CHAPTERONE——YOUNGPOWELLANDHISCHANCE
Ibelievehehadseenusoutofthewindowcomingofftodineinthedinghyofafourteen-tonyawlbelongingtoMarlowmyhostandskipper。Wehelpedtheboywehadwithustohaultheboatuponthelanding-stagebeforewewentuptotheriversideinn，wherewefoundournewacquaintanceeatinghisdinnerindignifiedlonelinessattheheadofalongtable，whiteandinhospitablelikeasnowbank。
Theredtintofhisclear-cutfacewithtrimshortblackwhiskersunderacapofcurlyiron-greyhairwastheonlywarmspotinthedinginessofthatroomcooledbythecheerlesstablecloth。Weknewhimalreadybysightastheownerofalittlefive-toncutter，whichhesailedaloneapparently，afellowyachtsmanintheunpretendingbandoffanaticswhocruiseatthemouthoftheThames。Butthefirsttimeheaddressedthewaitersharplyas’steward’weknewhimatonceforasailoraswellasayachtsman。
Presentlyhehadoccasiontoreprovethatsamewaiterfortheslovenlymannerinwhichthedinnerwasserved。Hediditwithconsiderableenergyandthenturnedtous。”Ifweatsea，”hedeclared，”wentaboutourworkaspeopleashorehighandlowgoabouttheirsweshouldnevermakealiving。Noonewouldemployus。Andmoreovernoshipnavigatedandsailedinthehappy-go-luckymannerpeopleconducttheirbusinessonshorewouldeverarriveintoport。”
Sincehehadretiredfromtheseahehadbeenastonishedtodiscoverthattheeducatedpeoplewerenotmuchbetterthantheothers。Nooneseemedtotakeanyproperprideinhiswork:fromplumberswhoweresimplythievesto，say，newspapermen(heseemedtothinkthemaspeciallyintellectualclass)whoneverbyanychancegaveacorrectversionofthesimplestaffair。Thisuniversalinefficiencyofwhathecalled”theshoregang”heascribedingeneraltothewantofresponsibilityandtoasenseofsecurity。”Theysee，”hewenton，”thatnomatterwhattheydothistightlittleislandwon’tturnturtlewiththemorspringaleakandgotothebottomwiththeirwivesandchildren。”
Fromthispointtheconversationtookaspecialturnrelatingexclusivelytosea-life。OnthatsubjecthegotquicklyintouchwithMarlowwhoinhistimehadfollowedthesea。TheykeptupalivelyexchangeofreminiscenceswhileIlistened。Theyagreedthatthehappiesttimeintheirliveswasasyoungstersingoodships，withnocareintheworldbutnottoloseawatchbelowwhenatseaandnotamoment’stimeingoingashoreafterworkhourswheninharbour。Theyagreedalsoastotheproudestmomenttheyhadknowninthatcallingwhichisneverembracedonrationalandpracticalgrounds，becauseoftheglamourofitsromanticassociations。ItwasthemomentwhentheyhadpassedsuccessfullytheirfirstexaminationandlefttheseamanshipExaminerwiththelittlepreciousslipofbluepaperintheirhands。”ThatdayIwouldn’thavecalledtheQueenmycousin，”declaredournewacquaintanceenthusiastically。
AtthattimetheMarineBoardexaminationstookplaceattheSt。
Katherine’sDockHouseonTowerHill，andheinformedusthathehadaspecialaffectionfortheviewofthathistoriclocality，withtheGardenstotheleft，thefrontoftheMinttotheright，themiserabletumble-downlittlehousesfartheraway，acabstand，boot-
blackssquattingontheedgeofthepavementandapairofbigpolicemengazingwithanairofsuperiorityatthedoorsoftheBlackHorsepublic-houseacrosstheroad。Thiswasthepartoftheworld，hesaid，hiseyesfirsttooknoticeof，onthefinestdayofhislife。HehademergedfromthemainentranceofSt。Katherine’sDockHouseafull-fledgedsecondmateafterthehottesttimeofhislifewithCaptainR-，themostdreadedofthethreeseamanshipExaminerswhoatthetimewereresponsibleforthemerchantserviceofficersqualifyinginthePortofLondon。”Weallwhowerepreparingtopass，”hesaid，”usedtoshakeinourshoesattheideaofgoingbeforehim。Hekeptmeforanhourandahalfinthetorturechamberandbehavedasthoughhehatedme。Hekepthiseyesshadedwithoneofhishands。Suddenlyheletitdropsaying，”Youwilldo！”BeforeIrealisedwhathemeanthewaspushingtheblueslipacrossthetable。Ijumpedupasifmychairhadcaughtfire。”Thankyou，sir，”saysI，grabbingthepaper。”Goodmorning，goodlucktoyou，”hegrowlsatme。”Theolddoorkeeperfussedoutofthecloak-roomwithmyhat。Theyalwaysdo。Buthelookedveryhardatmebeforeheventuredtoaskinasortoftimidwhisper:”Gotthroughallright，sir？”ForallanswerIdroppedahalf-crownintohissoftbroadpalm。”Well，”
sayshewithasuddengrinfromeartoear，”Ineverknewhimkeepanyofyougentlemensolong。Hefailedtwosecondmatesthismorningbeforeyourturncame。Lessthantwentyminuteseach:
that’sabouthisusualtime。””IfoundmyselfdownstairswithoutbeingawareofthestepsasifI
hadfloateddownthestaircase。Thefinestdayinmylife。Thedayyougetyourfirstcommandisnothingtoit。Foronethingamanisnotsoyoungthenandforanotherwithus，youknow，thereisnothingmuchmoretoexpect。Yes，thefinestdayofone’slife，nodoubt，butthenitisjustadayandnomore。Whatcomesafterisaboutthemostunpleasanttimeforayoungster，thetryingtogetanofficer’sberthwithnothingmuchtoshowbutabrand-newcertificate。Itissurprisinghowuselessyoufindthatpieceofass’sskinthatyouhavebeenputtingyourselfinsuchastateabout。Itdidn’tstrikemeatthetimethataBoardofTradecertificatedoesnotmakeanofficer，notbyalonglongway。ButtheslippersoftheshipsIwashauntingwithdemandsforajobknewthatverywell。Idon’twonderatthemnow，andIdon’tblamethemeither。Butthis’tryingtogetaship’isprettyhardonayoungsterallthesame……”
Hewentonthentotellushowtiredhewasandhowdiscouragedbythislessonofdisillusionfollowingswiftlyuponthefinestdayofhislife。Hetoldushowhewenttheroundofalltheship-owners’
officesintheCitywheresomejuniorclerkwouldfurnishhimwithprintedformsofapplicationwhichhetookhometofillupintheevening。Heusedtorunoutjustbeforemidnighttoposttheminthenearestpillar-box。Andthatwasallthatevercameofit。Inhisownwords:hemightjustaswellhavedroppedthemallproperlyaddressedandstampedintothesewergrating。
Thenoneday，ashewaswendinghiswearywaytothedocks，hemetafriendandformershipmatealittleolderthanhimselfoutsidetheFenchurchStreetRailwayStation。
Hecravedforsympathybuthisfriendhadjust”gotaship”thatverymorningandwashurryinghomeinastateofoutwardjoyandinwarduneasinessusualtoasailorwhoaftermanydaysofwaitingsuddenlygetsaberth。Thisfriendhadthetimetocondolewithhimbutbriefly。Hemustbemoving。Thenashewasrunningoff，overhisshoulderasitwere，hesuggested:”Whydon’tyougoandspeaktoMr。PowellintheShippingOffice。”OurfriendobjectedthathedidnotknowMr。PowellfromAdam。Andtheotheralreadyprettynearroundthecornershoutedbackadvice:”GototheprivatedooroftheShippingOfficeandwalkrightuptohim。Hisdeskisbythewindow。GoupboldlyandsayIsentyou。”
Ournewacquaintancelookingfromonetotheotherofusdeclared:”Uponmyword，IhadgrownsodesperatethatI’dhavegoneboldlyuptothedevilhimselfonthemerehintthathehadasecondmate’sjobtogiveaway。”
