”ButIwantyoutounderstand，Mr……”shehadactuallytothinkofmyname……”Mr。Marlow，thatIhavewrittentoMrs。FynethatIhaven’tbeen——thatIhavedonenothingtomakeCaptainAnthonybehavetomeashehadbehaved。Ihaven’t。Ihaven’t。Itisn’tmydoing。Itisn’tmyfault——ifshelikestoputitinthatway。Butshe，withherideas，oughttounderstandthatIcouldn’t，thatI couldn’t……Iknowshehatesmenow。Ithinksheneverlikedme。
Ithinknobodyevercaredforme。Iwastoldoncenobodycouldcareforme；andIthinkitistrue。AtanyrateIcan’tforgetit。”
Herabominableexperiencewiththegovernesshadimplantedinherunluckybreastalastingdoubt，anineradicablesuspicionofherselfandofothers。Isaid:”Remember，MissdeBarral，thattobefairyoumusttrustamanaltogether——ornotatall。”
Shedroppedhereyessuddenly。IthoughtIheardafaintsigh。I
triedtotakealighttoneagain，andyetitseemedimpossibletogetoffthegroundwhichgavememystandingwithher。”Mrs。Fyneisabsurd。She’sanexcellentwoman，butreallyyoucouldnotbeexpectedtothrowawayyourchanceoflifesimplythatshemightcherishagoodopinionofyourmemory。Thatwouldbeexcessive。””ItwasnotofmylifethatIwasthinkingwhileCaptainAnthonywas——wasspeakingtome，”saidFloradeBarralwithaneffort。
Itoldherthatshewaswrongthen。Sheoughttohavebeenthinkingofherlife，andnotonlyofherlifebutofthelifeofthemanwhowasspeakingtohertoo。Sheletmefinish，thenshookherheadimpatiently。”Imean——death。””Well，”Isaid，”whenhestoodbeforeyouthere，outsidethecottage，hereallystoodbetweenyouandthat。Ihaveitoutofyourownmouth。Youcan’tdenyit。””Ifyouwillhaveitthathesavedmylife，thenhehasgotit。Itwasnotforme。Ohno！ItwasnotformethatI——Itwasnotfear！
There！”Shefinishedpetulantly:”Andyoumayjustaswellknowit。”
Shehungherheadandswungtheparasolslightlytoandfro。I
thoughtalittle。”DoyouknowFrench，MissdeBarral？”Iasked。
Shemadeasignwithherheadthatshedid，butwithoutshowinganysurpriseatthequestionandwithoutceasingtoswingherparasol。”Wellthen，somehoworotherIhavethenotionthatCaptainAnthonyiswhattheFrenchcallungalanthomme。Ishouldliketothinkheisbeingtreatedashedeserves。”
Theformofherlips(Icouldseethemunderthebrimofherhat)
wassuddenlyalteredintoalineofseriousness。Theparasolstoppedswinging。”Ihavegivenhimwhathewanted——that’smyself，”shesaidwithoutatremorandwithastrikingdignityoftone。
Impressedbythemannerandthedirectnessofthewords，Ihesitatedforamomentwhattosay。Thenmadeupmymindtoclearupthepoint。”Andyouhavegotwhatyouwanted？Isthatit？”
ThedaughteroftheegregiousfinancierdeBarraldidnotansweratoncethisquestiongoingtotheheartofthings。Thenraisingherheadandgazingwistfullyacrossthestreetnoisywiththeendlesstransitofinnumerablebargains，shesaidwithintensegravity:”Hehasbeenmostgenerous。”
Iwaspleasedtohearthesewords。NotthatIdoubtedtheinfatuationofRoderickAnthony，butIwaspleasedtohearsomethingwhichprovedthatshewassensibleandopentothesentimentofgratitudewhichinthiscasewassignificant。Inthefaceofman’sdesireagirlisexcusableifshethinksherselfpriceless。Imeanagirlofourcivilizationwhichhasestablishedadithyrambicphraseologyfortheexpressionoflove。Amaninlovewillacceptanyconventionexaltingtheobjectofhispassionandinthisindirectwayhispassionitself。InwhatwaythecaptainoftheshipFerndalegaveproofsoflover-likelavishnessIcouldnotguessverywell。ButIwasgladshewasappreciative。Itisluckythatsmallthingspleasewomen。Anditisnotsillyofthemtobethuspleased。Itisinsmallthingsthatthedeepestloyalty，thatwhichtheyneedmost，theloyaltyofthepassingmoment，isbestexpressed。
Shehadremainedthoughtful，lettingherdeepmotionlesseyesrestonthestreamingjumbleoftraffic。Suddenlyshesaid:”AndIwantedtoaskyou……IwasreallygladwhenIsawyouactuallyhere。Whowouldhaveexpectedyouhere，atthisspot，beforethishotel！Icertainlynever……Youseeitmeantalottome。Youaretheonlypersonwhoknows……whoknowsforcertain……””Knowswhat？”Isaid，notdiscoveringatfirstwhatshehadinhermind。ThenIsawit。”Whycan’tyouleavethatalone？”I
remonstrated，ratherannoyedattheinvidiouspositionshewasforcingonmeinasense。”It’struethatIwastheonlypersontosee，”Iadded。”But，asithappens，afteryourmysteriousdisappearanceItoldtheFynesthestoryofourmeeting。”
Hereyesraisedtominehadanexpressionofdreamy，unfathomablecandour，ifIdaresayso。AndifyouwonderwhatImeanIcanonlysaythatIhaveseentheseawearsuchanexpressionononeortwooccasionsshortlybeforesunriseonacalm，freshday。ShesaidasifmeditatingaloudthatshesupposedtheFyneswerenotlikelytotalkaboutthat。Shecouldn’timagineanyconnectioninwhich……
Whyshouldthey？
AshertonehadbecomeinterrogatoryIassented。”Tobesure。
There’snoreasonwhatever——”thinkingtomyselfthattheywouldbemorelikelyindeedtokeepquietaboutit。Theyhadotherthingstotalkof。AndthenrememberinglittleFynestuckupstairsforanunconscionabletime，enoughtoblurtouteverythingheeverknewinhislife，IreflectedthathewouldassumenaturallythatCaptainAnthonyhadnothingtolearnfromhimaboutFloradeBarral。Ithadbeenuptonowmyassumptiontoo。Isawmymistake。Thesincerestofwomenwillmakenounnecessaryconfidencestoaman。Andthisisasitshouldbe。”No——no！”Isaidreassuringly。”It’smostunlikely。Areyoumuchconcerned？””Well，yousee，whenIcamedown，”shesaidagaininthatprecisedemuretone，”whenIcamedown——intothegardenCaptainAnthonymisunderstood——””Ofcoursehewould。Menaresoconceited，”Isaid。
Isawitwellenoughthathemusthavethoughtshehadcomedowntohim。Whatelsecouldhehavethought？Andthenhehadbeen”gentlenessitself。”Anewexperienceforthatpoor，delicate，andyetsoresistingcreature。Gentlenessinpassion！Whatcouldhavebeenmoreseductivetothescared，starvedheartofthatgirl？
Perhapshadhebeenviolent，shemighthavetoldhimthatwhatshecamedowntokeepwasthetrystofdeath——notoflove。ItoccurredtomeasIlookedather，young，fragileinaspect，andintenselyaliveinherquietness，thatperhapsshedidnotknowherselfthenwhatsortoftrystshewascomingdowntokeep。
Shesmiledfaintly，almostawkwardlyasifsheweretotallyunusedtosmiling，atmycheapjocularity。Thenshesaidwiththatforcedprecision，asortofconsciousprimness:”Ididn’twanthimtoknow。”
Iapprovedheartily。Quiteright。Muchbetter。Lethimeverremainunderhismisapprehensionwhichwassomuchmoreflatteringforhim。
Itriedtokeepitinthetoneofcomedy；butshewas，Ibelieve，toosimpletounderstandmyintention。Shewenton，lookingdown。”Oh！Youthinkso？WhenIsawyouIdidn’tknowwhyyouwerehere。
IwasgladwhenyouspoketomebecausethisisexactlywhatI
