第5章

scendedslowly，pathetically，andthen，withthelongblackeyelasheslyingonherwhitecheeks，shelookedreadytofalldowninaswoon。Butsheneverevenswayedwhereshestood。Heurgedherloudlytofollowhimatonce，andwalkedtowardsthedooratthebottomofthecellarstairswithoutlookingbehindhim。

And，asamatteroffact，shedidmoveafterhimapaceortwo。But，ofcourse，hewasnotallowedtoreachthedoor。Therewereangryexclamations，ashort，fiercescuffle。Flungawayviolently，hecameflyingback-

wardsuponher，andfell。Shethrewoutherarmsinagestureofdismayandsteppedaside，justclearofhishead，whichstruckthegroundheavilynearhershoe。

"Hegruntedwiththeshock。Bythetimehehadpickedhimselfup，slowly，dazedly，hewasawaketotherealityofthings。Themanintowhosehandshehadthrusttheleathercasehadextractedtherefromanarrowstripofbluishpaper。Hehelditupabovehishead，and，asafterthescuffleanexpectantuneasystill-

nessreignedoncemore，hethrewitdowndisdainfullywiththewords，"Ithink，comrades，thatthisproofwashardlynecessary。"

"Quickasthought，thegirlstoopedaftertheflutter-

ingslip。Holdingitspreadoutinbothhands，shelookedatit；then，withoutraisinghereyes，openedherfingersslowlyandletitfall。

"Iexaminedthatcuriousdocumentafterwards。Itwassignedbyaveryhighpersonage，andstampedandcountersignedbyotherhighofficialsinvariouscountriesofEurope。Inhistrade——orshallIsay，inhismission?——

thatsortoftalismanmighthavebeennecessary，nodoubt。Eventothepoliceitself——allbuttheheads——

hehadbeenknownonlyasSevrinthenotedanarchist。

"Hehunghishead，bitinghislowerlip。Achangehadcomeoverhim，asortofthoughtful，absorbedcalm-

ness。Nevertheless，hepanted。Hissidesworkedvisi-

bly，andhisnostrilsexpandedandcollapsedinweirdcontrastwithhissombreaspectofafanaticalmonkinameditativeattitude，butwithsomething，too，inhisfaceofanactorintentupontheterribleexigenciesofhispart。BeforehimHornedeclaimed，haggardandbearded，likeaninspireddenunciatoryprophetfromawilderness。Twofanatics。Theyweremadetounder-

standeachother。Doesthissurpriseyou?Isup-

poseyouthinkthatsuchpeoplewouldbefoamingatthemouthandsnarlingateachother?"

IprotestedhastilythatIwasnotsurprisedintheleast；thatIthoughtnothingofthekind；thatanarchistsingeneralweresimplyinconceivabletomementally，morally，logically，sentimentally，andevenphysically。

Xreceivedthisdeclarationwithhisusualwoodennessandwenton。

"Hornehadburstoutintoeloquence。Whilepour-

ingoutscornfulinvective，helettearsescapefromhiseyesandrolldownhisblackbeardunheeded。Sevrinpantedquickerandquicker。Whenheopenedhismouthtospeak，everyonehungonhiswords。

""Don"tbeafool，Horne，"hebegan。"YouknowverywellthatIhavedonethisfornoneofthereasonsyouarethrowingatme。"Andinamomenthebecameoutwardlyassteadyasarockundertheother"sluridstare。"Ihavebeenthwarting，deceiving，andbetrayingyou——fromconviction。"

"HeturnedhisbackonHorne，andaddressingthegirl，repeatedthewords:"Fromconviction。"

"It"sextraordinaryhowcoldshelooked。Isupposeshecouldnotthinkofanyappropriategesture。Therecanhavebeenfewprecedentsindeedforsuchasitu-

ation。

""Clearasdaylight，"headded。"Doyouunderstandwhatthatmeans?Fromconviction。"

"Andstillshedidnotstir。Shedidnotknowwhattodo。Butthelucklesswretchwasabouttogivehertheopportunityforabeautifulandcorrectgesture。

""Ihavefeltinmethepowertomakeyousharethisconviction，"heprotested，ardently。Hehadfor-

gottenhimself；hemadeasteptowardsher——perhapshestumbled。Tomeheseemedtobestoopinglowasiftotouchthehemofhergarment。Andthentheappropriategesturecame。Shesnatchedherskirtawayfromhispollutingcontactandavertedherheadwithanupwardtilt。Itwasmagnificentlydone，thisgestureofconventionallyunstainedhonour，ofanun-

blemishedhigh-mindedamateur。

"Nothingcouldhavebeenbetter。Andheseemedtothinkso，too，foroncemoreheturnedaway。Butthistimehefacednoone。Hewasagainpantingfright-

fully，whilehefumbledhurriedlyinhiswaistcoatpocket，andthenraisedhishandtohislips。Therewassomethingfurtiveinthismovement，butdirectlyafter-

wardshisbearingchanged。Hislabouredbreathinggavehimaresemblancetoamanwhohadjustrunadesperaterace；butacuriousairofdetachment，ofsud-

denandprofoundindifference，replacedthestrainofthestrivingeffort。Theracewasover。Ididnotwanttoseewhatwouldhappennext。Iwasonlytoowellaware。Ituckedtheyounglady"sarmunderminewithoutaword，andmademywaywithhertothestairs。

"Herbrotherwalkedbehindus。Half-wayuptheshortflightsheseemedunabletoliftherfeethighenoughforthesteps，andwehadtopullandpushtogethertothetop。Inthepassageshedraggedherselfalong，hangingonmyarm，helplesslybentlikeanoldwoman。Weissuedintoanemptystreetthroughahalf-opendoor，staggeringlikebesottedrevellers。Atthecornerwestoppedafour-wheeler，andtheancientdriverlookedroundfromhisboxwithmorosescornatoureffortstogetherin。TwiceduringthedriveIfelthercollapseonmyshoulderinahalffaint。Facingus，theyouthinknickerbockersremainedasmuteasafish，and，tillhejumpedoutwiththelatch-key，satmorestillthanIwouldhavebelieveditpossible。