ItwasatthispointthatinterruptinghisflowoftalktolighthispipebutholdinguswithhiseyeheinquiredwhetherwehadknownPowell。Marlowwithaslightreminiscentsmilemurmuredthathe”rememberedhimverywell。”
Thentherewasapause。Ournewacquaintancehadbecomeinvolvedinavexatiousdifficultywithhispipewhichhadsuddenlybetrayedhistrustanddisappointedhisanticipationofself-indulgence。TokeeptheballrollingIaskedMarlowifthisPowellwasremarkableinanyway。”Hewasnotexactlyremarkable，”Marlowansweredwithhisusualnonchalance。”Inageneralwayit’sverydifficultforonetobecomeremarkable。Peoplewon’ttakesufficientnoticeofone，don’tyouknow。IrememberPowellsowellsimplybecauseasoneoftheShippingMastersinthePortofLondonhedispatchedmetoseaonseverallongstagesofmysailor’spilgrimage。HeresembledSocrates。Imeanheresembledhimgenuinely:thatisintheface。
Aphilosophicalmindisbutanaccident。Hereproducedexactlythefamiliarbustoftheimmortalsage，ifyouwillimaginethebustwithahightophatridingfaronthebackofthehead，andablackcoatovertheshoulders。AsIneversawhimexceptfromtheothersideofthelongofficialcounterbearingthefivewritingdesksofthefiveShippingMasters，Mr。Powellhasremainedabusttome。”
Ournewacquaintanceadvancednowfromthemantelpiecewithhispipeingoodworkingorder。”WhatwasthemostremarkableaboutPowell，”heenunciateddogmaticallywithhisheadinacloudofsmoke，”isthatheshouldhavehadjustthatname。Yousee，mynamehappenstobePowelltoo。”
Itwasclearthatthisintelligencewasnotimpartedtousforsocialpurposes。Itrequirednoacknowledgment。Wecontinuedtogazeathimwithexpectanteyes。
Hegavehimselfuptothevigorousenjoymentofhispipeforasilentminuteortwo。ThenpickingupthethreadofhisstoryhetoldushowhehadstartedhotfootforTowerHill。Hehadnotbeenthatwaysincethedayofhisexamination——thefinestdayofhislife——thedayofhisoverweeningpride。Itwasverydifferentnow。
HewouldnothavecalledtheQueenhiscousin，still，butthistimeitwasfromasenseofprofoundabasement。Hedidn’tthinkhimselfgoodenoughforanybody’skinship。Heenviedthepurple-nosedoldcab-driversonthestand，theboot-blackboysattheedgeofthepavement，thetwolargebobbiespacingslowlyalongtheTowerGardensrailingsintheconsciousnessoftheirinfalliblemight，andthebrightscarletsentrieswalkingsmartlytoandfrobeforetheMint。Heenviedthemtheirplacesintheschemeofworld’slabour。
Andheenviedalsothemiserablesallow，thin-facedloafersblinkingtheirobsceneeyesandrubbingtheirgreasyshouldersagainstthedoor-jambsoftheBlackHorsepub，becausetheyweretoofargonetofeeltheirdegradation。
Imustrenderthemanthejusticethatheconveyedverywelltousthesenseofhisyouthfulhopelessnesssurprisedatnotfindingitsplaceinthesunandnorecognitionofitsrighttolive。
HewentuptheouterstepsofSt。Katherine’sDockHouse，theverystepsfromwhichhehadsomesixweeksbeforesurveyedthecabstand，thebuildings，thepolicemen，theboot-blacks，thepaint，gilt，andplateglassoftheBlackHorse，withtheeyeofaConqueror。Atthetimehehadbeenatthebottomofhisheartsurprisedthatallthishadnotgreetedhimwithsongsandincense，butnow(hemadenosecretofit)hemadehisentryinaslinkingfashionpastthedoorkeeper’sglassbox。”Ihadn’tanyhalf-crownstosparefortips，”heremarkedgrimly。Theman，however，ranoutafterhimasking:”Whatdoyourequire？”butwithagratefulglanceupatthefirstfloorinremembranceofCaptainR-’sexaminationroom(howeasyanddelightfulallthathadbeen)hebolteddownaflightleadingtothebasementandfoundhimselfinaplaceofduskandmysteryandmanydoors。Hehadbeenafraidofbeingstoppedbysomeruleofno-admittance。Howeverhewasnotpursued。
ThebasementofSt。Katherine’sDockHouseisvastinextentandconfusinginitsplan。Paleshaftsoflightslantfromaboveintothegloomofitschillypassages。PowellwanderedupanddowntherelikeanearlyChristianrefugeeinthecatacombs；butwhatlittlefaithhehadinthesuccessofhisenterprisewasoozingoutathisfinger-tips。Atadarkturnunderagasbracketwhoseflamewashalfturneddownhisself-confidenceabandonedhimaltogether。”Istoodtheretothinkalittle，”hesaid。”AfoolishthingtodobecauseofcourseIgotscared。Whatcouldyouexpect？Ittakessomenervetotackleastrangerwitharequestforafavour。I
wishedmynamesakePowellhadbeenthedevilhimself。Ifeltsomehowitwouldhavebeenaneasierjob。Yousee，Ineverbelievedinthedevilenoughtobescaredofhim；butamancanmakehimselfveryunpleasant。Ilookedatalotofdoors，allshuttight，withagrowingconvictionthatIwouldneverhavetheplucktoopenoneofthem。Thinking’snogoodforone’snerve。IconcludedIwouldgiveupthewholebusiness。ButIdidn’tgiveupintheend，andI’lltellyouwhatstoppedme。Itwastherecollectionofthatconfoundeddoorkeeperwhohadcalledafterme。Ifeltsurethefellowwouldbeonthelook-outattheheadofthestairs。IfheaskedmewhatIhadbeenafter，ashehadtherighttodo，I
wouldn’tknowwhattoanswerthatwouldn’tmakemelooksillyifnoworse。Igotveryhot。Therewasnochanceofslinkingoutofthisbusiness。”Ihadlostmybearingssomehowdownthere。Ofthemanydoorsofvarioussizes，rightandleft，agoodfewhadglazedlightsabove；
somehowevermusthaveledmerelyintolumberroomsorsuchlike，becausewhenIbroughtmyselftotryoneortwoIwasdisconcertedtofindthattheywerelocked。Istoodthereirresoluteanduneasylikeabaffledthief。TheconfoundedbasementwasasstillasagraveandIbecameawareofmyheartbeats。Veryuncomfortablesensation。Neverhappenedtomebeforeorsince。Abiggerdoortotheleftofme，withalargebrasshandlelookedasifitmightleadintotheShippingOffice。Itriedit，settingmyteeth。”Heregoes！””Itcameopenquiteeasily。Andlo！theplaceitopenedintowashardlyanybiggerthanacupboard。Anyhowitwasn’tmorethantenfeetbytwelve；andasIinawayexpectedtoseethebigshadowycellar-likeextentoftheShippingOfficewhereIhadbeenonceortwicebefore，Iwasextremelystartled。Agasbrackethungfromthemiddleoftheceilingoveradark，shabbywriting-deskcoveredwithalitterofyellowishdustydocuments。Undertheflameofthesingleburnerwhichmadetheplaceablazewithlight，aplump，littlemanwaswritinghard，hisnoseverynearthedesk。Hisheadwasperfectlybaldandaboutthesamedrabtintasthepapers。Heappearedprettydustytoo。”Ididn’tnoticewhethertherewereanycobwebsonhim，butI
shouldn’twonderiftherewerebecausehelookedasthoughhehadbeenimprisonedforyearsinthatlittlehole。Thewayhedroppedhispenandsatblinkingmywayupsetmeverymuch。Andhisdungeonwashotandmusty；itsmeltofgasandmushrooms，andseemedtobesomewhere120feetbelowtheground。Solid，heavystacksofpaperfilledallthecornershalf-wayuptotheceiling。AndwhenthethoughtflasheduponmethatthesewerethepremisesoftheMarineBoardandthatthisfellowmustbeconnectedinsomewaywithshipsandsailorsandthesea，myastonishmenttookmybreathaway。Onecouldn’timaginewhytheMarineBoardshouldkeepthatbald，fatcreatureslavingdownthere。ForsomereasonorotherIfeltsorryandashamedtohavefoundhimoutinhiswretchedcaptivity。I