wantedtoaskyoufor。IwantedtoaskyouifyouevermeetCaptainAnthony——byanychance——anywhere——youareasailortoo，areyounot？——thatyouwouldnevermention——never——that——thatyouhadseenmeoverthere。””Mydearyounglady，”Icried，horror-struckatthesupposition。”WhyshouldI？WhatmakesyouthinkIshoulddreamof……”
Shehadraisedherheadatmyvehemence。Shedidnotunderstandit。
Theworldhadtreatedhersodishonourablythatshehadnonotionevenofwhatmeredecencyoffeelingislike。Itwasnotherfault。
Indeed，Idon’tknowwhysheshouldhaveputhertrustinanybody’spromises。
ButIthoughtitwouldbebettertopromise。SoIassuredherthatshecoulddependonmyabsolutesilence。”IamnotlikelytoeverseteyesonCaptainAnthony，”Iaddedwithconviction——asafurtherguarantee。
Sheacceptedmyassuranceinsilence，withoutasign。Hergravityhadinitsomethingacute，perhapsbecauseofthatchin。Whilewewerestilllookingateachothershedeclared:”There’snodeceptioninitreally。IwantyoutobelievethatifI
amhere，likethis，to-day，itisnotfromfear。Itisnot！””Iquiteunderstand，”Isaid。Butherfirmyetself-consciousgazebecamedoubtful。”Ido，”Iinsisted。”Iunderstandperfectlythatitwasnotofdeaththatyouwereafraid。”
Sheloweredhereyesslowly，andIwenton:”Astolife，that’sanotherthing。AndIdon’tknowthatoneoughttoblameyouverymuch——thoughitseemedratheranexcessivestep。
Iwondernowifitisn’ttheuglinessratherthanthepainofthestrugglewhich……”
Sheshudderedvisibly:”ButIdoblamemyself，”sheexclaimedwithfeeling。”Iamashamed。”And，droppingherhead，shelookedinamomenttheverypictureofremorseandshame。”Well，youwillbegoingawayfromallitshorrors，”Isaid。”Andsurelyyouarenotafraidofthesea。Youareasailor’sgranddaughter，Iunderstand。”
Shesigheddeeply。Sherememberedhergrandfatheronlyalittle。
Hewasaclean-shavenmanwitharuddycomplexionandlong，perfectlywhitehair。Heusedtotakeheronhisknee，andputtinghisfacenearhers，talktoherinlovingwhispers。Ifonlyhewerealivenow……！
Sheremainedsilentforawhile。”Aren’tyouanxioustoseetheship？”Iasked。
SheloweredherheadstillmoresothatIcouldnotseeanythingofherface。”Idon’tknow，”shemurmured。
Ihadalreadythesuspicionthatshedidnotknowherownfeelings。
Allthisworkofthemerestchancehadbeensounexpected，sosudden。Andshehadnothingtofallbackupon，noexperiencebutsuchastoshakeherbeliefineveryhumanbeing。Shewasdreadfullyandpitifullyforlorn。ItwasalmostinordertocomfortmyowndepressionthatIremarkedcheerfully:”Well，Iknowofsomebodywhomustbegrowingextremelyanxioustoseeyou。””Iambeforemytime，”sheconfessedsimply，rousingherself。”I
hadnothingtodo。SoIcameout。”
Ihadthesuddenvisionofashabby，lonelylittleroomattheotherendofthetown。Ithadgrownintolerabletoherrestlessness。Themerethoughtofitoppressedher。FloradeBarralwaslookingfranklyatherchanceconfidant，”AndIcamethisway，”shewenton。”Iappointedthetimemyselfyesterday，butCaptainAnthonywouldnothaveminded。HetoldmehewasgoingtolookoversomebusinesspaperstillIcame。”
Theideaofthesonofthepoet，therescuerofthemostforlorndamselofmoderntimes，themanofviolence，gentlenessandgenerosity，sittinguptohisneckinship’saccountsamusedme。”I
amsurehewouldnothaveminded，”Isaid，smiling。Butthegirl’sstarewassombre，herthinwhitefaceseemedpatheticallycareworn。”Icanhardlybelieveyet，”shemurmuredanxiously。”It’squitereal。Neverfear，”Isaidencouragingly，buthadtochangemytoneatonce。”Youhadbettergodownthatwayalittle，”
Idirectedherabruptly。
IhadseenFynecomestridingoutofthehoteldoor。Theintelligentgirl，withoutstayingtoaskquestions，walkedawayfrommequietlydownonestreetwhileIhurriedontomeetFynecominguptheotherathisefficientpedestriangait。Myobjectwastostophimgettingasfarasthecorner。Hemusthavebeenthinkingtoohardtobeawareofhissurroundings。Iputmyselfinhisway，andhenearlywalkedintome。”Hallo！”Isaid。
Hissurprisewasextreme。”Youhere！Youdon’tmeantosayyouhavebeenwaitingforme？”
IsaidnegligentlythatIhadbeendetainedbyunexpectedbusinessintheneighbourhood，andthushappenedtocatchsightofhimcomingout。
Hestaredatmewithsolemndistraction，obviouslythinkingofsomethingelse。Isuggestedthathehadbettertakethenextcity-
wardtramcar。Hewasinattentive，andIperceivedthathewasprofoundlyperturbed。AsMissdeBarral(shehadmovedoutofsight)couldnotpossiblyapproachthehoteldooraslongasweremainedwherewewereIproposedthatweshouldwaitforthecarontheothersideofthestreet。Heobeyedrathertheslighttouchonhisarmthanmywords，andwhilewewerecrossingthewideroadwayinthemidstofthelumberingwheeledtraffic，heexclaimedinhisdeeptone，”Idon’tknowwhichofthesetwoismoremadthantheother！””Really！”Isaid，pullinghimforwardfromunderthenosesoftwoenormoussleepy-headedcart-horses。Heskippedwildlyoutofthewayanduponthecurbstonewithapurelyinstinctiveprecision；hismindhadnothingtodowithhismovements。Inthemiddleofhisleap，andwhileintheactofsailinggravelythroughtheair，hecontinuedtorelievehisoutragedfeelings。”Youwouldneverbelieve！TheyAREmad！”
Itookcaretoplacemyselfinsuchapositionthattofacemehehadtoturnhisbackonthehotelacrosstheroad。IbelievehewasgladIwastheretotalkto。ButIthoughttherewassomemisapprehensioninthefirststatementheshotoutatmewithoutlossoftime，thatCaptainAnthonyhadbeengladtoseehim。Itwasindeeddifficulttobelievethat，directlyheopenedthedoor，hiswife’s”sailor-brother”hadpositivelyshouted:”Oh，it’syou！TheverymanIwantedtosee。””Ifoundhimsittingthere，”wentonFyneimpressivelyinhiseffortless，gravechestvoice，”draftinghiswill。”
Thiswasunexpected，butIpreservedanoncommittalattitude，knowingfullwellthatouractionsinthemselvesareneithermadnorsane。ButIdidnotseewhattherewastobeexcitedabout。AndFynewasdistinctlyexcited。IunderstooditbetterwhenIlearnedthatthecaptainoftheFerndalewantedlittleFynetobeoneofthetrustees。Hewasleavingeverythingtohiswife。Naturally，arequestwhichinvolvedhimintosanctioninginawayaproceedingwhichhehadbeensentbyhiswifetooppose，musthaveappearedsufficientlymadtoFyne。”Me！Me，ofallpeopleintheworld！”herepeatedportentously。
ButIcouldseethathewasfrightened。Suchwantoftact！”HeknewIcamefromhissister。Youdon’tputamanintosuchanawkwardposition，”complainedFyne。”ItmademespeakmuchmorestronglyagainstallthisverypainfulbusinessthanIwouldhavehadthehearttodootherwise。”
Ipointedouttohimconcisely，andkeepingmyeyesonthedoorofthehotel，thatheandhiswifeweretheonlybondwiththelandCaptainAnthonyhad。Whoelsecouldhehaveasked？”Iexplainedtohimthathewasbreakingthisbond，”declaredFynesolemnly。”Breakingitonceforall。Andforwhat——forwhat？”
