第5章
"H"m!Verywell，then。CaptainHarrylooksverystern，andGeorgecrumplesallupinside……Heseesthroughme，hethinks……Ofcourseitcouldnotbe；butGeorge，bythattime，wasscaredathisownshadow。HeisshirkingitwithCloete，too。Giveshispartnertounderstandthathisbrotherhashalfamindtotryaspellonshore，andsoon。Cloetewaits，gnawinghisfingers；soanxious。
Cloetereallyhadfoundamanforthejob。Believeitornot，hehadfoundhiminsidetheveryboarding-househelodgedin-
somewhereaboutTottenhamCourtRoad。Hehadnoticeddown-stairsafellow-aboarderandnotaboarder-hangingaboutthedark-
partofthepassagemostly；sortof"manofthehouse，"aslinkingchap。Blackeyes。Whiteface。Thewomanofthehouse-awidowlady，shecalledherself-veryfullofMr。Stafford；Mr。StaffordthisandMr。Staffordthat……Anyhow，Cloeteoneeveningtakeshimouttohaveadrink。Cloetemostlypassedawayhiseveningsinsaloonbars。Nodrunkard，though，Cloete；forcompany；likedtotalktoallsortsthere；justhabit；Americanfashion。
"SoCloetetakesthatchapoutmorethanonce。Notverygoodcompany，though。Littletosayforhimself。Sitsquietanddrinkswhat"sgiventohim，eyesalwayshalfclosed，speakssortofdemure……I"vehadmisfortunes，hesays。Thetruthwastheyhadkickedhimoutofabigsteam-shipcompanyfordisgracefulconduct；
nothingtoaffecthiscertificate，youunderstand；andhehadgonedownquiteeasily。Likedit，Iexpect。Anything"sbetterthanwork。Livedonthewidowladywhokeptthatboarding-house。"
"That"salmostincredible，"Iventuredtointerrupt。"Amanwithamaster"scertificate，doyoumean？"
"Ido；I"veknownthem"buscads，"hegrowled，contemptuously。
"Yes。Swingonthetail-boardbythestrapandyell，"tuppencealltheway。"Throughdrink。ButthisStaffordwasofanotherkind。
Hell"sfullofsuchStaffords；Cloetewouldmakefunofhim，andthentherewouldbeanastygleaminthefellow"shalf-shuteye。
ButCloetewasgenerallykindtohim。Cloetewasafellowthatwouldbekindtoamangydog。Anyhow，heusedtostanddrinkstothatobject，andnowandthengavehimhalfacrown-becausethewidowladykeptMr。Staffordshortofpocket-money。Theyhadrowsalmosteverydaydowninthebasement……
ItwasthefellowbeingasailorthatputintoCloete"smindthefirstnotionofdoingawaywiththeSagamore。Hestudieshimabit，thinksthere"senoughdevilinhimyettobetempted，andoneeveninghesaystohim……Isupposeyouwouldn"tmindgoingtoseaagain，foraspell？……Theotherneverraiseshiseyes；saysit"sscarcelyworthone"swhileforthemiserablesalaryonegets……Well，butwhatdoyousaytocaptain"swagesforatime，andacoupleofhundredextraifyouarecompelledtocomehomewithouttheship。Accidentswillhappen，saysCloete……Oh!sureto，saysthatStafford；andgoesontakingsipsofhisdrinkasifhehadnointerestinthematter。
"Cloetepresseshimabit；buttheotherobserves，impudentandlanguidlike:Yousee，there"snofutureinathinglikethat-isthere？……Oh!no，saysCloete。Certainlynot。Idon"tmeanthistohaveanyfuture-asfarasyouareconcerned。It"sa"onceforall"transaction。Well，whatdoyouestimateyourfutureat？heasks……Thefellowmorelistlessthanever-nearlyasleep-I
believetheskunkwasreallytoolazytocare。Smallcheatingatcards，wheedlingorbullyinghislivingoutofsomewomanorother，wasmorehisstyle。Cloeteswearsathiminwhisperssomethingawful。AllthisinthesaloonbaroftheHorseShoe，TottenhamCourtRoad。Finallytheyagree，overthesecondsixpennyworthofScotchhot，onfivehundredpoundsasthepriceoftomahawkingtheSagamore。AndCloetewaitstoseewhatGeorgecando。
"Aweekortwogoesby。Theotherfellowloafsaboutthehouseasiftherehadbeennothing，andCloetebeginstodoubtwhetherhereallymeansevertotacklethatjob。ButonedayhestopsCloeteatthedoor，withhisdowncasteyes:Whataboutthatemploymentyouwishedtogiveme？heasks……Yousee，hehadplayedsomemorethanusualdirtytrickonthewomanandexpectedawfulructionspresently；andtobefiredoutforsure。Cloeteverypleased。Georgehadbeenprevaricatingtohimsuchalotthathereallythoughtthethingwasaswellassettled。Andhesays:
Yes。It"stimeIintroducedyoutomyfriend。Justgetyourhatandwewillgonow……
"Thetwocomeintotheoffice，andGeorgeathisdesksitsupinasuddenpanic-staring。Seesatallishfellow，sortofnasty-
handsomeface，heavyeyes，halfshut；shortdrabovercoat，shabbybowlerhat，verycareful-likeinhismovements。Andhethinkstohimself，Isthathowsuchamanlooks!No，thething"simpossible……Cloetedoestheintroduction，andthefellowturnsroundtolookbehindhimatthechairbeforehesitsdown……Athoroughlycompetentman，Cloetegoeson……Themansaysnothing，sitsperfectlyquiet。AndGeorgecan"tspeak，throattoodry。Thenhemakesaneffort:H"m!H"m!Ohyes-unfortunately-sorrytodisappoint-mybrother-madeotherarrangements-goinghimself。
"Thefellowgetsup，neverraisinghiseyesofftheground，likeamodestgirl，andgoesoutsoftly，rightoutoftheofficewithoutasound。Cloetestickshischininhishandandbitesallhisfingersatonce。George"sheartslowsdownandhespeakstoCloete……Thiscan"tbedone。Howcanitbe？DirectlytheshipislostHarrywouldseethroughit。Youknowheisamantogototheunderwritershimselfwithhissuspicions。Andhewouldbreakhisheartoverme。HowcanIplaythatonhim？There"sonlytwoofusintheworldbelongingtoeachother……
"Cloeteletsoutahorridcuss-word，jumpsup，boltsawayintohisroom，andGeorgehearshimtherebangingthingsaround。Afterawhilehegoestothedoorandsaysinatremblingvoice:Youaskmeforanimpossibility……Cloeteinsidereadytoflyoutlikeatigerandrendhim；butheopensthedooralittlewayandsayssoftly:Talkingofhearts，yoursisnobiggerthanamouse"s，letmetellyou……ButGeorgedoesn"tcare-loadofftheheart，anyhow。AndjustthenCaptainHarrycomesin……Hallo，Georgeboy。Iamlittlelate。WhataboutachopattheCheshire，now？……Rightyouare，oldman……Andofftheygotolunchtogether。