askedgentlyandsorrowfully:”TheShippingOffice，please。”
Hepipedupinacontemptuoussqueakyvoicewhichmademestart:”Nothere。Trythepassageontheotherside。Streetside。ThisistheDockside。You’velostyourway……”
HespokeinsuchaspitefultonethatIthoughthewasgoingtoroundoffwiththewords:”Youfool”……andperhapshemeantto。
Butwhathefinishedsharplywithwas:”Shutthedoorquietlyafteryou。”
AndIdidshutitquietly——youbet。Quickandquiet。Theindomitablespiritofthatchapimpressedme。Iwondersometimeswhetherhehassucceededinwritinghimselfintolibertyandapensionatlast，orhadtogooutofhisgas-lightedgravestraightintothatotherdarkonewherenobodywouldwanttointrude。Myhumanitywaspleasedtodiscoverhehadsomuchkickleftinhim，butIwasnotcomfortedintheleast。ItoccurredtomethatifMr。
Powellhadthesamesortoftemper……However，Ididn’tgivemyselftimetothinkandscuttledacrossthespaceatthefootofthestairsintothepassagewhereI’dbeentoldtotry。AndItriedthefirstdoorIcameto，rightaway，withoutanyhangingback，becausecomingloudlyfromthehallaboveanamazedandscandalizedvoicewantedtoknowwhatsortofgameIwasuptodownthere。”Don’tyouknowthere’snoadmittancethatway？”itroared。ButiftherewasanythingmoreIshutitoutofmyhearingbymeansofadoormarkedPRIVATEontheoutside。Itletmeintoasix-feetwidestripbetweenalongcounterandthewall，takenoffaspacious，vaultedroomwithagratedwindowandaglazeddoorgivingdaylighttothefurtherend。ThefirstthingIsawrightinfrontofmewerethreemiddle-agedmenhavingasortofromptogetherroundaboutanotherfellowwithathin，longneckandslopingshoulderswhostoodupatadeskwritingonalargesheetofpaperandtakingnonoticeexceptthathegrinnedquietlytohimself。Theyturnedverysouratoncewhentheysawme。Iheardoneofthemmutter’Hullo！
Whathavewehere？’”’IwanttoseeMr。Powell，please，’Isaid，verycivilbutfirm；I
wouldletnothingscaremeawaynow。ThiswastheShippingOfficerightenough。Itwasafter3o’clockandthebusinessseemedoverforthedaywiththem。Thelong-neckedfellowwentonwithhiswritingsteadily。Iobservedthathewasnolongergrinning。Thethreeotherstossedtheirheadsalltogethertowardsthefarendoftheroomwhereafifthmanhadbeenlookingonattheiranticsfromahighstool。Iwalkeduptohimasboldlyasifhehadbeenthedevilhimself。Withonefootraisedupandrestingonthecross-barofhisseatheneverstoppedswingingtheotherwhichwaswellclearofthestonefloor。Hehadunbuttonedthetopofhiswaistcoatandheworehistallhatveryfaratthebackofhishead。Hehadafullunwrinkledfaceandsuchclear-shiningeyesthathisgreybeardlookedquitefalseonhim，stuckonforadisguise。YousaidjustnowheresembledSocrates——didn’tyou？Idon’tknowaboutthat。
ThisSocrateswasawiseman，Ibelieve？””Hewas，”assentedMarlow。”Andatruefriendofyouth。Helecturedtheminapeculiarlyexasperatingmanner。Itwasawayhehad。””ThengivemePowelleverytime，”declaredournewacquaintancesturdily。”Hedidn’tlecturemeinanyway。Nothe。Hesaid:
’Howdoyoudo？’quitekindlytomymumble。Thensayshelookingveryhardatme:’Idon’tthinkIknowyou——doI？’”No，sir，”Isaidanddownwentmyheartslidingintomyboots，justasthetimehadcometosummonupallmycheek。There’snothingmeanerintheworldthanapieceofimpudencethatisn’tcarriedoffwell。ForfearofappearingshamefacedIstartedaboutitsofreeandeasyasalmosttofrightenmyself。Helistenedforawhilelookingatmyfacewithsurpriseandcuriosityandthenhelduphishand。Iwasgladenoughtoshutup，Icantellyou。”Well，youareacoolhand，”sayshe。”Andthatfriendofyourstoo。HepesteredmecominghereeverydayforafortnighttillacaptainI’macquaintedwithwasgoodenoughtogivehimaberth。
Andnosoonerhe’sprovidedforthanheturnsyouon。Youyoungstersdon’tseemtomindwhomyougetintotrouble。””Itwasmyturnnowtostarewithsurpriseandcuriosity。Hehadn’tbeentalkingloudbutheloweredhisvoicestillmore。”Don’tyouknowit’sillegal？””IwonderedwhathewasdrivingattillIrememberedthatprocuringaberthforasailorisapenaloffenceundertheAct。Thatclausewasdirectedofcourseagainsttheswindlingpracticesoftheboarding-housecrimps。Ithadneverstruckmeitwouldapplytoeverybodyalikenomatterwhatthemotive，becauseIbelievedthenthatpeopleonshoredidtheirworkwithcareandforesight。”Iwasconfoundedattheidea，butMr。PowellmademesoonseethatanActofParliamenthasn’tanysenseofitsown。Ithasonlythesensethat’sputintoit；andthat’spreciouslittlesometimes。Hedidn’tmindhelpingayoungmantoashipnowandthen，hesaid，butifwekeptoncomingconstantlyitwouldsoongetaboutthathewasdoingitformoney。”Aprettythingthatwouldbe:theSeniorShipping-MasterofthePortofLondonhauledupinapolicecourtandfinedfiftypounds，”
sayshe。”I’veanotherfouryearstoservetogetmypension。Itcouldbemadetolookveryblackagainstmeanddon’tyoumakeanymistakeaboutit，”hesays。”Andallthetimewithonekneewelluphewentonswinginghisotherleglikeaboyonagateandlookingatmeverystraightwithhisshiningeyes。IwasconfoundedItellyou。Itmademesicktohearhimimplythatsomebodywouldmakeareportagainsthim。”Oh！”Iaskedshocked，”whowouldthinkofsuchascurvytrick，sir？”Iwashalfdisgustedwithhimforhavingthemerenotionofit。”Who？”sayshe，speakingverylow。”Anybody。Oneoftheofficemessengersmaybe。I’verisentobetheSeniorofthisofficeandweareallverygoodfriendshere，butdon’tyouthinkthatmycolleaguethatsitsnexttomewouldn’tliketogouptothisdeskbythewindowfouryearsinadvanceoftheregulationtime？Orevenoneyearforthatmatter。It’shumannature。””Icouldnothelpturningmyhead。ThethreefellowswhohadbeenskylarkingwhenIcameinwerenowtalkingtogetherverysoberly，andthelong-neckedchapwasgoingonwithhiswritingstill。Heseemedtomethemostdangerousofthelot。Isawhimsidefaceandhislipsweresetverytight。Ihadneverlookedatmankindinthatlightbefore。Whenone’syounghumannatureshocksone。ButwhatstartledmemostwastoseethedoorIhadcomethroughopenslowlyandgivepassagetoaheadinauniformcapwithaBoardofTradebadge。Itwasthatblamedolddoorkeeperfromthehall。Hehadrunmetoearthandmeanttodigmeouttoo。Hewalkeduptheofficesmirkingcraftily，capinhand。”Whatisit，Symons？”askedMr。Powell。”Iwasonlywonderingwherethis’eregentleman’adgoneto，sir。
Heslippedpastmeupstairs，sir。”
