XIII

           ThiswasthereasonwhyMr.Sterne’sconfidentialcommunication,deliveredhurriedlyontheshorealongsidethedarksilentship,haddisturbedhisequanimity.Itwasthemostincomprehensibleandunexpectedthingthatcouldhappen;andtheperturbationofhisspiritwassogreatthat,forgettingallabouthisletters,heranrapidlyupthebridgeladder.

           Theportabletablewasbeingputtogetherfordinnertotheleftofthewheelbytwopig-tailed“boys,”whoasusualsnarledateachotheroverthejob,whileanother,adoleful,burly,veryyellowChinaman,resemblingMr.Massy,waitedapatheticallywiththeclothoverhisarmandapileofthickdinner-platesagainsthischest.Acommoncabinlampwithitsglobemissing,broughtupfrombelow,hadbeenhookedtothewoodenframeworkoftheawning;theside-screenshadbeenloweredallround;CaptainWhalleyfillingthedepthsofthewicker-chairseemedtositbenumbedinacanvastentcrudelylighted,andusedforthestoringofnauticalobjects;ashabbysteering-wheel,abatteredbrassbinnacleonastoutmahoganystand,twodingylife-buoys,anoldcorkfenderlyinginacorner,dilapidateddeck-lockerswithloopsofthinropeinsteadofdoor-handles.

           HeshookofftheappearanceofnumbnesstoreturnMr.VanWyk’sunusuallybriskgreeting,butrelapseddirectlyafterwards.Toacceptapressinginvitationtodinner“upatthehouse”costhimanotherveryvisiblephysicaleffort.Mr.VanWyk,perplexed,foldedhisarms,andleaningbackagainsttherail,withhislittle,black,shinyfeetwellout,examinedhimcovertly.