Cloetehasnothingtoeatthatday。
"Georgefeelsanewmanforatime；butallofasuddenthatfellowStaffordbeginstohangaboutthestreet，insightofthehousedoor。ThefirsttimeGeorgeseeshimhethinkshemadeamistake。
Butno；nexttimehehastogoout，thereistheveryfellowskulkingontheothersideoftheroad。ItmakesGeorgenervous；
buthemustgooutonbusiness，andwhenthefellowcutsacrosstheroad-wayhedodgeshim。Hedodgeshimonce，twice，threetimes；
butatlasthegetsnabbedinhisverydoorway……Whatdoyouwant？hesays，tryingtolookfierce。
"Itseemsthatructionshadcomeinthebasementofthatboarding-
house，andthewidowladyhadturnedonhim(beingjealousmad)，totheextentoftalkingofthepolice。THATMr。Staffordcouldn"tstand；soheclearedoutlikeascaredstag，andtherehewas，chuckedintothestreets，sotospeak。Cloetelookedsosavageashewenttoandfrothathehadn"tthespunktotacklehim；butGeorgeseemedasofterkindtohiseye。Hewouldhavebeengladofhalfaquid，anything……I"vehadmisfortunes，hesayssoftly，inhisdemureway，whichfrightensGeorgemorethanarowwouldhavedone……Considertheseverityofmydisappointment，hesays……
"George，insteadoftellinghimtogotothedevil，loseshishead……Idon"tknowyou。Whatdoyouwant？hecries，andboltsup-
stairstoCloete……Lookwhat"scomeofit，hegasps；nowweareatthemercyofthathorridfellow……Cloetetriestoshowhimthatthefellowcandonothing；butGeorgethinksthatsomesortofscandalmaybeforcedon，anyhow。Saysthathecan"tlivewiththathorrorhauntinghim。Cloetewouldlaughifheweren"ttoowearyofitall。Thenathoughtstrikeshimandhechangeshistune……Well，perhaps!Iwillgodown-stairsandsendhimawaytobeginwith……Hecomesback……He"sgone。Butperhapsyouareright。Thefellow"shardup，andthat"swhatmakespeopledesperate。Thebestthingwouldbetogethimoutofthecountryforatime。Lookhere，thepoordevilisreallyinwantofemployment。Iwon"taskyoumuchthistime:onlytoholdyourtongue；andIshalltrytogetyourbrothertotakehimaschiefofficer。AtthisGeorgelayshisarmsandhisheadonhisdesk，sothatCloetefeelssorryforhim。ButaltogetherCloetefeelsmorecheerfulbecausehehasshakentheghostabitintothatStafford。
Thatveryafternoonhebuyshimasuitofblueclothes，andtellshimthathewillhavetoturntoandworkforhislivingnow。GotoseaasmateoftheSagamore。Theskunkwasn"tverywilling，butwhatwithhavingnothingtoeatandnoplacetosleepin，andthewomanhavingfrightenedhimwiththetalkofsomeprosecutionorother，hehadnochoice，properlyspeaking。Cloetetakescareofhimforacoupleofdays……Ourarrangementstillstands，sayshe。Here"stheshipboundforPortElizabeth；notasafeanchorageatall。Shouldshebychancepartfromheranchorsinanorth-eastgaleandgetlostonthebeach，asmanyofthemdo，why，it"sfivehundredinyourpocket-andaquickreturnhome。Youareuptothejob，ain"tyou？
"OurMr。Staffordtakesitallinwithdowncasteyes……Iamacompetentseaman，hesays，withhissly，modestair。Aship"schiefmatehasnodoubtmanyopportunitiestomanipulatethechainsandanchorstosomepurpose……AtthisCloetethumpshimontheback:You"lldo，mynoblesailor。Goinandwin……
"NextthingGeorgeknows，hisbrothertellshimthathehadoccasiontoobligehispartner。Andgladofit，too。Likesthepartnernoend。Tookafriendofhisasmate。Manhadhistroubles，beenashoreayearnursingadyingwife，itseems。Downonhisluck……Georgeprotestsearnestlythatheknowsnothingoftheperson。Sawhimonce。Notveryattractivetolookat……AndCaptainHarrysaysinhisheartyway，That"sso，butmustgivethepoordevilachance……
"SoMr。Staffordjoinsindock。Anditseemsthathedidmanagetomonkeywithoneofthecables-keepinghismindonPortElizabeth。
Theriggershadallthecablerangedondecktocleanlockers。Thenewmatewatchesthemgoashore-dinnerhour-andsendstheship-
keeperoutoftheshiptofetchhimabottleofbeer。Thenhegoestoworkwhittlingawaytheforelockoftheforty-five-fathomshackle-pin，givesitataportwowithahammerjusttomakeitloose，andofcoursethatcablewasn"tsafeanymore。Riggerscomeback-youknowwhatriggersare:comeday，goday，andGodsendSunday。Downgoesthechainintothelockerwithouttheirforemanlookingattheshacklesatall。Whatdoeshecare？Heain"tgoingintheship。Andtwodayslatertheshipgoestosea……"
AtthispointIwasincautiousenoughtobreatheoutanother"I
see，"whichgaveoffenceagain，andbroughtonmearude"No，youdon"t"-asbefore。Butinthepauseherememberedtheglassofbeerathiselbow。Hedrankhalfofit，wipedhismustaches，andremarkedgrimly-
"Don"tyouthinkthattherewillbeanysealifeinthis，becausethereain"t。Ifyou"regoingtoputinanyoutofyourownhead，now"syourchance。IsupposeyouknowwhattendaysofbadweatherintheChannelarelike？Idon"t。Anyway，tenwholedaysgoby。
OneMondayCloetecomestotheofficealittlelate-hearsawoman"svoiceinGeorge"sroomandlooksin。Newspapersonthedesk，onthefloor；CaptainHarry"swifesittingwithredeyesandabagonthechairnearher……Lookatthis，saysGeorge，ingreatexcitement，showinghimapaper。Cloete"sheartgivesajump。Ha!WreckinWestportBay。TheSagamoregoneashoreearlyhoursofSunday，andsothenewspapermenhadtimetoputinsomeoftheirwork。Columnsofit。Lifeboatouttwice。Captainandcrewremainbytheship。Tugssummonedtoassist。Iftheweatherimproves，thiswell-knownfineshipmayyetbesaved……Youknowthewaythesechapsputit……Mrs。HarrythereonherwaytocatchatrainfromCannonStreet。Gotanhourtowait。