Ifeltmightyuncomfortable。”That’sallright，Symons。Iknowthegentleman，”saysMr。Powellasseriousasajudge。”Verywell，sir。Ofcourse，sir。Isawthegentlemanrunningracesallby’isselfdown’ere，soI……””It’sallrightItellyou，”Mr。Powellcuthimshortwithawaveofhishand；and，astheoldfraudwalkedoffatlast，heraisedhiseyestome。Ididnotknowwhattodo:staythere，orclearout，orsaythatIwassorry。”Let’ssee，”sayshe，”whatdidyoutellmeyournamewas？””Now，observe，Ihadn’tgivenhimmynameatallandhisquestionembarrassedmeabit。Somehoworotheritdidn’tseemproperformetoflinghisownnameathimasitwere。SoImerelypulledoutmynewcertificatefrommypocketandputitintohishandunfolded，sothathecouldreadCHARLESPOWELLwrittenveryplainontheparchment。”Hedroppedhiseyesontoitandafterawhilelaiditquietlyonthedeskbyhisside。Ididn’tknowwhetherhemeanttomakeanyremarkonthiscoincidence。Beforehehadtimetosayanythingtheglassdoorcameopenwithabangandatall，activemanrushedinwithgreatstrides。Hisfacelookedveryredbelowhishighsilkhat。Youcouldseeatoncehewastheskipperofabigship。”Mr。Powellaftertellingmeinanundertonetowaitalittleaddressedhiminafriendlyway。”I’vebeenexpectingyouineverymomenttofetchawayyourArticles，Captain。Heretheyareallreadyforyou。”Andturningtoapileofagreementslyingathiselbowhetookupthetopmostofthem。FromwhereIstoodIcouldreadthewords:”ShipFerndale”
writteninalargeroundhandonthefirstpage。”No，Mr。Powell，theyaren’tready，worseluck，”saysthatskipper。”I’vegottoaskyoutostrikeoutmysecondofficer。”Heseemedexcitedandbothered。Heexplainedthathissecondmatehadbeenworkingonboardallthemorning。Atoneo’clockhewentouttogetabitofdinneranddidn’tturnupattwoasheoughttohavedone。
Insteadtherecameamessengerfromthehospitalwithanotesignedbyadoctor。Collarboneandonearmbroken。Lethimselfbeknockeddownbyapairhorsevanwhilecrossingtheroadoutsidethedockgate，asifhehadneithereyesnorears。Andtheshipreadytoleavethedockatsixo’clockto-morrowmorning！”Mr。Powelldippedhispenandbegantoturntheleavesoftheagreementover。”Wemustthentakehisnameoff，”hesaysinakindofunconcernedsing-song。”WhatamItodo？”burstouttheskipper。”Thisofficeclosesatfouro’clock。Ican’tfindamaninhalfanhour。””Thisofficeclosesatfour，”repeatsMr。Powellglancingupanddownthepagesandtouchingupaletterhereandtherewithperfectindifference。”EvenifImanagedtolayholdsometimeto-dayofamanreadytogoatsuchshortnoticeIcouldn’tshiphimregularlyhere——couldI？””Mr。Powellwasbusydrawinghispenthroughtheentriesrelatingtothatunluckysecondmateandmakinganoteinthemargin。”Youcouldsignhimonyourselfonboard，”sayshewithoutlookingup。”ButIdon’tthinkyou’llfindeasilyanofficerforsuchapier-headjump。””Uponthisthefine-lookingskippergavesignsofdistress。Theshipmustn’tmissthenextmorning’stide。Hehadtotakeonboardfortytonsofdynamiteandahundredandtwentytonsofgunpowderataplacedowntheriverbeforeproceedingtosea。Itwasallarrangedfornextday。Therewouldbenoendoffussandcomplicationsiftheshipdidn’tturnupintime……Icouldn’thelphearingallthis，whilewishinghimtotakehimselfoff，becauseIwantedtoknowwhyMr。Powellhadtoldmetowait。Afterwhathehadbeensayingtheredidn’tseemanyobjectinmyhangingabout。IfIhadhadmycertificateinmypocketIshouldhavetriedtoslipawayquietly；butMr。PowellhadturnedaboutintothesamepositionIfoundhiminatfirstandwasagainswinginghisleg。MycertificateopenonthedeskwasunderhisleftelbowandIcouldn’tverywellgoupandjerkitaway。”Idon’tknow，”sayshecarelessly，addressingthehelplesscaptainbutlookingfixedlyatmewithanexpressionasifIhadn’tbeenthere。”Idon’tknowwhetherIoughttotellyouthatIknowofadisengagedsecondmateathand。””Doyoumeanyou’vegothimhere？”shoutstheotherlookingallovertheemptypublicpartoftheofficeasifhewerereadytoflinghimselfbodilyuponanythingresemblingasecondmate。HehadbeensofullofhisdifficultythatIverifybelievehehadnevernoticedme。OrperhapsseeingmeinsidehemayhavethoughtIwassomeunderstrapperbelongingtotheplace。ButwhenMr。Powellnoddedinmydirectionhebecameveryquietandgavemealongstare。ThenhestoopedtoMr。Powell’sear——Isupposeheimaginedhewaswhispering，butIheardhimwellenough。”Looksveryrespectable。””Certainly，”saystheshipping-masterquitecalmandstaringallthetimeatme。”Hisname’sPowell。””Oh，Isee！”saystheskipperasifstruckallofaheap。”Butishereadytojoinatonce？””Ihadasortofvisionofmylodgings——intheNorthofLondon，too，beyondDalston，awaytothedevil——andallmygearscatteredabout，andmyemptysea-chestsomewhereinanouthousethegoodpeopleI
wasstayingwithhadattheendoftheirsootystripofgarden。I
heardtheShippingMastersayinthecoolestsortofway:”He’llsleeponboardto-night。””Hehadbetter，”saystheCaptainoftheFerndaleverybusinesslike，asifthewholethingweresettled。Ican’tsayIwasdumbforjoyasyoumaysuppose。Itwasn’texactlythat。Iwasmorebywayofbeingoutofbreathwiththequicknessofit。Itdidn’tseempossiblethatthiswashappeningtome。Buttheskipper，afterhehadtalkedforawhilewithMr。Powell，toolowformetohearbecamevisiblyperplexed。”IsupposehehadheardIwasfreshlypassedandwithoutexperienceasanofficer，becauseheturnedaboutandlookedmeoverasifI
hadbeenexposedforsale。”He’syoung，”hemutters。”Lookssmart，though……You’resmartandwilling(thistomeverysuddenandloud)andallthat，aren’tyou？””Ijustmanagedtoopenandshutmymouth，nomore，beingtakenunawares。Butitwasenoughforhim。HemadeasifIhaddeafenedhimwithprotestationsofmysmartnessandwillingness。”Ofcourse，ofcourse。Allright。”AndthenturningtotheShippingMasterwhosatthereswinginghisleg，hesaidthathecertainlycouldn’tgotoseawithoutasecondofficer。IstoodbyasifallthesethingswerehappeningtosomeotherchapwhomIwasseeingthroughwithit。Mr。Powellstaredatmewiththoseshiningeyesofhis。Butthatbotheredskipperturnsuponmeagainasthoughhewantedtosnapmyheadoff。”Youaren’ttoobigtobetoldhowtodothings——areyou？You’vealottolearnyetthoughyoumayn’tthinkso。””IhadhalfamindtosavemydignitybytellinghimthatifitwasmyseamanshiphewasalludingtoIwantedhimtounderstandthatafellowwhohadsurvivedbeingturnedinsideoutforanhourandahalfbyCaptainR-wasequaltoanydemandhisoldshipwaslikelytomakeonhiscompetence。Howeverhedidn’tgivemeachancetomakethatsortoffoolofmyselfbecausebeforeIcouldopenmymouthhehadgoneroundonanothertackandwasaddressinghimselfaffablytoMr。Powellwhoswinginghislegnevertookhiseyesoffme。”I’lltakeyouryoungfriendwillingly，Mr。Powell。Ifyoulethimsignonassecond-mateatonceI’lltaketheArticlesawaywithmenow。””ItsuddenlydawneduponmethattheinnocentskipperoftheFerndalehadtakenitforgrantedthatIwasarelativeoftheShippingMaster！Iwasquiteastonishedatthisdiscovery，thoughindeedthemistakewasnaturalenoughunderthecircumstances。WhatIoughttohaveadmiredwasthereticencewithwhichthismisunderstandinghadbeenestablishedandactedupon。ButIwastoostupidthentoadmireanything。Allmyanxietywasthatthisshouldbeclearedup。IwasassenoughtowonderexceedinglyatMr。Powellfailingtonoticethemisapprehension。Isawaslighttwitchcomeandgoonhisface；butinsteadofsettingrightthatmistaketheShippingMasterswungroundonhisstoolandaddressedmeas’Charles。’Hedid。AndIdetectedhimtakingahastysquintatmycertificatejustbefore，becauseclearlytillhedidsohewasnotsureofmychristianname。”Nowthencomeroundinfrontofthedesk，Charles，”saysheinaloudvoice。”Charles！Atfirst，Ideclaretoyou，itdidn’tseempossiblethathewasaddressinghimselftome。IevenlookedroundforthatCharlesbuttherewasnobodybehindmeexceptthethin-neckedchapstillhardathiswriting，andtheotherthreeShippingMasterswhowerechangingtheircoatsandreachingfortheirhats，makingreadytogohome。Itwastheindustriousthin-neckedmanwhowithoutlayingdownhispenliftedwithhislefthandaflapnearhisdeskandsaidkindly:”Passthisway。”
