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use appealing to the office。 Captain Provost had too
much influence in the employ。 All the same； they had
to give him a good character。 He made bold to say
there was nothing in the world against him； and； as he
had happened to hear that the mate of the Sofala had
been taken to the hospital that morning with a sun…
stroke； he thought there would be no harm in seeing
whether he would not do。 。 。 。
He had come to Captain Whalley freshly shaved； red…
faced； thin…flanked； throwing out his lean chest； and
had recited his little tale with an open and manly as…
surance。 Now and then his eyelids quivered slightly；
his hand would steal up to the end of the flaming mus…
tache； his eyebrows were straight； furry； of a chestnut
color； and the directness of his frank gaze seemed to
tremble on the verge of impudence。 Captain Whalley
had engaged him temporarily； then； the other man hav…
ing been ordered home by the doctors； he had remained
for the next trip； and then the next。 He had now at…
tained permanency； and the performance of his duties
was marked by an air of serious； single…minded appli…
cation。 Directly he was spoken to； he began to smile
attentively； with a great deference expressed in his
whole attitude； but there was in the rapid winking
which went on all the time something quizzical； as
though he had possessed the secret of some universal
joke cheating all creation and impenetrable to other
mortals。
Grave and smiling he watched Massy come down step
by step； when the chief engineer had reached the deck
he swung about； and they found themselves face to face。
Matched as to height and utterly dissimilar； they con…
fronted each other as if there had been something be…
tween themsomething else than the bright strip of
sunlight that； falling through the wide lacing of two
awnings； cut crosswise the narrow planking of the deck
and separated their feet as it were a stream； something
profound and subtle and incalculable； like an unex…
pressed understanding； a secret mistrust； or some sort
of fear。
At last Sterne； blinking his deep…set eyes and sticking
forward his scraped； clean…cut chin； as crimson as the
rest of his face； murmured
〃You've seen？ He grazed！ You've seen？〃
Massy； contemptuous； and without raising his yellow；
fleshy countenance； replied in the same pitch
〃Maybe。 But if it had been you we would have been
stuck fast in the mud。〃
〃Pardon me； Mr。 Massy。 I beg to deny it。 Of course
a shipowner may say what he jolly well pleases on his
own deck。 That's all right； but I beg to 。 。 。〃
〃Get out of my way！〃
The other had a slight start； the impulse of suppressed
indignation perhaps； but held his ground。 Massy's
downward glance wandered right and left； as though the
deck all round Sterne had been bestrewn with eggs that
must not be broken； and he had looked irritably for
places where he could set his feet in flight。 In the end
he too did not move； though there was plenty of room
to pass on。
〃I heard you say up there；〃 went on the mate〃and
a very just remark it was toothat there's always
something wrong。 。 。 。〃
〃Eavesdropping is what's wrong with YOU； Mr。
Sterne。〃
〃Now； if you would only listen to me for a moment；
Mr。 Massy； sir； I could 。 。 。〃
〃You are a sneak；〃 interrupted Massy in a great
hurry； and even managed to get so far as to repeat； 〃a
common sneak；〃 before the mate had broken in argu…
mentatively
〃Now； sir； what is it you want？ You want 。 。 。〃
〃I wantI want；〃 stammered Massy； infuriated and
astonished〃I want。 How do you know that I want
anything？ How dare you？ 。 。 。 What do you
mean？ 。 。 。 What are you afteryou 。 。 。〃
〃Promotion。〃 Sterne silenced him with a sort of
candid bravado。 The engineer's round soft cheeks quiv…
ered still； but he said quietly enough
〃You are only worrying my head off；〃 and Sterne
met him with a confident little smile。
〃A chap in business I know （well up in the world
he is now） used to tell me that this was the proper way。
'Always push on to the front；' he would say。 'Keep
yourself well before your boss。 Interfere whenever you
get a chance。 Show him what you know。 Worry him
into seeing you。' That was his advice。 Now I know
no other boss than you here。 You are the owner； and
no one else counts for THAT much in my eyes。 See； Mr。
Massy？ I want to get on。 I make no secret of it that
I am one of the sort that means to get on。 These are
the men to make use of； sir。 You haven't arrived at
the top of the tree； sir； without finding that outI
dare say。〃
〃Worry your boss in order to get on；〃 mumbled
Massy； as if awestruck by the irreverent originality of
the idea。 〃I shouldn't wonder if this was just what the
Blue Anchor people kicked you out of the employ for。
Is that what you call getting on？ You shall get on in
the same way here if you aren't carefulI can promise
you。〃
At this Sterne hung his head； thoughtful； perplexed；
winking hard at the deck。 All his attempts to enter into
confidential relations with his owner had led of late
to nothing better than these dark threats of dismissal；
and a threat of dismissal would check him at once into
a hesitating silence as though he were not sure that
the proper time for defying it had come。 On this occa…
sion he seemed to have lost his tongue for a moment； and
Massy； getting in motion； heavily passed him by with
an abortive attempt at shouldering。 Sterne defeated it
by stepping aside。 He turned then swiftly； opening
his mouth very wide as if to shout something after the
engineer； but seemed to think better of it。
Alwaysas he was ready to confesson the lookout
for an opening to get on； it had become an instinct with
him to watch the conduct of his immediate superiors for
something 〃that one could lay hold of。〃 It was his
belief that no skipper in the world would keep his com…
mand for a day if only the owners could be 〃made to
know。〃 This romantic and naive theory had led him
into trouble more than once； but he remained incorrigi…
ble； and his character was so instinctively disloyal that
whenever he joined a ship the intention of ousting his
commander out of the berth and taking his place was
always present at the back of his head； as a matter of
course。 It filled the leisure of his waking hours wi