"CloetetakesGeorgeasideandwhispers:Shipsavedyet!Oh，damn!Thatmustneverbe；youhear？ButGeorgelooksathimdazed，andMrs。Harrykeepsonsobbingquietly:……Ioughttohavebeenwithhim。ButIamgoingtohim……Weareallgoingtogether，criesCloete，allofasudden。Herushesout，sendsthewomanacupofhotbovrilfromtheshopacrosstheroad，buysarugforher，thinksofeverything；andinthetraintucksherinandkeepsontalking，thirteentothedozen，alltheway，tokeepherspiritsup，asitwere；butreallybecausehecan"tholdhispeaceforveryjoy。Here"sthethingdoneallatonce，andnothingtopay。Done。Actuallydone。Hisheadswimsnowandagainwhenhethinksofit。Whatenormousluck!Italmostfrightenshim。Hewouldliketoyellandsing。MeantimeGeorgeDunbarsitsinhiscorner，lookingsodeadlymiserablethatatlastpoorMrs。Harrytriestocomforthim，andsocheersherselfupatthesametimebytalkingabouthowherHarryisaprudentman；notlikelytoriskhiscrew"slifeorhisownunnecessarily-andsoon。
"FirstthingtheyhearatWestportstationisthatthelife-boathasbeenouttotheshipagain，andhasbroughtoffthesecondofficer，whohadhurthimself，andafewsailors。Captainandtherestofthecrew，aboutfifteeninall，arestillonboard。Tugsexpectedtoarriveeverymoment。
"TheytakeMrs。Harrytotheinn，nearlyoppositetherocks；sheboltsstraightup-stairstolookoutofthewindow，andsheletsoutagreatcrywhensheseesthewreck。Shewon"tresttillshegetsonboardtoherHarry。Cloetesoothesherallhecan……Allright；youtrytoeatamouthful，andwewillgotomakeinquiries。
"HedrawsGeorgeoutoftheroom:Lookhere，shecan"tgoonboard，butIshall。I"llseetoitthathedoesn"tstopintheshiptoolong。Let"sgoandfindthecoxswainofthelife-boat……Georgefollowshim，shiveringfromtimetotime。Thewavesarewashingovertheoldpier；notmuchwind，awild，gloomyskyoverthebay。Inthewholeworldonlyonetugawayoff，headingtotheseas，tossedinandoutofsighteveryminuteasregularasclockwork。
"Theymeetthecoxswainandhetellsthem:Yes!He"sgoingoutagain。No，theyain"tindangeronboard-notyet。Buttheship"schanceisverypoor。Still，ifthewinddoesn"tpipeupagainandtheseagoesdownsomethingmightbetried。AftersometalkheagreestotakeCloeteonboard；supposedtobewithanurgentmessagefromtheownerstothecaptain。
"WheneverCloetelooksattheskyhefeelscomforted；itlookssothreatening。GeorgeDunbarfollowshimaboutwithawhitefaceandsayingnothing。Cloetetakeshimtohaveadrinkortwo，andbyandbyhebeginstopickup……That"sbetter，saysCloete；dashmeifitwasn"tlikewalkingaboutwithadeadmanbefore。Yououghttobethrowingupyourcap，man。IfeelasifIwantedtostandinthestreetandcheer。Yourbrotherissafe，theshipislost，andwearemademen。
"Areyoucertainshe"slost？asksGeorge。ItwouldbeanawfulblowafteralltheagoniesIhavegonethroughinmymind，sinceyoufirstspoketome，ifsheweretobegotoff-and-and-allthistemptationtobeginoveragain……Forwehadnothingtodowiththis；hadwe？
"Ofcoursenot，saysCloete。Wasn"tyourbrotherhimselfincharge？It"sprovidential……Oh!criesGeorge，shocked……
Well，sayit"sthedevil，saysCloete，cheerfully。Idon"tmind!
Youhadnothingtodowithitanymorethanababyunborn，yougreatsofty，you……CloetehasgotsothathealmostlovedGeorgeDunbar。Well。Yes。Thatwasso。Idon"tmeanherespectedhim。
Hewasjustfondofhispartner。
"Theygoback，youmaysayfairlyskipping，tothehotel，andfindthewifeofthecaptainattheopenwindow，withhereyesontheshipasifshewantedtoflyacrossthebayoverthere……Nowthen，Mrs。Dunbar，criesCloete，youcan"tgo，butIamgoing。Anymessages？Don"tbeshy。I"lldelivereverywordfaithfully。Andifyouwouldliketogivemeakissforhim，I"lldeliverthattoo，dashmeifIdon"t。
"HemakesMrs。Harrylaughwithhispatter……Oh，dearMr。
Cloete，youareacalm，reasonableman。Makehimbehavesensibly。
He"sabitobstinate，youknow，andhe"ssofondoftheship，too。
TellhimIamhere-lookingon……Trustme，Mrs。Dunbar。Onlyshutthatwindow，that"sagoodgirl。Youwillbesuretocatchcoldifyoudon"t，andtheCaptainwon"tbepleasedcomingoffthewrecktofindyoucoughingandsneezingsothatyoucan"ttellhimhowhappyyouare。Andnowifyoucangetmeabitoftapetofastenmyglassesongoodtomyears，Iwillbegoing……
"HowhegetsonboardIdon"tknow。Allwetandshakenandexcitedandoutofbreath，hedoesgetonboard。Shiplyingover，smotheredinsprays，butnotmovingverymuch；justenoughtojagone"snerveabit。Hefindsthemallcrowdedonthedeck-houseforward，intheirshinyoilskins，withfaceslikesickmen。
CaptainHarrycan"tbelievehiseyes。What!Mr。Cloete!Whatareyoudoinghere，inGod"sname？……Yourwife"sashorethere，lookingon，gaspsoutCloete；andaftertheyhadtalkedabit，CaptainHarrythinksit"suncommonlypluckyandkindofhisbrother"spartnertocomeofftohimlikethis。Mangladtohavesomebodytotalkto……It"sabadbusiness，Mr。Cloete，hesays。
AndCloeterejoicestohearthat。CaptainHarrythinkshehaddonehisbest，butthecablehadpartedwhenhetriedtoanchorher。Itwasagreattrialtolosetheship。Well，hewouldhavetofaceit。Hefetchesadeepsighnowandthen。Cloetealmostsorryhehadcomeonboard，becausetobeonthatwreckkeepshischestinatightbandallthetime。Theycrouchoutofthewindundertheportboat，alittleapartfromthemen。Thelife-boathadgoneawayafterputtingCloeteonboard，butwascomingbacknexthighwatertotakeoffthecrewifnoattemptatgettingtheshipafloatcouldbemade。Duskwasfalling；winter"sday；blacksky；windrising。CaptainHarryfeltmelancholy。God"swillbedone。Ifshemustbeleftontherocks-why，shemust。AmanshouldtakewhatGodsendshimstandingup……Suddenlyhisvoicebreaks，andhesqueezesCloete"sarm:ItseemsasifIcouldn"tleaveher，hewhispers。Cloetelooksroundatthemenlikealotofhuddledsheepandthinkstohimself:Theywon"tstay……Suddenlytheshipliftsalittleandsetsdownwithathump。Tiderising。