Iwalkedthroughinatrance，facedMr。Powell，fromwhomIlearnedthatwewereboundtoPortElizabethfirst，andsignedmynameontheArticlesoftheshipFerndaleassecondmate——thevoyagenottoexceedtwoyears。”Youwon’tfailtojoin——eh？”saysthecaptainanxiously。”Itwouldcausenoendoftroubleandexpenseifyoudid。You’vegotagoodsixhourstogetyourgeartogether，andthenyou’llhavetimetosnatchasleeponboardbeforethecrewjoinsinthemorning。””Itwaseasyenoughforhimtotalkofgettingreadyinsixhoursforavoyagethatwasnottoexceedtwoyears。Hehadn’ttodothattrickhimself，andwithhissea-chestlockedupinanouthousethekeyofwhichhadbeenmislaidforaweekasIremembered。ButneitherwasImuchconcerned。TheideathatIwasabsolutelygoingtoseaatsixo’clocknextmorninghadn’tgotquiteintomyheadyet。Ithadbeentoosudden。”Mr。Powell，slippingtheArticlesintoalongenvelope，spokeupwithasortofcoldhalf-laughwithoutlookingateitherofus。”Mindyoudon’tdisgracethename，Charles。””Andtheskipperchimesinverykindly:”He’lldowellenoughIdaresay。I’lllookafterhimabit。””UponthishegrabstheArticles，sayssomethingabouttryingtoruninforaminutetoseethatpoordevilinthehospital，andoffhegoeswithhisheavyswingingstepaftertellingmesternly:”Don’tyougolikethatpoorfellowandgetyourselfrunoverbyacartasifyouhadn’teithereyesorears。””Mr。Powell，”saysItimidly(therewasbythenonlythethin-neckedmanleftintheofficewithusandhewasalreadybythedoor，standingononelegtoturnthebottomofhistrousersupbeforegoingaway)。”Mr。Powell，”saysI，”IbelievetheCaptainoftheFerndalewasthinkingallthetimethatIwasarelationofyours。””Iwasratherconcernedabouttheproprietyofit，youknow，butMr。
Powelldidn’tseemtobeintheleast。”Didhe？”sayshe。”That’sfunny，becauseitseemstometoothatI’vebeenasortofgooduncletoseveralofyouyoungfellowslately。Don’tyouthinksoyourself？However，ifyoudon’tlikeityoumayputhimright——whenyougetouttosea。”AtthisIfeltabitqueer。Mr。Powellhadrenderedmeaverygoodservice:-becauseit’safactthatwithusmerchantsailorsthefirstvoyageasofficeristherealstartinlife。Hehadgivenmenolessthanthat。Itoldhimwarmlythathehaddoneformemorethatdaythanallmyrelationsputtogethereverdid。”Oh，no，no，”sayshe。”Iguessit’sthatshipmentofexplosiveswaitingdowntheriverwhichhasdonemostforyou。Fortytonsofdynamitehavebeenyourbestfriendto-day，youngman。””Thatwastruetoo，perhaps。AnywayIsawclearlyenoughthatIhadnothingtothankmyselffor。ButasItriedtothankhim，hecheckedmystammering。”Don’tbeinahurrytothankme，”sayshe。”Thevoyageisn’tfinishedyet。”
Ournewacquaintancepaused，thenaddedmeditatively:”Queerman。
Asifitmadeanydifference。Queerman。””It’scertainlyunwisetoadmitanysortofresponsibilityforouractions，whoseconsequencesweareneverabletoforesee，”remarkedMarlowbywayofassent。”TheconsequenceofhisactionwasthatIgotaship，”saidtheother。”Thatcouldnotdomuchharm，”headdedwithalaughwhicharguedaprobablyunconsciouscontemptofgeneralideas。
ButMarlowwasnotputoff。Hewaspatientandreflective。HehadbeenatseamanyyearsandIverilybelievehelikedsea-lifebecauseuponthewholeitisfavourabletoreflection。Iamspeakingofthenownearlyvanishedsea-lifeundersail。TothosewhomaybesurprisedatthestatementIwillpointoutthatthislifesecuredforthemindofhimwhoembracedittheinestimableadvantagesofsolitudeandsilence。Marlowhadthehabitofpursuinggeneralideasinapeculiarmanner，betweenjestandearnest。”Oh，Iwouldn’tsuggest，”hesaid，”thatyournamesakeMr。Powell，theShippingMaster，haddoneyoumuchharm。Suchwashardlyhisintention。Andevenifithadbeenhewouldnothavehadthepower。
Hewasbutaman，andtheincapacitytoachieveanythingdistinctlygoodorevilisinherentinourearthlycondition。Mediocrityisourmark。Andperhapsit’sjustaswell，since，forthemostpart，wecannotbecertainoftheeffectofouractions。””Idon’tknowabouttheeffect，”theotherstooduptoMarlowmanfully。”Whateffectdidyouexpectanyhow？Itellyouhedidsomethinguncommonlykind。””Hedidwhathecould，”Marlowretortedgently，”andonhisownshowingthatwasnotaverygreatdeal。Icannothelpthinkingthattherewassomemaliceinthewayheseizedtheopportunitytoserveyou。Hemanagedtomakeyouuncomfortable。Youwantedtogotosea，buthejumpedatthechanceofaccommodatingyourdesirewithavengeance。Iaminclinedtothinkyourcheekalarmedhim。Andthiswasanexcellentoccasiontosuppressyoualtogether。Forifyouacceptedhewasrelievedofyouwitheveryappearanceofhumanity，andifyoumadeobjections(afterrequestinghisassistance，mindyou)itwasopentohimtodropyouasasortofimpostor。Youmighthavehadtodeclinethatberthforsomeveryvalidreason。
Fromsheernecessityperhaps。Thenoticewastoouncommonlyshort。
Butunderthecircumstancesyou’dhavecoveredyourselfwithignominy。”
Ournewfriendknockedtheashesoutofhispipe。”Quiteamistake，”hesaid。”Iamnotofthedecliningsort，thoughI’lladmititwassomethingliketellingamanthatyouwouldlikeabathandinconsequencebeinginstantlyknockedoverboardtosinkorswimwithyourclotheson。However，Ididn’tfeelasifIwereindeepwateratfirst。IlefttheshippingofficequietlyandforatimestrolledalongthestreetaseasyasifIhadaweekbeforemetofitmyselfout。ButbyandbyIreflectedthatthenoticewasevenshorterthanitlooked。Theafternoonwaswelladvanced；Ihadsomethingstoget，alotofsmallmatterstoattendto，oneortwopersonstosee。Oneofthemwasanauntofmine，myonlyrelation，whoquarrelledwithpoorfatheraslongashelivedaboutsomesillymatterthathadneitherrightnorwrongtoit。Shelefthermoneytomewhenshedied。Iusedalwaystogoandseeherfordecency’ssake。IhadsomuchtodobeforenightthatIdidn’tknowwheretobegin。Ifeltinclinedtositdownonthekerbandholdmyheadinmyhands。Itwasasifanenginehadbeenstartedgoingundermyskull。FinallyIsatdowninthefirstcabthatcamealonganditwasahardmattertokeeponsittingthereIcantellyou，whilewerolledupanddownthestreets，pullinguphereandthere，theparcelsaccumulatingroundmeandtheengineinmyheadgatheringmorewayeveryminute。Thecomposureofthepeopleonthepavementswasprovokingtoadegree，andastothepeopleinshops，theywerebenumbed，morethanhalffrozen——imbecile。Funnyhowitaffectsyoutobeinapeculiarstateofmind:everybodythatdoesnotactuptoyourexcitementseemssoconfoundedlyunfriendly。Andmystateofmindwhatwiththehurry，theworryandagrowingexultationwaspeculiarenough。ThatengineinmyheadwentroundatitstopspeedhourafterhourtillelevenataboutatnightitletuponmesuddenlyattheentrancetotheDockbeforelargeirongatesinadeadwall。”
