AFamiliarPreface。
Asageneralrulewedonotwantmuchencouragementtotalkaboutourselves;yetthislittlebookistheresultofafriendlysuggestion，andevenofalittlefriendlypressure。Idefendedmyselfwithsomespirit;but，withcharacteristictenacity，thefriendlyvoiceinsisted：\"Youknow，youreallymust。\"
Itwasnotanargument，butIsubmittedatonce。Ifonemust！……
Youperceivetheforceofaword。Hewhowantstopersuadeshouldputhistrust，notintherightargument，butintherightword。Thepowerofsoundhasalwaysbeengreaterthanthepowerofsense。Idon’tsaythisbywayofdisparagement。Itisbetterformankindtobeimpressionablethanreflective。Nothinghumanelygreat——great，Imean，asaffectingawholemassoflives——hascomefromreflection。Ontheotherhand，youcannotfailtoseethepowerofmerewords;suchwordsasGlory，forinstance，orPity。Iwon’tmentionanymore。Theyarenotfartoseek。Shoutedwithperseverance，withardour，withconviction，thesetwobytheirsoundalonehavesetwholenationsinmotionandupheavedthedry，hardgroundonwhichrestsourwholesocialfabric。There’s\"virtue\"foryouifyoulike！……
Ofcoursetheaccentmustbeattendedto。Therightaccent。
That’sveryimportant。Thecapaciouslung，thethunderingorthetendervocalchords。Don’ttalktomeofyourArchimedes’lever。
Hewasanabsent-mindedpersonwithamathematicalimagination。
Mathematicscommandallmyrespect，butIhavenouseforengines。GivemetherightwordandtherightaccentandIwillmovetheworld。
Whatadream——forawriter！Becausewrittenwordshavetheiraccenttoo。Yes！Letmeonlyfindtherightword！Surelyitmustbelyingsomewhereamongstthewreckageofalltheplaintsandalltheexultationspouredoutaloudsincethefirstdaywhenhope，theundying，camedownonearth。Itmaybethere，closeby，disregarded，invisible，quiteathand。Butit’snogood。I
believetherearemenwhocanlayholdofaneedleinapottleofhayatthefirsttry。Formyself，Ihaveneverhadsuchluck。
Andthenthereisthataccent。Anotherdifficulty。Forwhoisgoingtotellwhethertheaccentisrightorwrongtillthewordisshouted，andfailstobeheard，perhaps，andgoesdown-windleavingtheworldunmoved。OnceuponatimetherelivedanEmperorwhowasasageandsomethingofaliteraryman。Hejotteddownonivorytabletsthoughts，maxims，reflectionswhichchancehaspreservedfortheedificationofposterity。Amongstothersayings——Iamquotingfrommemory——Irememberthissolemnadmonition：\"Letallthywordshavetheaccentofheroictruth。\"
Theaccentofheroictruth！Thisisveryfine，butIamthinkingthatitisaneasymatterforanaustereEmperortojotdowngrandioseadvice。Mostoftheworkingtruthsonthiseartharehumble，notheroic：andtherehavebeentimesinthehistoryofmankindwhentheaccentsofheroictruthhavemovedittonothingbutderision。
Nobodywillexpecttofindbetweenthecoversofthislittlebookwordsofextraordinarypotencyoraccentsofirresistibleheroism。Howeverhumiliatingformyself-esteem，ImustconfessthatthecounselsofMarcusAureliusarenotforme。Theyaremorefitforamoralistthanforanartist。TruthofamodestsortIcanpromiseyou，andalsosincerity。Thatcomplete，praise-worthysinceritywhich，whileitdeliversoneintothehandsofone’senemies，isaslikelyasnottoembroilonewithone’sfriends。
\"Embroil\"isperhapstoostronganexpression。Ican’timagineeitheramongstmyenemiesormyfriendsabeingsohardupforsomethingtodoastoquarrelwithme。\"Todisappointone’sfriends\"wouldbenearerthemark。Most，almostall，friendshipsofthewritingperiodofmylifehavecometomethroughmybooks;andIknowthatanovelistlivesinhiswork。Hestandsthere，theonlyrealityinaninventedworld，amongstimaginarythings，happenings，andpeople。Writingaboutthem，heisonlywritingabouthimself。Butthedisclosureisnotcomplete。Heremainstoacertainextentafigurebehindtheveil;asuspectedratherthanaseenpresence——amovementandavoicebehindthedraperiesoffiction。Inthesepersonalnotesthereisnosuchveil。AndIcannothelpthinkingofapassageinthe\"ImitationofChrist\"wheretheasceticauthor，whoknewlifesoprofoundly，saysthat\"therearepersonsesteemedontheirreputationwhobyshowingthemselvesdestroytheopiniononehadofthem。\"Thisisthedangerincurredbyanauthoroffictionwhosetsouttotalkabouthimselfwithoutdisguise。
WhilethesereminiscentpageswereappearingseriallyIwasremonstratedwithforbadeconomy;asifsuchwritingwereaformofself-indulgencewastingthesubstanceoffuturevolumes。ItseemsthatIamnotsufficientlyliterary。Indeedamanwhoneverwrotealineforprinttillhewasthirty-sixcannotbringhimselftolookuponhisexistenceandhisexperience，uponthesumofhisthoughts，sensationsandemotions，uponhismemoriesandhisregrets，andthewholepossessionofhispast，asonlysomuchmaterialforhishands。Oncebefore，somethreeyearsago，whenIpublished\"TheMirroroftheSea，\"avolumeofimpressionsandmemories，thesameremarksweremadetome。Practicalremarks。But，truthtosay，Ihaveneverunderstoodthekindofthrifttheyrecommended。Iwantedtopaymytributetothesea，itsshipsanditsmen，towhomIremainindebtedforsomuchwhichhasgonetomakemewhatIam。ThatseemedtometheonlyshapeinwhichIcouldofferittotheirshades。Therecouldnotbeaquestioninmymindofanythingelse。ItisquitepossiblethatIamabadeconomist;butitiscertainthatIamincorrigible。
Havingmaturedinthesurroundingsandunderthespecialconditionsofsea-life，Ihaveaspecialpietytowardsthatformofmypast;foritsimpressionswerevivid，itsappealdirect，itsdemandssuchascouldberespondedtowiththenaturalelationofyouthandstrengthequaltothecall。Therewasnothinginthemtoperplexayoungconscience。Havingbrokenawayfrommyoriginsunderastormofblamefromeveryquarterwhichhadthemerestshadowofrighttovoiceanopinion，removedbygreatdistancesfromsuchnaturalaffectionsaswerestilllefttome，andevenestranged，inameasure，fromthembythetotallyunintelligiblecharacterofthelifewhichhadseducedmesomysteriouslyfrommyallegiance，Imaysafelysaythatthroughtheblindforceofcircumstancestheseawastobeallmyworldandthemerchantservicemyonlyhomeforalongsuccessionofyears。Nowonderthenthatinmytwoexclusivelyseabooks，\"TheNiggerofthe’Narcissus’\"and\"TheMirroroftheSea\"（andinthefewshortseastorieslike\"Youth\"and\"Typhoon\"），Ihavetriedwithanalmostfilialregardtorenderthevibrationoflifeinthegreatworldofwaters，intheheartsofthesimplemenwhohaveforagestraverseditssolitudes，andalsothatsomethingsentientwhichseemstodwellinships——thecreaturesoftheirhandsandtheobjectsoftheircare。
One’sliterarylifemustturnfrequentlyforsustenancetomemoriesandseekdiscoursewiththeshades;unlessonehasmadeupone’smindtowriteonlyinordertoreprovemankindforwhatitis，orpraiseitforwhatitisnot，or——generally——toteachithowtobehave。Beingneitherquarrelsome，noraflatterer，norasage，Ihavedonenoneofthesethings;andIampreparedtoputupserenelywiththeinsignificancewhichattachestopersonswhoarenotmeddlesomeinsomewayorother。Butresignationisnotindifference。Iwouldnotliketobeleftstandingasamerespectatoronthebankofthegreatstreamcarryingonwardssomanylives。Iwouldfainclaimformyselfthefacultyofsomuchinsightascanbeexpressedinavoiceofsympathyandcompassion。
Itseemstomethatinone，atleast，authoritativequarterofcriticismIamsuspectedofacertainunemotional，grimacceptanceoffacts;ofwhattheFrenchwouldcallsecheresseducoeur。Fifteenyearsofunbrokensilencebeforepraiseorblametestifysufficientlytomyrespectforcriticism，thatfineflowerofpersonalexpressioninthegardenofletters。Butthisismoreofapersonalmatter，reachingthemanbehindthework，andthereforeitmaybealludedtoinavolumewhichisapersonalnoteinthemarginofthepublicpage。NotthatIfeelhurtintheleast。Thecharge——ifitamountedtoachargeatall——wasmadeinthemostconsiderateterms;inatoneofregret。
