Contents
ASmileofFortuneTheSecretSharerFreyaoftheSevenIsles
ASMILEOFFORTUNE—HARBOURSTORY
EversincethesunroseIhadbeenlookingahead。Theshipglidedgentlyinsmoothwater。Afterasixtydays’passageIwasanxioustomakemylandfall，afertileandbeautifulislandofthetropics。
Themoreenthusiasticofitsinhabitantsdelightindescribingitasthe\"PearloftheOcean。\"Well，letuscallitthe\"Pearl。\"
It’sagoodname。Apearldistillingmuchsweetnessupontheworld。
Thisisonlyawayoftellingyouthatfirst—ratesugar—caneisgrownthere。AllthepopulationofthePearllivesforitandbyit。Sugaristheirdailybread，asitwere。AndIwascomingtothemforacargoofsugarinthehopeofthecrophavingbeengoodandofthefreightsbeinghigh。
Mr。Burns，mychiefmate，madeoutthelandfirst；andverysoonI
becameentrancedbythisblue，pinnacledapparition，almosttransparentagainstthelightofthesky，amereemanation，theastralbodyofanislandrisentogreetmefromafar。Itisararephenomenon，suchasightofthePearlatsixtymilesoff。AndI
wonderedhalfseriouslywhetheritwasagoodomen，whetherwhatwouldmeetmeinthatislandwouldbeasluckilyexceptionalasthisbeautiful，dreamlikevisionsoveryfewseamenhavebeenprivilegedtobehold。
Buthorridthoughtsofbusinessinterferedwithmyenjoymentofanaccomplishedpassage。IwasanxiousforsuccessandIwished，too，todojusticetotheflatteringlatitudeofmyowners’instructionscontainedinonenoblephrase：\"Weleaveittoyoutodothebestyoucanwiththeship。\"……Alltheworldbeingthusgivenmeforastage，myabilitiesappearedtomenobiggerthanapinhead。
Meantimethewinddropped，andMr。Burnsbegantomakedisagreeableremarksaboutmyusualbadluck。Ibelieveitwashisdevotionformewhichmadehimcriticallyoutspokenoneveryoccasion。Allthesame，Iwouldnothaveputupwithhishumoursifithadnotbeenmylotatonetimetonursehimthroughadesperateillnessatsea。
Aftersnatchinghimoutofthejawsofdeath，sotospeak，itwouldhavebeenabsurdtothrowawaysuchanefficientofficer。ButsometimesIwishedhewoulddismisshimself。
Wewerelateinclosinginwiththeland，andhadtoanchoroutsidetheharbourtillnextday。Anunpleasantandunrestfulnightfollowed。Inthisroadstead，strangetousboth，BurnsandI
remainedondeckalmostallthetime。Cloudsswirleddowntheporphyrycragsunderwhichwelay。Therisingwindmadeagreatbullyingnoiseamongstthenakedspars，withinterludesofsadmoaning。Iremarkedthatwehadbeeninlucktofetchtheanchoragebeforedark。Itwouldhavebeenanasty，anxiousnighttohangoffaharbourundercanvas。Butmychiefmatewasuncompromisinginhisattitude。
\"Luck，youcallit，sir！Ay—ourusualluck。ThesortoflucktothankGodit’snoworse！\"
Andsohefrettedthroughthedarkhours，whileIdrewonmyfundofphilosophy。Ah，butitwasanexasperating，weary，endlessnight，tobelyingatanchorcloseunderthatblackcoast！Theagitatedwatermadesnarlingsoundsallroundtheship。Attimesawildgustofwindoutofagullyhighuponthecliffsstruckonourriggingaharshandplaintivenotelikethewailofaforsakensoul。
CHAPTERI
Byhalf—pastseveninthemorning，theshipbeingtheninsidetheharbouratlastandmooredwithinalongstone’s—throwfromthequay，mystockofphilosophywasnearlyexhausted。Iwasdressinghurriedlyinmycabinwhenthestewardcametrippinginwithamorningsuitoverhisarm。
Hungry，tired，anddepressed，withmyheadengagedinsideawhiteshirtirritatinglystucktogetherbytoomuchstarch，Idesiredhimpeevishlyto\"heaveroundwiththatbreakfast。\"Iwantedtogetashoreassoonaspossible。
\"Yes，sir。Readyateight，sir。There’sagentlemanfromtheshorewaitingtospeaktoyou，sir。\"
Thisstatementwascuriouslyslurredover。Idraggedtheshirtviolentlyovermyheadandemergedstaring。
\"Soearly！\"Icried。\"Who’she？Whatdoeshewant？\"
Oncominginfromseaonehastopickuptheconditionsofanutterlyunrelatedexistence。Everylittleeventatfirsthasthepeculiaremphasisofnovelty。Iwasgreatlysurprisedbythatearlycaller；buttherewasnoreasonformystewardtolooksoparticularlyfoolish。
\"Didn’tyouaskforthename？\"Iinquiredinasterntone。
\"Hisname’sJacobus，Ibelieve，\"hemumbledshamefacedly。
\"Mr。Jacobus！\"Iexclaimedloudly，moresurprisedthanever，butwithatotalchangeoffeeling。\"Whycouldn’tyousaysoatonce？\"
Butthefellowhadscuttledoutofmyroom。ThroughthemomentarilyopeneddoorIhadaglimpseofatall，stoutmanstandinginthecuddybythetableonwhichtheclothwasalreadylaid；a\"harbour\"table—cloth，stainlessanddazzlinglywhite。Sofargood。
Ishoutedcourteouslythroughthecloseddoor，thatIwasdressingandwouldbewithhiminamoment。Inreturntheassurancethattherewasnohurryreachedmeinthevisitor’sdeep，quietundertone。Histimewasmyown。HedaredsayIwouldgivehimacupofcoffeepresently。
\"Iamafraidyouwillhaveapoorbreakfast，\"Icriedapologetically。\"Wehavebeensixty—onedaysatsea，youknow。\"
Aquietlittlelaugh，witha\"That’llbeallright，Captain，\"washisanswer。Allthis，words，intonation，theglimpsedattitudeofthemaninthecuddy，hadanunexpectedcharacter，asomethingfriendlyinit—propitiatory。Andmysurprisewasnotdiminishedthereby。Whatdidthiscallmean？Wasitthesignofsomedarkdesignagainstmycommercialinnocence？
Ah！Thesecommercialinterests—spoilingthefinestlifeunderthesun。Whymusttheseabeusedfortrade—andforwaraswell？