"Atthedooroftheirdrawing-roomsheleftmyarmandwalkedinfirst，catchingatthechairsandtables。

Sheunpinnedherhat，then，exhaustedwiththeeffort，hercloakstillhangingfromhershoulders，flungher-

selfintoadeeparmchair，sideways，herfacehalfburiedinacushion。Thegoodbrotherappearedsilentlybeforeherwithaglassofwater。Shemotioneditaway。Hedrankithimselfandwalkedofftoadis-

tantcorner——behindthegrandpiano，somewhere。AllwasstillinthisroomwhereIhadseen，forthefirsttime，Sevrin，theanti-anarchist，captivatedandspell-

boundbytheconsummateandhereditarygrimacesthatinacertainsphereoflifetaketheplaceoffeelingswithanexcellenteffect。Isupposeherthoughtswerebusywiththesamememory。Hershouldersshookviolently。Apureattackofnerves。Whenitquieteddownsheaffectedfirmness，"Whatisdonetoamanofthatsort?Whatwilltheydotohim?"

""Nothing。Theycandonothingtohim，"Iassuredher，withperfecttruth。Iwasprettycertainhehaddiedinlessthantwentyminutesfromthemomenthishandhadgonetohislips。Forifhisfanaticalanti-

anarchismwentevenasfarascarryingpoisoninhispocket，onlytorobhisadversariesoflegitimateven-

geance，Iknewhewouldtakecaretoprovidesomethingthatwouldnotfailhimwhenrequired。

"Shedrewanangrybreath。Therewereredspotsonhercheeksandafeverishbrillianceinhereyes。

""Haseveranyonebeenexposedtosuchaterribleexperience?Tothinkthathehadheldmyhand!

Thatman!"Herfacetwitched，shegulpeddownapatheticsob。"IfIeverfeltsureofanything，itwasofSevrin"shigh-mindedmotives。"

"Thenshebegantoweepquietly，whichwasgoodforher。Thenthroughherfloodoftears，halfresentful，"Whatwasithesaidtome?——"Fromconviction!"

Itseemedavilemockery。Whatcouldhemeanbyit?"

""That，mydearyounglady，"Isaid，gently，"ismorethanIoranybodyelsecaneverexplaintoyou。""

Mr。Xflickedacrumboffthefrontofhiscoat。

"Andthatwasstrictlytrueastoher。ThoughHorne，forinstance，understoodverywell；andsodidI，especiallyafterwehadbeentoSevrin"slodginginadismalbackstreetofanintenselyrespectablequarter。

Hornewasknownthereasafriend，andwehadnodifficultyinbeingadmitted，theslatternlymaidmerelyremarking，assheletusin，that"MrSevrinhadnotbeenhomethatnight。"Weforcedopenacoupleofdrawersinthewayofduty，andfoundalittleusefulinformation。

Themostinterestingpartwashisdiary；forthisman，engagedinsuchdeadlywork，hadtheweaknesstokeeparecordofthemostdamnatorykind。Therewerehisactsandalsohisthoughtslaidbaretous。Butthedeaddon"tmindthat。Theydon"tmindanything。

""Fromconviction。"Yes。Avaguebutardenthumanitarianismhadurgedhiminhisfirstyouthintothebitterestextremityofnegationandrevolt。After-

wardshisoptimismflinched。Hedoubtedandbecamelost。Youhaveheardofconvertedatheists。Theseturnoftenintodangerousfanatics，butthesoulremainsthesame。Afterhehadgotacquaintedwiththegirl，therearetobemetinthatdiaryofhisveryqueerpolitico-amorousrhapsodies。Hetookhersovereigngrimaceswithdeadlyseriousness。Helongedtocon-

verther。Butallthiscannotinterestyou。Fortherest，Idon"tknowifyouremember——itisagoodmanyyearsagonow——thejournalisticsensationofthe"Hermi-

oneStreetMystery"；thefindingofaman"sbodyinthecellarofanemptyhouse；theinquest；somearrests；

manysurmises——thensilence——theusualendformanyobscuremartyrsandconfessors。Thefactis，hewasnotenoughofanoptimist。Youmustbeasavage，tyrannical，pitiless，thick-and-thinoptimist，likeHorne，forinstance，tomakeagoodsocialrebeloftheextremetype。

Herosefromthetable。Awaiterhurriedupwithhisovercoat；anotherheldhishatinreadiness。

"Butwhatbecameoftheyounglady?"Iasked。

"Doyoureallywanttoknow?"hesaid，buttoninghimselfinhisfurcoatcarefully。"IconfesstothesmallmaliceofsendingherSevrin"sdiary。Shewentintoretirement；thenshewenttoFlorence；thenshewentintoretreatinaconvent。Ican"ttellwhereshewillgonext。Whatdoesitmatter?Gestures!Gestures!

Meregesturesofherclass。"

Hefittedonhisglossyhighhatwithextremepre-

cision，andcastingarapidglanceroundtheroom，fullofwell-dressedpeople，innocentlydining，mutteredbetweenhisteeth:

"Andnothingelse!Thatiswhytheirkindisfatedtoperish。"

InevermetMr。Xagainafterthatevening。Itooktodiningatmyclub。OnmynextvisittoParisIfoundmyfriendallimpatiencetohearoftheeffectproducedonmebythisrareitemofhiscollection。Itoldhimallthestory，andhebeamedonmewiththeprideofhisdistinguishedspecimen。

"Isn"tXwellworthknowing?"hebubbledoveringreatdelight。"He"sunique，amazing，absolutelyterrific。"

Hisenthusiasmgrateduponmyfinerfeelings。I

toldhimcurtlythattheman"scynicismwassimplyabominable。

"Oh，abominable!abominable!"assentedmyfriend，effusively。"Andthen，youknow，helikestohavehislittlejokesometimes，"headdedinaconfidentialtone。

Ifailtounderstandtheconnectionofthislastre-

mark。Ihavebeenutterlyunabletodiscoverwhereinallthisthejokecomesin。

ANINDIGNANTTALE

THEBRUTE

DODGINGinfromtherain-sweptstreet，IexchangedasmileandaglancewithMissBlankinthebaroftheThreeCrows。Thisexchangewaseffectedwithex-

tremepropriety。Itisashocktothinkthat，ifstillalive，MissBlankmustbesomethingoversixtynow。

Howtimepasses!