Heglaredatme。Icouldperhapshavegivenhimaninklingforwhat，butIsaidnothing。Hestartedagain:”Mywifeassuresmethatthegirldoesnotlovehimabit。Shegoesbythatlettershereceivedfromher。Thereisapassageinitwhereshepracticallyadmitsthatshewasquiteunscrupulousinacceptingthisofferofmarriage，butsaystomywifethatshesupposesshe，mywife，willnotblameher——asitwasinself-
defence。Mywifehasherownideas，butthisisanoutrageousmisapprehensionofherviews。Outrageous。”
Thegoodlittlemanpausedandthenaddedweightily:”Ididn’ttellthattomybrother-in-law——Imean，mywife’sviews。””No，”Isaid。”Whatwouldhavebeenthegood？””It’spositiveinfatuation，”agreedlittleFyne，inthetoneasthoughhehadmadeanawfuldiscovery。”Ihaveneverseenanythingsohopelessandinexplicableinmylife。I——Ifeltquitefrightenedandsorry，”headded，whileIlookedathimcuriouslyaskingmyselfwhetherthisexcellentcivilservantandnotablepedestrianhadfeltthebreathofagreatandfatallove-spellpassinghimbyintheroomofthatEast-endhotel。Hedidlookforamomentasthoughhehadseenaghost，another-worldthing。Butthatlookvanishedinstantaneously，andhenoddedatmewithmereexasperationatsomethingquiteofthisworld——whateveritwas。”It’sabadbusiness。Mybrother-in-lawknowsnothingofwomen，”hecriedwithanairofprofound，experiencedwisdom。
WhatheimaginedheknewofwomenhimselfIcan’ttell。Ididnotknowanythingoftheopportunitieshemighthavehad。Butthisisasubjectwhich，ifapproachedwithunduesolemnity，isapttoeludeone’sgraspentirely。NodoubtFyneknewsomethingofawomanwhowasCaptainAnthony’ssister。Butthat，admittedly，hadbeenaverysolemnstudy。Ismiledathimgently，andasifencouragedorprovoked，hecompletedhisthoughtratherexplosively。”Andthatgirlunderstandsnothing……It’ssheerlunacy。””Idon’tknow，”Isaid，”whetherthecircumstancesofisolationatseawouldbeanyalleviationtothedanger。Butit’scertainthattheyshallhavetheopportunitytolearneverythingabouteachotherinalonelytete-e-tete。””Butdashitall，”hecriedinhollowaccentswhichatthesametimehadthetoneofbitterirony——Ihadneverbeforeheardasoundsoquaintlyuglyandalmosthorrible——”YouforgetMr。Smith。””WhatMr。Smith？”Iaskedinnocently。
Fynemadeanextraordinarysimiesquegrimace。Ibelieveitwasquiteinvoluntary，butyouknowthatagrave，much-lined，shavencountenancewhendistortedinanunusualwayisextremelyapelike。
Itwasasurprisingsight，andrenderedmenotonlyspeechlessbutstoppedtheprogressofmythoughtcompletely。Imusthavepresentedaremarkablyimbecileappearance。”Mybrother-in-lawconsidereditamusingtochaffmeaboutusintroducingthegirlasMissSmith，”saidFyne，goingsurlyinamoment。”Hesaidthatperhapsifhehadheardherrealnamefromthefirstitmighthaverestrainedhim。Asitwas，hemadethediscoverytoolate。AskedmetotellZoethistogetherwithalotmorenonsense。”
Fynegavemetheimpressionofhavingescapedfromamaninspiredbyagrimlyplayfulebullitionofhighspirits。Itmusthavebeenmostdistastefultohim；andhissolemnitygotdamagedsomehowintheprocess，Iperceived。TherewereholesinitthroughwhichIcouldseeanew，anunknownFyne。”Youwouldn’tbelieveit，”hewenton，”butshelooksuponherfatherexclusivelyasavictim。Idon’tknow，”heburstoutsuddenlythroughanenormousrentinhissolemnity，”ifshethinkshimabsolutelyasaint，butshecertainlyimagineshimtobeamartyr。”
Itisoneoftheadvantagesofthatmagnificentinvention，theprison，thatyoumayforgetpeoplewhichareputthereasthoughtheyweredead。Oneneedn’tworryaboutthem。Nothingcanhappentothemthatyoucanhelp。Theycandonothingwhichmightpossiblymattertoanybody。Theycomeoutofit，though，butthatseemshardlyanadvantagetothemselvesoranyoneelse。IhadcompletelyforgottenthefinancierdeBarral。Thegirlformewasanorphan，butnowIperceivedsuddenlytheforceofFyne’squalifyingstatement，”toacertainextent。”Itwouldhavebeeninfinitelymorekindallroundforthelawtohaveshot，beheaded，strangled，orotherwisedestroyedthisabsurddeBarral，whowasadangertoamoralworldinhabitedbyacredulousmultitudenotfittotakecareofitself。ButIobservedtoFynethat，howeverinsanewastheviewsheheld，onecouldnotdeclarethegirlmadonthataccount。”Soshethinksofherfather——doesshe？Isupposeshewouldappeartoussanerifshethoughtonlyofherself。””Iampositive，”Fynesaidearnestly，”thatshewentandmadedesperateeyesatAnthony……””Ohcome！”Iinterrupted。”Youhaven’tseenhermakeeyes。Youdon’tknowthecolourofhereyes。””Verywell！Itdon’tmatter。Butitcouldhardlyhavecometothatifshehadn’t……It’sallone，though。Itellyoushehasledhimon，oracceptedhim，ifyoulike，simplybecauseshewasthinkingofherfather。Shedoesn’tcareabitaboutAnthony，I
believe。Shecaresfornoone。Nevercaredforanyone。AskZoe。
FormyselfIdon’tblameher，”addedFyne，givingmeanotherviewofunsuspectedthingsthroughtheragsandtattersofhisdamagedsolemnity。”No！byheavens，Idon’tblameher——thepoordevil。”
Iagreedwithhimsilently。Isupposeaffectionsare，inasense，tobelearned。Ifthereexistsanativesparkofloveinallofus，itmustbefannedwhileweareyoung。Hers，ifsheeverhadit，hadbeendrenchedinasuglyalotofcorrosiveliquidascouldbeimagined。ButIwassurprisedatFyneobscurelyfeelingthis。”Shelovesnooneexceptthatpreposterousadvertisingshark，”hepursuedvenomously，butinamoredeliberatemanner。”AndAnthonyknowsit。””Doeshe？”Isaiddoubtfully。”She’squitecapableofhavingtoldhimherself，”affirmedFyne，withamazinginsight。”Butwhetherorno，I’VEtoldhim。””Youdid？FromMrs。Fyne，ofcourse。”
Fyneonlyblinkedowlishlyatthispieceofmyinsight。”AndhowdidCaptainAnthonyreceivethisinterestinginformation？”
Iaskedfurther。”Mostimproperly，”saidFyne，whoreallywasinastateinwhichhedidn’tmindwhatheblurtedout。”Heisn’thimself。Hebeggedmetotellhissisterthatheofferednoremarksonherconduct。Veryimproperandinconsequent。Hesaid……Iwastiredofthiswrangling。ItoldhimImadeallowancesforthestateofexcitementhewasin。””Youknow，Fyne，”Isaid，”amaninjailseemstomesuchanincredible，cruel，nightmarishsortofthingthatIcanhardlybelieveinhisexistence。Certainlynotinrelationtoanyotherexistences。””Butdashitall，”criedFyne，”heisn’tshutupforlife。Theyaregoingtolethimout。He’scomingout！That’sthewholetrouble。
Whatishecomingoutto，Iwanttoknow？Itseemsamorecruelbusinessthantheshuttinghimupwas。Thishasbeentheworryforweeks。Doyouseenow？”