Myansweristhatifitbetruethateverynovelcontainsanelementofautobiography——andthiscanhardlybedenied，sincethecreatorcanonlyexpresshimselfinhiscreation——thentherearesomeofustowhomanopendisplayofsentimentisrepugnant。
Iwouldnotundulypraisethevirtueofrestraint。Itisoftenmerelytemperamental。Butitisnotalwaysasignofcoldness。
Itmaybepride。Therecanbenothingmorehumiliatingthantoseetheshaftofone’semotionmissthemarkeitheroflaughterortears。Nothingmorehumiliating！Andthisforthereasonthatshouldthemarkbemissed，shouldtheopendisplayofemotionfailtomove，thenitmustperishunavoidablyindisgustorcontempt。Noartistcanbereproachedforshrinkingfromariskwhichonlyfoolsruntomeetandonlygeniusdareconfrontwithimpunity。Inataskwhichmainlyconsistsinlayingone’ssoulmoreorlessbaretotheworld，aregardfordecency，evenatthecostofsuccess，isbuttheregardforone’sowndignitywhichisinseparablyunitedwiththedignityofone’swork。
Andthen——itisverydifficulttobewhollyjoyousorwhollysadonthisearth。Thecomic，whenitishuman，soontakesuponitselfafaceofpain;andsomeofourgriefs（someonly，notall，foritisthecapacityforsufferingwhichmakesmanaugustintheeyesofmen）havetheirsourceinweaknesseswhichmustberecognisedwithsmilingcompassionasthecommoninheritanceofusall。Joyandsorrowinthisworldpassintoeachother，minglingtheirformsandtheirmurmursinthetwilightoflifeasmysteriousasanover-shadowedocean，whilethedazzlingbrightnessofsupremehopesliesfaroff，fascinatingandstill，onthedistantedgeofthehorizon。
Yes！Itoowouldliketoholdthemagicwandgivingthatcommandoverlaughterandtearswhichisdeclaredtobethehighestachievementofimaginativeliterature。Only，tobeagreatmagicianonemustsurrenderoneselftooccultandirresponsiblepowers，eitheroutsideorwithinone’sownbreast。Wehaveallheardofsimplemensellingtheirsoulsforloveorpowertosomegrotesquedevil。Themostordinaryintelligencecanperceivewithoutmuchreflectionthatanythingofthesortisboundtobeafool’sbargain。Idon’tlayclaimtoparticularwisdombecauseofmydislikeanddistrustofsuchtransactions。Itmaybemysea-trainingactinguponanaturaldispositiontokeepgoodholdontheonethingreallymine，butthefactisthatIhaveapositivehorroroflosingevenforonemovingmomentthatfullpossessionofmyselfwhichisthefirstconditionofgoodservice。AndIhavecarriedmynotionofgoodservicefrommyearlierintomylaterexistence。I，whohaveneversoughtinthewrittenwordanythingelsebutaformoftheBeautiful，Ihavecarriedoverthatarticleofcreedfromthedecksofshipstothemorecircumscribedspaceofmydesk;andbythatact，Isuppose，Ihavebecomepermanentlyimperfectintheeyesoftheineffablecompanyofpureesthetes。
Asinpoliticalsoinliteraryactionamanwinsfriendsforhimselfmostlybythepassionofhisprejudicesandbytheconsistentnarrownessofhisoutlook。ButIhaveneverbeenabletolovewhatwasnotlovableorhatewhatwasnothateful，outofdeferenceforsomegeneralprinciple。WhethertherebeanycourageinmakingthisadmissionIknownot。Afterthemiddleturnoflife’swayweconsiderdangersandjoyswithatranquilmind。SoIproceedinpeacetodeclarethatIhavealwayssuspectedintheefforttobringintoplaytheextremitiesofemotionsthedebasingtouchofinsincerity。Inordertomoveothersdeeplywemustdeliberatelyallowourselvestobecarriedawaybeyondtheboundsofournormalsensibility——innocentlyenoughperhapsandofnecessity，likeanactorwhoraiseshisvoiceonthestageabovethepitchofnaturalconversation——butstillwehavetodothat。Andsurelythisisnogreatsin。Butthedangerliesinthewriterbecomingthevictimofhisownexaggeration，losingtheexactnotionofsincerity，andintheendcomingtodespisetruthitselfassomethingtoocold，toobluntforhispurpose——as，infact，notgoodenoughforhisinsistentemotion。Fromlaughterandtearsthedescentiseasytosnivellingandgiggles。
Thesemayseemselfishconsiderations;butyoucan’t，insoundmorals，condemnamanfortakingcareofhisownintegrity。Itishisclearduty。Andleastofallyoucancondemnanartistpursuing，howeverhumblyandimperfectly，acreativeaim。Inthatinteriorworldwherehisthoughtandhisemotionsgoseekingfortheexperienceofimaginedadventures，therearenopolicemen，nolaw，nopressureofcircumstanceordreadofopiniontokeephimwithinbounds。WhothenisgoingtosayNaytohistemptationsifnothisconscience？
Andbesides——this，remember，istheplaceandthemomentofperfectlyopentalk——Ithinkthatallambitionsarelawfulexceptthosewhichclimbupwardsonthemiseriesorcredulitiesofmankind。Allintellectualandartisticambitionsarepermissible，uptoandevenbeyondthelimitofprudentsanity。
Theycanhurtnoone。Iftheyaremad，thensomuchtheworsefortheartist。Indeed，asvirtueissaidtobe，suchambitionsaretheirownreward。Isitsuchaverymadpresumptiontobelieveinthesovereignpowerofone’sart，totryforothermeans，forotherwaysofaffirmingthisbeliefinthedeeperappealofone’swork？Totrytogodeeperisnottobeinsensible。Anhistorianofheartsisnotanhistorianofemotions，yethepenetratesfurther，restrainedashemaybe，sincehisaimistoreachtheveryfountoflaughterandtears。
Thesightofhumanaffairsdeservesadmirationandpity。Theyareworthyofrespecttoo。Andheisnotinsensiblewhopaysthemtheundemonstrativetributeofasighwhichisnotasob，andofasmilewhichisnotagrin。Resignation，notmystic，notdetached，butresignationopen-eyed，consciousandinformedbylove，istheonlyoneofourfeelingsforwhichitisimpossibletobecomeasham。
NotthatIthinkresignationthelastwordofwisdom。Iamtoomuchthecreatureofmytimeforthat。ButIthinkthattheproperwisdomistowillwhatthegodswillwithoutperhapsbeingcertainwhattheirwillis——oreveniftheyhaveawilloftheirown。AndinthismatteroflifeandartitisnottheWhythatmatterssomuchtoourhappinessastheHow。AstheFrenchmansaid，\"Ilyatoujourslamaniere。\"Verytrue。Yes。Thereisthemanner。Themannerinlaughter，intears，inirony，inindignationsandenthusiasms，injudgments——andeveninlove。
Themannerinwhich，asinthefeaturesandcharacterofahumanface，theinnertruthisforeshadowedforthosewhoknowhowtolookattheirkind。
Thosewhoreadmeknowmyconvictionthattheworld，thetemporalworld，restsonafewverysimpleideas;sosimplethattheymustbeasoldasthehills。Itrestsnotably，amongstothers，ontheideaofFidelity。AtatimewhennothingwhichisnotrevolutionaryinsomewayorothercanexpecttoattractmuchattentionIhavenotbeenrevolutionaryinmywritings。Therevolutionaryspiritismightyconvenientinthis，thatitfreesonefromallscruplesasregardsideas。Itshard，absoluteoptimismisrepulsivetomymindbythemenaceoffanaticismandintoleranceitcontains。Nodoubtoneshouldsmileatthesethings;but，imperfectEsthete，IamnobetterPhilosopher。Allclaimtospecialrighteousnessawakensinmethatscornandangerfromwhichaphilosophicalmindshouldbefree……
IfearthattryingtobeconversationalIhaveonlymanagedtobeundulydiscursive。Ihaveneverbeenverywellacquaintedwiththeartofconversation——thatartwhich，Iunderstand，issupposedtobelostnow。Myyoungdays，thedayswhenone’shabitsandcharacterareformed，havebeenratherfamiliarwithlongsilences。Suchvoicesasbrokeintothemwereanythingbutconversational。No。Ihaven’tgotthehabit。Yetthisdiscursivenessisnotsoirrelevanttothehandfulofpageswhichfollow。They，too，havebeenchargedwithdiscursiveness，withdisregardofchronologicalorder（whichisinitselfacrime），withunconventionalityofform（whichisanimpropriety）。Iwastoldseverelythatthepublicwouldviewwithdispleasuretheinformalcharacterofmyrecollections。\"Alas！\"Iprotestedmildly。\"CouldIbeginwiththesacramentalwords，’Iwasbornonsuchadateinsuchaplace’？Theremotenessofthelocalitywouldhaverobbedthestatementofallinterest。Ihaven’tlivedthroughwonderfuladventurestoberelatedseriatim。Ihaven’tknowndistinguishedmenonwhomIcouldpassfatuousremarks。I