Noticingmygazedirectedinquiringlyattheparti-

tionofglassandvarnishedwood，MissBlankwasgoodenoughtosay，encouragingly:

"OnlyMr。JermynandMr。StonorintheparlourwithanothergentlemanI"veneverseenbefore。"

Imovedtowardstheparlourdoor。Avoicedis-

coursingontheotherside(itwasbutamatchboardpartition)，rosesoloudlythattheconcludingwordsbecamequiteplaininalltheiratrocity。

"ThatfellowWilmotfairlydashedherbrainsout，andagoodjob，too!"

Thisinhumansentiment，sincetherewasnothingprofaneorimproperinit，failedtodoasmuchastochecktheslightyawnMissBlankwasachievingbehindherhand。Andsheremainedgazingfixedlyatthewindow-panes，whichstreamedwithrain。

AsIopenedtheparlourdoorthesamevoicewentoninthesamecruelstrain:

"IwasgladwhenIheardshegottheknockfromsomebodyatlast。SorryenoughforpoorWilmot，though。ThatmanandIusedtobechumsatonetime。Ofcoursethatwastheendofhim。Aclearcaseifthereeverwasone。Nowayoutofit。Noneatall。"

ThevoicebelongedtothegentlemanMissBlankhadneverseenbefore。Hestraddledhislonglegsonthehearthrug。Jermyn，leaningforward，heldhispocket-

handkerchiefspreadoutbeforethegrate。Helookedbackdismallyoverhisshoulder，andasIslippedbehindoneofthelittlewoodentables，Inoddedtohim。Ontheothersideofthefire，imposinglycalmandlarge，satMr。Stonor，jammedtightintoacapaciousWindsorarmchair。Therewasnothingsmallabouthimbuthisshort，whiteside-whiskers。Yardsandyardsofextrasuperfinebluecloth(madeupintoanovercoat)

reposedonachairbyhisside。Andhemustjusthavebroughtsomelinerfromsea，becauseanotherchairwassmotheredunderhisblackwaterproof，ampleasapall，andmadeofthree-foldoiledsilk，double-stitchedthroughout。Aman"shand-bagoftheusualsizelookedlikeachild"stoyonthefloornearhisfeet。

Ididnotnodtohim。Hewastoobigtobenoddedtointhatparlour。HewasaseniorTrinitypilotandcondescendedtotakehisturninthecutteronlyduringthesummermonths。HehadbeenmanytimesinchargeofroyalyachtsinandoutofPortVictoria。

Besides，it"snousenoddingtoamonument。Andhewaslikeone。Hedidn"tspeak，hedidn"tbudge。Hejustsatthere，holdinghishandsomeoldheadup，immovable，andalmostbiggerthanlife。Itwasex-

tremelyfine。Mr。Stonor"spresencereducedpooroldJermyntoamereshabbywispofaman，andmadethetalkativestrangerintweedsonthehearthruglookabsurdlyboyish。Thelattermusthavebeenafewyearsoverthirty，andwascertainlynotthesortofindividualthatgetsabashedatthesoundofhisownvoice，becausegatheringmein，asitwere，byafriendlyglance，hekeptitgoingwithoutacheck。

"Iwasgladofit，"herepeated，emphatically。"Youmaybesurprisedatit，butthenyouhaven"tgonethroughtheexperienceI"vehadofher。Icantellyou，itwassomethingtoremember。Ofcourse，Igotoffscotfreemyself——asyoucansee。Shedidherbesttobreakupmypluckformetho"。Shejollyneardroveasfineafellowaseverlivedintoamadhouse。Whatdoyousaytothat——eh?"

NotaneyelidtwitchedinMr。Stonor"senormousface。

Monumental!Thespeakerlookedstraightintomyeyes。

"Itusedtomakemesicktothinkofhergoingabouttheworldmurderingpeople。"

Jermynapproachedthehandkerchiefalittlenearertothegrateandgroaned。Itwassimplyahabithehad。

"I"veseenheronce，"hedeclared，withmournfulin-

difference。"Shehadahouse——"

Thestrangerintweedsturnedtostaredownathim，surprised。

"Shehadthreehouses，"hecorrected，authoritatively。

ButJermynwasnottobecontradicted。

"Shehadahouse，Isay，"herepeated，withdismalobstinacy。"Agreat，big，ugly，whitething。Youcouldseeitfrommilesaway——stickingup。"

"Soyoucould，"assentedtheotherreadily。"ItwasoldColchester"snotion，thoughhewasalwaysthreaten-

ingtogiveherup。Hecouldn"tstandherracketanymore，hedeclared；itwastoomuchofagoodthingforhim；hewouldwashhishandsofher，ifhenevergotholdofanother——andsoon。Idaresayhewouldhavechuckedher，only——itmaysurpriseyou——hismissuswouldn"thearofit。Funny，eh?Butwithwomen，youneverknowhowtheywilltakeathing，andMrs。