Isaw，allsortsofthings！ImmediatelybeforemeIsawtheexcitementoflittleFyne——merefoodforwonder。Furtheroff，inasortofgloomandbeyondthelightofdayandthemovementofthestreet，Isawthefigureofaman，stifflikearamrod，movingwithsmallsteps，aslightgirlishfigurebyhisside。Andthegloomwaslikethegloomofvillainousslums，ofmisery，ofwretchedness，ofastarvedanddegradedexistence。ItwasareliefthatIcouldseeonlytheirshabbyhopelessbacks。Hewasanawfulghost。Butindeedtocallhimaghostwasonlyarefinementofpolitespeech，andamannerofconcealingone’sterrorofsuchthings。Prisonsarewonderfulcontrivances。Shut——open。Veryneat。Shut——open。Andoutcomessomesortofcorpse，towanderawfullyinaworldinwhichithasnopossibleconnectionsandcarryingwithittheappallingtaintedatmosphereofitssilentabode。Marvellousarrangement。Itworksautomatically，and，whenyoulookatit，theperfectionmakesyousick；whichforameremechanismisnomeantriumph。Sickandscared。Ithadnearlyscaredthatpoorgirltoherdeath。Fancyhavingtotakesuchathingbythehand！NowIunderstoodtheremorsefulstrainIhaddetectedinherspeeches。”ByJove！”Isaid。”Theyareabouttolethimout！Ineverthoughtofthat。”
Fynewascontemptuouseitherofmeorofthingsatlarge。”Youdidn’tsupposehewastobekeptinjailforlife？”
AtthatmomentIcaughtsightofFloradeBarralatthejunctionofthetwostreets。Thensomevehiclesfollowingeachotherinquicksuccessionhidfrommysighttheblackslightfigurewithjustatouchofcolourinherhat。Shewaswalkingslowly；anditmighthavebeencautionorreluctance。WhilelisteningtoFyneIstaredhardpasthisshouldertryingtocatchsightofheragain。Hewasgoingonwithpositiveheat，theragsofhissolemnitydroppingoffhimateverysecondsentence。
Thatwasjustit。Hiswifeandhehadbeenperfectlyawareofit。
OfcoursethegirlnevertalkedofherfatherwithMrs。Fyne。I
supposewithhertheoryofinnocenceshefounditdifficult。Butshemusthavebeenthinkingofitdayandnight。Whattodowithhim？Wheretogo？Howtokeepbodyandsoultogether？Hehadnevermadeanyfriends。TheonlyrelationsweretheatrociousEast-
endcousins。Weknowwhattheywere。Nothingbutwretchedness，whicheverwaysheturnedinanunjustandprejudicedworld。Andtolookathimhelplesslyshefeltwouldbetoomuchforher。
Iwon’tsayIwasthinkingthesethoughts。Itwasnotnecessary。
ThiscompleteknowledgewasinmyheadwhileIstaredhardacrossthewideroad，sohardthatIfailedtohearlittleFynetillheraisedhisdeepvoiceindignantly。”Idon’tblamethegirl，”hewassaying。”Heisinfatuatedwithher。Anybodycanseethat。WhysheshouldhavegotsuchaholdonhimIcan’tunderstand。Shesaid”Yes”tohimonlyforthesakeofthatfatuous，swindlingfatherofhers。It’sperfectlyplainifonethinksitoveramoment。Oneneedn’teventhinkofit。Wehaveitunderherownhand。Inthatlettertomywifeshesaysshehasactedunscrupulously。Shehasownedup，then，forwhatelsecanitmean，Ishouldliketoknow。Andsotheyaretobemarriedbeforethatoldidiotcomesout……Hewillbesurprised，”commentedFynesuddenlyinastrangelymalignanttone。”HeshallbemetatthejaildoorbyaMrs。Anthony，aMrs。CaptainAnthony。VerypleasantforZoe。AndforallIknow，mybrother-in-lawmeanstoturnupdutifullytoo。Alittlefamilyevent。It’sextremelypleasanttothinkof。Delightful。Acharmingfamilyparty。Wethreeagainsttheworld——andallthatsortofthing。Andwhatfor。Foragirlthatdoesn’tcaretwopenceforhim。”
ThedemonofbitternesshadenteredintolittleFyne。Heamazedmeasthoughhehadchangedhisskinfromwhitetoblack。Itwasquiteaswonderful。Andhekeptitup，too。”Luckilytherearesomeadvantagesinthe——theprofessionofasailor。Aslongastheydefytheworldawayatseasomewhereeighteenthousandmilesfromhere，Idon’tmindsomuch。Iwonderwhatthatinterestingoldpartywillsay。Hewillhaveanothersurprise。Theymeantodraghimalongwiththemonboardtheshipstraightaway。Rescuework。JustthinkofRoderickAnthony，thesonofagentleman，afterall……”
Hegavemealittleshock。Ithoughthewasgoingtosaythe”sonofthepoet”asusual；buthismindwasnotrunningonsuchvanitiesnow。Hisunspokenthoughtmusthavegoneon”anduncleofmygirls。”IsuspectthathehadbeenroughlyhandledbyCaptainAnthonyupthere，andtheresentmentgaveatremendousfilliptotheslowplayofhiswits。Thosemenofsoberfancy，whenanythingrousestheirimaginativefaculty，areverythorough。”Justthink！”
hecried。”Thethreeofthemcrowdedintoafour-wheeler，andAnthonysittingdeferentiallyoppositethatastonishedoldjail-
bird！”
Thegoodlittlemanlaughed。Animpropersounditwastocomefromhismanlychest；andwhatmadeitworsewasthethoughtthatfortheleastthing，byamerehair’sbreadth，hemighthavetakenthisaffairsentimentally。ButclearlyAnthonywasnodiplomatist。Hisbrother-in-lawmusthaveappearedtohim，tousethelanguageofshorepeople，aperfectphilistinewithaheartlikeaflint。WhatFynepreciselymeantby”wrangling”Idon’tknow，butIhadnodoubtthatthesetwohad”wrangled”toaprofoundlydisturbingextent。
HowmuchtheotherwasaffectedIcouldnotevenimagine；butthemanbeforemewasquiteamazinglyupset。”Inafour-wheeler！Takehimonboard！”Imuttered，startledbythechangeinFyne。”That’stheplan——nothingless。IfIamtobelievewhatIhavebeentold，hisfeetwillscarcelytouchthegroundbetweentheprison-
gatesandthedeckofthatship。”
ThetransformedFynespokeinaforciblyloweredtonewhichIheardwithoutdifficulty。Therumbling，compositenoisesofthestreetwerehushedforamoment，duringoneofthesesuddenbreaksinthetrafficasifthestreamofcommercehaddriedupatitssource。
HavinganunobstructedviewpastFyne’sshoulder，Iwasastonishedtoseethatthegirlwasstillthere。Ithoughtshehadgoneuplongbefore。Buttherewasherblackslenderfigure，herwhitefaceundertherosesofherhat。Shestoodontheedgeofthepavementaspeoplestandonthebankofastream，verystill，asifwaiting——
orasifunconsciousofwhereshewas。Thethreedismal，soddenloafers(Icouldseethemtoo；theyhadn’tbudgedaninch)seemedtometobewatchingher。Whichwashorrible。
MeantimeFynewastellingmeratherremarkablethings——forhim。Hedeclaredfirstitwasamercyinasense。Thenheaskedmeifitwerenotrealmadness，tosaddleone’sexistencewithsuchaperpetualreminder。Thedailyexistence。Theisolatedsea-boundexistence。Tobringsuchanadditionalstrainintothesolitudealreadytryingenoughfortwopeoplewasthecraziestthing。
Undesirablerelationswerebadenoughonshore。Onecouldcutthemoratleastforgettheirexistencenowandthen。Hehimselfwaspreparingtoforgethisbrother-in-law’sexistenceasmuchaspossible。
Thatwasthegeneralsenseofhisremarks，nothisexactwords。I