haven’tbeenmixedupwithgreatorscandalousaffairs。Thisisbutabitofpsychologicaldocument，andevenso，Ihaven’twrittenitwithaviewtoputforwardanyconclusionofmyown。\"
Butmyobjectorwasnotplacated。Theseweregoodreasonsfornotwritingatall——notadefenceofwhatstoodwrittenalready，hesaid。
Iadmitthatalmostanything，anythingintheworld，wouldserveasagoodreasonfornotwritingatall。ButsinceIhavewrittenthem，allIwanttosayintheirdefenceisthatthesememoriesputdownwithoutanyregardforestablishedconventionshavenotbeenthrownoffwithoutsystemandpurpose。Theyhavetheirhopeandtheiraim。Thehopethatfromthereadingofthesepagestheremayemergeatlastthevisionofapersonality;
themanbehindthebookssofundamentallydissimilaras，forinstance，\"Almayer’sFolly\"and\"TheSecretAgent\"——andyetacoherent，justifiablepersonalitybothinitsoriginandinitsaction。Thisisthehope。Theimmediateaim，closelyassociatedwiththehope，istogivetherecordofpersonalmemoriesbypresentingfaithfullythefeelingsandsensationsconnectedwiththewritingofmyfirstbookandwithmyfirstcontactwiththesea。
Inthepurposelymingledresonanceofthisdoublestrainafriendhereandtherewillperhapsdetectasubtleaccord。
J。C。K。
ChapterI。
Booksmaybewritteninallsortsofplaces。Verbalinspirationmayentertheberthofamarineronboardashipfrozenfastinariverinthemiddleofatown;andsincesaintsaresupposedtolookbenignantlyonhumblebelievers，IindulgeinthepleasantfancythattheshadeofoldFlaubert——whoimaginedhimselftobe（amongstotherthings）adescendantofVikings——mighthavehoveredwithamusedinterestoverthedecksofa2000-tonsteamercalledthe\"Adowa，\"onboardofwhich，grippedbytheinclementwinteralongsideaquayinRouen，thetenthchapterof\"Almayer’sFolly\"wasbegun。Withinterest，Isay，forwasnotthekindNormangiantwithenormousmoustachesandathunderingvoicethelastoftheRomantics？Washenot，inhisunworldly，almostascetic，devotiontohisartasortofliterary，saint-likehermit？
\"’Ithassetatlast，’saidNinatohermother，pointingtothehillsbehindwhichthesunhadsunk。\"……ThesewordsofAlmayer’sromanticdaughterIremembertracingonthegreypaperofapadwhichrestedontheblanketofmybed-place。TheyreferredtoasunsetinMalayanIslesandshapedthemselvesinmymind，inahallucinatedvisionofforestsandriversandseas，farremovedfromacommercialandyetromantictownofthenorthernhemisphere。Butatthatmomentthemoodofvisionsandwordswascutshortbythethirdofficer，acheerfulandcasualyouth，cominginwithabangofthedoorandtheexclamation：
\"You’vemadeitjollywarminhere。\"
Itwaswarm。Ihadturnedonthesteam-heaterafterplacingatinundertheleakywater-cock——forperhapsyoudonotknowthatwaterwillleakwheresteamwillnot。Iamnotawareofwhatmyyoungfriendhadbeendoingondeckallthatmorning，butthehandsherubbedtogethervigorouslywereveryredandimpartedtomeachillyfeelingbytheirmereaspect。Hehasremainedtheonlybanjoistofmyacquaintance，andbeingalsoayoungersonofaretiredcolonel，thepoemofMr。Kipling，byastrangeaberrationofassociatedideas，alwaysseemstometohavebeenwrittenwithanexclusiveviewtohisperson。Whenhedidnotplaythebanjohelovedtositandlookatit。Heproceededtothissentimentalinspectionandaftermeditatingawhileoverthestringsundermysilentscrutinyinquiredairily：
\"Whatareyoualwaysscribblingthere，ifit’sfairtoask？\"
Itwasafairenoughquestion，butIdidnotanswerhim，andsimplyturnedthepadoverwithamovementofinstinctivesecrecy：IcouldnothavetoldhimhehadputtoflightthepsychologyofNinaAlmayer，heropeningspeechofthetenthchapterandthewordsofMrs。Almayer’swisdomwhichweretofollowintheominousoncomingofatropicalnight。IcouldnothavetoldhimthatNinahadsaid：\"Ithassetatlast。\"Hewouldhavebeenextremelysurprisedandperhapshavedroppedhispreciousbanjo。NeithercouldIhavetoldhimthatthesunofmysea-goingwassettingtoo，evenasIwrotethewordsexpressingtheimpatienceofpassionateyouthbentonitsdesire。Ididnotknowthismyself，anditissafetosayhewouldnothavecared，thoughhewasanexcellentyoungfellowandtreatedmewithmoredeferencethan，inourrelativepositions，Iwasstrictlyentitledto。
HeloweredatendergazeonhisbanjoandIwentonlookingthroughtheport-hole。Theroundopeningframedinitsbrassrimafragmentofthequays，witharowofcasksrangedonthefrozengroundandthetail-endofagreatcart。Ared-nosedcarterinablouseandawoollennightcapleanedagainstthewheel。Anidle，strollingcustom-houseguard，beltedoverhisbluecapote，hadtheairofbeingdepressedbyexposuretotheweatherandthemonotonyofofficialexistence。Thebackgroundofgrimyhousesfoundaplaceinthepictureframedbymyport-hole，acrossawidestretchofpavedquaybrownwithfrozenmud。Thecolouringwassombre，andthemostconspicuousfeaturewasalittlecafewithcurtainedwindowsandashabbyfrontofwhitewoodwork，correspondingwiththesqualorofthesepoorerquartersborderingtheriver。WehadbeenshifteddowntherefromanotherberthintheneighbourhoodoftheOperaHouse，wherethatsameport-holegavemeaviewofquiteanothersortofcafe——thebestinthetown，Ibelieve，andtheveryonewheretheworthyBovaryandhiswife，theromanticdaughterofoldPereRenault，hadsomerefreshmentafterthememorableperformanceofanoperawhichwasthetragicstoryofLuciadiLammermoorinasettingoflightmusic。
IcouldrecallnomorethehallucinationoftheEasternArchipelagowhichIcertainlyhopedtoseeagain。Thestoryof\"Almayer’sFolly\"gotputawayunderthepillowforthatday。I
donotknowthatIhadanyoccupationtokeepmeawayfromit;
thetruthofthematteristhatonboardthatshipwewereleadingjustthenacontemplativelife。Iwillnotsayanythingofmyprivilegedposition。Iwasthere\"justtooblige，\"asanactorofstandingmaytakeasmallpartinthebenefitperformanceofafriend。
AsfarasmyfeelingswereconcernedIdidnotwishtobeinthatsteameratthattimeandinthosecircumstances。AndperhapsI
wasnotevenwantedthereintheusualsenseinwhichaship\"wants\"anofficer。ItwasthefirstandlastinstanceinmysealifewhenIservedship-ownerswhohaveremainedcompletelyshadowytomyapprehension。Idonotmeanthisforthewell-
knownfirmofLondonship-brokerswhichhadcharteredtheshiptothe，Iwillnotsayshort-lived，butephemeralFranco-CanadianTransportCompany。Adeathleavessomethingbehind，buttherewasneveranythingtangibleleftfromtheF。C。T。C。Itflourishednolongerthanroseslive，andunliketherosesitblossomedinthedeadofwinter，emittedasortoffaintperfumeofadventureanddiedbeforespringsetin。Butindubitablyitwasacompany，ithadevenahouse-flag，allwhitewiththelettersF。C。T。C。
artfullytangledupinacomplicatedmonogram。Weflewitatourmain-masthead，andnowIhavecometotheconclusionthatitwastheonlyflagofitskindinexistence。Allthesameweonboard，formanydays，hadtheimpressionofbeingaunitofalargefleetwithfortnightlydeparturesforMontrealandQuebecasadvertisedinpamphletsandprospectuseswhichcameaboardinalargepackageinVictoriaDock，London，justbeforewestartedforRouen，France。AndintheshadowylifeoftheF。C。T。C。liesthesecretofthat，mylastemploymentinmycalling，whichinaremotesenseinterruptedtherhythmicaldevelopmentofNinaAlmayer’sstory。
ThethensecretaryoftheLondonShipmasters’Society，withitsmodestroomsinFenchurchStreet，wasamanofindefatigableactivityandthegreatestdevotiontohistask。Heisresponsibleforwhatwasmylastassociationwithaship。Icallitthatbecauseitcanhardlybecalledasea-goingexperience。