Colchester，withhermoustachesandbigeyebrows，setupforbeingasstrong-mindedastheymakethem。Sheusedtowalkaboutinabrownsilkdress，withagreatgoldcablefloppingaboutherbosom。Youshouldhaveheardhersnappingout:"Rubbish!"or"Stuffandnon-

sense!"Idaresaysheknewwhenshewaswelloff。

Theyhadnochildren，andhadneversetupahomeany-

where。WheninEnglandshejustmadeshifttohangoutanyhowinsomecheaphotelorboarding-house。I

daresayshelikedtogetbacktothecomfortsshewasusedto。Sheknewverywellshecouldn"tgainbyanychange。And，moreover，Colchester，thoughafirst-

rateman，wasnotwhatyoumaycallinhisfirstyouth，and，perhaps，shemayhavethoughtthathewouldn"tbeabletogetholdofanother(asheusedtosay)soeasily。Anyhow，foronereasonoranother，itwas"Rubbish"and"Stuffandnonsense"forthegoodlady。

IoverheardonceyoungMr。Apsehimselfsaytoherconfidentially:"Iassureyou，Mrs。Colchester，Iambeginningtofeelquiteunhappyaboutthenameshe"sgettingforherself。""Oh，"saysshe，withherdeeplittlehoarselaugh，"ifonetooknoticeofallthesillytalk，"

andsheshowedApseallheruglyfalseteethatonce。

"Itwouldtakemorethanthattomakemelosemyconfidenceinher，Iassureyou，"saysshe。"

Atthispoint，withoutanychangeoffacialexpression，Mr。Stonoremittedashort，sardoniclaugh。Itwasveryimpressive，butIdidn"tseethefun。Ilookedfromonetoanother。Thestrangeronthehearthrughadanuglysmile。

"AndMr。ApseshookbothMrs。Colchester"shands，hewassopleasedtohearagoodwordsaidfortheirfavourite。AlltheseApses，youngandoldyouknow，wereperfectlyinfatuatedwiththatabominable，dan-

gerous——"

"Ibegyourpardon，"Iinterrupted，forheseemedtobeaddressinghimselfexclusivelytome；"butwhoonearthareyoutalkingabout?"

"IamtalkingoftheApsefamily，"heanswered，courteously。

Inearlyletoutadamnatthis。ButjustthentherespectedMissBlankputherheadin，andsaidthatthecabwasatthedoor，ifMr。Stonorwantedtocatchtheeleventhreeup。

Atoncetheseniorpilotaroseinhismightybulkandbegantostruggleintohiscoat，withawe-inspiringup-

heavals。ThestrangerandIhurriedimpulsivelytohisassistance，anddirectlywelaidourhandsonhimhebecameperfectlyquiescent。Wehadtoraiseourarmsveryhigh，andtomakeefforts。Itwaslikecaparisoningadocileelephant。Witha"Thanks，gentlemen，"hedivedunderandsqueezedhimselfthroughthedoorinagreathurry。

Wesmiledateachotherinafriendlyway。

"Iwonderhowhemanagestohoisthimselfupaship"sside-ladder，"saidthemanintweeds；andpoorJermyn，whowasamereNorthSeapilot，withoutofficialstatusorrecognitionofanysort，pilotonlybycourtesy，groaned。

"Hemakeseighthundredayear。"

"Areyouasailor?"Iaskedthestranger，whohadgonebacktohispositionontherug。

"Iusedtobetillacoupleofyearsago，whenIgotmarried，"answeredthiscommunicativeindividual。"I

evenwenttoseafirstinthatveryshipwewerespeak-

ingofwhenyoucamein。"

"Whatship?"Iasked，puzzled。"Ineverheardyoumentionaship。"

"I"vejusttoldyouhername，mydearsir，"hereplied。

"TheApseFamily。Surelyyou"veheardofthegreatfirmofApse&Sons，shipowners。Theyhadaprettybigfleet。TherewastheLucyApse，andtheHaroldApse，andAnne，John，Malcolm，Clara，Juliet，andsoon——noendofApses。Everybrother，sister，aunt，cousin，wife——andgrandmother，too，forallIknow——ofthefirmhadashipnamedafterthem。Good，solid，old-fashionedcrafttheywere，too，builttocarryandtolast。Noneofyournew-fangled，labour-savingappliancesinthem，butplentyofmenandplentyofgoodsaltbeefandhardtackputaboard——andoffyougotofightyourwayoutandhomeagain。"

ThemiserableJermynmadeasoundofapproval，whichsoundedlikeagroanofpain。Thoseweretheshipsforhim。Hepointedoutindolefultonesthatyoucouldn"tsaytolabour-savingappliances:"Jumplivelynow，myhearties。"Nolabour-savingappliancewouldgoaloftonadirtynightwiththesandsunderyourlee。

"No，"assentedthestranger，withawinkatme。

"TheApsesdidn"tbelieveinthemeither，apparently。

Theytreatedtheirpeoplewell——aspeopledon"tgettreatednowadays，andtheywereawfullyproudoftheirships。Nothingeverhappenedtothem。Thislastone，theApseFamily，wastobeliketheothers，onlyshewastobestillstronger，stillsafer，stillmoreroomyandcom-

fortable。Ibelievetheymeanthertolastforever。

Theyhadherbuiltcomposite——iron，teak-wood，andgreenheart，andherscantlingwassomethingfabulous。

Ifeveranorderwasgivenforashipinaspiritofpridethisonewas。Everythingofthebest。Thecommodorecaptainoftheemploywastocommandher，andtheyplannedtheaccommodationforhimlikeahouseonshoreunderabig，tallpoopthatwentnearlytothemainmast。NowonderMrs。Colchesterwouldn"tlettheoldmangiveherup。Why，itwasthebesthomesheeverhadinallhermarrieddays。Shehadanerve，thatwoman。

"Thefussthatwasmadewhilethatshipwasbuild-

ing!Let"shavethisalittlestronger，andthatalittleheavier；andhadn"tthatotherthingbetterbechangedforsomethingalittlethicker。Thebuildersenteredintothespiritofthegame，andthereshewas，growingintotheclumsiest，heaviestshipofhersizerightbeforealltheireyes，withoutanybodybecomingawareofitsomehow。Shewastobe2，000tonsregister，oralittleover；nolessonanyaccount。Butseewhathappens。