thoughtthathiswife’sbrother’sexistencehadneverbeenveryembarrassingtohimbutthatnowofcoursehewouldhavetoabstainfromhisallusionstothe”sonofthepoet——youknow。”Isaid”yes，yes”inthepausesbecauseIdidnotwanthimtoturnround；andallthetimeIwaswatchingthegirlintently。IthoughtIknewnowwhatshemeantwithher——”Hewasmostgenerous。”Yes。Generosityofcharactermaycarryamanthroughanysituation。Butwhydidn’tshegothentohergenerousman？Whystandthereasifclingingtothissolidearthwhichshesurelyhatedasonemusthatetheplacewhereonehasbeentormented，hopeless，unhappy？Suddenlyshestirred。Wasshegoingtocrossover？No。Sheturnedandbegantowalkslowlyclosetothecurbstone，remindingmeofthetimewhenI
discoveredherwalkingneartheedgeofaninety-footsheerdrop。
Itwasthesameimpression，thesamecarriage，straight，slim，withrigidheadandthetwohandshanginglightlyclaspedinfront——onlynowasmallsunshadewasdanglingfromthem。IsawsomethingfatefulinthatdeliberatepacingtowardstheinconspicuousdoorwiththewordsHOTELENTRANCEontheglasspanels。
ShewasabreastofitnowandIthoughtthatshewouldstopagain；
butno！Sheswervedrigidly——atthemomenttherewasnoonenearher；shehadthatbitofpavementtoherself——withinanimateslownessasifmovedbysomethingoutsideherself。”Aconfoundedconvict，”Fyneburstout。
WiththesoundofthatwordoffendingmyearsIsawthegirlextendherarm，pushthedooropenalittlewayandglidein。Isawplainlythatmovement，thehandputoutinadvancewiththegestureofasleep-walker。
Shehadvanished，herblackfigurehadmeltedinthedarknessoftheopendoor。ForsometimeFynesaidnothing；andIthoughtofthegirlgoingupstairs，appearingbeforetheman。Weretheylookingateachotherinsilenceandfeelingtheywerealoneintheworldasloversshouldatthemomentofmeeting？ButthatfineforgetfulnesswassurelyimpossibletoAnthonytheseamandirectlyafterthewranglinginterviewwithFynetheemissaryofanorderofthingswhichstopsattheedgeofthesea。HowmuchhewasdisturbedI
couldn’ttellbecauseIdidnotknowwhatthatimpetuousloverhadhadtolistento。”Goingtotaketheoldfellowtoseawiththem，”Isaid。”WellI
reallydon’tseewhatelsetheycouldhavedonewithhim。Youtoldyourbrother-in-lawwhatyouthoughtofit？Iwonderhowhetookit。””Veryimproperly，”repeatedFyne。”Hismannerwasoffensive，derisive，fromthefirst。Idon’tmeanhewasactuallyrudeinwords。Hangitall，Iamnotacontemptibleass。Buthewasexultingathavinggotholdofamiserablegirl。””Itisprettycertainthatshewillbemuchlesspoorandmiserable，”Imurmured。
ItlookedasiftheexultationofCaptainAnthonyhadgotonFyne’snerves。”Itoldthefellowveryplainlythathewasabominablyselfishinthis，”heaffirmedunexpectedly。”Youdid！Selfish！”Isaidrathertakenaback。”Butwhatifthegirlthoughtthat，onthecontrary，hewasmostgenerous。””Whatdoyouknowaboutit，”growledFyne。Therentsandslashesofhissolemnitywereclosingupgraduallybutitwasgoingtobeasurlysolemnity。”Generosity！Iamdisposedtogiveitanothername。No。Notfolly，”heshotoutatmeasthoughIhadmeanttointerrupthim。”Stillanother。Somethingworse。Ineednottellyouwhatitis，”headdedwithgrimmeaning。”Certainly。Youneedn’t——unlessyoulike，”Isaidblankly。LittleFynehadneverinterestedmesomuchsincethebeginningofthedeBarral-AnthonyaffairwhenIfirstperceivedpossibilitiesinhim。
Thepossibilitiesofdullmenareexcitingbecausewhentheyhappentheysuggestlegendarycasesof”possession，”notexactlybythedevilbut，anyhow，byastrangespirit。”Itoldhimitwasashame，”saidFyne。”Evenifthegirldidmakeeyesathim——butIthinkwithyouthatshedidnot。Yes！Ashametotakeadvantageofagirl’s——adistressesgirlthatdoesnotlovehimintheleast。””Youthinkit’ssobadasthat？”Isaid。”BecauseyouknowI
don’t。””Whatcanyouthinkaboutit，”heretortedonmewithasolemnstare。”Igobyherlettertomywife。””Ah！thatfamousletter。Butyouhaven’tactuallyreadit，”Isaid。”No，butmywifetoldme。Ofcourseitwasamostimpropersortoflettertowriteconsideringthecircumstances。ItpainedMrs。Fynetodiscoverhowthoroughlyshehadbeenmisunderstood。Butwhatiswrittenisnotall。It’swhatmywifecouldreadbetweenthelines。
Shesaysthatthegirlisreallyterrifiedatheart。””Shehadnotmuchinlifetogiveheranyveryspecialcourageforit，oranygreatconfidenceinmankind。That’sverytrue。Butthisseemsanexaggeration。””Ishouldliketoknowwhatreasonsyouhavetosaythat，”askedFynewithoffendedsolemnity。”Ireallydon’tseeany。ButIhadsufficientauthoritytotellmybrother-in-lawthatifhethoughthewasgoingtodosomethingchivalrousandfinehewasmistaken。I
canseeverywellthathewilldoeverythingsheaskshimtodo——
but，allthesame，itisratherapitilesstransaction。”
ForamomentIfeltitmightbeso。Fynecaughtsightofanapproachingtram-carandsteppedoutontheroadtomeetit。”Haveyouamorecompassionateschemeready？”Icalledafterhim。Hemadenoanswer，clamberedontotherearplatform，andonlythenlookedback。Weexchangedaperfunctorywaveofthehand。Wealsolookedateachother，heratherangrily，Ifancy，andIwithwonder。Imayalsomentionthatitwasforthelasttime。FromthatdayIneverseteyesontheFynes。Asusualtheunexpectedhappenedtome。IthadnothingtodowithFloradeBarral。ThefactisthatIwentaway。Mycallwasnotlikehercall。Minewasnoturgedonmewithpassionatevehemenceortendergentlenessmadeallthefinerandmorecompellingbytheallurementsofgenerositywhichisavirtueasmysteriousasanyotherbuthavingaglamourofitsown。No，itwasjustaprosaicofferofemploymentonrathergoodtermswhich，withasuddensenseofhavingwastedmytimeonshorelongenough，I
acceptedwithoutmisgivings。AndoncestartedoutofmyindolenceI
went，asmyhabitwas，very，veryfarawayandforalong，longtime。Whichisanotherproofofmyindolence。HowfarFlorawentI
can’tsay。ButIwilltellyoumyidea:myideaisthatshewentasfarasshewasable——asfarasshecouldbearit——asfarasshehadto……”
PARTII——THEKNIGHT
CHAPTERONE——THEFERNDALE
IhavesaidthatthestoryofFloradeBarralwasimpartedtomeinstages。AtthisstageIdidnotseeMarlowforsometime。Atlast，oneeveningratherearly，verysoonafterdinner，heturnedupinmyrooms。
Ihadbeenwaitingforhiscallprimedwitharemarkwhichhadnotoccurredtometillafterhehadgoneaway。”Isay，”Itackledhimatonce，”howcanyoubecertainthatFloradeBarraleverwenttosea？Afterall，thewifeofthecaptainoftheFerndale——”theladythatmustn’tbedisturbed”oftheoldship-
keeper——maynothavebeenFlora。””Well，Idoknow，”hesaid，”ifonlybecauseIhavebeenkeepingintouchwithMr。Powell。””Youhave！”Icried。”ThisisthefirstIhearofit。Andsincewhen？””Why，sincethefirstday。Youwentuptotownleavingmeintheinn。Isleptashore。InthemorningMr。Powellcameinforbreakfast；andafterthefirstawkwardnessofmeetingamanyouhavebeenyarningwithover-nighthadwornoff，wediscoveredalikingforeachother。”