Whykillandtrafficonit，pursuingselfishaimsofnogreatimportanceafterall？Itwouldhavebeensomuchnicerjusttosailaboutwithhereandthereaportandabitoflandtostretchone’slegson，buyafewbooksandgetachangeofcookingforawhile。But，livinginaworldmoreorlesshomicidalanddesperatelymercantile，itwasplainlymydutytomakethebestofitsopportunities。
Myowners’letterhadleftittome，asIhavesaidbefore，todomybestfortheship，accordingtomyownjudgment。Butitcontainedalsoapostscriptwordedsomewhatasfollows：
\"Withoutmeaningtointerferewithyourlibertyofactionwearewritingbytheoutgoingmailtosomeofourbusinessfriendstherewhomaybeofassistancetoyou。WedesireyouparticularlytocallonMr。Jacobus，aprominentmerchantandcharterer。Shouldyouhititoffwithhimhemaybeabletoputyouinthewayofprofitableemploymentfortheship。\"
Hititoff！Herewastheprominentcreatureabsolutelyonboardaskingforthefavourofacupofcoffee！Andlifenotbeingafairy—taletheimprobabilityoftheeventalmostshockedme。HadI
discoveredanenchantednookoftheearthwherewealthymerchantsrushfastingonboardshipsbeforetheyarefairlymoored？Wasthiswhitemagicormerelysomeblacktrickoftrade？Icameintheend（whilemakingthebowofmytie）tosuspectthatperhapsI
didnotgetthenameright。IhadbeenthinkingoftheprominentMr。Jacobusprettyfrequentlyduringthepassageandmyhearingmighthavebeendeceivedbysomeremotesimilarityofsound……
ThestewardmighthavesaidAntrobus—ormaybeJackson。
Butcomingoutofmystateroomwithaninterrogative\"Mr。Jacobus？\"
Iwasmetbyaquiet\"Yes，\"utteredwithagentlesmile。The\"yes\"
wasratherperfunctory。HedidnotseemtomakemuchofthefactthathewasMr。Jacobus。Itookstockofabig，paleface，hairthinonthetop，whiskersalsothin，ofafadednondescriptcolour，heavyeyelids。Thethick，smoothlipsinreposelookedasifgluedtogether。Thesmilewasfaint。Aheavy，tranquilman。Inamedmytwoofficers，whojustthencamedowntobreakfast；butwhyMr。
Burns’ssilentdemeanourshouldsuggestsuppressedindignationI
couldnotunderstand。
Whileweweretakingourseatsroundthetablesomedisconnectedwordsofanaltercationgoingoninthecompanionwayreachedmyear。Astrangerapparentlywantedtocomedowntointerviewme，andthestewardwasopposinghim。
\"Youcan’tseehim。\"
\"Whycan’tI？\"
\"TheCaptainisatbreakfast，Itellyou。He’llbegoingonshorepresently，andyoucanspeaktohimondeck。\"
\"That’snotfair。Youlet—\"
\"I’vehadnothingtodowiththat。\"
\"Oh，yes，youhave。Everybodyoughttohavethesamechance。Youletthatfellow—\"
TherestIlost。Thepersonhavingbeenrepulsedsuccessfully，thestewardcamedown。Ican’tsayhelookedflushed—hewasamulatto—buthelookedflustered。Afterputtingthedishesonthetableheremainedbythesideboardwiththatlackadaisicalairofindifferenceheusedtoassumewhenhehaddonesomethingtoocleverbyhalfandwasafraidofgettingintoascrapeoverit。
ThecontemptuousexpressionofMr。Burns’sfaceashelookedfromhimtomewasreallyextraordinary。Icouldn’timaginewhatnewbeehadstungthematenow。
TheCaptainbeingsilent，nobodyelsecaredtospeak，asisthewayinships。AndIwassayingnothingsimplybecauseIhadbeenmadedumbbythesplendouroftheentertainment。Ihadexpectedtheusualsea—breakfast，whereasIbeheldspreadbeforeusaveritablefeastofshoreprovisions：eggs，sausages，butterwhichplainlydidnotcomefromaDanishtin，cutlets，andevenadishofpotatoes。ItwasthreeweekssinceIhadseenareal，livepotato。
Icontemplatedthemwithinterest，andMr。Jacobusdisclosedhimselfasamanofhuman，homelysympathies，andsomethingofathought—reader。
\"Trythem，Captain，\"heencouragedmeinafriendlyundertone。
\"Theyareexcellent。\"
\"Theylookthat，\"Iadmitted。\"Grownontheisland，Isuppose。\"
\"Oh，no，imported。Thosegrownherewouldbemoreexpensive。\"
Iwasgrievedattheineptitudeoftheconversation。Werethesethetopicsforaprominentandwealthymerchanttodiscuss？I
thoughtthesimplicitywithwhichhemadehimselfathomeratherattractive；butwhatisonetotalkabouttoamanwhocomesononesuddenly，aftersixty—onedaysatsea，outofatotallyunknownlittletowninanislandonehasneverseenbefore？Whatwere（besidessugar）theinterestsofthatcrumboftheearth，itsgossip，itstopicsofconversation？Todrawhimonbusinessatoncewouldhavebeenalmostindecent—orevenworse：impolitic。
AllIcoulddoatthemomentwastokeeponintheoldgroove。
\"Aretheprovisionsgenerallydearhere？\"Iasked，frettinginwardlyatmyinanity。
\"Iwouldn’tsaythat，\"heansweredplacidly，withthatappearanceofsavinghisbreathhisrestrainedmannerofspeakingsuggested。
Hewouldnotbemoreexplicit，yethedidnotevadethesubject。
Eyeingthetableinaspiritofcompleteabstemiousness（hewouldn’tletmehelphimtoanyeatables）hewentintodetailsofsupply。ThebeefwasforthemostpartimportedfromMadagascar；
muttonofcoursewasrareandsomewhatexpensive，butgoodgoat’sflesh—
\"Arethesegoat’scutlets？\"Iexclaimedhastily，pointingatoneofthedishes。
Posedsentimentallybythesideboard，thestewardgaveastart。
\"Lor’，no，sir！It’srealmutton！\"
Mr。Burnsgotthroughhisbreakfastimpatiently，asifexasperatedbybeingmadeapartytosomemonstrousfoolishness，mutteredacurtexcuse，andwentondeck。Shortlyafterwardsthesecondmatetookhissmoothredcountenanceoutofthecabin。Withtheappetiteofaschoolboy，andaftertwomonthsofsea—fare，heappreciatedthegenerousspread。ButIdidnot。Itsmackedofextravagance。Allthesame，itwasaremarkablefeattohaveproduceditsoquickly，andIcongratulatedthestewardonhissmartnessinasomewhatominoustone。Hegavemeadeprecatorysmileand，inawayIdidn’tknowwhattomakeof，blinkedhisfinedarkeyesinthedirectionoftheguest。