DearCaptainFroud——itisimpossiblenottopayhimthetributeofaffectionatefamiliarityatthisdistanceofyears——hadverysoundviewsastotheadvancementofknowledgeandstatusforthewholebodyoftheofficersofthemercantilemarine。Heorganisedforuscoursesofprofessionallectures，St。Johnambulanceclasses，correspondedindustriouslywithpublicbodiesandmembersofParliamentonsubjectstouchingtheinterestsoftheservice;andastotheoncomingofsomeinquiryorcommissionrelatingtomattersoftheseaandtotheworkofseamen，itwasaperfectgodsendtohisneedofexertinghimselfonourcorporatebehalf。Togetherwiththishighsenseofhisofficialdutieshehadinhimaveinofpersonalkindness，astrongdispositiontodowhatgoodhecouldtotheindividualmembersofthatcraftofwhichinhistimehehadbeenaveryexcellentmaster。Andwhatgreaterkindnesscanonedotoaseamanthantoputhiminthewayofemployment？CaptainFrouddidnotseewhytheShipmasters’Society，besidesitsgeneralguardianshipofourinterests，shouldnotbeunofficiallyanemploymentagencyoftheveryhighestclass。
\"Iamtryingtopersuadeallourgreatship-owningfirmstocometousfortheirmen。Thereisnothingofatrade-unionspiritaboutoursociety，andIreallydon’tseewhytheyshouldnot，\"
hesaidoncetome。\"Iamalwaystellingthecaptains，too，thatallthingsbeingequaltheyoughttogivepreferencetothemembersofthesociety。InmypositionIcangenerallyfindforthemwhattheywantamongstourmembersorourassociatemembers。\"
InmywanderingsaboutLondonfromWesttoEastandbackagain（I
wasveryidlethen）thetwolittleroomsinFenchurchStreetwereasortofresting-placewheremyspirit，hankeringafterthesea，couldfeelitselfnearertotheships，themen，andthelifeofitschoice——nearertherethanonanyotherspotofthesolidearth。Thisresting-placeusedtobe，ataboutfiveo’clockintheafternoon，fullofmenandtobaccosmoke，butCaptainFroudhadthesmallerroomtohimselfandtherehegrantedprivateinterviews，whoseprincipalmotivewastorenderservice。Thus，onemurkyNovemberafternoonhebeckonedmeinwithacrookedfingerandthatpeculiarglanceabovehisspectacleswhichisperhapsmystrongestphysicalrecollectionoftheman。
\"Ihavehadinhereashipmaster，thismorning，\"hesaid，gettingbacktohisdeskandmotioningmetoachair，\"whoisinwantofanofficer。It’sforasteamship。Youknow，nothingpleasesmemorethantobeasked，butunfortunatelyIdonotquiteseemyway……\"
AstheouterroomwasfullofmenIcastawonderingglanceatthecloseddoorbutheshookhishead。
\"Oh，yes，Ishouldbeonlytoogladtogetthatberthforoneofthem。Butthefactofthematteris，thecaptainofthatshipwantsanofficerwhocanspeakFrenchfluently，andthat’snotsoeasytofind。Idonotknowanybodymyselfbutyou。It’sasecondofficer’sberthand，ofcourse，youwouldnotcare……
wouldyounow？Iknowthatitisn’twhatyouarelookingfor。\"
Itwasnot。Ihadgivenmyselfuptotheidlenessofahauntedmanwholooksfornothingbutwordswhereintocapturehisvisions。ButIadmitthatoutwardlyIresembledsufficientlyamanwhocouldmakeasecondofficerforasteamercharteredbyaFrenchcompany。IshowednosignofbeinghauntedbythefateofNinaandbythemurmursoftropicalforests;andevenmyintimateintercoursewithAlmayer（apersonofweakcharacter）hadnotputavisiblemarkuponmyfeatures。Formanyyearsheandtheworldofhisstoryhadbeenthecompanionsofmyimaginationwithout，I
hope，impairingmyabilitytodealwiththerealitiesofsealife。Ihadhadthemanandhissurroundingswithmeeversincemyreturnfromtheeasternwaters，somefouryearsbeforethedayofwhichIspeak。
Itwasinthefrontsitting-roomoffurnishedapartmentsinaPimlicosquarethattheyfirstbegantoliveagainwithavividnessandpoignancyquiteforeigntoourformerrealintercourse。Ihadbeentreatingmyselftoalongstayonshore，andinthenecessityofoccupyingmymornings，Almayer（thatoldacquaintance）camenoblytotherescue。Beforelong，aswasonlyproper，hiswifeanddaughterjoinedhimroundmytableandthentherestofthatPantaibandcamefullofwordsandgestures。
Unknowntomyrespectablelandlady，itwasmypracticedirectlyaftermybreakfasttoholdanimatedreceptionsofMalays，Arabsandhalf-castes。Theydidnotclamouraloudformyattention。
Theycamewithasilentandirresistibleappeal——andtheappeal，Iaffirmhere，wasnottomyself-loveormyvanity。Itseemsnowtohavehadamoralcharacter，forwhyshouldthememoryofthesebeings，seenintheirobscuresun-bathedexistence，demandtoexpressitselfintheshapeofanovel，exceptonthegroundofthatmysteriousfellowshipwhichunitesinacommunityofhopesandfearsallthedwellersonthisearth？
Ididnotreceivemyvisitorswithboisterousraptureasthebearersofanygiftsofprofitorfame。TherewasnovisionofaprintedbookbeforemeasIsatwritingatthattable，situatedinadecayedpartofBelgravia。Afteralltheseyears，eachleavingitsevidenceofslowlyblackenedpages，Icanhonestlysaythatitisasentimentakintopietywhichpromptedmetorenderinwordsassembledwithconscientiouscarethememoryofthingsfardistantandofmenwhohadlived。
But，comingbacktoCaptainFroudandhisfixedideaofneverdisappointingship-ownersorship-captains，itwasnotlikelythatIshouldfailhiminhisambition——tosatisfyatafewhours’noticetheunusualdemandforaFrench-speakingofficer。
HeexplainedtomethattheshipwascharteredbyaFrenchcompanyintendingtoestablisharegularmonthlylineofsailingsfromRouen，forthetransportofFrenchemigrantstoCanada。
But，frankly，thissortofthingdidnotinterestmeverymuch。
IsaidgravelythatifitwerereallyamatterofkeepingupthereputationoftheShipmasters’Society，Iwouldconsiderit。Buttheconsiderationwasjustforform’ssake。ThenextdayI
interviewedtheCaptain，andIbelievewewereimpressedfavourablywitheachother。Heexplainedthathischiefmatewasanexcellentmanineveryrespectandthathecouldnotthinkofdismissinghimsoastogivemethehigherposition;butthatifIconsentedtocomeassecondofficerIwouldbegivencertainspecialadvantages——andsoon。
ItoldhimthatifIcameatalltherankreallydidnotmatter。
\"Iamsure，\"heinsisted，\"youwillgetonfirstratewithMr。
Paramor。\"
Ipromisedfaithfullytostayfortwotripsatleast，anditwasinthosecircumstancesthatwhatwastobemylastconnectionwithashipbegan。Andafteralltherewasnotevenonesingletrip。Itmaybethatitwassimplythefulfilmentofafate，ofthatwrittenwordonmyforeheadwhichapparentlyforbademe，throughallmyseawanderings，evertoachievethecrossingoftheWesternOcean——usingthewordsinthatspecialsenseinwhichsailorsspeakofWesternOceantrade，ofWesternOceanpackets，ofWesternOceanhardcases。Thenewlifeattendedcloselyupontheoldandtheninechaptersof\"Almayer’sFolly\"wentwithmetotheVictoriaDock，whenceinafewdayswestartedforRouen。
Iwon’tgosofarassayingthattheengagingofamanfatednevertocrosstheWesternOceanwastheabsolutecauseoftheFranco-CanadianTransportCompany’sfailuretoachieveevenasinglepassage。Itmighthavebeenthatofcourse;buttheobvious，grossobstaclewasclearlythewantofmoney。Fourhundredandsixtybunksforemigrantswereputtogetherinthe’tweendecksbyindustriouscarpenterswhilewelayintheVictoriaDock，butneveranemigrantturnedupinRouen——ofwhich，beingahumaneperson，IconfessIwasglad。SomegentlemenfromParis——Ithinktherewerethreeofthem，andonewassaidtobetheChairman——turnedupindeedandwentfromendtoendoftheship，knockingtheirsilkhatscruellyagainstthedeck-beams。Iattendedthempersonally，andIcanvouchforitthattheinteresttheytookinthingswasintelligentenough，though，obviously，theyhadneverseenanythingofthesortbefore。Theirfacesastheywentashoreworeacheerfullyinconclusiveexpression。Notwithstandingthatthisinspectingceremonywassupposedtobeapreliminarytoimmediatesailing，itwasthen，astheyfileddownourgangway，thatIreceivedtheinwardmonitionthatnosailingwithinthemeaningofourcharter-partywouldevertakeplace。
Itmustbesaidthatinlessthanthreeweeksamovetookplace。
Whenwefirstarrivedwehadbeentakenupwithmuchceremonywelltowardsthecentreofthetown，and，allthestreetcornersbeingplacardedwiththetricolourpostersannouncingthebirthofourcompany，thepetitbourgeoiswithhiswifeandfamilymadeaSundayholidayfromtheinspectionoftheship。IwasalwaysinevidenceinmybestuniformtogiveinformationasthoughI
hadbeenaCook’stourists’interpreter，whileourquarter-
