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roses； he declared； sniffing the faint flavor of turpentine
which at that time pervaded the saloon； and （as he con…
fessed afterwards） made him somewhat less hearty than
usual in tackling his food。 But there was nothing of
the sort to interfere with his enjoyment of her singing。
〃Mrs。 Whalley is a regular out…and…out nightingale；
sir；〃 he would pronounce with a judicial air after listen…
ing profoundly over the skylight to the very end of the
piece。 In fine weather； in the second dog…watch； the two
men could hear her trills and roulades going on to the
accompaniment of the piano in the cabin。 On the very
day they got engaged he had written to London for the
instrument； but they had been married for over a year
before it reached them； coming out round the Cape。
The big case made part of the first direct general cargo
landed in Hongkong harboran event that to the men
who walked the busy quays of to…day seemed as hazily
remote as the dark ages of history。 But Captain Whal…
ley could in a half hour of solitude live again all his
life； with its romance； its idyl； and its sorrow。 He had
to close her eyes himself。 She went away from under
the ensign like a sailor's wife； a sailor herself at heart。
He had read the service over her； out of her own prayer…
book； without a break in his voice。 When he raised his
eyes he could see old Swinburne facing him with his cap
pressed to his breast； and his rugged； weather…beaten；
impassive face streaming with drops of water like a
lump of chipped red granite in a shower。 It was all
very well for that old sea…dog to cry。 He had to read
on to the end； but after the splash he did not remember
much of what happened for the next few days。 An
elderly sailor of the crew； deft at needlework； put to…
gether a mourning frock for the child out of one of
her black skirts。
He was not likely to forget； but you cannot dam up
life like a sluggish stream。 It will break out and flow
over a man's troubles； it will close upon a sorrow like
the sea upon a dead body； no matter how much love has
gone to the bottom。 And the world is not bad。 People
had been very kind to him； especially Mrs。 Gardner； the
wife of the senior partner in Gardner； Patteson； & Co。；
the owners of the Condor。 It was she who volunteered
to look after the little one； and in due course took her
to England （something of a journey in those days；
even by the overland mail route） with her own girls to
finish her education。 It was ten years before he saw her
again。
As a little child she had never been frightened of bad
weather； she would beg to be taken up on deck in the
bosom of his oilskin coat to watch the big seas hurling
themselves upon the Condor。 The swirl and crash of the
waves seemed to fill her small soul with a breathless de…
light。 〃A good boy spoiled；〃 he used to say of her in
joke。 He had named her Ivy because of the sound of
the word； and obscurely fascinated by a vague associa…
tion of ideas。 She had twined herself tightly round his
heart； and he intended her to cling close to her father as
to a tower of strength； forgetting； while she was little；
that in the nature of things she would probably elect
to cling to someone else。 But he loved life well enough
for even that event to give him a certain satisfaction；
apart from his more intimate feeling of loss。
After he had purchased the Fair Maid to occupy his
loneliness； he hastened to accept a rather unprofitable
freight to Australia simply for the opportunity of seeing
his daughter in her own home。 What made him dis…
satisfied there was not to see that she clung now to some…
body else； but that the prop she had selected seemed on
closer examination 〃a rather poor stick〃even in the
matter of health。 He disliked his son…in…law's studied
civility perhaps more than his method of handling the
sum of money he had given Ivy at her marriage。 But
of his apprehensions he said nothing。 Only on the day
of his departure； with the hall…door open already； hold…
ing her hands and looking steadily into her eyes； he
had said； 〃You know； my dear； all I have is for you and
the chicks。 Mind you write to me openly。〃 She had
answered him by an almost imperceptible movement of
her head。 She resembled her mother in the color of her
eyes； and in characterand also in this； that she under…
stood him without many words。
Sure enough she had to write； and some of these letters
made Captain Whalley lift his white eye…brows。 For
the rest he considered he was reaping the true reward of
his life by being thus able to produce on demand what…
ever was needed。 He had not enjoyed himself so much
in a way since his wife had died。 Characteristically
enough his son…in…law's punctuality in failure caused him
at a distance to feel a sort of kindness towards the man。
The fellow was so perpetually being jammed on a lee
shore that to charge it all to his reckless navigation
would be manifestly unfair。 No； no！ He knew well
what that meant。 It was bad luck。 His own had been
simply marvelous； but he had seen in his life too many
good menseamen and othersgo under with the sheer
weight of bad luck not to recognize the fatal signs。 For
all that； he was cogitating on the best way of tying up
very strictly every penny he had to leave； when； with a
preliminary rumble of rumors （whose first sound reached
him in Shanghai as it happened）； the shock of the big
failure came； and； after passing through the phases of
stupor； of incredulity； of indignation； he had to accept
the fact that he had nothing to speak of to leave。
Upon that； as if he had only waited for this catas…
trophe； the unlucky man； away there in Melbourne； gave
up his unprofitable game； and sat downin an invalid's
bath…chair at that too。 〃He will never walk again；〃
wrote the wife。 For the first time in his life Captain
Whalley was a bit staggered。
The Fair Maid had to go to work in bitter earnest now。
It was no longer a matter of preserving alive the memory
of Dare…devil Harry Whalley in the Eastern Seas； or
of keeping an old man in pocket…money and clothes； with；
perhaps； a bill for a few hundred first…class cigars
thrown in at the end of the year。 He would have to
buckle…to； and keep her going hard on a scant allowance
of gilt for the ginger…bread scrolls at her stem and
stern。
This necessity opened his eyes to the fundamental
changes of the world。 Of his past only the fa