Thelatteraskedunderhisbreathforanothercupofcoffee，andnibbledasceticallyatapieceofveryhardship’sbiscuit。I
don’tthinkheconsumedasquareinchintheend；butmeantimehegaveme，casuallyasitwere，acompleteaccountofthesugarcrop，ofthelocalbusinesshouses，ofthestateofthefreightmarket。
Allthattalkwasinterspersedwithhintsastopersonalities，amountingtoveiledwarnings，buthispale，fleshyfaceremainedequable，withoutagleam，asifignorantofhisvoice。AsyoumayimagineIopenedmyearsverywide。Everywordwasprecious。Myideasastothevalueofbusinessfriendshipwerebeingfavourablymodified。Hegavemethenamesofallthedisponibleshipstogetherwiththeirtonnageandthenamesoftheircommanders。
Fromthat，whichwasstillcommercialinformation，hecondescendedtomereharbourgossip。TheHildahadunaccountablylostherfigureheadintheBayofBengal，andhercaptainwasgreatlyaffectedbythis。Heandtheshiphadbeengettingoninyearstogetherandtheoldgentlemanimaginedthisstrangeeventtobetheforerunnerofhisownearlydissolution。TheStellahadexperiencedawfulweatherofftheCape—hadherdecksswept，andthechiefofficerwashedoverboard。Andonlyafewhoursbeforereachingportthebabydied。
PoorCaptainH—andhiswifewereterriblycutup。Iftheyhadonlybeenabletobringitintoportaliveitcouldhavebeenprobablysaved；butthewindfailedthemforthelastweekorso，lightbreezes，and……thebabywasgoingtobeburiedthisafternoon。HesupposedIwouldattend—
\"DoyouthinkIoughtto？\"Iasked，shrinkingly。
Hethoughtso，decidedly。Itwouldbegreatlyappreciated。Allthecaptainsintheharbourweregoingtoattend。PoorMrs。H—wasquiteprostrated。PrettyhardonH—altogether。
\"Andyou，Captain—youarenotmarriedIsuppose？\"
\"No，Iamnotmarried，\"Isaid。\"Neithermarriednorevenengaged。\"
MentallyIthankedmystars；andwhilehesmiledinamusing，dreamyfashion，Iexpressedmyacknowledgmentsforhisvisitandfortheinterestingbusinessinformationhehadbeengoodenoughtoimparttome。ButIsaidnothingofmywonderthereat。
\"Ofcourse，Iwouldhavemadeapointofcallingonyouinadayortwo，\"Iconcluded。
Heraisedhiseyelidsdistinctlyatme，andsomehowmanagedtolookrathermoresleepythanbefore。
\"Inaccordancewithmyowners’instructions，\"Iexplained。\"Youhavehadtheirletter，ofcourse？\"
Bythattimehehadraisedhiseyebrowstoobutwithoutanyparticularemotion。Onthecontraryhestruckmethenasabsolutelyimperturbable。
\"Oh！Youmustbethinkingofmybrother。\"
Itwasforme，then，tosay\"Oh！\"ButIhopethatnomorethancivilsurpriseappearedinmyvoicewhenIaskedhimtowhat，then，Iowedthepleasure……Hewasreachingforaninsidepocketleisurely。
\"Mybrother’saverydifferentperson。ButIamwellknowninthispartoftheworld。You’veprobablyheard—\"
Itookacardheextendedtome。Athickbusinesscard，asI
lived！AlfredJacobus—theotherwasErnest—dealerineverydescriptionofship’sstores！Provisionssaltandfresh，oils，paints，rope，canvas，etc。，etc。Shipsinharbourvictualledbycontractonmoderateterms—
\"I’veneverheardofyou，\"Isaidbrusquely。
Hislow—pitchedassurancedidnotabandonhim。
\"Youwillbeverywellsatisfied，\"hebreathedoutquietly。
Iwasnotplacated。Ihadthesenseofhavingbeencircumventedsomehow。YetIhaddeceivedmyself—iftherewasanydeception。
Buttheconfoundedcheekofinvitinghimselftobreakfastwasenoughtodeceiveanyone。Andthethoughtstruckme：Why！Thefellowhadprovidedalltheseeatableshimselfinthewayofbusiness。Isaid：
\"Youmusthavegotupmightyearlythismorning。\"
Headmittedwithsimplicitythathewasonthequaybeforesixo’clockwaitingformyshiptocomein。Hegavemetheimpressionthatitwouldbeimpossibletogetridofhimnow。
\"Ifyouthinkwearegoingtoliveonthatscale，\"Isaid，lookingatthetablewithanirritatedeye，\"youarejollywellmistaken。\"
\"You’llfinditallright，Captain。Iquiteunderstand。\"
Nothingcoulddisturbhisequanimity。Ifeltdissatisfied，butI
couldnotverywellflyoutathim。Hehadtoldmemanyusefulthings—andbesideshewasthebrotherofthatwealthymerchant。
Thatseemedqueerenough。
IroseandtoldhimcurtlythatImustnowgoashore。Atonceheofferedtheuseofhisboatforallthetimeofmystayinport。
\"Ionlymakeanominalcharge，\"hecontinuedequably。\"Mymanremainsalldayatthelanding—steps。Youhaveonlytoblowawhistlewhenyouwanttheboat。\"
And，standingasideateverydoorwaytoletmegothroughfirst，hecarriedmeoffinhiscustodyafterall。Aswecrossedthequarter—decktwoshabbyindividualssteppedforwardandinmournfulsilenceofferedmebusinesscardswhichItookfromthemwithoutawordunderhisheavyeye。Itwasauselessandgloomyceremony。
Theywerethetoutsoftheothership—chandlers，andheplacidatmyback，ignoredtheirexistence。
Wepartedonthequay，afterhehadexpressedquietlythehopeofseeingmeoften\"atthestore。\"Hehadasmoking—roomforcaptainsthere，withnewspapersandaboxof\"ratherdecentcigars。\"Ilefthimveryunceremoniously。
Myconsigneesreceivedmewiththeusualbusinessheartiness，buttheiraccountofthestateofthefreight—marketwasbynomeanssofavourableasthetalkofthewrongJacobushadledmetoexpect。
NaturallyIbecameinclinednowtoputmytrustinhisversion，rather。AsIclosedthedooroftheprivateofficebehindmeI
thoughttomyself：\"H’m。Alotoflies。Commercialdiplomacy。
That’sthesortofthingamancomingfromseahasgottoexpect。