mastersreapedaharvestofsmallchangefrompersonallyconductedparties。Butwhenthemovewasmade——thatmovewhichcarriedussomemileandahalfdownthestreamtobetieduptoanaltogethermuddierandshabbierquay——thenindeedthedesolationofsolitudebecameourlot。Itwasacompleteandsoundlessstagnation;for，aswehadtheshipreadyforseatothesmallestdetail，asthefrostwashardandthedaysshort，wewereabsolutelyidle——idletothepointofblushingwithshamewhenthethoughtstruckusthatallthetimeoursalarieswenton。YoungColewasaggrievedbecause，ashesaid，wecouldnotenjoyanysortoffunintheeveningafterloafinglikethisallday：eventhebanjolostitscharmsincetherewasnothingtopreventhisstrummingonitallthetimebetweenthemeals。ThegoodParamor——hewasreallyamostexcellentfellow——becameunhappyasfaraswaspossibletohischeerynature，tillonedrearydayIsuggested，outofsheermischief，thatheshouldemploythedormantenergiesofthecrewinhaulingbothcablesupondeckandturningthemendforend。
ForamomentMr。Paramorwasradiant。\"Excellentidea！\"butdirectlyhisfacefell。\"Why……Yes！Butwecan’tmakethatjoblastmorethanthreedays，\"hemuttereddiscontentedly。I
don’tknowhowlongheexpectedustobestuckontheriversideoutskirtsofRouen，butIknowthatthecablesgothauledupandturnedendforendaccordingtomysatanicsuggestion，putdownagain，andtheirveryexistenceutterlyforgotten，Ibelieve，beforeaFrenchriverpilotcameonboardtotakeourshipdown，emptyasshecame，intotheHavreroads。YoumaythinkthatthisstateofforcedidlenessfavouredsomeadvanceinthefortunesofAlmayerandhisdaughter。Yetitwasnotso。Asifitweresomesortofevilspell，mybanjoistcabin-mate’sinterruption，asrelatedabove，hadarrestedthemshortatthepointofthatfatefulsunsetformanyweekstogether。Itwasalwaysthuswiththisbook，begunin’89andfinishedin’94——withthatshortestofallthenovelswhichitwastobemylottowrite。BetweenitsopeningexclamationcallingAlmayertohisdinnerinhiswife’svoiceandAbdullah’s（hisenemy）mentalreferencetotheGodofIslam——\"TheMerciful，theCompassionate\"——whichclosesthebook，thereweretocomeseverallongseapassages，avisit（tousetheelevatedphraseologysuitabletotheoccasion）tothescenes（someofthem）ofmychildhoodandtherealisationofchildhood’svainwords，expressingalight-heartedandromanticwhim。
Itwasin1868，whennineyearsoldorthereabouts，thatwhilelookingatamapofAfricaofthetimeandputtingmyfingerontheblankspacethenrepresentingtheunsolvedmysteryofthatcontinent，Isaidtomyselfwithabsoluteassuranceandanamazingaudacitywhicharenolongerinmycharacternow：
\"WhenIgrowupIshallgothere。\"
AndofcourseIthoughtnomoreaboutittillafteraquarterofacenturyorsoanopportunityofferedtogothere——asifthesinofchildishaudacityweretobevisitedonmymaturehead。Yes。
Ididgothere：therebeingtheregionofStanleyFallswhichin’68wastheblankestofblankspacesontheearth’sfiguredsurface。AndtheMS。of\"Almayer’sFolly，\"carriedaboutmeasifitwereatalismanoratreasure，wenttheretoo。ThatitevercameoutofthereseemsaspecialdispensationofProvidence;becauseagoodmanyofmyotherproperties，infinitelymorevaluableandusefultome，remainedbehindthroughunfortunateaccidentsoftransportation。Icalltomind，forinstance，aspeciallyawkwardturnoftheCongobetweenKinchassaandLeopoldsville——moreparticularlywhenonehadtotakeitatnightinabigcanoewithonlyhalfthepropernumberofpaddlers。Ifailedinbeingthesecondwhitemanonrecorddrownedatthatinterestingspotthroughtheupsettingofacanoe。ThefirstwasayoungBelgianofficer，buttheaccidenthappenedsomemonthsbeforemytime，andhe，too，Ibelieve，wasgoinghome;notperhapsquitesoillasmyself——butstillhewasgoinghome。Igotroundtheturnmoreorlessalive，thoughI
wastoosicktocarewhetherIdidornot，and，alwayswith\"Almayer’sFolly\"amongstmydiminishingbaggage，IarrivedatthatdelectablecapitalBoma，wherebeforethedepartureofthesteamerwhichwastotakemehomeIhadthetimetowishmyselfdeadoverandoveragainwithperfectsincerity。Atthatdatetherewereinexistenceonlysevenchaptersof\"Almayer’sFolly，\"
butthechapterinmyhistorywhichfollowedwasthatofalong，longillnessandverydismalconvalescence。Geneva，ormorepreciselythehydropathicestablishmentofChampel，isrenderedforeverfamousbytheterminationoftheeighthchapterinthehistoryofAlmayer’sdeclineandfall。Theeventsoftheninthareinextricablymixedupwiththedetailsofthepropermanagementofawatersidewarehouseownedbyacertaincityfirmwhosenamedoesnotmatter。Butthatwork，undertakentoaccustommyselfagaintotheactivitiesofahealthyexistence，sooncametoanend。Theearthhadnothingtoholdmewithforverylong。Andthenthatmemorablestory，likeacaskofchoiceMadeira，gotcarriedforthreeyearstoandfrouponthesea。
Whetherthistreatmentimproveditsflavourornot，ofcourseI
wouldnotliketosay。Asfarasappearanceisconcerneditcertainlydidnothingofthekind。ThewholeMS。acquiredafadedlookandanancient，yellowishcomplexion。ItbecameatlastunreasonabletosupposethatanythingintheworldwouldeverhappentoAlmayerandNina。Andyetsomethingmostunlikelytohappenonthehighseaswastowakethemupfromtheirstateofsuspendedanimation。
WhatisitthatNovalissays？\"Itiscertainmyconvictiongainsinfinitelythemomentanothersoulwillbelieveinit。\"Andwhatisanovelifnotaconvictionofourfellow-men’sexistencestrongenoughtotakeuponitselfaformofimaginedlifeclearerthanrealityandwhoseaccumulatedverisimilitudeofselectedepisodesputstoshametheprideofdocumentaryhistory？
ProvidencewhichsavedmyMS。fromtheCongorapidsbroughtittotheknowledgeofahelpfulsoulfaroutontheopensea。Itwouldbeonmypartthegreatestingratitudeevertoforgetthesallow，sunkenfaceandthedeep-set，darkeyesoftheyoungCambridgeman（hewasa\"passengerforhishealth\"onboardthegoodshipTorrensoutwardboundtoAustralia）whowasthefirstreaderof\"Almayer’sFolly\"——theveryfirstreaderIeverhad。
\"WoulditboreyouverymuchreadingaMS。inahandwritinglikemine？\"IaskedhimoneeveningonasuddenimpulseattheendofalongishconversationwhosesubjectwasGibbon’sHistory。
Jacques（thatwashisname）wassittinginmycabinonestormydog-watchbelow，afterbringingmeabooktoreadfromhisowntravellingstore。
\"Notatall，\"heansweredwithhiscourteousintonationandafaintsmile。AsIpulledadraweropenhissuddenlyarousedcuriositygavehimawatchfulexpression。Iwonderwhatheexpectedtosee。Apoem，maybe。Allthat’sbeyondguessingnow。
Hewasnotacoldbutacalmman，stillmoresubduedbydisease——
amanoffewwordsandofanunassumingmodestyingeneralintercourse，butwithsomethinguncommoninthewholeofhispersonwhichsethimapartfromtheundistinguishedlotofoursixtypassengers。Hiseyeshadathoughtfulintrospectivelook。
Inhisattractivereservedmanner，andinaveiledsympatheticvoiceheasked：
\"Whatisthis？\"\"Itisasortoftale，\"Iansweredwithaneffort。\"Itisnotevenfinishedyet。NeverthelessIwouldliketoknowwhatyouthinkofit。\"HeputtheMS。inthebreast-
pocketofhisjacket;Irememberperfectlyhisthinbrownfingersfoldingitlengthwise。\"Iwillreadittomorrow，\"heremarked，seizingthedoor-handle，andthen，watchingtherolloftheshipforapropitiousmoment，heopenedthedoorandwasgone。InthemomentofhisexitIheardthesustainedboomingofthewind，theswishofthewateronthedecksoftheTorrens，andthesubdued，asifdistant，roaroftherisingsea。Inotedthegrowingdisquietinthegreatrestlessnessoftheocean，andrespondedprofessionallytoitwiththethoughtthatateighto’clock，inanotherhalf-hourorsoatthefurthest，thetop-gallantsailswouldhavetocomeofftheship。
Nextday，butthistimeinthefirstdog-watch，Jacquesenteredmycabin。Hehadathick，woollenmufflerroundhisthroatandtheMS。wasinhishand。Hetenderedittomewithasteadylookbutwithoutaword。Itookitinsilence。Hesatdownonthecouchandstillsaidnothing。Iopenedandshutadrawerundermydesk，onwhichafilled-uplog-slatelaywideopeninitswoodenframewaitingtobecopiedneatlyintothesortofbookI
