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