Theywouldtrytochartertheshipunderthemarketrate。\"
Inthebig，outerroom，fullofdesks，thechiefclerk，atall，lean，shavedpersoninimmaculatewhiteclothesandwithashiny，closely—croppedblackheadonwhichsilverygleamscameandwent，rosefromhisplaceanddetainedmeaffably。Anythingtheycoulddoforme，theywouldbemosthappy。WasIlikelytocallagainintheafternoon？What？Goingtoafuneral？Oh，yes，poorCaptainH—。
Hepulledalong，sympatheticfaceforamoment，then，dismissingfromthisworkadayworldthebaby，whichhadgotillinatempestandhaddiedfromtoomuchcalmatsea，heaskedmewithadental，shark—likesmile—ifsharkshadfalseteeth—whetherIhadyetmademylittlearrangementsfortheship’sstayinport。
\"Yes，withJacobus，\"Iansweredcarelessly。\"Iunderstandhe’sthebrotherofMr。ErnestJacobustowhomIhaveanintroductionfrommyowners。\"
IwasnotsorrytolethimknowIwasnotaltogetherhelplessinthehandsofhisfirm。Hescrewedhisthinlipsdubiously。
\"Why，\"Icried，\"isn’thethebrother？\"
\"Oh，yes……Theyhaven’tspokentoeachotherforeighteenyears，\"headdedimpressivelyafterapause。
\"Indeed！What’sthequarrelabout？\"
\"Oh，nothing！Nothingthatonewouldcaretomention，\"heprotestedprimly。\"He’sgotquitealargebusiness。Thebestship—chandlerhere，withoutadoubt。Businessisallverywell，butthereissuchathingaspersonalcharacter，too，isn’tthere？
Good—morning，Captain。\"
Hewentawaymincinglytohisdesk。Heamusedme。Heresembledanoldmaid，acommercialoldmaid，shockedbysomeimpropriety。Wasitacommercialimpropriety？Commercialimproprietyisaseriousmatter，foritaimsatone’spocket。OrwasheonlyapuristinconductwhodisapprovedofJacobusdoinghisowntouting？Itwascertainlyundignified。Iwonderedhowthemerchantbrotherlikedit。Butthendifferentcountries，differentcustoms。Inacommunitysoisolatedandsoexclusively\"trading\"socialstandardshavetheirownscale。
CHAPTERII
Iwouldhavegladlydispensedwiththemournfulopportunityofbecomingacquaintedbysightwithallmyfellow—captainsatonce。
HoweverIfoundmywaytothecemetery。Wemadeaconsiderablegroupofbareheadedmeninsombregarments。Inoticedthatthoseofourcompanymostapproachingtothenowobsoletesea—dogtypewerethemostmoved—perhapsbecausetheyhadless\"manner\"thanthenewgeneration。Theoldsea—dog，awayfromhisnaturalelement，wasasimpleandsentimentalanimal。Inoticedone—hewasfacingmeacrossthegrave—whowasdroppingtears。Theytrickleddownhisweather—beatenfacelikedropsofrainonanoldruggedwall。Ilearnedafterwardsthathewaslookeduponastheterrorofsailors，ahardman；thathehadneverhadwifeorchickofhisown，andthat，engagedfromhistenderestyearsindeep—seavoyages，heknewwomenandchildrenmerelybysight。
Perhapshewasdroppingthosetearsoverhislostopportunities，fromsheerenvyofpaternityandinstrangejealousyofasorrowwhichhecouldneverknow。Man，andeventhesea—man，isacapriciousanimal，thecreatureandthevictimoflostopportunities。Buthemademefeelashamedofmycallousness。I
hadnotears。
IlistenedwithhorriblycriticaldetachmenttothatserviceIhadhadtoreadmyself，onceortwice，overchildlikemenwhohaddiedatsea。Thewordsofhopeanddefiance，thewingedwordssoinspiringinthefreeimmensityofwaterandsky，seemedtofallwearilyintothelittlegrave。WhatwastheuseofaskingDeathwhereherstingwas，beforethatsmall，darkholeintheground？
Andthenmythoughtsescapedmealtogether—awayintomattersoflife—andnoveryhighmattersatthat—ships，freights，business。Intheinstabilityofhisemotionsmanresemblesdeplorablyamonkey。Iwasdisgustedwithmythoughts—andI
thought：ShallIbeabletogetachartersoon？Time’smoney……WillthatJacobusreallyputgoodbusinessinmyway？Imustgoandseehiminadayortwo。
Don’timaginethatIpursuedthesethoughtswithanyprecision。
Theypursuedmerather：vague，shadowy，restless，shamefaced。
Theirswasacallous，abominable，almostrevolting，pertinacity。
Anditwasthepresenceofthatpertinaciousship—chandlerwhichhadstartedthem。Hestoodmournfullyamongstourlittlebandofmenfromthesea，andIwasangryathispresence，which，suggestinghisbrotherthemerchant，hadcausedmetobecomeoutrageoustomyself。ForindeedIhadpreservedsomedecencyoffeeling。Itwasonlythemindwhich—
Itwasoveratlast。Thepoorfather—amanoffortywithblack，bushyside—whiskersandapatheticgashonhisfreshly—shavedchin—thankedusall，swallowinghistears。Butforsomereason，eitherbecauseIlingeredatthegateofthecemeterybeingsomewhathazyastomywayback，orbecauseIwastheyoungest，orascribingmymoodinesscausedbyremorsetosomemoreworthyandappropriatesentiment，orsimplybecauseIwasevenmoreofastrangertohimthantheothers—hesingledmeout。Keepingatmyside，herenewedhisthanks，whichIlistenedtoinagloomy，conscience—strickensilence。Suddenlyheslippedonehandundermyarmandwavedtheotherafteratall，stoutfigurewalkingawaybyitselfdownastreetinaflutterofthin，greygarments：
\"That’sagoodfellow—arealgoodfellow\"—heswalloweddownabelatedsob—\"thisJacobus。\"
AndhetoldmeinalowvoicethatJacobuswasthefirstmantoboardhisshiponarrival，and，learningoftheirmisfortune，hadtakenchargeofeverything，volunteeredtoattendtoallroutinebusiness，carriedofftheship’spapersonshore，arrangedforthefuneral—
\"Agoodfellow。Iwasknockedover。Ihadbeenlookingatmywifefortendays。Andhelpless。Justyouthinkofthat！Thedearlittlechapdiedtheverydaywemadetheland。HowImanagedtotaketheshipinGodaloneknows！Icouldn’tseeanything；I