wasaccustomedtowritewithcare，theship’slog-book。Iturnedmybacksquarelyonthedesk。AndeventhenJacquesneverofferedaword。\"Well，whatdoyousay？\"Iaskedatlast。\"Isitworthfinishing？\"Thisquestionexpressedexactlythewholeofmythoughts。
\"Distinctly，\"heansweredinhissedate，veiledvoiceandthencoughedalittle。
\"Wereyouinterested？\"Iinquiredfurtheralmostinawhisper。
\"Verymuch！\"
InapauseIwentonmeetinginstinctivelytheheavyrollingoftheship，andJacquesputhisfeetuponthecouch。Thecurtainofmybed-placeswungtoandfroasitwereapunkah，thebulkheadlampcircledinitsgimbals，andnowandthenthecabindoorrattledslightlyinthegustsofwind。Itwasinlatitude40south，andnearlyinthelongitudeofGreenwich，asfarasI
canremember，thatthesequietritesofAlmayer’sandNina’sresurrectionweretakingplace。Intheprolongedsilenceitoccurredtomethattherewasagooddealofretrospectivewritinginthestoryasfarasitwent。Wasitintelligibleinitsaction，Iaskedmyself，asifalreadythestory-tellerwerebeingbornintothebodyofaseaman。ButIheardondeckthewhistleoftheofficerofthewatchandremainedonthealerttocatchtheorderthatwastofollowthiscalltoattention。Itreachedmeasafaint，fierceshoutto\"Squaretheyards。\"
\"Aha！\"Ithoughttomyself，\"awesterlyblowcomingon。\"ThenI
turnedtomyveryfirstreaderwho，alas！wasnottolivelongenoughtoknowtheendofthetale。
\"Nowletmeaskyouonemorething：isthestoryquitecleartoyouasitstands？\"
Heraisedhisdark，gentleeyestomyfaceandseemedsurprised。
\"Yes！Perfectly。\"
ThiswasallIwastohearfromhislipsconcerningthemeritsof\"Almayer’sFolly。\"Weneverspoketogetherofthebookagain。A
longperiodofbadweathersetinandIhadnothoughtsleftbutformyduties，whilstpoorJacquescaughtafatalcoldandhadtokeepcloseinhiscabin。WhenwearrivedinAdelaidethefirstreaderofmyprosewentatonceup-country，anddiedrathersuddenlyintheend，eitherinAustraliaoritmaybeonthepassagewhilegoinghomethroughtheSuezCanal。Iamnotsurewhichitwasnow，andIdonotthinkIeverheardprecisely;
thoughImadeinquiriesabouthimfromsomeofourreturnpassengerswho，wanderingaboutto\"seethecountry\"duringtheship’sstayinport，hadcomeuponhimhereandthere。Atlastwesailed，homewardbound，andstillnotonelinewasaddedtothecarelessscrawlofthemanypageswhichpoorJacqueshadhadthepatiencetoreadwiththeveryshadowsofEternitygatheringalreadyinthehollowsofhiskind，steadfasteyes。
Thepurposeinstilledintomebyhissimpleandfinal\"Distinctly\"remaineddormant，yetalivetoawaititsopportunity。IdaresayIamcompelled，unconsciouslycompelled，nowtowritevolumeaftervolume，asinpastyearsIwascompelledtogotoseavoyageaftervoyage。Leavesmustfollowuponeachotherasleaguesusedtofollowinthedaysgoneby，onandontotheappointedend，which，beingTruthitself，isOne——
oneforallmenandforalloccupations。
Idonotknowwhichofthetwoimpulseshasappearedmoremysteriousandmorewonderfultome。Still，inwriting，asingoingtosea，Ihadtowaitmyopportunity。LetmeconfessherethatIwasneveroneofthosewonderfulfellowsthatwouldgoafloatinawash-tubforthesakeofthefun，andifImaypridemyselfuponmyconsistency，itwaseverjustthesamewithmywriting。Somemen，Ihaveheard，writeinrailwaycarriages，andcoulddoit，perhaps，sittingcross-leggedonaclothes-line;butImustconfessthatmysybariticdispositionwillnotconsenttowritewithoutsomethingatleastresemblingachair。Linebyline，ratherthanpagebypage，wasthegrowthof\"Almayer’sFolly。\"
AndsoithappenedthatIverynearlylosttheMS。，advancednowtothefirstwordsoftheninthchapter，intheFriedrichstrasserailwaystation（that’sinBerlin，youknow），onmywaytoPoland，ormorepreciselytoUkraine。Onanearly，sleepymorningchangingtrainsinahurryIleftmyGladstonebaginarefreshment-room。AworthyandintelligentKoffertragerrescuedit。YetinmyanxietyIwasnotthinkingoftheMS。butofalltheotherthingsthatwerepackedinthebag。
InWarsaw，whereIspenttwodays，thosewanderingpageswereneverexposedtothelight，exceptonce，tocandle-light，whilethebaglayopenonachair。Iwasdressinghurriedlytodineatasportingclub。Afriendofmychildhood（hehadbeenintheDiplomaticService，buthadturnedtogrowingwheatonpaternalacres，andwehadnotseeneachotherforovertwentyyears）wassittingonthehotelsofawaitingtocarrymeoffthere。
\"Youmighttellmesomethingofyourlifewhileyouaredressing，\"hesuggestedkindly。
IdonotthinkItoldhimmuchofmylife-storyeitherthenorlater。Thetalkoftheselectlittlepartywithwhichhemademedinewasextremelyanimatedandembracedmostsubjectsunderheaven，frombig-gameshootinginAfricatothelastpoempublishedinaverymodernistreview，editedbytheveryyoungandpatronisedbythehighestsociety。Butitnevertouchedupon\"Almayer’sFolly，\"andnextmorning，inuninterruptedobscurity，thisinseparablecompanionwentonrollingwithmeinthesouth-
eastdirectiontowardstheGovernmentofKiev。
Atthattimetherewasaneight-hours’drive，ifnotmore，fromtherailwaystationtothecountryhousewhichwasmydestination。
\"Dearboy\"（thesewordswerealwayswritteninEnglish），soranthelastletterfromthathousereceivedinLondon，——\"Getyourselfdriventotheonlyinnintheplace，dineaswellasyoucan，andsometimeintheeveningmyownconfidentialservant，factotumandmajor-domo，aMr。V。S。（Iwarnyouheisofnobleextraction），willpresenthimselfbeforeyou，reportingthearrivalofthesmallsledgewhichwilltakeyouhereonthenextday。Isendwithhimmyheaviestfur，whichIsupposewithsuchovercoatsasyoumayhavewithyouwillkeepyoufromfreezingontheroad。\"
Sureenough，asIwasdining，servedbyaHebrewwaiter，inanenormousbarn-likebedroomwithafreshlypaintedfloor，thedooropenedand，inatravellingcostumeoflongboots，bigsheep-skincapandashortcoatgirtwithaleatherbelt，theMr。V。S。（ofnobleextraction），amanofaboutthirty-five，appearedwithanairofperplexityonhisopenandmoustachioedcountenance。I
gotupfromthetableandgreetedhiminPolish，with，Ihope，therightshadeofconsiderationdemandedbyhisnoblebloodandhisconfidentialposition。Hisfaceclearedupinawonderfulway。Itappearedthat，notwithstandingmyuncle’searnestassurances，thegoodfellowhadremainedindoubtofourunderstandingeachother。HeimaginedIwouldtalktohiminsomeforeignlanguage。Iwastoldthathislastwordsongettingintothesledgetocometomeetmeshapedananxiousexclamation：
\"Well！Well！HereIamgoing，butGodonlyknowshowIamtomakemyselfunderstoodtoourmaster’snephew。\"
Weunderstoodeachotherverywellfromthefirst。HetookchargeofmeasifIwerenotquiteofage。Ihadadelightfulboyishfeelingofcominghomefromschoolwhenhemuffledmeupnextmorninginanenormousbear-skintravelling-coatandtookhisseatprotectivelybymyside。Thesledgewasaverysmalloneanditlookedutterlyinsignificant，almostlikeatoybehindthefourbigbaysharnessedtwoandtwo。Wethree，countingthecoachman，filleditcompletely。Hewasayoungfellowwithclearblueeyes;thehighcollarofhisliveryfurcoatframedhischeerycountenanceandstoodallroundlevelwiththetopofhishead。
\"Now，Joseph，\"mycompanionaddressedhim，\"doyouthinkweshallmanagetogethomebeforesix？\"Hisanswerwasthatwewouldsurely，withGod’shelp，andprovidingtherewerenoheavydriftsinthelongstretchbetweencertainvillageswhosenamescamewithanextremelyfamiliarsoundtomyears。Heturnedoutanexcellentcoachmanwithaninstinctforkeepingtheroadamongstthesnow-coveredfieldsandanaturalgiftofgettingthebestoutofhishorses。
\"HeisthesonofthatJosephthatIsupposetheCaptainremembers。HewhousedtodrivetheCaptain’slategrandmotherofholymemory，\"remarkedV。S。busytuckingfurrugsaboutmyfeet。