Thesegateswereclosedandlocked。Thecabby，aftershootinghisthingsofftheroofofhismachineintoyoungPowell’sarms，droveawayleavinghimalonewithhissea-chest，asailclothbagandafewparcelsonthepavementabouthisfeet。Itwasadark，narrowthoroughfarehetoldus。Ameanrowofhousesontheothersidelookedempty:therewasn’tthesmallestgleamoflightinthem。
Thewhite-hotglareofaginpalaceagoodwayoffmadetheinterveningpieceofthestreetpitchblack。Somehumanshapesappearingmysteriously，asiftheyhadsprungupfromthedarkground，shunnedtheedgeofthefaintlightthrowndownbythegatewaylamps。Thesefigureswerewaryintheirmovementsandperfectlysilentoffoot，likebeastsofpreyslinkingaboutacampfire。Powellgathereduphisbelongingsandhoveredoverthemlikeahenoverherbrood。Agrufflyinsinuatingvoicesaid:”Let’scarryyourthingsin，Capt’in！I’vegotmypal’ere。”
Hewasatall，bony，grey-hairedruffianwithabulldogjaw，inatorncottonshirtandmoleskintrousers。Theshadowofhishobnailedbootswasenormousandcoffinlike。Hispal，whodidn’tcomeupmuchhigherthanhiselbow，steppingforwardexhibitedapalefacewithalongdroopingnoseandnochintospeakof。Heseemedtohavejustscrambledoutofadust-bininatam-o’shantercapandatatteredsoldier’scoatmuchtoolongforhim。Beingsodeadlywhitehelookedlikeahorribledirtyinvalidinaraggeddressinggown。Thecoatflappedopeninfrontandtherestofhisapparelconsistedofonebracewhichcrossedhisnaked，bonychest，andapairoftrousers。Heblinkedrapidlyasifdazedbythefaintlight，whilehispatron，theoldbandit，gloweredatyoungPowellfromunderhisbeetlingbrow。”Saytheword，Capt’in。Thebobby’llletusinallright。’Eknowsbothofus。””Ididn’tanswerhim，”continuedMr。Powell。”Iwaslisteningtofootstepsontheothersideofthegate，echoingbetweenthewallsofthewarehousesasifinanuninhabitedtownofveryhighbuildingsdarkfrombasementtoroof。Youcouldneverhaveguessedthatwithinastone’sthrowtherewasanopensheetofwaterandbigshipslyingafloat。Thefewgaslampsshowingupabitofbrickworkhereandthere，appearedintheblacknesslikepennydipsinarangeofcellars——andthesolitaryfootstepscameon，tramp，tramp。
Adockpolicemanstrodeintothelightontheothersideofthegate，verybroad-chestedandstern。”Hallo！What’suphere？””Hewasreallysurprised，butaftersomepalaverheletmeintogetherwiththetwoloaferscarryingmyluggage。Hegrumbledatthemhoweverandslammedthegateviolentlywithaloudclang。I
wasstartledtodiscoverhowmanynightprowlershadcollectedinthedarknessofthestreetinsuchashorttimeandwithoutmybeingawareofit。Directlywewerethroughtheycamesurgingagainstthebars，silent，likeamobofuglyspectres。Butsuddenly，upthestreetsomewhere，perhapsnearthatpublic-house，arowstartedasifBedlamhadbrokenloose:shouts，yells，anawfulshrillshriek——
andatthatnoisealltheseheadsvanishedfrombehindthebars。”Lookatthis，”marvelledtheconstable。”It’sawondertometheydidn’tmakeoffwithyourthingswhileyouwerewaiting。””Iwouldhavetakengoodcareofthat，”Isaiddefiantly。Buttheconstablewasn’timpressed。”Muchyouwouldhavedone。Thebaggoingoffroundonedarkcorner；
thechestroundanother。Wouldyouhaveruntwowaysatonce？Andanyhowyou’dhavebeentrippedupandjumpeduponbeforeyouhadrunthreeyards。Itellyouyou’vehadamostextraordinarychancethattherewasn’toneofthemregularboysaboutto-night，intheHighStreet，totwigyourloadedcabgoby。Tedhereishonest……Youareonthehonestlay，Ted，ain’tyou？””Alwayswas，orficer，”saidthebigruffianwithfeeling。Theotherfrailcreatureseemeddumbandonlyhoppedaboutwiththeedgeofitssoldiercoattouchingtheground。”Ohyes，Idaresay，”saidtheconstable。”Nowthen，forward，march……He’sthatbecauseheain’tgamefortheotherthing，”heconfidedtome。”Hehasn’tgotthenerveforit。However，Iain’tgoingtolosesightofthemtwotilltheygooutthroughthegate。
Thatlittlechap’sadevil。He’sgotthenerveforanything，onlyhehasn’tgotthemuscle。Well！Well！You’vehadachancetogetinwithawholeskinandwithallyourthings。””Iwasincredulousalittle。ItseemedimpossiblethataftergettingreadywithsomuchhurryandinconvenienceIshouldhavelostmychanceofastartinlifefromsuchacause。Iasked:”Doesthatsortofthinghappenoftensonearthedockgates？””Often！No！Ofcoursenotoften。Butitain’tofteneitherthatamancomesalongwithacabloadofthingstojoinashipatthistimeofnight。I’vebeeninthedockpolicethirteenyearsandhaven’tseenitdoneonce。””Meantimewefollowedmysea-chestwhichwasbeingcarrieddownasortofdeepnarrowlane，separatingtwohighwarehouses，betweenhonestTedandhislittledevilofapalwhohadtokeepupatrottotheother’sstride。Theskirtofhissoldier’scoatfloatingbehindhimnearlysweptthegroundsothatheseemedtoberunningoncastors。Atthecornerofthegloomypassageariggedjibboomwithadolphin-strikerendinginanarrow-headstuckoutofthenightclosetoacastironlamp-post。Itwasthequayside。TheysetdowntheirloadinthelightandhonestTedaskedhoarsely:”Where’syourship，guv’nor？””Ididn’tknow。Theconstablewasinterestedatmyignorance。”Don’tknowwhereyourshipis？”heaskedwithcuriosity。”Andyouthesecondofficer！Haven’tyoubeenworkingonboardofher？””Icouldn’texplainthattheonlyworkconnectedwithmyappointmentwastheworkofchance。ItoldhimbrieflythatIdidn’tknowheratall。Atthisheremarked:”SoIsee。Heresheis，rightbeforeyou。That’sher。””Atoncethehead-gearinthegaslightinspiredmewithinterestandrespect；thesparswerebig，thechainsandropesstoutandthewholethinglookedpowerfulandtrustworthy。Barelytouchedbythelightherbowsrosefaintlyalongsidethenarrowstripofthequay；
therestofherwasablacksmudgeinthedarkness。HereIwasfacetofacewithmystartinlife。WewalkedinabodyafewstepsonagreasypavementbetweenhersideandthetoweringwallofawarehouseandIhitmyshinscruellyagainsttheendofthegangway。
Theconstablehailedherquietlyinabassundertone’Ferndalethere！’Afeebleanddismalsound，somethinginthenatureofabuzzinggroan，answeredfrombehindthebulwarks。”Idistinguishedvaguelyanirregularroundknob，ofwood，perhaps，restingontherail。Itdidnotmoveintheleast；butasanotherbroken-downbuzzlikeastillfainterechoofthefirstdismalsoundproceededfromitIconcludeditmustbetheheadoftheshipkeeper。
