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