IrememberedperfectlythetrustyJosephwhousedtodrivemygrandmother。Why！heitwaswholetmeholdthereinsforthefirsttimeinmylifeandallowedmetoplaywiththegreatfour-
in-handwhipoutsidethedoorsofthecoach-house。
\"Whatbecameofhim？\"Iasked。\"Heisnolongerserving，I
suppose。\"
\"Heservedourmaster，\"wasthereply。\"Buthediedofcholeratenyearsagonow——thatgreatepidemicwehad。Andhiswifediedatthesametime——thewholehousefulofthem，andthisistheonlyboythatwasleft。\"
TheMS。of\"Almayer’sFolly\"wasreposinginthebagunderourfeet。
IsawagainthesunsettingontheplainsasIsawitinthetravelsofmychildhood。Itset，clearandred，dippingintothesnowinfullviewasifitweresettingonthesea。Itwastwenty-threeyearssinceIhadseenthesunsetoverthatland;
andwedroveoninthedarknesswhichfellswiftlyuponthelividexpanseofsnowstill，outofthewasteofawhiteearthjoiningabestarredsky，surgedupblackshapes，theclumpsoftreesaboutavillageoftheUkrainianplain。Acottageortwoglidedby，alowinterminablewallandthen，glimmeringandwinkingthroughascreenoffir-trees，thelightsofthemaster’shouse。
ThatveryeveningthewanderingMS。of\"Almayer’sFolly\"wasunpackedandunostentatiouslylaidonthewriting-tableinmyroom，theguest-roomwhichhadbeen，Iwasinformedinanaffectedlycarelesstone，awaitingmeforsomefifteenyearsorso。Itattractednoattentionfromtheaffectionatepresencehoveringroundthesonofthefavouritesister。
\"Youwon’thavemanyhourstoyourselfwhileyouarestayingwithme，brother，\"hesaid——thisformofaddressborrowedfromthespeechofourpeasantsbeingtheusualexpressionofthehighestgoodhumourinamomentofaffectionateelation。\"Ishallbealwayscominginforachat。\"
Asamatteroffactwehadthewholehousetochatin，andwereeverlastinglyintrudinguponeachother。Iinvadedtheretirementofhisstudywheretheprincipalfeaturewasacolossalsilverinkstandpresentedtohimonhisfiftiethyearbyasubscriptionofallhiswardsthenliving。Hehadbeenguardianofmanyorphansofland-owningfamiliesfromthethreesouthernprovinces——eversincetheyear1860。Someofthemhadbeenmyschoolfellowsandplaymates，butnotoneofthem，girlsorboys，thatIknowofhaseverwrittenanovel。Oneortwowereolderthanmyself——considerablyolder，too。Oneofthem，avisitorIrememberinmyearlyyears，wasthemanwhofirstputmeonhorseback，andhisfour-horsebachelorturn-out，hisperfecthorsemanshipandgeneralskillinmanlyexerciseswasoneofmyearliestadmirations。Iseemtoremembermymotherlookingonfromacolonnadeinfrontofthedining-roomwindowsasIwaslifteduponthepony，held，forallIknow，bytheveryJoseph——
thegroomattachedspeciallytomygrandmother’sservice——whodiedofcholera。Itwascertainlyayoungmaninadarkblue，tail-lesscoatandhugeCossacktrousers，thatbeingtheliveryofthemenaboutthestables。Itmusthavebeenin1864，butreckoningbyanothermodeofcalculatingtime，itwascertainlyintheyearinwhichmymotherobtainedpermissiontotravelsouthandvisitherfamily，fromtheexileintowhichshehadfollowedmyfather。Forthat，too，shehadhadtoaskpermission，andIknowthatoneoftheconditionsofthatfavourwasthatsheshouldbetreatedexactlyasacondemnedexileherself。Yetacoupleofyearslater，inmemoryofhereldestbrotherwhohadservedintheGuardsanddyingearlylefthostsoffriendsandalovedmemoryinthegreatworldofSt。
Petersburg，someinfluentialpersonagesprocuredforherthispermission——itwasofficiallycalledthe\"HighestGrace\"——ofathreemonths’leavefromexile。
ThisisalsotheyearinwhichIfirstbegintoremembermymotherwithmoredistinctnessthanamereloving，wide-browed，silent，protectingpresence，whoseeyeshadasortofcommandingsweetness;andIalsorememberthegreatgatheringofalltherelationsfromnearandfar，andthegreyheadsofthefamilyfriendspayingherthehomageofrespectandloveinthehouseofherfavouritebrotherwho，afewyearslater，wastotaketheplaceformeofbothmyparents。
Ididnotunderstandthetragicsignificanceofitallatthetime，thoughindeedIrememberthatdoctorsalsocame。Therewerenosignsofinvalidismabouther——butIthinkthatalreadytheyhadpronouncedherdoomunlessperhapsthechangetoasouthernclimatecouldre-establishherdecliningstrength。Formeitseemstheveryhappiestperiodofmyexistence。Therewasmycousin，adelightfulquick-temperedlittlegirl，somemonthsyoungerthanmyself，whoselife，lovinglywatchedover，asifshewerearoyalprincess，cametoanendwithherfifteenthyear。
Therewereotherchildren，too，manyofwhomaredeadnow，andnotafewwhoseverynamesIhaveforgotten。OverallthishungtheoppressiveshadowofthegreatRussianEmpire——theshadowloweringwiththedarknessofanew-bornnationalhatredfosteredbytheMoscowschoolofjournalistsagainstthePolesaftertheill-omenedrisingof1863。
ThisisafarcrybackfromtheMS。of\"Almayer’sFolly，\"butthepublicrecordoftheseformativeimpressionsisnotthewhimofanuneasyegotism。These，too，arethingshuman，alreadydistantintheirappeal。Itismeetthatsomethingmoreshouldbeleftforthenovelist’schildrenthanthecoloursandfiguresofhisownhard-woncreation。Thatwhichintheirgrown-upyearsmayappeartotheworldaboutthemasthemostenigmaticsideoftheirnaturesandperhapsmustremainforeverobscureeventothemselves，willbetheirunconsciousresponsetothestillvoiceofthatinexorablepastfromwhichhisworkoffictionandtheirpersonalitiesareremotelyderived。
Onlyinmen’simaginationdoeseverytruthfindaneffectiveandundeniableexistence。Imagination，notinvention，isthesuprememasterofartasoflife。Animaginativeandexactrenderingofauthenticmemoriesmayserveworthilythatspiritofpietytowardsallthingshumanwhichsanctionstheconceptionsofawriteroftales，andtheemotionsofthemanreviewinghisownexperience。
ChapterII。
AsIhavesaid，IwasunpackingmyluggageafterajourneyfromLondonintoUkraine。TheMS。of\"Almayer’sFolly\"——mycompanionalreadyforsomethreeyearsormore，andthenintheninthchapterofitsage——wasdepositedunostentatiouslyonthewriting-tableplacedbetweentwowindows。Itdidn’toccurtometoputitawayinthedrawerthetablewasfittedwith，butmyeyewasattractedbythegoodformofthesamedrawer’sbrasshandles。Twocandelabrawithfourcandleseachlightedupfestallytheroomwhichhadwaitedsomanyyearsforthewanderingnephew。Theblindsweredown。
WithinfivehundredyardsofthechaironwhichIsatstoodthefirstpeasanthutofthevillage——partofmymaternalgrandfather’sestate，theonlypartremaininginthepossessionofamemberofthefamily;andbeyondthevillageinthelimitlessblacknessofawinter’snighttherelaythegreatunfencedfields——notaflatandsevereplain，butakindlybread-
givinglandoflowroundedridges，allwhitenow，withtheblackpatchesoftimbernestlinginthehollows。TheroadbywhichI
hadcomeranthroughthevillagewithaturnjustoutsidethegatesclosingtheshortdrive。Somebodywasabroadonthedeepsnowtrack;aquicktinkleofbellsstolegraduallyintothestillnessoftheroomlikeatunefulwhisper。
Myunpackinghadbeenwatchedoverbytheservantwhohadcometohelpme，and，forthemostpart，hadbeenstandingattentivebutunnecessaryatthedooroftheroom。Ididnotwanthimintheleast，butIdidnotliketotellhimtogoaway。Hewasayoungfellow，certainlymorethantenyearsyoungerthanmyself;Ihadnotbeen——Iwon’tsayinthatplacebutwithinsixtymilesofit，eversincetheyear’67;yethisguilelessphysiognomyoftheopenpeasanttypeseemedstrangelyfamiliar。Itwasquitepossiblethathemighthavebeenadescendant，asonorevenagrandson，oftheservantswhosefriendlyfaceshadbeenfamiliartomeinmyearlychildhood。Asamatteroffacthehadnosuchclaimonmyconsideration。Hewastheproductofsomevillagenearbyandwasthereonhispromotion，havinglearnedtheserviceinoneortwohousesaspantry-boy。IknowthisbecauseIaskedtheworthyV——nextday。Imightwellhavesparedthequestion。Idiscoveredbeforelongthatallthefacesaboutthehouseandallthefacesinthevillage：thegravefaceswithlongmoustachesoftheheadsoffamilies，thedownyfacesoftheyoungmen，thefacesofthelittlefair-hairedchildren，thehandsome，tanned，wide-browedfacesofthemothersseenatthedoorsofthehutswereasfamiliartomeasthoughIhadknownthemallfromchildhood，andmychildhoodwereamatterofthedaybeforeyesterday。