couldn’tspeak；Icouldn’t……You’veheard，perhaps，thatwelostourmateoverboardonthepassage？Therewasnoonetodoitforme。Andthepoorwomannearlycrazydownbelowthereallalonewiththe……BytheLord！Itisn’tfair。\"
Wewalkedinsilencetogether。Ididnotknowhowtopartfromhim。Onthequayheletgomyarmandstruckfiercelyhisfistintothepalmofhisotherhand。
\"ByGod，itisn’tfair！\"hecriedagain。\"Don’tyouevermarryunlessyoucanchucktheseafirst……Itisn’tfair。\"
Ihadnointentionto\"chuckthesea，\"andwhenheleftmetogoaboardhisshipIfeltconvincedthatIwouldnevermarry。WhileI
waswaitingatthestepsforJacobus’sboatman，whohadgoneoffsomewhere，thecaptainoftheHildajoinedme，aslendersilkumbrellainhishandandthesharppointsofhisarchaic，Gladstonianshirt—collarframingasmall，clean—shaved，ruddyface。
Itwaswonderfullyfreshforhisage，beautifullymodelledandlitupbyremarkablyclearblueeyes。Alotofwhitehair，glossylikespunglass，curledupwardsslightlyunderthebrimofhisvaluable，ancient，panamahatwithabroadblackribbon。Intheaspectofthatvivacious，neat，littleoldmantherewassomethingquaintlyangelicandalsoboyish。
Heaccostedme，asthoughhehadbeeninthehabitofseeingmeeverydayofhislifefrommyearliestchildhood，withawhimsicalremarkontheappearanceofastoutnegrowomanwhowassittinguponastoolneartheedgeofthequay。PresentlyheobservedamiablythatIhadaveryprettylittlebarque。
Ireturnedthiscivilspeechbysayingreadily：
\"NotsoprettyastheHilda。\"
Atoncethecornersofhisclear—cut，sensitivemouthdroppeddismally。
\"Oh，dear！Icanhardlybeartolookathernow。\"
DidIknow，heaskedanxiously，thathehadlostthefigureheadofhisship；awomaninabluetunicedgedwithgold，thefaceperhapsnotsovery，verypretty，butherbarewhitearmsbeautifullyshapedandextendedasifshewereswimming？DidI？Whowouldhaveexpectedsuchathings……Aftertwentyyearstoo！
Nobodycouldhaveguessedfromhistonethatthewomanwasmadeofwood；histremblingvoice，hisagitatedmannergavetohislamentationsaludicrouslyscandalousflavour……Disappearedatnight—aclearfinenightwithjustaslightswell—inthegulfofBengal。Wentoffwithoutasplash；nooneintheshipcouldtellwhy，how，atwhathour—aftertwentyyearslastOctober……DidIeverhear！……
IassuredhimsympatheticallythatIhadneverheard—andhebecameverydoleful。Thismeantnogoodhewassure。Therewassomethinginitwhichlookedlikeawarning。ButwhenIremarkedthatsurelyanotherfigureofawomancouldbeprocuredIfoundmyselfbeingsoundlyratedformylevity。TheoldboyflushedpinkunderhiscleartanasifIhadproposedsomethingimproper。Onecouldreplacemasts，Iwastold，oralostrudder—anyworkingpartofaship；butwherewastheuseofstickingupanewfigurehead？Whatsatisfaction？Howcouldonecareforit？ItwaseasytoseethatIhadneverbeenshipmateswithafigureheadforovertwentyyears。
\"Anewfigurehead！\"hescoldedinunquenchableindignation。\"Why！
I’vebeenawidowernowforeight—and—twentyyearscomenextMayandIwouldjustassoonthinkofgettinganewwife。You’reasbadasthatfellowJacobus。\"
Iwashighlyamused。
\"WhathasJacobusdone？Didhewantyoutomarryagain，Captain？\"
Iinquiredinadeferentialtone。Buthewaslaunchednowandonlygrinnedfiercely。
\"Procure—indeed！He’sthesortofchaptoprocureyouanythingyoulikeforaprice。Ihadn’tbeenmooredhereforanhourwhenhegotonboardandatonceofferedtosellmeafigureheadhehappenstohaveinhisyardsomewhere。HegotSmith，mymate，totalktomeaboutit。’Mr。Smith，’saysI，’don’tyouknowmebetterthanthat？AmIthesortthatwouldpickupwithanotherman’scast—offfigurehead？’Andafteralltheseyearstoo！Thewaysomeofyouyoungfellowstalk—\"
Iaffectedgreatcompunction，andasIsteppedintotheboatIsaidsoberly：
\"ThenIseenothingforitbuttofitinaneatfiddlehead—
perhaps。Youknow，carvedscrollwork，nicelygilt。\"
Hebecameverydejectedafterhisoutburst。
\"Yes。Scrollwork。Maybe。Jacobushintedatthattoo。He’sneveratalosswhenthere’sanymoneytobeextractedfromasailorman。
Hewouldmakemepaythroughthenoseforthatcarving。Agiltfiddleheaddidyousay—eh？Idaresayitwoulddoforyou。Youyoungfellowsdon’tseemtohaveanyfeelingforwhat’sproper。\"
Hemadeaconvulsivegesturewithhisrightarm。
\"Nevermind。Nothingcanmakemuchdifference。Iwouldjustassoonlettheoldthinggoabouttheworldwithabarecutwater，\"hecriedsadly。Thenastheboatgotawayfromthestepsheraisedhisvoiceontheedgeofthequaywithcomicalanimosity：
\"Iwould！Ifonlytospitethatfigurehead—procuringbloodsucker。
Iamanoldbirdhereanddon’tyouforgetit。Comeandseemeonboardsomeday！\"
Ispentmyfirsteveninginportquietlyinmyship’scuddy；andgladenoughwasItothinkthattheshorelifewhichstrikesoneassopettilycomplex，discordant，andsofullofnewfacesonfirstcomingfromsea，couldbekeptoffforafewhourslonger。IwashoweverfatedtoheartheJacobusnoteoncemorebeforeIslept。
Mr。Burnshadgoneashoreaftertheeveningmealtohave，ashesaid，\"alookround。\"AsitwasquitedarkwhenheannouncedhisintentionIdidn’taskhimwhatitwasheexpectedtosee。Sometimeaboutmidnight，whilesittingwithabookinthesaloon，I
heardcautiousmovementsinthelobbyandhailedhimbyname。
Burnscamein，stickandhatinhand，incrediblyvulgarisedbyhissmartshoretogs，withajauntyairandanodioustwinkleinhiseye。Beingaskedtositdownhelaidhishatandstickonthetableandafterwehadtalkedofshipaffairsforalittlewhile：