Everybodybeginningtolookoutforthelife-boat。Someofthemenmadeheroutfarawayandalsotwomoretugs。Butthegalehascomeonagain，andeverybodyknowsthatnotugwilleverdarecomeneartheship。
"That"stheend，CaptainHarrysays，verylow……Cloetethinksheneverfeltsocoldinallhislife……AndIfeelasifI
didn"tcaretoliveonjustnow，muttersCaptainHarry……Yourwife"sashore，lookingon，saysCloete……Yes。Yes。Itmustbeawfulforhertolookatthepooroldshiplyingheredonefor。
Why，that"sourhome。
"CloetethinksthataslongastheSagamore"sdoneforhedoesn"tcare，andonlywisheshimselfsomewhereelse。Theslightestmovementoftheshipcutshisbreathlikeablow。Andhefeelsexcitedbythedanger，too。Thecaptaintakeshimaside……Thelife-boatcan"tcomenearusformorethananhour。Lookhere，Cloete，sinceyouarehere，andsuchapluckyone-dosomethingforme……Hetellshimthenthatdowninhiscabinaftinacertaindrawerthereisabundleofimportantpapersandsomesixtysovereignsinasmallcanvasbag。AsksCloetetogoandgetthesethingsout。Hehasn"tbeenbelowsincetheshipstruck，anditseemstohimthatifheweretotakehiseyesoffhershewouldfalltopieces。Andthenthemen-ascaredlotbythistime-ifheweretoleavethembythemselvestheywouldattempttolaunchoneoftheship"sboatsinapanicatsomeheavierthump-andthensomeofthemboundtogetdrowned……Therearetwoorthreeboxesofmatchesaboutmyshelvesinmycabinifyouwantalight，saysCaptainHarry。Onlywipeyourwethandsbeforeyoubegintofeelforthem……
"Cloetedoesn"tlikethejob，butdoesn"tliketoshowfunk，either-andhegoes。Lotsofwateronthemain-deck，andhesplashesalong；itwasgettingdark，too。Allatonce，bythemainmast，somebodycatcheshimbythearm。Stafford。Hewasn"tthinkingofStaffordatall。CaptainHarryhadsaidsomethingastothematenotbeingquitesatisfactory，butitwasn"tmuch。Cloetedoesn"trecognisehiminhisoilskinsatfirst。Heseesawhitefacewithbigeyespeeringathim……Areyoupleased，Mr。Cloete……？
"Cloeteismovedtolaughatthewhine，andshakeshimoff。Butthefellowscramblesonafterhimonthepoopandfollowshimdownintothecabinofthatwreckedship。Andtheretheyare，thetwoofthem；canhardlyseeeachother……Youdon"tmeantomakemebelieveyouhavehadanythingtodowiththis，saysCloete……
"Theybothshiver，nearlyoutoftheirwitswiththeexcitementofbeingonboardthatship。Shethumpsandlurches，andtheystaggertogether，feelingsick。CloeteagainburstsoutlaughingatthatwretchedcreatureStaffordpretendingtohavebeenuptosomethingsodesperate……Isthathowyouthinkyoucantreatmenow？yellstheothermanallofasudden……
"Aseastrikesthestern，theshiptremblesandgroansallroundthem，there"sthenoiseoftheseasaboutandoverhead，confusingCloete，andhehearstheotherscreamingasifcrazy……Ah，youdon"tbelieveme!Goandlookattheportchain。Parted？Eh？Goandseeifit"sparted。Goandfindthebrokenlink。Youcan"t。
There"snobrokenlink。Thatmeansathousandpoundsforme。Noless。Athousandthedayafterwegetashore-prompt。Iwon"twaittillshebreaksup，Mr。Cloete。TotheunderwritersIgoifI"vetowalktoLondononmybarefeet。Portcable!Lookatherportcable，Iwillsaytothem。Idoctoredit-fortheowners-
temptedbyalowrascalcalledCloete。
"Cloetedoesnotunderstandwhatitmeansexactly。Allheseesisthatthefellowmeanstomakemischief。Heseestroubleahead……
Doyouthinkyoucanscareme？heasks，-youpoormiserableskunk……AndStaffordfaceshimout-bothholdingontothecabintable:No，damnyou，youareonlyadirtyvagabond；butIcanscaretheother，thechapintheblackcoat……
"MeaningGeorgeDunbar。Cloete"sbrainreelsatthethought。Hedoesn"timaginethefellowcandoanyrealharm，butheknowswhatGeorgeis；givetheshowaway；upsetthewholebusinesshehadsethishearton。Hesaysnothing；hehearstheother，whatwiththefunkandstrainandexcitement，pantinglikeadog-andthenasnarl……Athousanddown，twenty-fourhoursafterwegetashore；
dayafterto-morrow。That"smylastword，Mr。Cloete……A
thousandpounds，dayafterto-morrow，saysCloete。Ohyes。Andto-daytakethis，youdirtycur……Hehitsstraightfromtheshoulderinsheerrage，nothingelse。Staffordgoesawayspinningalongthebulk-head。Seeingthis，Cloetestepsoutandlandshimanotheronesomewhereaboutthejaw。Thefellowstaggersbackwardrightintothecaptain"scabinthroughtheopendoor。Cloete，followinghimup，hearshimfalldownheavilyandrolltoleeward，thenslamsthedoortoandturnsthekey……There!sayshetohimself，thatwillstopyoufrommakingtrouble。"
"ByJove!"Imurmured。
Theoldfellowdepartedfromhisimpressiveimmobilitytoturnhisrakishlyhattedheadandlookatmewithhisold，black，lack-
lustreeyes。
"Hedidleavehimthere，"heuttered，weightily，returningtothecontemplationofthewall。"Cloetedidn"tmeantoallowanybody，letaloneathinglikeStafford，tostandinthewayofhisgreatnotionofmakingGeorgeandhimself，andCaptainHarry，too，forthatmatter，richmen。Andhedidn"tthinkmuchofconsequences。
Thesepatent-medicinechapsdon"tcarewhattheysayorwhattheydo。Theythinktheworld"sboundtoswallowanystorytheyliketotell……Hestandslisteningforabit。Anditgiveshimquiteaturntohearathumpatthedoorandasortofmuffledravingscreechinsidethecaptain"sroom。Hethinkshehearshisownname，too，throughtheawfulcrashastheoldSagamorerisesandfallstoasea。Thatnoiseandthatawfulshockmakehimclearoutofthecabin。Hecollectshissensesonthepoop。Buthisheartsinksalittleattheblackwildnessofthenight。Chancesthathewillgetdrownedhimselfbeforelong。Putshisheaddownthecompanion。ThroughthewindandbreakingseashecanhearthenoiseofStafford"sbeatingagainstthedoorandcursing。Helistensandsaystohimself:No。Can"ttrusthimnow……