Thetinkleofthetraveller’sbels，aftergrowinglouder，hadfadedawayquickly，andthetumultofbarkingdogsinthevillagehadcalmeddownatlast。Myuncle，lounginginthecornerofasmallcouch，smokedhislongTurkishchiboukinsilence。
\"Thisisanextremelynicewriting-tableyouhavegotformyroom，\"Iremarked。
\"Itisreallyyourproperty，\"hesaid，keepinghiseyesonme，withaninterestedandwistfulexpressionashehaddoneeversinceIhadenteredthehouse。\"Fortyyearsagoyourmotherusedtowriteatthisverytable。InourhouseinOratowitstoodinthelittlesitting-roomwhich，byatacitarrangement，wasgivenuptothegirls——Imeantoyourmotherandhersisterwhodiedsoyoung。ItwasapresenttothemjointlyfromouruncleNicholasB。whenyourmotherwasseventeenandyouraunttwoyearsyounger。Shewasaverydear，delightfulgirl，thatauntofyours，ofwhomIsupposeyouknownothingmorethanthename。
Shedidnotshinesomuchbypersonalbeautyandacultivatedmind，inwhichyourmotherwasfarsuperior。Itwashergoodsense，theadmirablesweetnessofhernature，herexceptionalfacilityandeaseindailyrelationsthatendearedhertoeverybody。Herdeathwasaterriblegriefandaseriousmorallossforusall。Hadshelivedshewouldhavebroughtthegreatestblessingstothehouseitwouldhavebeenherlottoenter，aswife，motherandmistressofahousehold。Shewouldhavecreatedroundherselfanatmosphereofpeaceandcontentwhichonlythosewhocanloveunselfishlyareabletoevoke。
Yourmother——offargreaterbeauty，exceptionallydistinguishedinperson，mannerandintellect——hadalesseasydisposition。
Beingmorebrilliantlygiftedshealsoexpectedmorefromlife。
Atthattryingtimeespecially，weweregreatlyconcernedaboutherstate。Sufferinginherhealthfromtheshockofherfather’sdeath（shewasaloneinthehousewithhimwhenhediedsuddenly），shewastornbytheinwardstrugglebetweenherloveforthemanwhomshewastomarryintheendandherknowledgeofherdeadfather’sdeclaredobjectiontothatmatch。Unabletobringherselftodisregardthatcherishedmemoryandthatjudgmentshehadalwaysrespectedandtrusted，and，ontheotherhand，feelingtheimpossibilitytoresistasentimentsodeepandsotrue，shecouldnothavebeenexpectedtopreservehermentalandmoralbalance。Atwarwithherself，shecouldnotgivetoothersthatfeelingofpeacewhichwasnotherown。Itwasonlylater，whenunitedatlastwiththemanofherchoicethatshedevelopedthoseuncommongiftsofmindandheartwhichcompelledtherespectandadmirationevenofourfoes。Meetingwithcalmfortitudethecrueltrialsofalifereflectingallthenationalandsocialmisfortunesofthecommunity，sherealisedthehighestconceptionsofdutyasawife，amotherandapatriot，sharingtheexileofherhusbandandrepresentingnoblytheidealofPolishwomanhood。OurUncleNicholaswasnotamanveryaccessibletofeelingsofaffection。ApartfromhisworshipforNapoleontheGreat，helovedreally，Ibelieve，onlythreepeopleintheworld：hismother——yourgreat-grandmother，whomyouhaveseenbutcannotpossiblyremember;hisbrother，ourfather，inwhosehousehelivedforsomanyyears;andofallofus，hisnephewsandniecesgrownuproundhim，yourmotheralone。Themodest，lovablequalitiesoftheyoungestsisterhedidnotseemabletosee。ItwasIwhofeltmostprofoundlythisunexpectedstrokeofdeathfallinguponthefamilylessthanayearafterI
hadbecomeitshead。Itwasterriblyunexpected。Drivinghomeonewintryafternoontokeepmecompanyinouremptyhouse，whereIhadtoremainpermanentlyadministeringtheestateandattendingtothecomplicatedaffairs——（thegirlstookitinturnweekandweekabout）——driving，asIsaid，fromthehouseoftheCountessTeklaPotochka，whereourinvalidmotherwasstayingthentobenearadoctor，theylosttheroadandgotstuckinasnowdrift。ShewasalonewiththecoachmanandoldValery，thepersonalservantofourlatefather。Impatientofdelaywhiletheyweretryingtodigthemselvesout，shejumpedoutofthesledgeandwenttolookfortheroadherself。Allthishappenedin’51，nottenmilesfromthehouseinwhichwearesittingnow。
Theroadwassoonfound，butsnowhadbeguntofallthicklyagain，andtheywerefourmorehoursgettinghome。Boththementookofftheirsheepskin-linedgreat-coatsandusedalltheirownrugstowrapherupagainstthecold，notwithstandingherprotests，positiveordersandevenstruggles，asValeryafterwardsrelatedtome。’HowcouldI，’heremonstratedwithher，’gotomeettheblessedsoulofmylatemasterifIletanyharmcometoyouwhilethere’sasparkoflifeleftinmybody？’
Whentheyreachedhomeatlastthepooroldmanwasstiffandspeechlessfromexposure，andthecoachmanwasinnotmuchbetterplight，thoughhehadthestrengthtodriveroundtothestableshimself。Tomyreproachesforventuringoutatallinsuchweather，sheansweredcharacteristicallythatshecouldnotbearthethoughtofabandoningmetomycheerlesssolitude。Itisincomprehensiblehowitwasthatshewasallowedtostart。I
supposeithadtobe！Shemadelightofthecoughwhichcameonnextday，butshortlyafterwardsinflammationofthelungssetin，andinthreeweeksshewasnomore！Shewasthefirsttobetakenawayoftheyounggenerationundermycare。Beholdthevanityofallhopesandfears！Iwasthemostfrailatbirthofallthechildren。ForyearsIremainedsodelicatethatmyparentshadbutlittlehopeofbringingmeup;andyetIhavesurvivedfivebrothersandtwosisters，andmanyofmycontemporaries;Ihaveoutlivedmywifeanddaughtertoo——andfromallthosewhohavehadsomeknowledgeatleastoftheseoldtimesyoualoneareleft。Ithasbeenmylottolayinanearlygravemanyhonesthearts，manybrilliantpromises，manyhopesfulloflife。\"
Hegotupbrusquely，sighed，andleftme，saying：\"Wewilldineinhalfanhour。\"WithoutmovingIlistenedtohisquickstepsresoundingonthewaxedfloorofthenextroom，traversingtheante-roomlinedwithbookshelves，wherehepausedtoputhischiboukinthepipe-standbeforepassingintothedrawing-room（thesewereallensuite），wherehebecameinaudibleonthethickcarpet。ButIheardthedoorofhisstudy-bedroomclose。Hewasthensixty-twoyearsoldandhadbeenforaquarterofacenturythewisest，thefirmest，themostindulgentofguardians，extendingovermeapaternalcareandaffection，amoralsupportwhichIseemedtofeelalwaysnearmeinthemostdistantpartsoftheearth。
AstoMr。NicholasB。，sub-lieutenantof1808，lieutenantof1813
intheFrenchArmy，andforashorttimeOfficierd’OrdonnanceofMarshalMarmont;afterwardsCaptaininthe2ndRegimentofMountedRiflesinthePolishArmy——suchasitexistedupto1830
inthereducedkingdomestablishedbytheCongressofVienna——I
mustsaythatfromallthatmoredistantpast，knowntometraditionallyandalittledevisu，andcalledoutbythewordsofthemanjustgoneaway，heremainsthemostincompletefigure。
ItisobviousthatImusthaveseenhimin’64，foritiscertainthathewouldnothavemissedtheopportunityofseeingmymotherforwhathemusthaveknownwouldbethelasttime。Frommyearlyboyhoodtothisday，ifItrytocalluphisimage，asortofmistrisesbeforemyeyes，amistinwhichIperceivevaguelyonlyaneatlybrushedheadofwhitehair（whichisexceptionalinthecaseoftheB。family，whereitistheruleformentogobaldinabecomingmanner，beforethirty）andathin，curved，dignifiednose，afeatureinstrictaccordancewiththephysicaltraditionoftheB。family。Butitisnotbythesefragmentaryremainsofperishablemortalitythathelivesinmymemory。I
knew，ataveryearlyage，thatmygrand-uncleNicholasB。wasaKnightoftheLegionofHonourandthathehadalsothePolishCrossforvalourVirtutiMilitari。Theknowledgeofthesegloriousfactsinspiredinmeanadmiringveneration;yetitisnotthatsentiment，strongasitwas，whichresumesformetheforceandthesignificanceofhispersonality。Itisoverbornebyanotherandcompleximpressionofawe，compassionandhorror。