\"I’vebeenhearingprettytalesonshoreaboutthatship—chandlerfellowwhosnatchedthejobfromyousoneatly，sir。\"
Iremonstratedwithmylatepatientforhismannerofexpressinghimself。Butheonlytossedhisheaddisdainfully。Aprettydodgeindeed：boardingastrangeshipwithbreakfastintwobasketsforallhandsandcalmlyinvitinghimselftothecaptain’stable！
Neverheardofanythingsocraftyandsoimpudentinhislife。
IfoundmyselfdefendingJacobus’sunusualmethods。
\"He’sthebrotherofoneofthewealthiestmerchantsintheport。\"
Themate’seyesfairlysnappedgreensparks。
\"Hisgrandbrotherhasn’tspokentohimforeighteenortwentyyears，\"hedeclaredtriumphantly。\"Sothere！\"
\"Iknowallaboutthat，\"Iinterruptedloftily。
\"Doyousir？H’m！\"Hismindwasstillrunningontheethicsofcommercialcompetition。\"Idon’tliketoseeyourgoodnaturetakenadvantageof。He’sbribedthatstewardofourswithafive—
rupeenotetolethimcomedown—ortenforthatmatter。Hedon’tcare。Hewillshovethatandmoreintothebillpresently。\"
\"Isthatoneofthetalesyouhaveheardashore？\"Iasked。
Heassuredmethathisownsensecouldtellhimthatmuch。No；
whathehadheardonshorewasthatnorespectablepersoninthewholetownwouldcomenearJacobus。Helivedinalargeold—
fashionedhouseinoneofthequietstreetswithabiggarden。
AftertellingmethisBurnsputonamysteriousair。\"Hekeepsagirlshutuptherewho，theysay—\"
\"Isupposeyou’veheardallthisgossipinsomeeminentlyrespectableplace？\"Isnappedathiminamostsarcastictone。
Theshafttold，becauseMr。Burns，likemanyotherdisagreeablepeople，wasverysensitivehimself。Heremainedasifthunderstruck，withhismouthopenforsomefurthercommunication，butIdidnotgivehimthechance。\"And，anyhow，whatthedeucedoIcare？\"Iadded，retiringintomyroom。
Andthiswasanaturalthingtosay。YetsomehowIwasnotindifferent。Iadmititisabsurdtobeconcernedwiththemoralsofone’sship—chandler，ifeversowellconnected；buthispersonalityhadstampeditselfuponmyfirstdayinharbour，inthewayyouknow。
AfterthisinitialexploitJacobusshowedhimselfanythingbutintrusive。Hewasoutinaboatearlyeverymorninggoingroundtheshipsheserved，andoccasionallyremainingonboardoneofthemforbreakfastwiththecaptain。
AsIdiscoveredthatthispracticewasgenerallyaccepted，Ijustnoddedtohimfamiliarlywhenonemorning，oncomingoutofmyroom，Ifoundhiminthecabin。GlancingoverthetableIsawthathisplacewasalreadylaid。Hestoodawaitingmyappearance，verybulkyandplacid，holdingabeautifulbunchofflowersinhisthickhand。Heofferedthemtomynoticewithafaint，sleepysmile。
Fromhisowngarden；hadaveryfineoldgarden；pickedthemhimselfthatmorningbeforegoingouttobusiness；thoughtIwouldlike……Heturnedaway。\"Steward，canyouobligemewithsomewaterinalargejar，please。\"
Iassuredhimjocularly，asItookmyplaceatthetable，thathemademefeelasifIwereaprettygirl，andthathemustn’tbesurprisedifIblushed。Buthewasbusyarranginghisfloraltributeatthesideboard。\"StanditbeforetheCaptain’splate，steward，please。\"Hemadethisrequestinhisusualundertone。
TheofferingwassopointedthatIcoulddonolessthantoraiseittomynose，andashesatdownnoiselesslyhebreathedouttheopinionthatafewflowersimprovednotablytheappearanceofaship’ssaloon。HewonderedwhyIdidnothaveashelffittedallroundtheskylightforflowersinpotstotakewithmetosea。Hehadaskilledworkmanabletofitupshelvesinaday，andhecouldprocuremetwoorthreedozengoodplants—
Thetipsofhisthick，roundfingersrestedcomposedlyontheedgeofthetableoneachsideofhiscupofcoffee。Hisfaceremainedimmovable。Mr。Burnswassmilingmaliciouslytohimself。I
declaredthatIhadn’ttheslightestintentionofturningmyskylightintoaconservatoryonlytokeepthecabin—tableinaperpetualmessofmouldanddeadvegetablematter。
\"Rearmostbeautifulflowers，\"heinsistedwithanupwardglance。
\"It’snotroublereally。\"
\"Oh，yes，itis。Lotsoftrouble，\"Icontradicted。\"Andintheendsomefoolleavestheskylightopeninafreshbreeze，aflickofsaltwatergetsatthemandthewholelotisdeadinaweek。\"
Mr。Burnssnortedacontemptuousapproval。Jacobusgaveupthesubjectpassively。AfteratimeheungluedhisthicklipstoaskmeifIhadseenhisbrotheryet。Iwasverycurtinmyanswer。
\"No，notyet。\"
\"Averydifferentperson，\"heremarkeddreamilyandgotup。Hismovementswereparticularlynoiseless。\"Well—thankyou，Captain。
Ifanythingisnottoyourlikingpleasementionittoyoursteward。Isupposeyouwillbegivingadinnertotheoffice—
clerkspresently。\"
\"Whatfor？\"Icriedwithsomewarmth。\"IfIwereasteadytradertotheportIcouldunderstandit。Butacompletestranger！……
Imaynotturnupagainhereforyears。Idon’tseewhy！……Doyoumeantosayitiscustomary？\"
\"Itwillbeexpectedfromamanlikeyou，\"hebreathedoutplacidly。\"Eightoftheprincipalclerks，themanager，that’snine，youthreegentlemen，that’stwelve。Itneedn’tbeveryexpensive。Ifyoutellyourstewardtogivemeaday’snotice—\"
\"Itwillbeexpectedofme！Whyshoulditbeexpectedofme？IsitbecauseIlookparticularlysoft—orwhat？
Hisimmobilitystruckmeasdignifiedsuddenly，hisimperturbablequalityasdangerous。\"There’splentyoftimetothinkaboutthat，\"Iconcludedweaklywithagesturethattriedtowavehimaway。Butbeforehedepartedhetooktimetomentionregretfullythathehadnotyethadthepleasureofseeingmeathis\"store\"tosamplethosecigars。Hehadaparcelofsixthousandtodisposeof，verycheap。