Thestalwartconstablejeeredinamock-officialmanner。”Secondofficercomingtojoin。Moveyourselfabit。””Thetruthofthestatementtouchedmeinthepitofthestomach(youknowthat’sthespotwhereemotiongetshomeonaman)foritwasborneuponmethatreallyandtrulyIwasnothingbutasecondofficerofashipjustlikeanyothersecondofficer，tothatconstable。Iwasmovedbythissolidevidenceofmynewdignity。
Onlyhistoneoffendedme。NeverthelessIgavehimthetiphewaslookingfor。Thereuponhelostallinterestinme，humorousorotherwise，andwalkedawaydrivingsternlybeforehimthehonestTed，whowentoffgrumblingtohimselflikeahungryogre，andhishorribledumblittlepalinthesoldier’scoat，who，fromfirsttolast，neveremittedtheslightestsound。”ItwasverydarkonthequarterdeckoftheFerndalebetweenthedeepbulwarksovershadowedbythebreakofthepoopandfrowneduponbythefrontofthewarehouse。Iplumpeddownontomychestneartheafterhatchasifmylegshadbeenjerkedfromunderme。Ifeltsuddenlyverytiredandlanguid。Theshipkeeper，whomIcouldhardlymakeouthungoverthecapstaninafitofweakpitifulcoughing。Hegaspedoutverylow’Oh！dear！Oh！dear！’andstruggledforbreathsolongthatIgotupalarmedandirresolute。”I’vebeentooklikethissincelastChristmastwelvemonth。Itain’tnothing。””Heseemedahundredyearsoldatleast。IneversawhimproperlybecausehewasgoneashoreandoutofsightwhenIcameondeckinthemorning；buthegavemethenotionofthefeeblestcreaturethateverbreathed。Hisvoicewasthinlikethebuzzingofamosquito。
AsitwouldhavebeencrueltodemandassistancefromsuchashadowywreckIwenttoworkmyself，draggingmychestalongapitch-blackpassageunderthepoopdeck，whilehesighedandmoanedaroundmeasifmyexertionsweremorethanhisweaknesscouldstand。AtlastasIbangedprettyheavilyagainstthebulkheadshewarnedmeinhisfaintbreathlesswheezetobemorecareful。”What’sthematter？”Iaskedratherroughly，notrelishingtobeadmonishedbythisforlornbroken-downghost。”Nothing！Nothing，sir，”heprotestedsohastilythathelosthispoorbreathagainandIfeltsorryforhim。”Onlythecaptainandhismissusaresleepingonboard。She’saladythatmustn’tbedisturbed。Theycameabouthalf-pasteight，andwehadapermittohavelightsinthecabintilltento-night。””Thisstruckmeasaconsiderablepieceofnews。Ihadneverbeeninashipwherethecaptainhadhiswifewithhim。I’dheardfellowssaythatcaptains’wivescouldworkalotofmischiefonboardshipiftheyhappenedtotakeadisliketoanyone；especiallythenewwivesifyoungandpretty。Theoldandexperiencedwivesontheotherhandfanciedtheyknewmoreabouttheshipthantheskipperhimselfandhadaneyelikeahawk’sforwhatwenton。Theywerelikeanextrachiefmateofaparticularlysharpandunfeelingsortwhomadehisreportintheevening。Thebestofthemwereanuisance。Inthegeneralopinionaskipperwithhiswifeonboardwasmoredifficulttoplease；butwhethertoshowoffhisauthoritybeforeanadmiringfemaleorfromlovinganxietyforhersafetyorsimplyfromirritationatherpresence——nobodyIeverheardonthesubjectcouldtellforcertain。”AfterIhadbundledinmythingssomehowIstruckamatchandhadadazzlingglimpseofmyberth；thenIpitchedtherollofmybeddingintothebunkbuttooknotroubletospreaditout。Iwasn’tsleepynow，neitherwasItired。AndthethoughtthatIwasdonewiththeearthformanymanymonthstocomemademefeelveryquietandself-
containedasitwere。SailorswillunderstandwhatImean。”
Marlownodded。”Itisastrictlyprofessionalfeeling，”hecommented。”Butotherprofessionsortradesknownothingofit。Itisonlythiscallingwhoseprimaryappealliesinthesuggestionofrestlessadventurewhichholdsoutthatdeepsensationtothosewhoembraceit。Itisdifficulttodefine，Iadmit。””Ishouldcallitthepeaceofthesea，”saidMr。CharlesPowellinanearnesttonebutlookingatusasthoughheexpectedtobemetbyalaughofderisionandwerehalfpreparedtosalvehisreputationforcommonsensebyjoininginit。ButneitherofuslaughedatMr。
CharlesPowellinwhosestartinlifewehadbeencalledtotakeapart。Hewasluckyinhisaudience。”Averygoodname，”saidMarlowlookingathimapprovingly。”A
sailorfindsadeepfeelingofsecurityintheexerciseofhiscalling。Theexactinglifeoftheseahasthisadvantageoverthelifeoftheearththatitsclaimsaresimpleandcannotbeevaded。””Gospeltruth，”assentedMr。Powell。”No！theycannotbeevaded。”
Thatanexcellentunderstandingshouldhaveestablisheditselfbetweenmyoldfriendandournewacquaintancewasremarkableenough。Fortheywereexactlydissimilar——oneindividualityprojectingitselfinlengthandtheotherinbreadth，whichisalreadyasufficientgroundforirreconcilabledifference。Marlowwhowaslanky，loose，quietlycomposedinvariedshadesofbrownrobbedofeveryvestigeofgloss，hadanarrow，veiledglance，theneutralbearingandthesecretirritabilitywhichgotogetherwithapredispositiontocongestionoftheliver。Theother，compact，broadandsturdyoflimb，seemedextremelyfullofsoundorgansfunctioningvigorouslyallthetimeinordertokeepupthebrillianceofhiscolouring，thelightcurlofhiscoal-blackhairandthelustreofhiseyes，whichassertedthemselvesroundlyinanopen，manlyface。Betweentwosuchorganismsonewouldnothaveexpectedtofindtheslightesttemperamentalaccord。ButIhaveobservedthatprofanemenlivinginshipsliketheholymengatheredtogetherinmonasteriesdeveloptraitsofprofoundresemblance。
Thismustbebecausetheserviceoftheseaandtheserviceofatemplearebothdetachedfromthevanitiesanderrorsofaworldwhichfollowsnosevererule。Themenoftheseaunderstandeachotherverywellintheirviewofearthlythings，forsimplicityisagoodcounsellorandisolationnotabadeducator。Aturnofmindcomposedofinnocenceandscepticismiscommontothemall，withtheadditionofanunexpectedinsightintomotives，asofdisinterestedlookers-onatagame。Mr。Powelltookmeasidetosay，”Ilikethethingshesays。””Youunderstandeachotherprettywell，”Iobserved。”Iknowhissort，”saidPowell，goingtothewindowtolookathiscutterstillridingtotheflood。”He’sthesortthat’salwayschasingsomenotionorotherroundandroundhisheadjustforthefunofthething。””Keepsthemingoodcondition，”Isaid。”LivelyenoughIdaresay，”headmitted。”Wouldyoulikebetteramanwholethisnotionsliecurledup？””ThatIwouldn’t，”answeredournewacquaintance。Clearlyhewasnotdifficulttogetonwith。”Ilikehim，verywell，”hecontinued，”thoughitisn’teasytomakehimout。Heseemstobeuptoathingortwo。What’shedoing？”
IinformedhimthatourfriendMarlowhadretiredfromtheseainasortofhalf-heartedfashionsomeyearsago。
