcarryingwithitwispsofstrawfromthefield，ordandelionseeds，orsmellofsea-pinks，wechildrenliftedournosesandsniffedandsniffedandsawthewavescurlinacrosstheshore，orbreakersburstupontherock，andwhisperedtooneanotheroftheSmugglersofTrezentortheGold-lacedPiratesofRafiel。
ButIthinkthatnoneofusadoredtheseaasJeremydid。Fromthatfirstmomentwhen，asasmallbaby，hehadbeenheldupinRafielCovetoseethetopsofthewavescatchthemorninglightastheyrolledovertoshore，hehadadoredit。Hehadneverfeltanyfearofit；hehadbeenabletoswimsincehecouldremember，andhesimplylivedforthosedaysattheendofJulywhentheywouldall，inafrantichurryandconfusion，takethetrainforRafielandarriveatCowFarmintheevening，withtheroaroftheseacomingacrossthequietfieldstominglewiththelowingofthecowsandthebleatingofthesheep。Hehadinhisbedroomawonderfulcollectionofdustyandstickysea-shells，andthesehewouldturnoverandover，lettingthemrunthroughhisfingersasaminercountshisgold。
Lethimcatchthefaintestglimpseofashadowofasailorinthestreetandhewasafterit，andhehadonce，whenhewasonlyfourorfive，beencaughtbytheterrifiedJampot，onlyjustintime，walkingawayconfidentlydownthemarket-place，hishandinthehugegraspofavillainouslookingmariner。Hewasexceedinglyhappyinhishome，buthedidoftenwonderwhetherhewouldnotrunawaytosea；ofcourse，hewasgoingtobeasailor，butitseemedsolongtowaituntilhewasthirteenorfourteen，andtherewastheseaallthetimerollinginandoutandinvitinghimtocome。
Mrs。ColewarnedMissJonesofthistasteofJeremy’s：“Neverlethimspeaktoasailor，MissJones。Therearesomehorriblemeninthetown，andJeremysimplyisnottobetrustedwhensailorsareconcerned。“
MissJones，however，couldnotbealwaysonherguard，andFateisstrongerthananygoverness……
EarlyinFebruarytherecameoneofthosehintsofspringthatinGlebeshiremorethaninanyotherplaceintheworldthrillandstirtheheart。Generallytheygiveverylittleinactualrewardandarefollowedbyweeksofhailandsleetandwind，butforthatreasonalonetheirburningpromiseisbeyondallotherpromisesbeguiling。
Jeremygotuponemorningtofeelthatsomewherebehindthethickwetmistsoftheearlyhourstherewasablazingsun。Afterbreakfast，openingthewindowandleaningout，hecouldseetheleavesofthegardenstillshiningwiththeirearlyglitterandtheearthchannelledintofissuresandbreaks，darkandhardunderthesilver-threadedfrost；beneaththerindofthesoilhecouldfeelthepushing，heavinglifestrugglingtoanswerthecallofthesunaboveit。FardowntheroadtowardstheOrchardsadimveilofgoldwasspreadingbehindthewallsofmist；thesparrowsonthealmondtreenearhiswindowchatteredlikethegirlsoftheHighSchool，andblueshadowsstoleintothedimgreysky，justaslightbreaksuponanearlymorningsea；theairwaswarmbehindtheouterwallofthefrostymorning，andthefaintgoldofthefirstcrocusbeneaththegardenwallnearthepantrydoor，wherealwaysthefirstcrocusescame，caughthiseye。Evenashewatchedthesunburstthemist，thetreeschangedfromdimgreytosharpblack，thebluefloodedthesky，andtheCathedralbeyondthetreesshonelikeahouseofcrystal。
Allthismeantspring，andspringmeanthuntingforsnowdropsintheMeads。JeremyinformedMissJones，andMissJoneswas，ofcourse，agreeable。Theywouldwalkthatwayafterluncheon。
TheMeadsfallinabroadgreenslopefromtheoldCathedralbattlementdowntotheRiverPol。Theirlongstretchesofmeadowarescatteredwithtrees，someoftheoldestoaksinGlebeshire，andtheyarefinallyboundedbythewindingpathoftheRopeWalkthatskirtstheriverbank。AlongtheRopeWalkinMarchandAprilthedaffodilsfirst，andtheprimrosesafterwards，aresothickthat，fromtheCathedralwalls，theRopeWalklooksasthoughitwanderedbetweenpoolsandlakesofgold。IntheOrchardsonthehillalsotheyrunlikerivers。