Whentheycametomeasurehersheturnedout1，999

tonsandafraction。Generalconsternation!AndtheysayoldMr。Apsewassoannoyedwhentheytoldhimthathetooktohisbedanddied。Theoldgentlemanhadretiredfromthefirmtwenty-fiveyearsbefore，andwasninety-sixyearsoldifaday，sohisdeathwasn"t，perhaps，sosurprising。StillMr。LucianApsewascon-

vincedthathisfatherwouldhavelivedtoahundred。

Sowemayputhimattheheadofthelist。Nextcomesthepoordevilofashipwrightthatbrutecaughtandsquashedasshewentofftheways。Theycalleditthelaunchofaship，butI"veheardpeoplesaythat，fromthewailingandyellingandscramblingoutoftheway，itwasmorelikelettingadevillooseupontheriver。Shesnappedallhercheckslikepack-thread，andwentforthetugsinattendancelikeafury。Beforeanybodycouldseewhatshewasuptoshesentoneofthemtothebottom，andlaidupanotherforthreemonths"repairs。Oneofhercablesparted，andthen，suddenly——youcouldn"ttellwhy——sheletherselfbebroughtupwiththeotherasquietasalamb。

"That"showshewas。Youcouldneverbesurewhatshewouldbeuptonext。Thereareshipsdifficulttohandle，butgenerallyyoucandependonthembehav-

ingrationally。Withthatship，whateveryoudidwithheryouneverknewhowitwouldend。Shewasawickedbeast。Or，perhaps，shewasonlyjustin-

sane。"

HeutteredthissuppositioninsoearnestatonethatIcouldnotrefrainfromsmiling。Heleftoffbitinghislowerliptoapostrophizeme。

"Eh!Whynot?Whycouldn"ttherebesomethinginherbuild，inherlinescorrespondingto——What"smadness?Onlysomethingjustatinybitwronginthemakeofyourbrain。Whyshouldn"ttherebeamadship——Imeanmadinaship-likeway，sothatundernocircumstancescouldyoubesureshewoulddowhatanyothersensibleshipwouldnaturallydoforyou。Thereareshipsthatsteerwildly，andshipsthatcan"tbequitetrustedalwaystostay；otherswantcarefulwatchingwhenrunninginagale；and，again，theremaybeashipthatwillmakeheavyweatherofitineverylittleblow。Butthenyouexpecthertobealwaysso。Youtakeitaspartofhercharacter，asaship，justasyoutakeaccountofaman"speculiaritiesoftemperwhenyoudealwithhim。Butwithheryoucouldn"t。Shewasunaccountable。Ifshewasn"tmad，thenshewasthemostevil-minded，underhand，savagebrutethateverwentafloat。I"veseenherruninaheavygalebeautifullyfortwodays，andonthethirdbroachtotwiceinthesameafternoon。Thefirsttimesheflungthehelmsmancleanoverthewheel，butasshedidn"tquitemanagetokillhimshehadanothertryaboutthreehoursafterwards。Sheswampedherselfforeandaft，burstallthecanvaswehadset，scaredallhandsintoapanic，andevenfrightenedMrs。Colchesterdownthereinthesebeautifulsterncabinsthatshewassoproudof。Whenwemusteredthecrewtherewasonemanmissing。Sweptoverboard，ofcourse，withoutbeingeitherseenorheard，poordevil!andIonlywondermoreofusdidn"tgo。

"Alwayssomethinglikethat。Always。IheardanoldmatetellCaptainColchesteroncethatithadcometothiswithhim，thathewasafraidtoopenhismouthtogiveanysortoforder。Shewasasmuchofaterrorinharbourasatsea。Youcouldneverbecertainwhatwouldholdher。Ontheslightestprovocationshewouldstartsnappingropes，cables，wirehawsers，likecarrots。

Shewasheavy，clumsy，unhandy——butthatdoesnotquiteexplainthatpowerformischiefshehad。Youknow，somehow，whenIthinkofherIcan"thelpre-

memberingwhatwehearofincurablelunaticsbreakingloosenowandthen。"

Helookedatmeinquisitively。But，ofcourse，Icouldn"tadmitthatashipcouldbemad。

"Intheportswhereshewasknown，"hewenton，"

"theydreadedthesightofher。Shethoughtnothingofknockingawaytwentyfeetorsoofsolidstonefacingoffaquayorwipingofftheendofawoodenwharf。Shemusthavelostmilesofchainandhundredsoftonsofanchorsinhertime。Whenshefellaboardsomepoorunoffendingshipitwastheverydevilofajobtohaulheroffagain。Andshenevergothurtherself——justafewscratchesorso，perhaps。Theyhadwantedtohaveherstrong。Andsoshewas。StrongenoughtoramPolaricewith。Andasshebegansoshewenton。

Fromthedayshewaslaunchedsheneverletayearpasswithoutmurderingsomebody。Ithinktheownersgotveryworriedaboutit。Buttheywereastiff-neckedgenerationalltheseApses；theywouldn"tadmittherecouldbeanythingwrongwiththeApseFamily。Theywouldn"tevenchangehername。"Stuffandnonsense，"

asMrs。Colchesterusedtosay。Theyoughtatleasttohaveshutherupforlifeinsomedrydockorother，awayuptheriver，andneverlethersmellsaltwateragain。I

assureyou，mydearsir，thatsheinvariablydidkillsomeoneeveryvoyageshemade。Itwasperfectlywell-known。Shegotanameforit，farandwide。"

Iexpressedmysurprisethatashipwithsuchadeadlyreputationcouldevergetacrew。

"Then，youdon"tknowwhatsailorsare，mydearsir。

Letmejustshowyoubyaninstance。Onedayindockathome，whileloafingontheforecastlehead，Inoticedtworespectablesaltscomealong，oneamiddle-aged，competent，steadyman，evidently，theotherasmart，youngishchap。Theyreadthenameonthebowsandstoppedtolookather。Saystheelderman:"ApseFamily。That"sthesanguinaryfemaledog"(I"mputtingitinthatway)"ofaship，Jack，thatkillsamaneveryvoyage。Iwouldn"tsigninher——notforJoe，Iwouldn"t。"Andtheothersays:"Ifsheweremine，I"dhavehertowedonthemudandsetonfire，blammeifIwouldn"t。"Thenthefirstmanchimesin:

"Muchdotheycare!Menarecheap，Godknows。"

Theyoungeronespatinthewateralongside。"Theywon"thaveme——notfordoublewages。"

"Theyhungaboutforsometimeandthenwalkedupthedock。HalfanhourlaterIsawthembothonourdecklookingaboutforthemate，andapparentlyveryanxioustobetakenon。Andtheywere。"

"Howdoyouaccountforthis?"Iasked。

"Whatwouldyousay?"heretorted。"Reckless-

ness!Thevanityofboastingintheeveningtoalltheirchums:"We"vejustshippedinthatthereApseFamily。

Blowher。Sheain"tgoingtoscareus。"Sheersailor-

likeperversity!Asortofcuriosity。Well——alittleofallthat，nodoubt。Iputthequestiontotheminthecourseofthevoyage。Theansweroftheelderlychapwas:

""Amancandiebutonce。"Theyoungerassuredmeinamockingtonethathewantedtosee"howshewoulddoitthistime。"ButItellyouwhat；therewasasortoffascinationaboutthebrute。"

Jermyn，whoseemedtohaveseeneveryshipintheworld，brokeinsulkily:

"Isawheronceoutofthisverywindowtowinguptheriver；agreatblackuglything，goingalonglikeabighearse。"

"Somethingsinisteraboutherlooks，wasn"tthere?"

saidthemanintweeds，lookingdownatoldJermynwithafriendlyeye。"Ialwayshadasortofhorrorofher。ShegavemeabeastlyshockwhenIwasnomorethanfourteen，theveryfirstday——nay，hour——Ijoinedher。Fathercameuptoseemeoff，andwastogodowntoGravesendwithus。Iwashissecondboytogotosea。Mybigbrotherwasalreadyanofficerthen。We。

gotonboardabouteleveninthemorning，andfoundtheshipreadytodropoutofthebasin，sternfirst。Shehadnotmovedthreetimesherownlengthwhen，atalittlepluckthetuggavehertoenterthedockgates，shemadeoneofherrampagingstarts，andputsuchaweightonthecheckrope——anewsix-inchhawser——thatforwardtheretheyhadnochancetoeaseitroundintime，anditparted。Isawthebrokenendflyuphighintheair，andthenextmomentthatbrutebroughtherquarteragainstthepier-headwithajarthatstaggeredeverybodyaboutherdecks。Shedidn"thurtherself。Notshe!Butoneoftheboysthematehadsentaloftonthemizzentodosomething，camedownonthepoop-deck——thump——rightinfrontofme。

Hewasnotmucholderthanmyself。Wehadbeengrinningateachotheronlyafewminutesbefore。Hemusthavebeenhandlinghimselfcarelessly，notexpect-

ingtogetsuchajerk。Iheardhisstartledcry——Oh!——

inahightrebleashefelthimselfgoing，andlookedupintimetoseehimgolimpalloverashefell。Ough!

PoorfatherwasremarkablywhiteaboutthegillswhenweshookhandsinGravesend。"Areyouallright?"hesays，lookinghardatme。"Yes，father。""Quitesure?"

"Yes，father。""Well，thengood-bye，myboy。"Hetoldmeafterwardsthatforhalfawordhewouldhavecarriedmeoffhomewithhimthereandthen。Iamthebabyofthefamily——youknow，"addedthemanintweeds，strokinghismoustachewithaningenuoussmile。

Iacknowledgedthisinterestingcommunicationbyasympatheticmurmur。Hewavedhishandcarelessly。

"Thismighthaveutterlyspoiledachap"snerveforgoingaloft，youknow——utterly。Hefellwithintwofeetofme，crackinghisheadonamooring-bitt。Nevermoved。Stonedead。Nicelookinglittlefellow，hewas。

Ihadjustbeenthinkingwewouldbegreatchums。

However，thatwasn"tyettheworstthatbruteofashipcoulddo。Iservedinherthreeyearsofmytime，andthenIgottransferredtotheLucyApse，forayear。ThesailmakerwehadintheApseFamilyturnedupthere，too，andIrememberhimsayingtomeoneevening，afterwehadbeenaweekatsea:Isn"tsheameeklittleship?"NowonderwethoughttheLucyApseadear，meek，littleshipaftergettingclearofthatbig，rampag-

ingsavagebrute。Itwaslikeheaven。Herofficersseemedtometherestfullestlotofmenonearth。TomewhohadknownnoshipbuttheApseFamily，theLucywaslikeasortofmagiccraftthatdidwhatyouwantedhertodoofherownaccord。Oneeveningwegotcaughtabackprettysharplyfromrightahead。Inabouttenminuteswehadherfullagain，sheetsaft，tacksdown，deckscleared，andtheofficerofthewatchleaningagainsttheweatherrailpeacefully。Itseemedsimplymarvelloustome。Theotherwouldhavestuckforhalf-

an-hourinirons，rollingherdecksfullofwater，knock-

ingthemenabout——sparscracking，bracessnapping，yardstakingcharge，andaconfoundedscaregoingonaftbecauseofherbeastlyrudder，whichshehadawayofflappingaboutfittoraiseyourhaironend。Icould-

n"tgetovermywonderfordays。

"Well，Ifinishedmylastyearofapprenticeshipinthatjollylittleship——shewasn"tsolittleeither，butafterthatotherheavydevilsheseemedbutaplaythingtohandle。Ifinishedmytimeandpassed；andthenjustasIwasthinkingofhavingthreeweeksofrealgoodtimeonshoreIgotatbreakfastaletteraskingmetheearliestdayIcouldbereadytojointheApseFamilyasthirdmate。Igavemyplateashovethatshotitintothemiddleofthetable；dadlookedupoverhispaper；motherraisedherhandsinastonishment，andI

wentoutbare-headedintoourbitofgarden，whereI

walkedroundandroundforanhour。

"WhenIcameinagainmotherwasoutofthedining-room，anddadhadshiftedberthintohisbigarmchair。Theletterwaslyingonthemantelpiece。