Mr。Powell’scommentwas:”Fanciedhadenoughofit？””Fancied’stheverywordtouseinthisconnection，”Iobserved，rememberingthesubtlyprovisionalcharacterofMarlow’slongsojournamongstus。Fromyeartoyearhedweltonlandasabirdrestsonthebranchofatree，sotensewiththepowerofbrusqueflightintoitstrueelementthatitisincomprehensiblewhyitshouldsitstillminuteafterminute。Theseaisthesailor’strueelement，andMarlow，lingeringonshore，wastomeanobjectofincredulouscommiserationlikeabird，which，secretly，shouldhavelostitsfaithinthehighvirtueofflying。
CHAPTERTWO——THEFYNESANDTHEGIRL-FRIEND
Wewereonourfeetintheroombythen，andMarlow，brownanddeliberate，approachedthewindowwhereMr。PowellandIhadretired。”Whatwasthenameofyourchanceagain？”heasked。Mr。
Powellstaredforamoment。”Oh！TheFerndale。ALiverpoolship。Compositebuilt。””Ferndale，”repeatedMarlowthoughtfully。”Ferndale。””Knowher？””Ourfriend，”Isaid，”knowssomethingofeveryship。Heseemstohavegoneabouttheseaspryingintothingsconsiderably。”
Marlowsmiled。”I’veseenher，atleastonce。””Thefinestsea-boateverlaunched，”declaredMr。Powellsturdily。”Withoutexception。””Shelookedastout，comfortableship，”assentedMarlow。”Uncommonlycomfortable。Notveryfasttho’。””Shewasfastenoughforanyreasonableman——whenIwasinher，”
growledMr。Powellwithhisbacktous。”Anyshipisthat——forareasonableman，”generalizedMarlowinaconciliatorytone。”Asailorisn’taglobe-trotter。””No，”mutteredMr。Powell。”Time’snothingtohim，”advancedMarlow。”Idon’tsupposeit’smuch，”saidMr。Powell。”Allthesameaquickpassageisafeatherinaman’scap。””True。Butthatornamentisfortheuseofthemasteronly。Andbythebywhatwashisname？””ThemasteroftheFerndale？Anthony。CaptainAnthony。””Justso。Quiteright，”approvedMarlowthoughtfully。Ournewacquaintancelookedoverhisshoulder。”Whatdoyoumean？WhyisitmorerightthanifithadbeenBrown？””Hehasknownhimprobably，”Iexplained。”Marlowhereappearstoknowsomethingofeverysoulthateverwentafloatinasailor’sbody。”
Mr。Powellseemedwonderfullyamenabletoverbalsuggestionsforlookingagainoutofthewindow，hemuttered:”Hewasagoodsoul。”
ThisclearlyreferredtoCaptainAnthonyoftheFerndale。Marlowaddressedhisprotesttome。”Ididnotknowhim。Ireallydidn’t。Hewasagoodsoul。That’snothingverymuchoutoftheway——isit？AndIdidn’tevenknowthatmuchofhim。AllIknewofhimwasanaccidentcalledFyne。
AtthisMr。Powellwhoevidentlycouldberebellioustooturnedhisbacksquarelyonthewindow。”Whatonearthdoyoumean？”heasked。”An——accident——calledFyne，”
herepeatedseparatingthewordswithemphasis。
Marlowwasnotdisconcerted。”Idon’tmeanaccidentinthesenseofamishap。Notintheleast。
FynewasagoodlittlemanintheCivilService。ByaccidentImeanthatwhichhappensblindlyandwithoutintelligentdesign。That’sgenerallythewayabrother-in-lawhappensintoaman’slife。”
Marlow’stonebeingapologeticandournewacquaintancehavingagainturnedtothewindowItookituponmyselftosay:”Youarejustified。Thereisverylittleintelligentdesigninthemajorityofmarriages；buttheyarenonetheworseforthat。
Intelligenceleadspeopleastrayasfaraspassionsometimes。I
knowyouarenotacynic。”
Marlowsmiledhisretrospectivesmilewhichwaskindasthoughheborenogrudgeagainstpeopleheusedtoknow。”LittleFyne’smarriagewasquitesuccessful。Therewasnodesignatallinit。Fyne，youmustknow，wasanenthusiasticpedestrian。
Hespenthisholidaystrampingalloverournativeland。Histastesweresimple。Heputinfiniteconvictionandperseveranceintohisholidays。Attheproperseasonyouwouldmeetinthefields，Fyne，aserious-faced，broad-chested，littleman，withashabbyknap-sackonhisback，makingforsomechurchsteeple。Hehadahorrorofroads。Hewroteoncealittlebookcalledthe’Tramp’sItinerary，’
andwasrecognisedasanauthorityonthefootpathsofEngland。Sooneyear，inhisfavouriteover-the-fields，back-wayfashionheenteredaprettySurreyvillagewherehemetMissAnthony。Pureaccident，yousee。Theycametoanunderstanding，acrosssomestile，mostlikely。LittleFyneheldverysolemnviewsastothedestinyofwomenonthisearth，thenatureofoursublunarylove，theobligationsofthistransientlifeandsoon。Heprobablydisclosedthemtohisfuturewife。MissAnthony’sviewsoflifewereverydecidedtoobutinadifferentway。Idon’tknowthestoryoftheirwooing。Iimagineitwascarriedonclandestinelyand，Iamcertain，withportentousgravity，atthebackofcopses，behindhedges……”Whywasitcarriedonclandestinely？”Iinquired。”Becauseofthelady’sfather。Hewasasavagesentimentalistwhohadhisowndecidedviewsofhispaternalprerogatives。Hewasaterror；buttheonlyevidenceofimaginativefacultyaboutFynewashisprideinhiswife’sparentage。Itstimulatedhisingenuitytoo。
Difficult——isitnot？——tointroduceone’swife’smaidennameintogeneralconversation。ButmysimpleFynemadeuseofCaptainAnthonyforthatpurpose，orelseIwouldneverevenhaveheardoftheman。”Mywife’ssailor-brother”wasthephrase。Hetrottedoutthesailor-brotherinaprettywiderangeofsubjects:Indianandcolonialaffairs，mattersoftrade，talkoftravels，ofseasideholidaysandsoon。OnceIremember”Mywife’ssailor-brotherCaptainAnthony”beingproducedinconnectionwithnothinglessreconditethanasunset。AndlittleFyneneverfailedtoadd”ThesonofCarleonAnthony，thepoet——youknow。”Heusedtolowerhisvoiceforthatstatement，andpeoplewereimpressedorpretendedtobe。”
ThelateCarleonAnthony，thepoet，sanginhistimeofthedomesticandsocialamenitiesofouragewithamostfelicitousversification，hisobjectbeing，inhisownwords，”toglorifytheresultofsixthousandyears’evolutiontowardstherefinementofthought，mannersandfeelings。”WhyhefixedthetermatsixthousandyearsIdon’tknow。Hispoemsreadlikesentimentalnovelstoldinverseofareallysuperiorquality。Youfeltasifyouwerebeingtakenoutforadelightfulcountrydrivebyacharmingladyinaponycarriage。ButinhisdomesticlifethatsameCarleonAnthonyshowedtracesoftheprimitivecave-dweller’stemperament。Hewasamassive，implacablemanwithahandsomeface，arbitraryandexactingwithhisdependants，butmarvellouslysuaveinhismannertoadmiringstrangers。Thesecontrasteddisplaysmusthavebeenparticularlyexasperatingtohislong-sufferingfamily。Afterhissecondwife’sdeathhisboy，whomhepersistedbyamerewhimineducatingathome，ranawayinconventionalstyleand，asifdisgustedwiththeamenitiesofcivilization，threwhimself，figurativelyspeaking，intothesea。Thedaughter(theelderofthetwochildren)eitherfromcompassionorbecausewomenarenaturallymoreenduring，remainedinbondagetothepoetforseveralyears，tillshetooseizedachanceofescapebythrowingherselfintothearms，themusculararms，ofthepedestrianFyne。Thiswaseithergreatluckorgreatsagacity。Acivilservantis，Ishouldimagine，thelasthumanbeingintheworldtopreservethosetraitsofthecave-dwellerfromwhichshewasfleeing。Herfatherwouldneverconsenttoseeherafterthemarriage。Suchunforgivingselfishnessisdifficulttounderstandunlessasaperversesortofrefinement。