AsIhaddiscoveredthefactoftheirmutuallikingbeforeeitherofthem，Iwasnotsurprised。”Andsoyoukeptintouch，”Isaid。”Itwasnotsoverydifficult。AshewasalwaysknockingabouttheriverIhiredDingle’ssloop-riggedthree-tonnertobemoreonanequality。Powellwasfriendlybutelusive。Idon’tthinkheeverwantedtoavoidme。Butitisafactthatheusedtodisappearoutoftheriverinaverymysteriousmannersometimes。Amanmaylandanywhereandboltinland——butwhatabouthisfive-toncutter？Youcan’tcarrythatinyourhandlikeasuit-case。”Thenassuddenlyhewouldreappearintheriver，afteronehadgivenhimup。Ididnotliketobebeaten。That’swhyIhiredDingle’sdeckedboat。Therewasjusttheaccommodationinhertosleepamanandadog。ButIhadnodog-friendtoinvite。Fyne’sdogwhosavedFloradeBarral’slifeisthelastdog-friendIhad。
Iwasratherlonelycruisingabout；butthat，too，ontheriverhasitscharm，sometimes。IchasedthemysteryofthevanishingPowelldreamily，lookingaboutmeattheships，thinkingofthegirlFlora，oflife’schances——and，doyouknow，itwasverysimple。””Whatwasverysimple？”Iaskedinnocently。”Themystery。””Theygenerallyarethat，”Isaid。
Marloweyedmeforamomentinapeculiarmanner。”Well，IhavediscoveredthemysteryofPowell’sdisappearances。
ThefellowusedtorunintooneofthesenarrowtidalcreeksontheEssexshore。ThesecreeksaresoinconspicuousthattillIhadstudiedthechartprettycarefullyIdidnotknowoftheirexistence。Oneafternoon，ImadePowell’sboatout，headingintotheshore。BythetimeIgotclosetothemud-flathiscrafthaddisappearedinland。ButIcouldseethemouthofthecreekbythen。
ThetidebeingontheturnItooktheriskofgettingstuckinthemudsuddenlyandheadedin。AllIhadtoguidemewasthetopoftheroofofsomesortofsmallbuilding。Igotinmorebygoodluckthanbygoodmanagement。Thesunhadsetsometimebefore；myboatglidedinasortofwindingditchbetweentwolowgrassybanks；onbothsidesofmewastheflatnessoftheEssexmarsh，perfectlystill。AllIsawmovingwasaheron；hewasflyinglow，anddisappearedinthemurk。BeforeIhadgonehalfamile，IwasupwiththebuildingtheroofofwhichIhadseenfromtheriver。Itlookedlikeasmallbarn。Arowofpilesdrivenintothesoftbankinfrontofitandsupportingafewplanksmadeasortofwharf。
Allthiswasblackinthefallingdusk，andIcouldjustdistinguishthewhitishrutsofacart-trackstretchingoverthemarshtowardsthehigherland，faraway。Notasoundwastobeheard。AgainstthelowstreakoflightintheskyIcouldseethemastofPowell’scuttermooredtothebanksometwentyyards，nomore，beyondthatblackbarnorwhateveritwas。Ihailedhimwithaloudshout。Gotnoanswer。Aftermakingfastmyboatjustastern，IwalkedalongthebanktohavealookatPowell’s。Beingsomuchbiggerthanmineshewasagroundalready。Hersailswerefurled；theslideofherscuttlehatchwasclosedandpadlocked。Powellwasgone。Hehadwalkedoffintothatdark，stillmarshsomewhere。Ihadnotseenasinglehouseanywherenear；theredidnotseemtobeanyhumanhabitationformiles；andnowasdarknessfelldenseroverthelandIcouldn’tseetheglimmerofasinglelight。However，Isupposedthattheremustbesomevillageorhamletnotveryfaraway；oronlyoneofthesemysteriouslittleinnsonecomesuponsometimesinmostunexpectedandlonelyplaces。”Thestillnesswasoppressive。Iwentbacktomyboat，madesomecoffeeoveraspirit-lamp，devouredafewbiscuits，andstretchedmyselfaft，tosmokeandgazeatthestars。Theearthwasamereshadow，formlessandsilent，andempty，tillabullockturnedupfromsomewhere，quiteshadowytoo。Hecamesmartlytotheveryedgeofthebankasthoughhemeanttosteponboard，stretchedhismuzzlerightovermyboat，blewheavilyonce，andwalkedoffcontemptuouslyintothedarknessfromwhichhehadcome。Ihadnotexpectedacallfromabullock，thoughamoment’sthoughtwouldhaveshownmethattheremustbelotsofcattleandsheeponthatmarsh。
Theneverythingbecamestillasbefore。Imighthaveimaginedmyselfarrivedonadesertisland。Infact，asIreclinedsmokingasenseofabsolutelonelinessgrewonme。Andjustasithadbecomeintense，veryabruptlyandwithoutanypreliminarysoundIheardfirm，quickfootstepsonthelittlewharf。Somebodycomingalongthecart-trackhadjuststeppedataswinginggaitontotheplanks。
ThatsomebodycouldonlyhavebeenMr。Powell。Suddenlyhestoppedshort，havingmadeoutthatthereweretwomastsalongsidethebankwherehehadleftonlyone。Thenhecameonsilentonthegrass。
WhenIspoketohimhewasastonished。”Whowouldhavethoughtofseeingyouhere！”heexclaimed，afterreturningmygoodevening。”ItoldhimIhadruninforcompany。Itwasrigorouslytrue。””YouknewIwashere？”heexclaimed。”Ofcourse，”Isaid。”ItellyouIcameinforcompany。””Heisareallygoodfellow，”wentonMarlow。”Andhiscapacityforastonishmentisquicklyexhausted，itseems。Itwasinthemostmatter-of-factmannerthathesaid，’Comeonboardofme，then；I
havehereenoughsupperfortwo。’Hewasholdingabulkyparcelinthecrookofhisarm。Ididnotwaittobeaskedtwice，asyoumayguess。Hiscutterhasaveryneatlittlecabin，quitebigenoughfortwomennotonlytosleepbuttositandsmokein。Weleftthescuttlewideopen，ofcourse。Astohisprovisionsforsupper，theywerenotofaluxuriouskind。Hecomplainedthattheshopsinthevillageweremiserable。Therewasabigvillagewithinamileandahalf。Itstruckmehehadbeenverylongdoinghisshopping；butnaturallyImadenoremark。Ididn’twanttotalkatallexceptforthepurposeofsettinghimgoing。””Anddidyousethimgoing？”Iasked。”Idid，”saidMarlow，composinghisfeaturesintoanimpenetrableexpressionwhichsomehowassuredmeofhissuccessbetterthananairoftriumphcouldhavedone。”Youmadehimtalk？”Isaidafterasilence。”Yes，Imadehim……abouthimself。””Andtothepoint？””Ifyoumeanbythis，”saidMarlow，”thatitwasaboutthevoyageoftheFerndale，thenagain，yes。Ibroughthimtotalkaboutthatvoyage，which，bytheby，wasnotthefirstvoyageofFloradeBarral。Themanhimself，asItoldyou，issimple，andhisfacultyofwondernotverygreat。He’soneofthosepeoplewhoformnotheoriesaboutfacts。Straightforwardpeopleseldomdo。Neitherhavetheymuchpenetration。Butinthiscaseitdidnotmatter。I——
we——havealreadytheinnerknowledge。WeknowthehistoryofFloradeBarral。WeknowsomethingofCaptainAnthony。Wehavethesecretofthesituation。Themanwasintoxicatedwiththepityandtendernessofhispart。Ohyes！Intoxicatedisnottoostrongaword；foryouknowthatloveanddesiretakemanydisguises。I
