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〃God's own hand in it;〃 he interrupted me。 〃Nothing less could have done it。
I don't mind telling you that I hardly dared give the order。
It seemed impossible that we could touch anything without losing it;
and then our last hope would have been gone。〃
The terror of that gale was on him yet。 I let him go on for a bit;
then said; casuallyas if returning to a minor subject:
〃You were very anxious to give up your mate to the shore people; I believe?〃
He was。 To the law。 His obscure tenacity on that point had in it
something incomprehensible and a little awful; something; as it
were; mystical; quite apart from his anxiety that he should
not be suspected of 〃countenancing any doings of that sort。〃
Seven…and…thirty virtuous years at sea; of which over twenty
of immaculate command; and the last fifteen in the Sephora;
seemed to have laid him under some pitiless obligation。
〃And you know;〃 he went on; groping shame…facedly amongst his feelings;
〃I did not engage that young fellow。 His people had some
interest with my owners。 I was in a way forced to take him on。
He looked very smart; very gentlemanly; and all that。
But do you knowI never liked him; somehow。 I am a plain man。
You see; he wasn't exactly the sort for the chief mate of a ship
like the Sephora。〃
I had become so connected in thoughts and impressions with the secret
sharer of my cabin that I felt as if I; personally; were being
given to understand that I; too; was not the sort that would
have done for the chief mate of a ship like the Sephora。
I had no doubt of it in my mind。
〃Not at all the style of man。 You understand;〃 he insisted;
superfluously; looking hard at me。
I smiled urbanely。 He seemed at a loss for a while。
〃I suppose I must report a suicide。〃
〃Beg pardon?〃
〃Suicide! That's what I'll have to write to my owners directly I get in。〃
〃Unless you manage to recover him before tomorrow;〃
I assented; dispassionately。 。 。 。 〃I mean; alive。〃
He mumbled something which I really did not catch; and I turned my ear
to him in a puzzled manner。 He fairly bawled:
〃The landI say; the mainland is at least seven miles off my anchorage。〃
〃About that。〃
My lack of excitement; of curiosity; of surprise; of any
sort of pronounced interest; began to arouse his distrust。
But except for the felicitous pretense of deafness I had not tried
to pretend anything。 I had felt utterly incapable of playing
the part of ignorance properly; and therefore was afraid to try。
It is also certain that he had brought some ready…made suspicions
with him; and that he viewed my politeness as a strange and
unnatural phenomenon。 And yet how else could I have received him?
Not heartily! That was impossible for psychological reasons;
which I need not state here。 My only object was to keep off
his inquiries。 Surlily? Yes; but surliness might have provoked
a point…blank question。 From its novelty to him and from its nature;
punctilious courtesy was the manner best calculated to restrain the man。
But there was the danger of his breaking through my defense bluntly。
I could not; I think; have met him by a direct lie; also for psychological
(not moral) reasons。 If he had only known how afraid I was of
his putting my feeling of identity with the other to the test!
But; strangely enough(I thought of it only afterwards)
I believe that he was not a little disconcerted by the reverse
side of that weird situation; by something in me that reminded
him of the man he was seekingsuggested a mysterious similitude
to the young fellow he had distrusted and disliked from the first。
However that might have been; the silence was not very prolonged。
He took another oblique step。
〃I reckon I had no more than a two…mile pull to your ship。
Not a bit more。〃
〃And quite enough; too; in this awful heat;〃 I said。
Another pause full of mistrust followed。 Necessity; they say; is mother
of invention; but fear; too; is not barren of ingenious suggestions。
And I was afraid he would ask me point…blank for news of my other self。
〃Nice little saloon; isn't it?〃 I remarked; as if noticing for the first
time the way his eyes roamed from one closed door to the other。
〃And very well fitted out; too。 Here; for instance;〃 I continued;
reaching over the back of my seat negligently and flinging the door open;
〃is my bathroom。〃
He made an eager movement; but hardly gave it a glance。
I got up; shut the door of the bathroom; and invited him to have
a look round; as if I were very proud of my accomodation。
He had to rise and be shown round; but he went through the business
without any raptures whatever。
〃And now we'll have a look at my stateroom;〃 I declared;
in a voice as loud as I dared to make it; crossing the cabin
to the starboard side with purposely heavy steps。
He followed me in and gazed around。 My intelligent double had vanished。
I played my part。
〃Very convenientisn't it?〃
Very nice。 Very comf 。 。 。〃 He didn't finish and went out
brusquely as if to escape from some unrighteous wiles of mine。
But it was not to be。 I had been too frightened not to feel vengeful;
I felt I had him on the run; and I meant to keep him on the run。
My polite insistence must have had something menacing in it;
because he gave in suddenly。 And I did not let him off a single item;
mate's room; pantry; storerooms; the very sail locker which was
also under the poophe had to look into them all。 When at last I
showed him out on the quarter…deck he drew a long; spiritless sigh;
and mumbled dismally that he must really be going back to his ship now。
I desired my mate; who had joined us; to see to the captain's boat。
The man of whiskers gave a blast on the whistle which he used
to wear hanging round his neck; and yelled; 〃Sephora's away!〃
My double down there in my cabin must have heard; and certainly
could not feel more relieved than I。 Four fellows came running
out from somewhere forward and went over the side; while my
own men; appearing on deck too; lined the rail。 I escorted
my visitor to the gangway ceremoniously; and nearly overdid it。
He was a tenacious beast。 On the very ladder he lingered;
and in that unique; guiltily conscientious manner of sticking
to the point:
〃I say 。 。 。 you 。 。 。 you don't think that〃
I covered his voice loudly:
〃Certainly not。 。 。 。 I am delighted。 Good…by。〃
I had an idea of what he meant to say; and just saved myself
by the privilege of defective hearing。 He was too shaken
generally to insist; but my mate; close witness of that parting;
looked mystified and his face took on a thoughtful cast。
As I did not want to appear as if I wished to avoid all
communication with my officers; he had the opportunity
to address me。
〃Seems a very nice man。 His boat's crew told our chaps a very
extraordinary story; if what I am told by the steward is true。
I suppose you