"Whenhegetsbacktothetopofthedeck-househesaystoCaptainHarry，whoaskshimifhegotthethings，thatheisverysorry。
Therewassomethingwrongwiththedoor。Couldn"topenit。Andtotellyouthetruth，sayshe，Ididn"tliketostopanylongerinthatcabin。Therearenoisesthereasiftheshipweregoingtopieces……CaptainHarrythinks:Nervous；can"tbeanythingwrongwiththedoor。Buthesays:Thanks-nevermind，nevermind……
Allhandslookingoutnowforthelife-boat。Everybodythinkingofhimselfrather。Cloeteaskshimself，willtheymisshim？ButthefactisthatMr。Staffordhadmadesuchpoorshowatseathataftertheshipstrucknobodyeverpaidanyattentiontohim。Nobodycaredwhathedidorwherehewas。Pitchdark，too-nocountingofheads。Thelightofthetugwiththelifeboatintowisseenmakingfortheship，andCaptainHarryasks:Areweallthere？……Somebodyanswers:Allhere，sir……Standbytoleavetheship，then，saysCaptainHarry；andtwoofyouhelpthegentlemanoverfirst……Aye，aye，sir……CloetewasmovedtoaskCaptainHarrytolethimstaytilllast，butthelife-boatdropsonagrapnelabreastthefore-rigging，twochapslayholdofhim，watchtheirchance，anddrophimintoher，allsafe。
"He"snearlyexhausted；notusedtothatsortofthing，yousee。
Hesitsinthestern-sheetswithhiseyesshut。Don"twanttolookatthewhitewaterboilingallaround。Themendropintotheboatoneafteranother。ThenhehearsCaptainHarry"svoiceshoutinginthewindtothecoxswain，toholdonamoment，andsomeotherwordshecan"tcatch，andthecoxswainyellingback:Don"tbelong，sir……Whatisit？Cloeteasksfeelingfaint……Somethingabouttheship"spapers，saysthecoxswain，veryanxious。It"snotimetobefoolingaboutalongside，youunderstand。Theyhaultheboatoffalittleandwait。Thewaterfliesoverherinsheets。Cloete"ssensesalmostleavehim。Hethinksofnothing。He"snumballover，tillthere"sashout:Hereheis!……Theyseeafigureinthefore-riggingwaiting-theyslackawayonthegrapnel-lineandgethimintheboatquiteeasy。Thereisalittleshouting-it"sallmixedupwiththenoiseofthesea。CloetefanciesthatStafford"svoiceistalkingawayquiteclosetohisear。There"salullinthewind，andStafford"svoiceseemstobespeakingveryfasttothecoxswain；hetellshimthatofcoursehewasnearhisskipper，wasallthetimenearhim，tilltheoldmansaidatthelastmomentthathemustgoandgettheship"spapersfromaft；
wouldinsistongoinghimself；toldhim，Stafford，togetintothelife-boat……Hehadmeanttowaitforhisskipper，onlytherecamethissmoothoftheseas，andhethoughthewouldtakehischanceatonce。
"Cloeteopenshiseyes。Yes。There"sStaffordsittingclosebyhiminthatcrowdedlife-boat。ThecoxswainstoopsoverCloeteandcries:Didyouhearwhatthematesaid，sir？……Cloete"sfacefeelsasifitweresetinplaster，lipsandall。Yes，Idid，heforceshimselftoanswer。Thecoxswainwaitsamoment，thensays:
Idon"tlikeit……Andheturnstothemate，tellinghimitwasapityhedidnottrytorunalongthedeckandhurryupthecaptainwhenthelullcame。Staffordanswersatoncethathedidthinkofit，onlyhewasafraidofmissinghimonthedeckinthedark。
For，sayshe，thecaptainmighthavegotoveratonce，thinkingI
wasalreadyinthelife-boat，andyouwouldhavehauledoffperhaps，leavingmebehind……Trueenough，saysthecoxswain。A
minuteorsopasses。Thiswon"tdo，muttersthecoxswain。
SuddenlyStaffordspeaksupinasortofhollowvoice:IwasbywhenhetoldMr。Cloeteherethathedidn"tknowhowhewouldeverhavethecouragetoleavetheoldship；didn"the，now？……AndCloetefeelshisarmbeinggrippedquietlyinthedark……Didn"thenow？Wewerestandingtogetherjustbeforeyouwentover，Mr。
Cloete？……
"Justthenthecoxswaincriesout:I"mgoingonboardtosee……
Cloetetearshisarmaway:Iamgoingwithyou……
"Whentheygetaboard，thecoxswaintellsCloetetogoaftalongonesideoftheshipandhewouldgoalongtheothersoasnottomissthecaptain……Andfeelaboutwithyourhands，too，sayshe；
hemighthavefallenandbelyinginsensiblesomewhereonthedeck……WhenCloetegetsatlasttothecabincompaniononthepoopthecoxswainisalreadythere，peeringdownandsniffing。Idetectasmellofsmokedownthere，sayshe。Andheyells:Areyouthere，sir？……Thisisnotacaseforshouting，saysCloete，feelinghisheartgostony，asitwere……Downtheygo。Pitchdark；theinclinationsosharpthatthecoxswain，gropinghiswayintothecaptain"sroom，slipsandgoestumblingdown。Cloetehearshimcryoutasthoughhehadhurthimself，andaskswhat"sthematter。Andthecoxswainanswersquietlythathehadfallenonthecaptain，lyingthereinsensible。Cloetewithoutawordbeginstogropeallovertheshelvesforaboxofmatches，findsone，andstrikesalight。HeseesthecoxswaininhiscorkjacketkneelingoverCaptainHarry……Blood，saysthecoxswain，lookingup，andthematchgoesout……
"Waitabit，saysCloete；I"llmakepaperspills……Hehadfeltthebackofbooksontheshelves。AndsohestandslightingonespillfromanotherwhilethecoxswainturnspoorCaptainHarryover。Dead，hesays。Shotthroughtheheart。Here"stherevolver……HehandsituptoCloete，wholooksatitbeforeputtingitinhispocket，andseesaplateonthebuttwithH。
DUNBARonit……Hisown，hemutters……Whoseelserevolverdidyouexpecttofind？snapsthecoxswain。Andlook，hetookoffhislongoilskininthecabinbeforehewentin。Butwhat"sthislotofburntpaper？Whatcouldhewanttoburntheship"spapersfor？……
Cloeteseesall，thelittledrawersdrawnout，andasksthecoxswaintolookwellintothem……There"snothing，saystheman。
Cleanedout。Seemstohavepulledoutallhecouldlayhishandsonandsetfiretothelot。Mad-that"swhatitis-wentmad。
Andnowhe"sdead。You"llhavetobreakittohiswife……