Uponthisafternoontherewereonlythetrees，faintlypink，alongtheriverandthewideunbrokencarpetofgreen。MissJoneswalkedupanddowntheRopeWalk，whilstMarytoldheranendlessandexceedinglyconfusedstorythathadbegunmorethanaweekagoandhadreachedbynowsuchastateof“Tobecontinuedinournext“
thatMissJoneshadonlythevaguestideaofwhatitwasallabout。
Hermindthereforewandered，asindeed，didalwaysthemindsofMary’saudiences，andMarynevernoticedbutstaredwiththeraptgazeofthecreatorthroughherenormousglasses，outintoanenchantedworldofgoldenprincesses，whiteelephantsandropesandropesofrubies。MissJonesmeanwhilethoughtofheryoungdays，herillnessesandacertainhatthatshehadseeninThornley’swindowsintheHighStreet。Jeremy，attendedbyHamlet，huntedamongstthetreesforsnowdrops。
Hamlethadbeenworriedeversincehecouldrememberbyatheoryaboutrabbits。Hehadbeentold，ofcourse，aboutrabbitsbyhisparents，andithadevenbeensuggestedtohimthathewouldbeamightyhunterofthesamewhenhegrewtoacertainage。Hehadnowreachedthatage，butneverarabbitasyethadheencountered。HemightevenhaveconcludedthatthewholeRabbitstorywasamythandalegendwereitnotthatcertainscentsandodourswereforevertantalisinghisnosethatcould，hisinstincttoldhim，meanRabbitandonlyRabbit。Thesescentsmethimatthemosttantalisingtimes，pullinghimthiswayandthat，excitingthewildesthopesinhim，afterwardscondemnedtosterility；asghostshaunttheconvincedandtrustingspiritualist，sodidrabbitshauntHamlet。HedreamtofRabbitsatnight，hetastedRabbitsinhisfood，hesawthemscaletheairandswimthestream——now，hewascloseontheirtrail，nowhehadthemroundthattree，upthathill，downthathole……
sittingtranquillyinfrontoftheschoolroomfirehewouldscentthem；alwaystheyeludedhim，laughedathim，mockedhimwiththeirstumpytails。Theywererapidlybecomingtheobsessionofhisnightsanddays。
UponthisafternoontheairwasfullofRabbit。TheMeadsseemedtobreatheRabbit。Helefthismaster，rushedhitherandthither，barkedandwhined，scratchedthesoil，ranroundthetrees，laycautiouslymotionlesswaitingforhisfoes，andnowandthensatandlaughedathimselfforaludicrousrabbit-bemusedidiot。Hehadadelightfulafternoon……
Jeremythenwasleftentirelytohimselfandwanderedabout，lookingforsnowdropsunderthetrees，talkingtohimself，lostinachainofideasthatincludedfoodandtheseaandcatapultsandasorefingerandwhatschoolwouldbelikeandwhetherhecouldknockdowntheDean’syoungest，Ernest，whomhehatedwithoutknowingwhy。
Hewaslostinthesethoughts，andhadindeedwanderedalmostintothelittlewoodthatliesatthefootoftheOrchards，whenheheardadeeprichvoicesay：
“Isupposeyou’aven’tsuchathingasamatchuponyouanywhere，younggentleman？“
Helikedtobeaskedforamatch，amanlythingtobesupposedtopossess，but，ofcourse，hehadn’tone，owingtothestupidityofelderlyrelations，sohelookedupandsaidpolitely：“No，I’mafraidIhaven’t。“Thenhowhisheartwhackedbeneathhiswaistcoat！
There，standinginfrontofhim，wastheveryfigureofhisdreams！
LookingdownuponJeremywasagentlemanofmiddle-agewhomexperiencedmenoftheworldwouldhavemostcertainlydescribedas“seedy。“
Jeremydidnotseehis“seediness。“Hesawfirsthisface，whichwasofadeepbrowncoppercolour，turninghereandtheretoahandsomepurple；ill-shaved，perhaps，butwithafineroundnoseandalargesmilingmouth。Hesawblackcurlinghairandayachtingcap，fadedthislastandthewhiteofitadirtygreybutsetonjauntilyatamagnificentangle。Hesawasuitofdarknavyblue，thisagainfaded，spottedtoowithmanystains，raggedatthetrouser-endsandeventorninoneplaceabovetheelbow，fittingalsosocloselytothefigurethatitmusthavebeenatburstingpoint。Hesawroundtheneckadarknavyhandkerchief，anddownthefrontofthecoatbrassbuttonsthatshookandtrembledastheirowner’schestheaved。