""It"sverycreditabletoyoutogettheoffer，andverykindofthemtomakeit，"hesaid。"AndIseealsothatCharleshasbeenappointedchiefmateofthatshipforonevoyage。"

"Therewas，overleaf，aP。S。tothateffectinMr。

Apse"sownhandwriting，whichIhadoverlooked。

Charleywasmybigbrother。

"Idon"tlikeverymuchtohavetwoofmyboystogetherinoneship，"fathergoeson，inhisdeliberate，solemnway。"AndImaytellyouthatIwouldnotmindwritingMr。Apsealettertothateffect。"

"Dearolddad!Hewasawonderfulfather。Whatwouldyouhavedone?Themerenotionofgoingback(andasanofficer，too)，tobeworriedandbothered，andkeptonthejumpnightanddaybythatbrute，mademefeelsick。Butshewasn"tashipyoucouldaffordtofightshyof。Besides，themostgenuineexcusecouldnotbegivenwithoutmortallyoffendingApse&Sons。

Thefirm，andIbelievethewholefamilydowntotheoldunmarriedauntsinLancashire，hadgrowndesper-

atelytouchyaboutthataccursedship"scharacter。Thiswasthecaseforanswering"Readynow"fromyourverydeath-bedifyouwishedtodieintheirgoodgraces。

Andthat"spreciselywhatIdidanswer——bywire，tohaveitoveranddonewithatonce。

"Theprospectofbeingshipmateswithmybigbrothercheeredmeupconsiderably，thoughitmademeabitanxious，too。EversinceIremembermyselfasalittlechaphehadbeenverygoodtome，andIlookeduponhimasthefinestfellowintheworld。Andsohewas。

Nobetterofficereverwalkedthedeckofamerchantship。Andthat"safact。Hewasafine，strong，up-

standing，sun-tanned，youngfellow，withhisbrownhaircurlingalittle，andaneyelikeahawk。Hewasjustsplendid。Wehadn"tseeneachotherformanyyears，andeventhistime，thoughhehadbeeninEnglandthreeweeksalready，hehadn"tshowedupathomeyet，buthadspenthissparetimeinSurreysomewheremak-

inguptoMaggieColchester，oldCaptainColchester"sniece。Herfather，agreatfriendofdad"s，wasinthesugar-brokingbusiness，andCharleymadeasortofsecondhomeoftheirhouse。Iwonderedwhatmybigbrotherwouldthinkofme。Therewasasortofstern-

nessaboutCharley"sfacewhichneverleftit，notevenwhenhewaslarkinginhisratherwildfashion。

"Hereceivedmewithagreatshoutoflaughter。

Heseemedtothinkmyjoiningasanofficerthegreatestjokeintheworld。Therewasadifferenceoftenyearsbetweenus，andIsupposeherememberedmebestinpinafores。Iwasakidoffourwhenhefirstwenttosea。

Itsurprisedmetofindhowboisteroushecouldbe。

""Nowweshallseewhatyouaremadeof，"hecried。

Andheheldmeoffbytheshoulders，andpunchedmyribs，andhustledmeintohisberth。"Sitdown，Ned。I

amgladofthechanceofhavingyouwithme。I"llputthefinishingtouchtoyou，myyoungofficer，providingyou"reworththetrouble。And，firstofall，getitwellintoyourheadthatwearenotgoingtoletthisbrutekillanybodythisvoyage。We"llstopherracket。"

"Iperceivedhewasindeadearnestaboutit。Hetalkedgrimlyoftheship，andhowwemustbecarefulandneverallowthisuglybeasttocatchusnappingwithanyofherdamnedtricks。

"HegavemearegularlectureonspecialseamanshipfortheuseoftheApseFamily；thenchanginghistone，hebegantotalkatlarge，rattlingoffthewildest，funniestnonsense，tillmysidesachedwithlaughing。I

couldseeverywellhewasabitabovehimselfwithhighspirits。Itcouldn"tbebecauseofmycoming。Nottothatextent。But，ofcourse，Iwouldn"thavedreamtofaskingwhatwasthematter。Ihadaproperrespectformybigbrother，Icantellyou。Butitwasallmadeplainenoughadayortwoafterwards，whenIheardthatMissMaggieColchesterwascomingforthevoy-

age。Unclewasgivingherasea-tripforthebenefitofherhealth。

"Idon"tknowwhatcouldhavebeenwrongwithherhealth。Shehadabeautifulcolour，andadeuceofalotoffairhair。Shedidn"tcarearapforwind，orrain，orspray，orsun，orgreenseas，oranything。Shewasablue-eyed，jollygirloftheverybestsort，butthewayshecheekedmybigbrotherusedtofrightenme。I

alwaysexpectedittoendinanawfulrow。However，nothingdecisivehappenedtillafterwehadbeeninSydneyforaweek。Oneday，inthemen"sdinnerhour，Charleystickshisheadintomycabin。Iwasstretchedoutonmybackonthesettee，smokinginpeace。

""Comeashorewithme，Ned，"hesays，inhiscurtway。

"Ijumpedup，ofcourse，andawayafterhimdownthegangwayandupGeorgeStreet。Hestrodealonglikeagiant，andIathiselbow，panting。Itwascon-

foundedlyhot。"Whereonearthareyourushingmeto，Charley?"Imadeboldtoask。

""Here，"hesays。

""Here"wasajeweller"sshop。Icouldn"timaginewhathecouldwantthere。Itseemedasortofmadfreak。Hethrustsundermynosethreerings，whichlookedverytinyonhisbig，brownpalm，growlingout——

""ForMaggie!Which?"