\"Ithinkitwouldbeworthyourwhiletosecuresome，\"headdedwithafat，melancholysmileandleftthecabin。
Mr。Burnsstruckhisfistonthetableexcitedly。
\"Didyoueverseesuchimpudence！He’smadeuphismindtogetsomethingoutofyouonewayoranother，sir。\"
AtoncefeelinginclinedtodefendJacobus，Iobservedphilosophicallythatallthiswasbusiness，Isupposed。Butmyabsurdmate，mutteringbrokendisjointedsentences，suchas：\"I
cannotbear！……Markmywords！……\"andsoon，flungoutofthecabin。IfIhadn’tnursedhimthroughthatdeadlyfeverI
wouldn’thavesufferedsuchmannersforasingleday。
CHAPTERIII
JacobushavingputmeinmindofhiswealthybrotherIconcludedI
wouldpaythatbusinesscallatonce。Ihadbythattimeheardalittlemoreofhim。HewasamemberoftheCouncil，wherehemadehimselfobjectionabletotheauthorities。Heexercisedaconsiderableinfluenceonpublicopinion。Lotsofpeopleowedhimmoney。Hewasanimporteronagreatscaleofallsortsofgoods。
Forinstance，thewholesupplyofbagsforsugarwaspracticallyinhishands。ThislastfactIdidnotlearntillafterwards。Thegeneralimpressionconveyedtomewasthatofalocalpersonage。
Hewasabachelorandgaveweeklycard—partiesinhishouseoutoftown，whichwereattendedbythebestpeopleinthecolony。
Thegreater，then，wasmysurprisetodiscoverhisofficeinshabbysurroundings，quiteawayfromthebusinessquarter，amongstalotofhovels。Guidedbyablackboardwithwhitelettering，Iclimbedanarrowwoodenstaircaseandenteredaroomwithabarefloorofplankslitteredwithbitsofbrownpaperandwispsofpackingstraw。Agreatnumberofwhatlookedlikewine—caseswerepiledupagainstoneofthewalls。Alanky，inky，light—yellow，mulattoyouth，miserablylong—neckedandgenerallyrecallingasickchicken，gotoffathree—leggedstoolbehindacheapdealdeskandfacedmeasifgonedumbwithfright。Ihadsomedifficultyinpersuadinghimtotakeinmyname，thoughIcouldnotgetfromhimthenatureofhisobjection。HediditatlastwithanalmostagonisedreluctancewhichceasedtobemysterioustomewhenI
heardhimbeingswornatmenacinglywithsavage，suppressedgrowls，thenaudiblycuffedandfinallykickedoutwithoutanyconcealmentwhatever；becausehecamebackflyingheadforemostthroughthedoorwithastifledshriek。
TosayIwasstartledwouldnotexpressit。Iremainedstill，likeamanlostinadream。Clappingbothhishandstothatpartofhisfrailanatomywhichhadreceivedtheshock，thepoorwretchsaidtomesimply：
\"Willyougoin，please。\"Hislamentableself—possessionwaswonderful；butitdidnotdoawaywiththeincredibilityoftheexperience。ApreposterousnotionthatIhadseenthisboysomewherebefore，athingobviouslyimpossible，waslikeadelicatefinishingtouchofweirdnessaddedtoascenefittoraisedoubtsastoone’ssanity。Istaredanxiouslyaboutmelikeanawakenedsomnambulist。
\"Isay，\"Icriedloudly，\"thereisn’tamistake，isthere？ThisisMr。Jacobus’soffice。\"
Theboygazedatmewithapainedexpression—andsomehowsofamiliar！Avoicewithingrowledoffensively：
\"Comein，comein，sinceyouarethere……Ididn’tknow。\"
Icrossedtheouterroomasoneapproachesthedenofsomeunknownwildbeast；withintrepiditybutinsomeexcitement。Onlynowildbeastthateverlivedwouldrouseone’sindignation；thepowertodothatbelongstotheodiousnessofthehumanbrute。AndIwasveryindignant，whichdidnotpreventmefrombeingatoncestruckbytheextraordinaryresemblanceofthetwobrothers。
Thisonewasdarkinsteadofbeingfairliketheother；buthewasasbig。Hewaswithouthiscoatandwaistcoat；hehadbeendoubtlesssnoozingintherocking—chairwhichstoodinacornerfurthestfromthewindow。Abovethegreatbulkofhiscrumpledwhiteshirt，buttonedwiththreediamondstuds，hisroundfacelookedswarthy。Itwasmoist；hisbrownmoustachehunglimpandragged。Hepushedacommon，cane—bottomedchairtowardsmewithhisfoot。
\"Sitdown。\"
Iglancedatitcasually，then，turningmyindignanteyesfulluponhim，IdeclaredinpreciseandincisivetonesthatIhadcalledinobediencetomyowners’instructions。
\"Oh！Yes。H’m！Ididn’tunderstandwhatthatfoolwassaying……Butnevermind！Itwillteachthescoundreltodisturbmeatthistimeoftheday，\"headded，grinningatmewithsavagecynicism。
Ilookedatmywatch。Itwaspastthreeo’clock—quitethefullswingofafternoonofficeworkintheport。Hesnarledimperiously：\"Sitdown，Captain。\"
Iacknowledgedthegraciousinvitationbysayingdeliberately：
\"Icanlistentoallyoumayhavetosaywithoutsittingdown。\"
Emittingaloudandvehement\"Pshaw！\"heglaredforamoment，veryround—eyedandfierce。Itwaslikeagigantictomcatspittingatonesuddenly。\"Lookathim！……Whatdoyoufancyyourselftobe？Whatdidyoucomeherefor？Ifyouwon’tsitdownandtalkbusinessyouhadbettergotothedevil。\"
\"Idon’tknowhimpersonally，\"Isaid。\"ButafterthisIwouldn’tmindcallingonhim。Itwouldberefreshingtomeetagentleman。\"
Hefollowedme，growlingbehindmyback：
\"Theimpudence！I’veagoodmindtowritetoyourownerswhatI
thinkofyou。\"
Iturnedonhimforamoment：
\"AsithappensIdon’tcare。FormypartIassureyouIwon’teventakethetroubletomentionyoutothem。\"
HestoppedatthedoorofhisofficewhileItraversedthelitteredanteroom。Ithinkhewassomewhattakenaback。
\"Iwillbreakeveryboneinyourbody，\"heroaredsuddenlyatthemiserablemulattolad，\"ifyoueverdaretodisturbmebeforehalf—
pastthreeforanybody。D’yehear？Foranybody！……Letaloneanydamnedskipper，\"headded，inalowergrowl。
Thefrailyoungster，swayinglikeareed，madealowmoaningsound。