believethatthegirlhadbeenfrankwithhim，withthefranknessofwomentowhomperfectfranknessisimpossible，becausesomuchoftheirsafetydependsonjudiciousreticences。Iamnotindulgingincheapsneers。Thereisnecessityinthesethings。Andmoreovershecouldnothavespokenwithacertainvoiceinthefaceofhisimpetuosity，becauseshedidnothavetimetounderstandeitherthestateofherfeelings，ortheprecisenatureofwhatshewasdoing。
Hadshespokeneversoclearlyhewas，Itakeit，tooelatedtohearherdistinctly。Idon’tmeantoimplythathewasafool。Ohdearno！Buthehadnotrainingintheusualconventions，andwemustrememberthathehadnoexperiencewhateverofwomen。Hecouldonlyhaveanidealconceptionofhisposition。Anidealisoftenbutaflamingvisionofreality。
TohimentersFyne，woundup，ifImayexpressmyselfsoirreverently，wounduptoahighpitchbyhiswife’sinterpretationofthegirl’sletter。Heenterswithhistalkofmeannessandcruelty，likeabucketofwaterontheflame。Clearlyashock。Buttheeffectsofabucketofwaterarediverse。Theydependonthekindofflame。Amereblazeofdrystraw，ofcourse……buttherecanbenoquestionofstrawthere。AnthonyoftheFerndalewasnot，couldnothavebeen，astraw-stuffedspecimenofaman。Thereareflamesabucketofwatersendsleapingsky-high。
Wemaywellwonderwhathappenedwhen，afterFynehadlefthim，thehesitatinggirlwentupatlastandopenedthedoorofthatroomwhereourman，Iamcertain，wasnotextinguished。Ohno！Norcold；whateverelsehemighthavebeen。
Itisconceivablehemighthavecriedatherinthefirstmomentofhumiliation，ofexasperation，”Oh，it’syou！Whyareyouhere？IfIamsoodioustoyouthatyoumustwritetomysistertosayso，I
giveyoubackyourword。”Butthen，don’tyousee，itcouldnothavebeenthat。Ihavethepracticalcertitudethatsoonafterwardstheywenttogetherinahansomtoseetheship——asagreed。ThatwasmyreasonforsayingthatFloradeBarraldidgotosea……””Yes。Itseemsconclusive，”Iagreed。”Butevenwithoutthat——if，asyouseemtothink，theverydesolationofthatgirlishfigurehadasortofperverselyseductivecharm，makingitswaythroughhiscompassiontohissenses(andeverythingispossible)——thensuchwordscouldnothavebeenspoken。””Theymighthaveescapedhiminvoluntarily，”observedMarlow。”However，aplainfactsettlesit。Theywentofftogethertoseetheship。””Doyouconcludefromthisthatnothingwhateverwassaid？”I
inquired。”Ishouldhavelikedtoseethefirstmeetingoftheirglancesupstairsthere，”musedMarlow。”Andperhapsnothingwassaid。Butnomancomesoutofsucha’wrangle’(asFynecalledit)withoutshowingsometracesofit。Andyoumaybesurethatagirlsobruisedalloverwouldfeeltheslightesttouchofanythingresemblingcoldness。Shewasmistrustful；shecouldnotbeotherwise；fortheenergyofevilissomuchmoreforciblethantheenergyofgoodthatshecouldnothelplookingstilluponherabominablegovernessasanauthority。Howcouldonehaveexpectedhertothrowofftheunholyprestigeofthatlongdomination？Shecouldnothelpbelievingwhatshehadbeentold；thatshewasinsomemysteriouswayodiousandunlovable。Itwascruellytrue——TO
HER。Theoracleofsomanyyearshadspokenfinally。Onlyotherpeopledidnotfindheroutatonce……Iwouldnotgosofarastosayshebelieveditaltogether。Thatwouldbehardlypossible。
Butthenhaven’tthemostflattered，themostconceitedofustheirmomentsofdoubt？Haven’tthey？Well，Idon’tknow。Theremaybeluckybeingsinthisworldunabletobelieveanyevilofthemselves。
FormyownpartI’lltellyouthatonce，manyyearsagonow，itcametomyknowledgethatafellowIhadbeenmixedupwithinacertaintransaction——acleverfellowwhomIreallydespised——wasgoingaroundtellingpeoplethatIwasaconsummatehypocrite。Hecouldknownothingofit。Itsuitedhishumourtosayso。Ihadgivenhimnogroundforthatparticularcalumny。Yettothisdaytherearemomentswhenitcomesintomymind，andinvoluntarilyIaskmyself，’Whatifitweretrue？’It’sabsurd，butithasononeortwooccasionsnearlyaffectedmyconduct。AndyetIwasnotanimpressionableignorantyounggirl。Ihadtakentheexactmeasureofthefellow’sutterworthlessnesslongbefore。Hehadneverbeenformeapersonofprestigeandpower，likethatawfulgovernesstoFloradeBarral。Seethemightofsuggestion？Weliveatthemercyofamalevolentword。Asound，ameredisturbanceoftheair，sinksintoourverysoulsometimes。FloradeBarralhadbeenmoreastoundedthanconvincedbythefirstimpetuosityofRoderickAnthony。Sheletherselfbecarriedalongbyamysteriousforcewhichherpersonhadcalledintobeing，asherfatherhadbeencarriedawayoutofhisdepthbytheunexpectedpowerofsuccessfuladvertising。
Theywentonboardthatmorning。TheFerndalehadjustcometoherloadingberth。Theonlylivingcreatureonboardwastheship-
keeper——whetherthesamewhohadbeendescribedtousbyMr。Powell，oranother，Idon’tknow。Possiblysomeotherman。He，lookingovertheside，saw，inhisownwords，’thecaptaincomesailingroundthecornerofthenearestcargo-shed，incompanywithagirl。’
Heloweredtheaccommodationladderdownontothejetty……””Howdoyouknowallthis？”Iinterrupted。
Marlowinterjectedanimpatient:”Youshallseebyandby……Florawentupfirst，gotdownondeckandstoodstock-stilltillthecaptaintookherbythearmandledheraft。Theship-keeperletthemintothesaloon。Hehadthekeysofallthecabins，andstumpedinafterthem。Thecaptainorderedhimtoopenallthedoors，everyblesseddoor；state-rooms，passages，pantry，fore-cabin——andthensenthimaway。”TheFerndalehadmagnificentaccommodation。Attheendofapassageleadingfromthequarter-decktherewasalongsaloon，itssumptuosityslightlytarnishedperhaps，buthavingagrandairofroominessandcomfort。Theharbourcarpetsweredown，theswinginglampshung，andeverythinginitsplace，eventothesilveronthesideboard。Twolargesterncabinsopenedoutofit，oneoneachsideoftheruddercasing。Thesetwocabinscommunicatedthroughasmallbathroombetweenthem，andonewasfittedupasthecaptain’sstate-room。Theotherwasvacant，andfurnishedwitharm-chairsandaroundtable，morelikearoomonshore，exceptforthelongcurvedsetteefollowingtheshapeoftheship’sstern。Inadiminclinedmirror，Floracaughtsightdowntothewaistofapale-facedgirlinawhitestrawhattrimmedwithroses，distant，shadowy，asifimmersedinwater，andwassurprisedtorecognizeherselfinthosesurroundings。Theyseemedtoherarbitrary，bizarre，strange。
CaptainAnthonymovedon，andshefollowedhim。Heshowedhertheothercabins。Hetalkedallthetimeloudlyinavoicesheseemedtohaveknownextremelywellforalongtime；andyet，shereflected，shehadnothearditofteninherlife。Whathewassayingshedidnotquitefollow。Hewasspeakingofcomparativelyindifferentthingsinarathermoodytone，butshefeltitroundherlikeacaress。Andwhenhestoppedshecouldhear，alarminginthesuddensilence，theprecipitatedbeatingofherheart。