"IfeelasifIweregoingmadmyself，saysCloete，suddenly，andthecoxswainbegshimforGod"ssaketopullhimselftogether，anddragshimawayfromthecabin。Theyhadtoleavethebody，andasitwastheywerejustintimebeforeafurioussquallcameon。
Cloeteisdraggedintothelife-boatandthecoxswaintumblesin。
Haulawayonthegrapnel，heshouts；thecaptainhasshothimself……
"Cloetewaslikeadeadman-didn"tcareforanything。HeletthatStaffordpinchhisarmtwicewithoutmakingasign。MostofWestportwasontheoldpiertoseethemenoutofthelife-boat，andatfirsttherewasasortofconfusedcheeryuproarwhenshecamealongside；butafterthecoxswainhasshoutedsomethingthevoicesdieout，andeverybodyisveryquiet。AssoonasCloetehassetfootonsomethingfirmhebecomeshimselfagain。Thecoxswainshakeshandswithhim:Poorwoman，poorwoman，I"dratheryouhadthejobthanI……
"Where"sthemate？"asksCloete。He"sthelastmanwhospoketothemaster……Somebodyranalong-thecrewwerebeingtakentotheMissionHall，wheretherewasafireandshake-downsreadyforthem-somebodyranalongthepierandcaughtupwithStafford……
Here!Theowner"sagentwantsyou……Cloetetucksthefellow"sarmunderhisownandwalksawaywithhimtotheleft，wherethefishing-harbouris……IsupposeIhaven"tmisunderstoodyou。Youwishmetolookafteryouabit，sayshe。Theotherhangsonhimratherlimp，butgivesanastylittlelaugh:Youhadbetter，hemumbles；butmind，notricks；notricks，Mr。Cloete；weareonlandnow。
"There"sapoliceofficewithinfiftyyardsfromhere，saysCloete。
Heturnsintoalittlepublichouse，pushesStaffordalongthepassage。Thelandlordrunsoutofthebar……Thisisthemateoftheshipontherocks，Cloeteexplains；Iwishyouwouldtakecareofhimabitto-night……What"sthematterwithhim？askstheman。Staffordleansagainstthewallinthepassage，lookingghastly。AndCloetesaysit"snothing-doneup，ofcourse……I
willberesponsiblefortheexpense；Iamtheowner"sagent。I"llberoundinanhourortwotoseehim。
AndCloetegetsbacktothehotel。Thenewshadtravelledtherealready，andthefirstthingheseesisGeorgeoutsidethedooraswhiteasasheetwaitingforhim。Cloetejustgiveshimanodandtheygoin。Mrs。Harrystandsattheheadofthestairs，and，whensheseesonlythesetwocomingup，flingsherarmsaboveherheadandrunsintoherroom。Nobodyhaddaredtellher，butnotseeingherhusbandwasenough。Cloetehearsanawfulshriek……Gotoher，hesaystoGeorge。
"Whilehe"saloneintheprivateparlourCloetedrinksaglassofbrandyandthinksitallout。ThenGeorgecomesin……Thelandlady"swithher，hesays。Andhebeginstowalkupanddowntheroom，flinginghisarmsaboutandtalking，disconnectedlike，hisfacesethardasCloetehasneverseenitbefore……Whatmustbe，mustbe。Dead-onlybrother。Well，dead-histroublesover。
Butweareliving，hesaystoCloete；andIsuppose，sayshe，glaringathimwithhot，dryeyes，thatyouwon"tforgettowireinthemorningtoyourfriendthatwearecominginforcertain……
"Meaningthepatent-medicinefellow……Deathisdeathandbusinessisbusiness，Georgegoeson；andlook-myhandsareclean，hesays，showingthemtoCloete。Cloetethinks:He"sgoingcrazy。Hecatchesholdofhimbytheshouldersandbeginstoshakehim:Damnyou-ifyouhadhadthesensetoknowwhattosaytoyourbrother，ifyouhadhadthespunktospeaktohimatall，youmoralcreatureyou，hewouldbealivenow，heshouts。
"AtthisGeorgestares，thenburstsoutweepingwithagreatbellow。Hethrowshimselfonthecouch，burieshisfaceinacushion，andhowlslikeakid……That"sbetter，thinksCloete，andheleaveshim，tellingthelandlordthathemustgoout，ashehassomelittlebusinesstoattendtothatnight。Thelandlord"swife，weepingherself，catcheshimonthestairs:Oh，sir，thatpoorladywillgooutofhermind……
"Cloeteshakesheroff，thinkingtohimself:Ohno!Shewon"t。
Shewillgetoverit。NobodywillgomadaboutthisaffairunlessIdo。Itisn"tsorrowthatmakespeoplegomad，butworry。
"ThereCloetewaswrong。WhataffectedMrs。Harrywasthatherhusbandshouldtakehisownlife，withher，asitwere，lookingon。
ShebroodedoveritsothatinlessthanayeartheyhadtoputherintoaHome。Shewasvery，veryquiet；justgentlemelancholy。
Shelivedforquitealongtime。
"Well，Cloetesplashesalonginthewindandrain。Nobodyinthestreets-alltheexcitementover。Thepublicanrunsouttomeethiminthepassageandsaystohim:Notthisway。Heisn"tinhisroom。Wecouldn"tgethimtogotobednohow。He"sinthelittleparlourthere。We"velightedhimafire……Youhavebeengivinghimdrinkstoo，saysCloete；IneversaidIwouldberesponsiblefordrinks。Howmany？……Two，saystheother。It"sallright。
Idon"tminddoingthatmuchforashipwreckedsailor……Cloetesmileshisfunnysmile:Eh？Come。Hepaidforthem……Thepublicanjustblinks……Gaveyougold，didn"the？Speakup!……Whatofthat!criestheman。Whatareyouafter，anyway？Hehadtherightchangeforhissovereign。
"Justso，saysCloete。Hewalksintotheparlour，andthereheseesourStafford；hairalluponend，landlord"sshirtandpantson，barefeetinslippers，sittingbythefire。WhenheseesCloetehecastshiseyesdown。
"Youdidn"tmeanusevertomeetagain，Mr。Cloete，Staffordsays，demurely……Thatfellow，whenhehadthedrinkhewanted-hewasn"tadrunkard-wouldputonthissortofsly，modestair……
Butsincethecaptaincommittedsuicide，hesays，Ihavebeensittingherethinkingitout。Allsortsofthingshappen。
Conspiracytolosetheship-attemptedmurder-andthissuicide。
Forifitwasnotsuicide，Mr。Cloete，thenIknowofavictimofthemostcruel，cold-bloodedattemptatmurder；somebodywhohassufferedathousanddeaths。Andthatmakesthethousandpoundsofwhichwespokeonceaquiteinsignificantsum。Lookhowveryconvenientthissuicideis……
"HelooksupatCloetethen，whosmilesathimandcomesquiteclosetothetable。
