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fixed to the edge。 The solitary tenant was unknown to me by
sight； though not by reputation； which was simply execrable。
Short and sturdy； as far as I could judge； clad in an old brown
morning…suit； he sat leaning on his elbow； his hand shading his
eyes； and half averted from the chair I was to occupy on the
other side of the table。 He was motionless； mysterious； remote；
enigmatical； with something mournful； too； in the pose； like that
statue of Giugliano （I think） de Medici shading his face on the
tomb by Michael Angelo； though； of course； he was far； far from
being beautiful。 He began by trying to make me talk nonsense。
But I had been warned of that fiendish trait； and contradicted
him with great assurance。 After a while he left off。 So far
good。 But his immobility； the thick elbow on the table； the
abrupt； unhappy voice； the shaded and averted face grew more and
more impressive。 He kept inscrutably silent for a moment； and
then； placing me in a ship of a certain size； at sea； under
conditions of weather； season； locality； etc。all very clear and
preciseordered me to execute a certain manoeuvre。 Before I was
half through with it he did some material damage to the ship。
Directly I had grappled with the difficulty he caused another to
present itself； and when that； too； was met he stuck another ship
before me； creating a very dangerous situation。 I felt slightly
outraged by this ingenuity in piling trouble upon a man。
〃I wouldn't have got into that mess；〃 I suggested； mildly。 〃I
could have seen that ship before。〃
He never stirred the least bit。
〃No； you couldn't。 The weather's thick。〃
〃Oh！ I didn't know；〃 I apologized blankly。
I suppose that after all I managed to stave off the smash with
sufficient approach to verisimilitude； and the ghastly business
went on。 You must understand that the scheme of the test he was
applying to me was； I gathered； a homeward passagethe sort of
passage I would not wish to my bitterest enemy。 That imaginary
ship seemed to labour under a most comprehensive curse。 It's no
use enlarging on these never…ending misfortunes； suffice it to
say that long before the end I would have welcomed with gratitude
an opportunity to exchange into the Flying Dutchman。 Finally he
shoved me into the North Sea （I suppose） and provided me with a
lee shore with outlying sand…banksthe Dutch coast； presumably。
Distance； eight miles。 The evidence of such implacable animosity
deprived me of speech for quite half a minute。
〃Well；〃 he saidfor our pace had been very smart； indeed； till
then。
〃I will have to think a little； sir。〃
〃Doesn't look as if there were much time to think；〃 he muttered；
sardonically； from under his hand。
〃No； sir；〃 I said； with some warmth。 〃Not on board a ship； I
could see。 But so many accidents have happened that I really
can't remember what there's left for me to work with。〃
Still half averted； and with his eyes concealed； he made
unexpectedly a grunting remark。
〃You've done very well。〃
〃Have I the two anchors at the bow； sir？〃 I asked。
〃Yes。〃
I prepared myself then； as a last hope for the ship； to let them
both go in the most effectual manner； when his infernal system of
testing resourcefulness came into play again。
〃But there's only one cable。 You've lost the other。〃
It was exasperating。
〃Then I would back them； if I could； and tail the heaviest hawser
on board on the end of the chain before letting go； and if she
parted from that； which is quite likely； I would just do nothing。
She would have to go。〃
〃Nothing more to do； eh？〃
〃No； sir。 I could do no more。〃
He gave a bitter half…laugh。
〃You could always say your prayers。〃
He got up； stretched himself； and yawned slightly。 It was a
sallow； strong； unamiable face。 He put me； in a surly； bored
fashion； through the usual questions as to lights and signals；
and I escaped from the room thank fullypassed！ Forty minutes！
And again I walked on air along Tower Hill； where so many good
men had lost their heads because； I suppose； they were not
resourceful enough to save them。 And in my heart of hearts I had
no objection to meeting that examiner once more when the third
and last ordeal became due in another year or so。 I even hoped I
should。 I knew the worst of him now； and forty minutes is not an
unreasonable time。 Yes； I distinctly hoped。 。 。 。
But not a bit of it。 When I presented my self to be examined for
master the examiner who received me was short； plump； with a
round； soft face in gray； fluffy whiskers； and fresh； loquacious
lips。
He commenced operations with an easy going 〃Let's see。 H'm。
Suppose you tell me all you know of charter…parties。〃 He kept it
up in that style all through； wandering off in the shape of
comment into bits out of his own life； then pulling himself up
short and returning to the business in hand。 It was very
interesting。 〃What's your idea of a jury…rudder now？〃 he
queried； suddenly； at the end of an instructive anecdote bearing
upon a point of stowage。
I warned him that I had no experience of a lost rudder at sea；
and gave him two classical examples of makeshifts out of a
text…book。 In exchange he described to me a jury…rudder he had
invented himself years before； when in command of a
three…thousand…ton steamer。 It was； I declare； the cleverest
contrivance imaginable。 〃May be of use to you some day；〃 he
concluded。 〃You will go into steam presently。 Everybody goes
into steam。〃
There he was wrong。 I never went into steamnot really。 If I
only live long enough I shall become a bizarre relic of a dead
barbarism； a sort of monstrous antiquity； the only seaman of the
dark ages who had never gone into steamnot really。
Before the examination was over he imparted to me a few
interesting details of the transport service in the time of the
Crimean War。
〃The use of wire rigging became general about that time； too；〃 he
observed。 〃I was a very young master then。 That was before you
were born。〃
〃Yes； sir。 I am of the year of 1857。〃
〃The Mutiny year；〃 he commented； as if to himself； adding in a
louder tone that his ship happened then to be in the Gulf of
Bengal； employed under a government charter。
Clearly the transport service had been the making of this
examiner； who so unexpectedly had given me an insight into his
existence； awakening in me the sense of the continuity of that
sea life into which I had stepped from outside； giving a touch of
human intimacy to the machinery of official relations。 I felt
adopted。 His experience was for me； too； as though he had been
an ancestor。
Writing my long name （it has twelve letters） with laborious care
on the slip of blue paper； he remarked：
〃You are of Polish extraction。〃
〃Born there； sir。〃
He laid down the pen and leaned back to look at me as it were for
the first time。
〃Not many of your nationality in our service； I should think。 I
never remember meeting one either before or after I left the sea。
Don't remember ever hearing of one。 An inland people； aren't
you？〃
I said yesvery much so。 We were remote from the sea not only
by situation； but also from a complete absence of indirect
association； not being a commercial nation at all； but purely
agricultural。 He made then the quaint reflection that it was 〃a
long way for me to come out to begin a sea life〃； as if sea life
were not precisely a life in which one goes a long way from home。
I told him； smiling； that no doubt I could have found a ship much
nearer my native place； but I had thought to myself that if I was
to be a seaman； then I would be a British seaman and no other。
It was a matter of deliberate choice。
He nodded slightly at that； and； as he kept on looking at me
interrogatively； I enlarged a little； confessing that I had spent
a little time on the way in the Mediterranean and in the West
Indies。 I did not want to present myself to the British Merchant
Service in an altogether green state。 It was no use telling him
that my mysterious vocation was so strong that my very wild oats
had to be s