Theship-keeperdodgedaboutthequarter-deck，outofhearing，andtryingtokeepoutofsight。Atthesametime，takingadvantageoftheopendoorswithskillandprudence，hecouldseethecaptainand”thatgirl”thecaptainhadbroughtaboard。Thecaptainwasshowingherroundverythoroughly。Throughthewholelengthofthepassage，farawayaftintheperspectiveofthesaloontheship-keeperhadinterestingglimpsesofthemastheywentinandoutofthevariouscabins，crossingfromsidetoside，remaininginvisibleforatimeinoneoranotherofthestate-rooms，andthenreappearingagaininthedistance。Thegirl，alwaysfollowingthecaptain，hadhersunshadeinherhands。Mostlyshewouldhangherhead，butnowandthenshewouldlookup。Theyhadalottosaytoeachother，andseemedtoforgettheyweren’taloneintheship。Hesawthecaptainputhishandonhershoulder，andwaspreparinghimselfwithacertainzestforwhatmightfollow，whenthe”oldman”seemedtorecollecthimself，andcamestridingdownallthelengthofthesaloon。Atthismovetheship-keeperpromptlydodgedoutofsight，asyoumaybelieve，andheardthecaptainslamtheinnerdoorofthepassage。Afterthatdisappointmenttheship-keeperwaitedresentfullyforthemtoclearoutoftheship。Ithappenedmuchsoonerthanhehadexpected。Thegirlwalkedoutondeckfirst。Asbeforeshedidnotlookround。Shedidn’tlookatanything；andsheseemedtobeinsuchahurrytogetashorethatshemadeforthegangwayandstarteddowntheladderwithoutwaitingforthecaptain。
Whatstrucktheship-keepermostwastheabsent，unseeingexpressionofthecaptain，stridingafterthegirl。Hepassedhim，theship-
keeper，withoutnotice，withoutanorder，withoutsomuchasalook。
Thecaptainhadneverdonesobefore。Alwayshadanodandapleasantwordforaman。Fromthisslighttheship-keeperdrewaconclusionunfavourabletothestrangegirl。Hegavethemtimetogetdownonthewharfbeforecrossingthedecktostealonemorelookatthepairovertherail。Thecaptaintookholdofthegirl’sarmjustbeforeacoupleofrailwaytrucksdrawnbyahorsecamerollingalongandhidthemfromtheship-keeper’ssightforgood。
Nextday，whenthechiefmatejoinedtheship，hetoldhimthetaleofthevisit，andexpressedhimselfaboutthegirl”whohadgotholdofthecaptain”disparagingly。Shedidn’tlookhealthy，heexplained。”Shabbyclothes，too，”headdedspitefully。
Thematewasverymuchinterested。HehadbeenwithAnthonyforseveralyears，andhadwonforhimselfinthecourseofmanylongvoyages，afootingoffamiliarity，whichwastobeexpectedwithamanofAnthony’scharacter。Butinthatslowly-grownintimacyofthesea，whichinitsdurationandsolitudehaditsunguardedmoments，nowordshadpassed，evenofthemostcasual，topreparehimforthevisionofhiscaptainassociatedwithanykindofgirl。
HisimpressionhadbeenthatwomendidnotexistforCaptainAnthony。Exhibitinghimselfwithagirl！Agirl！Whatdidhewantwithagirl？Bringingheronboardandshowingherroundthecabin！
Thatwasreallyalittlebittoomuch。CaptainAnthonyoughttohaveknownbetter。
Franklin(thechiefmate’snamewasFranklin)feltdisappointed；
almostdisillusioned。Sillythingtodo！Herewasaconfoundedoldship-keepersettalking。Hesnubbedtheship-keeper，andtriedtothinkofthatinsignificantbitoffoolishnessnomore；foritdiminishedCaptainAnthonyinhiseyesofajealouslydevotedsubordinate。
Franklinwasoverforty；hismotherwasstillalive。Shestoodintheforefrontofallwomenforhim，justasCaptainAnthonystoodintheforefrontofallmen。Wemaysupposethatthesegroupswerenotverylarge。Hehadgonetoseaataveryearlyage。Thefeelingwhichcausedthesetwopeopletopartlyeclipsetherestofmankindwereofcoursenotsimilar；thoughintimehehadacquiredtheconvictionthathewas”takingcare”ofthemboth。The”oldlady”
ofcoursehadtobelookedafteraslongasshelived。InregardtoCaptainAnthony，heusedtosaythat:whyshouldheleavehim？Itwasn’tlikelythathewouldcomeacrossabettersailororabettermanoramorecomfortableship。Astotryingtobetterhimselfinthewayofpromotion，commandswerenotthesortofthingonepickedupinthestreets，andwhenitcametothat，CaptainAnthonywasaslikelytogivehimaliftonoccasionasanyoneintheworld。
FromMr。Powell’sdescriptionFranklinwasashort，thickblack-
hairedman，baldonthetop。Hisheadsunkbetweentheshoulders，hisstaringprominenteyesandafloridcolour，gavehimaratherapoplecticappearance。Inrepose，hiscongestedfacehadahumorouslymelancholyexpression。
Theship-keeperhavinggivenhimupallthekeysandhavingbeenchasedforwardwiththeadmonitiontomindhisownbusinessandnottochatteraboutwhatdidnotconcernhim，Mr。Franklinwentunderthepoop。Heopenedonedoorafteranother；and，inthesaloon，inthecaptain’sstate-roomandeverywhere，hestaredanxiouslyasifexpectingtoseeonthebulkheads，onthedeck，intheair，somethingunusual——sign，mark，emanation，shadow——hehardlyknewwhat——somesubtlechangewroughtbythepassageofagirl。Buttherewasnothing。Heenteredtheunoccupiedsterncabinandspentsometimethereunscrewingthetwosternports。Intheabsenceofallmaterialevidenceshisuneasinesswaspassingaway。Withalastglanceroundhecameoutandfoundhimselfinthepresenceofhiscaptainadvancingfromtheotherendofthesaloon。
Franklin，atonce，lookedforthegirl。Shewasn’ttobeseen。Thecaptaincameupquickly。’Oh！youarehere，Mr。Franklin。’Andthematesaid，’Iwasgivingalittleairtotheplace，sir。’Thenthecaptain，hishatpulleddownoverhiseyes，laidhisstickonthetableandaskedinhiskindway:’Howdidyoufindyourmother，Franklin？’——’Theoldlady’sfirst-rate，sir，thankyou。’Andthentheyhadnothingtosaytoeachother。ItwasastrangeanddisturbingfeelingforFranklin。He，justbackfromleave，theshipjustcometoherloadingberth，thecaptainjustcomeonboard，andapparentlynothingtosay！Theseveralquestionshehadbeenanxioustoaskastovariousthingswhichhadtobedonehadslippedoutofhismind。He，too，feltasthoughhehadnothingtosay。
Thecaptain，pickinguphisstickoffthetable，marchedintohisstate-roomandshutthedoorafterhim。Franklinremainedstillforamomentandthenstartedslowlytogoondeck。Butbeforehehadtimetoreachtheotherendofthesaloonheheardhimselfcalledbyname。Heturnedround。Thecaptainwasstaringfromthedoorwayofhisstate-room。Franklinsaid，”Yes，sir。”Butthecaptain，silent，leanedalittleforwardgraspingthedoorhandle。Sohe，Franklin，walkedaftkeepinghiseyesonhim。Whenhehadcomeupquiteclosehesaidagain，”Yes，sir？”interrogatively。Stillsilence。Thematedidn’tliketobestaredatinthatmanner，amannerquitenewinhiscaptain，withadefiantandself-consciousstare，likeamanwhofeelsillanddaresyoutonoticeit。
Franklingazedathiscaptain，feltthattherewassomethingwrong，andinhissimplicityvoicedhisfeelingsbyaskingpoint-blank:”What’swrong，sir？”