"YoukilledHarryDunbar，hewhispers……Thefellowglaresathimandshowshisteeth:OfcourseIdid!Ihadbeeninthatcabinforanhourandahalflikearatinatrap……Shutupandlefttodrowninthatwreck。Letfleshandbloodjudge。OfcourseI
shothim!Ithoughtitwasyou，youmurderingscoundrel，comebacktosettleme。Heopensthedoorflyingandtumblesrightdownuponme；Ihadarevolverinmyhand，andIshothim。Iwascrazy。Menhavegonecrazyforless。
"Cloetelooksathimwithoutflinching。Aha!That"syourstory，isit？……Andheshakesthetablealittleinhispassionashespeaks……Nowlistentomine。What"sthisconspiracy？Who"sgoingtoproveit？Youweretheretorob。Youwereriflinghiscabin；hecameuponyouunawareswithyourhandsinthedrawer；andyoushothimwithhisownrevolver。Youkilledtosteal-tosteal!Hisbrotherandtheclerksintheofficeknowthathetooksixtypoundswithhimtosea。Sixtypoundsingoldinacanvasbag。Hetoldmewheretheywere。Thecoxswainofthelife-boatcansweartoitthatthedrawerswereallempty。Andyouaresuchafoolthatbeforeyou"rehalfanhourashoreyouchangeasovereigntopayforadrink。Listentome。Ifyoudon"tturnupdayafterto-morrowatGeorgeDunbar"ssolicitors，tomaketheproperdepositionastothelossoftheship，Ishallsetthepoliceonyourtrack。Dayafterto-morrow……
"Andthenwhatdoyouthink？ThatStaffordbeginstotearhishair。Justso。Tugsatitwithbothhandswithoutsayinganything。Cloetegivesapushtothetablewhichnearlysendsthefellowoffhischair，tumblinginsidethefender；sothathehasgottocatchholdofittosavehimself……
"YouknowthesortofmanIam，Cloetesays，fiercely。I"vegottoapointthatIdon"tcarewhathappenstome。Iwouldshootyounowfortuppence。
"Atthisthecurdodgesunderthetable。ThenCloetegoesout，andasheturnsinthestreet-youknow，littlefishermen"scottages，alldark；rainingintorrents，too-theotheropensthewindowoftheparlourandspeaksinasortofcryingvoice-
"YoulowYankeefiend-I"llpayyouoffsomeday。
"Cloetepassesbywithadamnbitterlaugh，becausehethinksthatthefellowinawayhaspaidhimoffalready，ifheonlyknewit。"
Myimpressiveruffiandrankwhatremainedofhisbeer，whilehisblack，sunkeneyeslookedatmeovertherim。
"Idon"tquiteunderstandthis，"Isaid。"Inwhatway？"
HeunbentalittleandexplainedwithouttoomuchscornthatCaptainHarrybeingdead，hishalfoftheinsurancemoneywenttohiswife，andhertrusteesofcourseboughtconsolswithit。
Enoughtokeephercomfortable。GeorgeDunbar"shalf，asCloetefearedfromthefirst，didnotprovesufficienttolaunchthemedicinewell；othermoneyedmensteppedin，andthesetwohadtogooutofthatbusiness，prettynearlyshornofeverything。
"Iamcurious，"Isaid，"tolearnwhatthemotiveforceofthistragicaffairwas-Imeanthepatentmedicine。Doyouknow？"
Henamedit，andIwhistledrespectfully。NothinglessthanParker"sLivelyLumbagoPills。Enormousproperty!Youknowit；
alltheworldknowsit。Everysecondman，atleast，onthisglobeofourshastriedit。
"Why!"Icried，"theymissedanimmensefortune。"
"Yes，"hemumbled，"bythepriceofarevolver-shot。"
HetoldmealsothateventuallyCloetereturnedtotheStates，passengerinacargo-boatfromAlbertDock。Thenightbeforehesailedhemethimwanderingaboutthequays，andtookhimhomeforadrink。"Funnychap，Cloete。Wesatallnightdrinkinggrogs，tillitwastimeforhimtogoonboard。"
ItwasthenthatCloete，unembitteredbutweary，toldhimthisstory，withthatutterlyunconsciousfranknessofapatent-medicinemanstrangertoallmoralstandards。Cloeteconcludedbyremarkingthathe，had"hadenoughoftheoldcountry。"GeorgeDunbarhadturnedonhim，too，intheend。Cloetewasclearlysomewhatdisillusioned。
AstoStafford，hedied，professedloafer，insomeEastEndhospitalorother，andonhislastdayclamoured"foraparson，"
becausehisconscienceworriedhimforkillinganinnocentman。
"Wantedsomebodytotellhimitwasallright，"growledmyoldruffian，contemptuously。"HetoldtheparsonthatIknewthisCloetewhohadtriedtomurderhim，andsotheparson(heworkedamongthedocklabourers)oncespoketomeaboutit。Thatskunkofafellowfindinghimselftrappedyelledformercy……Promisedtobegoodandsoon……Thenhewentcrazy……screamedandthrewhimselfabout，beathisheadagainstthebulkheads……youcanguessallthat-eh？……tillhewasexhausted。Gaveup。Threwhimselfdown，shuthiseyes，andwantedtopray。Sohesays。
Triedtothinkofsomeprayerforaquickdeath-hewasthatterrified。Thoughtthatifhehadaknifeorsomethinghewouldcuthisthroat，andbedonewithit。Thenhethinks:No!Wouldtrytocutawaythewoodaboutthelock……Hehadnoknifeinhispocket……hewasweepingandcallingonGodtosendhimatoolofsomekindwhensuddenlyhethinks:Axe!Inmostshipsthereisaspareemergencyaxekeptinthemaster"sroominsomelockerorother……Uphejumps……Pitchdark。"Pullsatthedrawerstofindmatchesand，gropingforthem，thefirstthinghecomesupon-
CaptainHarry"srevolver。Loadedtoo。Hegoesperfectlyquietallover。Canshootthelocktopieces。See？Saved!God"sprovidence!Thereareboxesofmatchestoo。Thinkshe:ImayjustaswellseewhatIamabout。
"Strikesalightandseesthelittlecanvasbagtuckedawayatthebackofthedrawer。Knewatoncewhatthatwas。Ramsitintohispocketquick。Aha!sayshetohimself:thisrequiresmorelight。
Sohepitchesalotofpaperonthefloor，setfiretoit，andstartsinahurryrummagingformorevaluables。Didyouever？HetoldthatEast-Endparsonthatthedeviltemptedhim。FirstGod"smercy-thendevil"swork。Turnandturnabout……
"Anysquirmingskunkcantalklikethat。Hewassobusywiththedrawersthatthefirstthingheheardwasashout，GreatHeavens。
Helooksupandtherewasthedooropen(Cloetehadleftthekeyinthelock)andCaptainHarryholdingon，wellabovehim，veryfierceinthelightoftheburningpapers。Hiseyeswerestartingoutofhishead。Thieving，hethundersathim。Asailor!Anofficer!