Istoppedshortandaddressedthissuffererwithadvice。Itwaspromptedbythesightofahammer（usedforopeningthewine—cases，Isuppose）whichwaslyingonthefloor。
\"IfIwereyou，myboy，IwouldhavethatthingupmysleevewhenI
wentinnextandatthefirstoccasionIwould—\"
Whatwastheresofamiliarinthatlad’syellowface？Entrenchedandquakingbehindtheflimsydesk，heneverlookedup。Hisheavy，loweredeyelidsgavemesuddenlytheclueofthepuzzle。Heresembled—yes，thosethickgluedlips—heresembledthebrothersJacobus。Heresembledboth，thewealthymerchantandthepushingshopkeeper（whoresembledeachother）；heresembledthemasmuchasathin，light—yellowmulattoladmayresembleabig，stout，middle—
agedwhiteman。Itwastheexoticcomplexionandtheslightnessofhisbuildwhichhadputmeoffsocompletely。NowIsawinhimunmistakablytheJacobusstrain，weakened，attenuated，dilutedasitwereinabucketofwater—andIrefrainedfromfinishingmyspeech。Ihadintendedtosay：\"Crackthisbrute’sheadforhim。\"
Istillfelttheconclusiontobesound。Butitisnotriflingresponsibilitytocounselparricidetoanyone，howeverdeeplyinjured。
\"Beggarly—cheeky—skippers。\"
Idespisedtheemphaticgrowlatmyback；only，beingmuchvexedandupset，IregrettosaythatIslammedthedoorbehindmeinamostundignifiedmanner。
ItmaynotappearaltogetherabsurdifIsaythatIbroughtoutfromthatinterviewakindlierviewoftheotherJacobus。Itwaswithafeelingresemblingpartisanshipthat，afewdayslater，I
calledathis\"store。\"Thatlong，cavern—likeplaceofbusiness，verydimatthebackandstuffedfullofallsortsofgoods，wasenteredfromthestreetbyaloftyarchway。AtthefarendIsawmyJacobusexertinghimselfinhisshirt—sleevesamonghisassistants。Thecaptains’roomwasasmall，vaultedapartmentwithastonefloorandheavyironbarsinitswindowslikeadungeonconvertedtohospitablepurposes。Acoupleofcheerfulbottlesandseveralgleamingglassesmadeabrilliantclusterroundatall，coolredearthenwarepitcheronthecentretablewhichwaslitteredwithnewspapersfromallpartsoftheworld。Awell—groomedstrangerinasmartgreychecksuit，sittingwithonelegflungoverhisknee，putdownoneofthesesheetsbrisklyandnoddedtome。
Iguessedhimtobeasteamer—captain。Itwasimpossibletogettoknowthesemen。Theycameandwenttooquicklyandtheirshipslaymooredfarout，attheveryentranceoftheharbour。Theirswasanotherlifealtogether。Heyawnedslightly。
\"Dullhole，isn’tit？\"
Iunderstoodthistoalludetothetown。
\"Doyoufinditso？\"Imurmured。
\"Don’tyou？ButI’moffto—morrow，thankgoodness。\"
Hewasaverygentlemanlyperson，good—naturedandsuperior。I
watchedhimdrawtheopenboxofcigarstohissideofthetable，takeabigcigar—caseoutofhispocketandbegintofillitverymethodically。Presently，onoureyesmeeting，hewinkedlikeacommonmortalandinvitedmetofollowhisexample。\"Theyarereallydecentsmokes。\"Ishookmyhead。
\"Iamnotoffto—morrow。\"
\"Whatofthat？ThinkIamabusingoldJacobus’shospitality？
Heavens！Itgoesintothebill，ofcourse。Hespreadssuchlittlemattersalloverhisaccount。Hecantakecareofhimself！Why，it’sbusiness—\"
Inotedashadowfalloverhiswell—satisfiedexpression，amomentaryhesitationinclosinghiscigar—case。Butheendedbyputtingitinhispocketjauntily。Aplacidvoiceutteredinthedoorway：\"That’squitecorrect，Captain。\"
ThelargenoiselessJacobusadvancedintotheroom。Hisquietness，inthecircumstances，amountedtocordiality。Hehadputonhisjacketbeforejoiningus，andhesatdowninthechairvacatedbythesteamer—man，whonoddedagaintomeandwentoutwithashort，jarringlaugh。Aprofoundsilencereigned。WithhisdrowsystareJacobusseemedtobeslumberingopen—eyed。Yet，somehow，Iwasawareofbeingprofoundlyscrutinisedbythoseheavyeyes。Intheenormouscavernofthestoresomebodybegantonaildownacase，expertly：tap—tap……tap—tap—tap。
Twootherexperts，oneslowandnasal，theothershrillandsnappy，startedcheckinganinvoice。
\"Ahalf—coilofthree—inchmanillarope。\"
\"Right！\"
\"Sixassortedshackles。\"
\"Right！\"
\"Sixtinsassortedsoups，threeofpate，twoasparagus，fourteenpoundstobacco，cabin。\"
\"Right！\"
\"It’sforthecaptainwhowasherejustnow，\"breathedouttheimmovableJacobus。\"Thesesteamerordersareverysmall。Theypickupwhattheywantastheygoalong。ThatmanwillbeinSamaranginlessthanafortnight。Verysmallordersindeed。\"
Thecallingoveroftheitemswentonintheshop；anextraordinaryjumbleofvariedarticles，paint—brushes，YorkshireRelish，etc。，etc……\"Threesacksofbestpotatoes，\"readoutthenasalvoice。
AtthisJacobusblinkedlikeasleepingmanrousedbyashake，anddisplayedsomeanimation。Athisorder，shoutedintotheshop，asmirkinghalf—casteclerkwithhisringletsmuchoiledandwithapenstuckbehindhisear，broughtinasampleofsixpotatoeswhichheparadedinarowonthetable。
BeingurgedtolookattheirbeautyIgavethemacoldandhostileglance。Calmly，JacobusproposedthatIshouldordertenorfifteentons—tons！Icouldn’tbelievemyears。Mycrewcouldnothaveeatensuchalotinayear；andpotatoes（excusethesepracticalremarks）areahighlyperishablecommodity。Ithoughthewasjoking—orelsetryingtofindoutwhetherIwasanunutterableidiot。Buthispurposewasnotsosimple。I
discoveredthathemeantmetobuythemonmyownaccount。
\"Iamproposingyouabitofbusiness，Captain。Iwouldn’tchargeyouagreatprice。\"
ItoldhimthatIdidnotgoinfortrade。IevenaddedgrimlythatIknewonlytoowellhowthatsortofspec。generallyended。