"Igotakindofscareatthis。Icouldn"tmakeasound，butIpointedattheonethatsparkledwhiteandblue。Heputitinhiswaistcoatpocket，paidforitwithalotofsovereigns，andboltedout。WhenwegotonboardIwasquiteoutofbreath。"Shakehands，oldchap，"Igaspedout。Hegavemeathumpontheback。

"Givewhatordersyouliketotheboatswainwhenthehandsturn-to，"sayshe；"Iamoffdutythisafternoon。"

"Thenhevanishedfromthedeckforawhile，butpresentlyhecameoutofthecabinwithMaggie，andthesetwowentoverthegangwaypublicly，beforeallhands，goingforawalktogetheronthatawful，blazinghotday，withcloudsofdustflyingabout。Theycamebackafterafewhourslookingverystaid，butdidn"tseemtohavetheslightestideawheretheyhadbeen。

Anyway，that"stheanswertheybothmadetoMrs。

Colchester"squestionattea-time。

"Anddidn"tsheturnonCharley，withhervoicelikeanoldnightcabman"s!"Rubbish。Don"tknowwhereyou"vebeen!Stuffandnonsense。You"vewalkedthegirloffherlegs。Don"tdoitagain。"

"It"ssurprisinghowmeekCharleycouldbewiththatoldwoman。Onlyononeoccasionhewhisperedtome，"I"mjollygladsheisn"tMaggie"saunt，exceptbymarriage。That"snosortofrelationship。"ButI

thinkheletMaggiehavetoomuchofherownway。

Shewashoppingalloverthatshipinheryachtingskirtandaredtamo"shanterlikeabrightbirdonadeadblacktree。Theoldsaltsusedtogrintothemselveswhentheysawhercomingalong，andofferedtoteachherknotsorsplices。Ibelieveshelikedthemen，forCharley"ssake，Isuppose。

"Asyoumayimagine，thefiendishpropensitiesofthatcursedshipwereneverspokenofonboard。Notinthecabin，atanyrate。Onlyonceonthehome-

wardpassageCharleysaid，incautiously，somethingaboutbringingallhercrewhomethistime。CaptainColchesterbegantolookuncomfortableatonce，andthatsilly，hard-bittenoldwomanflewoutatCharleyasthoughhehadsaidsomethingindecent。Iwasquiteconfoundedmyself；astoMaggie，shesatcompletelymystified，openingherblueeyesverywide。Ofcourse，beforeshewasadayoldershewormeditalloutofme。

Shewasaverydifficultpersontolieto。

""Howawful，"shesaid，quitesolemn。"Somanypoorfellows。Iamgladthevoyageisnearlyover。I

won"thaveamoment"speaceaboutCharleynow。"

"IassuredherCharleywasallright。IttookmorethanthatshipknewtogetoveraseamanlikeCharley。

Andsheagreedwithme。

"NextdaywegotthetugoffDungeness；andwhenthetow-ropewasfastCharleyrubbedhishandsandsaidtomeinanundertone——

""We"vebaffledher，Ned。"

""Lookslikeit，"Isaid，withagrinathim。Itwasbeautifulweather，andtheseaassmoothasamillpond。

Wewentuptheriverwithoutashadowoftroubleexceptonce，whenoffHoleHaven，thebrutetookasuddensheerandnearlyhadabargeanchoredjustclearofthefairway。ButIwasaft，lookingafterthesteer-

ing，andshedidnotcatchmenappingthattime。

Charleycameuponthepoop，lookingveryconcerned。

"Closeshave，"sayshe。

""Nevermind，Charley，"Ianswered，cheerily。

"You"vetamedher。"

"Weweretotowrightuptothedock。TheriverpilotboardedusbelowGravesend，andthefirstwordsIheardhimsaywere:"Youmayjustaswelltakeyourportanchorinboardatonce，Mr。Mate。"

"ThishadbeendonewhenIwentforward。IsawMaggieontheforecastleheadenjoyingthebustleandIbeggedhertogoaft，butshetooknonoticeofme，ofcourse。ThenCharley，whowasverybusywiththeheadgear，caughtsightofherandshoutedinhisbiggestvoice:"Getofftheforecastlehead，Maggie。You"reinthewayhere。"Forallanswershemadeafunnyfaceathim，andIsawpoorCharleyturnaway，hidingasmile。

Shewasflushedwiththeexcitementofgettinghomeagain，andherblueeyesseemedtosnapelectricsparksasshelookedattheriver。Acollierbrighadgoneroundjustaheadofus，andourtughadtostopherenginesinahurrytoavoidrunningintoher。

"Inamoment，asisusuallythecase，alltheshippinginthereachseemedtogetintoahopelesstangle。A

schoonerandaketchgotupasmallcollisionalltothemselvesrightinthemiddleoftheriver。Itwasexcitingtowatch，and，meantime，ourtugremainedstopped。Anyothershipthanthatbrutecouldhavebeencoaxedtokeepstraightforacoupleofminutes——

butnotshe!Herheadfelloffatonce，andshebegantodriftdown，takinghertugalongwithher。Inoticedaclusterofcoastersatanchorwithinaquarterofamileofus，andIthoughtIhadbetterspeaktothepilot。

"Ifyoulethergetamongstthatlot，"Isaid，quietly，"shewillgrindsomeofthemtobitsbeforewegetheroutagain。"

""Don"tIknowher!"crieshe，stampinghisfootinaperfectfury。Andheoutwithhiswhistletomakethatbotheredtuggettheship"sheadupagainasquickaspossible。Heblewlikemad，wavinghisarmtoport，andpresentlywecouldseethatthetug"sengineshadbeensetgoingahead。Herpaddleschurnedthewater，butitwasasifshehadbeentryingtotowarock——shecouldn"tgetaninchoutofthatship。

Againthepilotblewhiswhistle，andwavedhisarmtoport。Wecouldseethetug"spaddlesturningfasterandfasteraway，broadonourbow。