No!Awretchlikeyoudeservesnobetterthantobeleftheretodrown。
"ThisStafford-onhisdeath-bed-toldtheparsonthatwhenheheardthesewordshewentcrazyagain。Hesnatchedhishandwiththerevolverinitoutofthedrawer，andfiredwithoutaiming。
CaptainHarryfellrightinwithacrashlikeastoneontopoftheburningpapers，puttingtheblazeout。Alldark。Notasound。Helistenedforabitthendroppedtherevolverandscrambledoutondecklikemad。"
Theoldfellowstruckthetablewithhisponderousfist。
"Whatmakesmesickistohearthesesillyboat-mentellingpeoplethecaptaincommittedsuicide。Pah!CaptainHarrywasamanthatcouldfacehisMakeranytimeupthere，andherebelow，too。Hewasn"tthesorttoslinkoutoflife。Nothe!Hewasagoodmandowntotheground。HegavememyfirstjobasstevedoreonlythreedaysafterIgotmarried。"
AsthevindicationofCaptainHarryfromthechargeofsuicideseemedtobehisonlyobject，Ididnotthankhimveryeffusivelyforhismaterial。Andthenitwasnotworthmanythanksinanycase。
ForitistoostartlingeventothinkofsuchthingshappeninginourrespectableChannelinfullview，sotospeak，oftheluxuriouscontinentaltraffictoSwitzerlandandMonteCarlo。ThisstorytobeacceptableshouldhavebeentransposedtosomewhereintheSouthSeas。Butitwouldhavebeentoomuchtroubletocookitfortheconsumptionofmagazinereaders。Sohereitisraw，sotospeak-
justasitwastoldtome-butunfortunatelyrobbedofthestrikingeffectofthenarrator；themostimposingoldruffianthateverfollowedtheunromantictradeofmasterstevedoreintheportofLondon。
Oct。1910。
THEINNOFTHETWOWITCHES-AFIND
Thistale，episode，experience-callithowyouwill-wasrelatedinthefiftiesofthelastcenturybyamanwho，byhisownconfession，wassixtyyearsoldatthetime。Sixtyisnotabadage-unlessinperspective，whennodoubtitiscontemplatedbythemajorityofuswithmixedfeelings。Itisacalmage；thegameispracticallyoverbythen；andstandingasideonebeginstorememberwithacertainvividnesswhatafinefellowoneusedtobe。Ihaveobservedthat，byanamiableattentionofProvidence，mostpeopleatsixtybegintotakearomanticviewofthemselves。
Theirveryfailuresexhaleacharmofpeculiarpotency。Andindeedthehopesofthefutureareafinecompanytolivewith，exquisiteforms，fascinatingifyoulike，but-sotospeak-naked，strippedforarun。Therobesofglamourareluckilythepropertyoftheimmovablepastwhich，withoutthem，wouldsit，ashiverysortofthing，underthegatheringshadows。
Isupposeitwastheromanticismofgrowingagewhichsetourmantorelatehisexperienceforhisownsatisfactionorforthewonderofhisposterity。Itcouldnothavebeenforhisglory，becausetheexperiencewassimplythatofanabominablefright-terrorhecallsit。Youwouldhaveguessedthattherelationalludedtointheveryfirstlineswasinwriting。
ThiswritingconstitutestheFinddeclaredinthesub-title。Thetitleitselfismyowncontrivance，(can"tcallitinvention)，andhasthemeritofveracity。Wewillbeconcernedwithaninnhere。
Astothewitchesthat"smerelyaconventionalexpression，andwemusttakeourman"swordforitthatitfitsthecase。
TheFindwasmadeinaboxofbooksboughtinLondon，inastreetwhichnolongerexists，fromasecond-handbooksellerinthelaststageofdecay。Astothebooksthemselvestheywereatleasttwentieth-hand，andoninspectionturnedoutnotworththeverysmallsumofmoneyIdisbursed。Itmighthavebeensomepremonitionofthatfactwhichmademesay:"ButImusthavetheboxtoo。"Thedecayedbooksellerassentedbythecareless，tragicgestureofamanalreadydoomedtoextinction。
Alitterofloosepagesatthebottomoftheboxexcitedmycuriositybutfaintly。Theclose，neat，regularhandwritingwasnotattractiveatfirstsight。ButinoneplacethestatementthatinA。D。1813thewriterwastwenty-twoyearsoldcaughtmyeye。
Twoandtwentyisaninterestingageinwhichoneiseasilyrecklessandeasilyfrightened；thefacultyofreflectionbeingweakandthepowerofimaginationstrong。
Inanotherplacethephrase:"Atnightwestoodinagain，"
arrestedmylanguidattention，becauseitwasaseaphrase。"Let"sseewhatitisallabout，"Ithought，withoutexcitement。
Oh!butitwasadull-facedMS。，eachlineresemblingeveryotherlineintheirclose-setandregularorder。Itwaslikethedroneofamonotonousvoice。Atreatiseonsugar-refining(thedreariestsubjectIcanthinkof)couldhavebeengivenamorelivelyappearance。"InA。D。1813，Iwastwenty-twoyearsold，"hebeginsearnestlyandgoesonwitheveryappearanceofcalm，horribleindustry。Don"timagine，however，thatthereisanythingarchaicinmyfind。Diabolicingenuityininventionthoughasoldastheworldisbynomeansalostart。Lookatthetelephonesforshatteringthelittlepeaceofmindgiventousinthisworld，oratthemachinegunsforlettingwithdispatchlifeoutofourbodies。Now-a-daysanyblear-eyedoldwitchifonlystrongenoughtoturnaninsignificantlittlehandlecouldlaylowahundredyoungmenoftwentyinthetwinklingofaneye。
Ifthisisn"tprogress!……Whyimmense!Wehavemovedon，andsoyoumustexpecttomeethereacertainnaivenessofcontrivanceandsimplicityofaimappertainingtotheremoteepoch。Andofcoursenomotoringtouristcanhopetofindsuchaninnanywhere，now。Thisone，theoneofthetitle，wassituatedinSpain。ThatmuchIdiscoveredonlyfrominternalevidence，becauseagoodmanypagesofthatrelationweremissing-perhapsnotagreatmisfortuneafterall。Thewriterseemedtohaveenteredintoamostelaboratedetailofthewhyandwhereforeofhispresenceonthatcoast-presumablythenorthcoastofSpain。Hisexperiencehasnothingtodowiththesea，though。AsfarasIcanmakeitout，hewasanofficeronboardasloop-of-war。There"snothingstrangeinthat。AtallstagesofthelongPeninsularcampaignmanyofourmen-of-warofthesmallerkindwerecruisingoffthenorthcoastofSpain-asriskyanddisagreeableastationascanbewellimagined。
Itlooksasthoughthatshipofhishadhadsomespecialservicetoperform。Acarefulexplanationofallthecircumstanceswastobeexpectedfromourman，only，asI"vesaid，someofhispages(goodtoughpapertoo)weremissing:goneincoversforjampotsorinwaddingforthefowling-piecesofhisirreverentposterity。Butitistobeseenclearlythatcommunicationwiththeshoreandeventhesendingofmessengersinlandwaspartofherservice，eithertoobtainintelligencefromortotransmitordersoradvicetopatrioticSpaniards，guerillerosorsecretjuntasoftheprovince。
Somethingofthesort。Allthiscanbeonlyinferredfromthepreservedscrapsofhisconscientiouswriting。
Nextwecomeuponthepanegyricofaveryfinesailor，amemberoftheship"scompany，havingtheratingofthecaptain"scoxswain。