Page:'Twixt land and sea - tales (IA twixtlandseatale00conr).pdf/17

 And so he fretted through the dark hours, while I drew on my fund of philosophy. Ah, but it was an exasperating, weary, endless night, to be lying at anchor close under that black coast! The agitated water made snarling sounds all round the ship. At times a wild gust of wind out of a gully high up on the cliffs struck on our rigging a harsh and plaintive note like the wail of a forsaken soul.

half-past seven in the morning, the ship being then inside the harbour at last and moored within a long stone's-throw from the quay, my stock of philosophy was nearly exhausted. I was dressing hurriedly in my cabin when the steward came tripping in with a morning suit over his arm.

Hungry, tired, and depressed, with my head engaged inside a white shirt irritatingly stuck together by too much starch, I desired him peevishiy to “heave round with that breakfast.” I wanted to get ashore as soon as possible.

“Yes, sir. Ready at eight, sir. There’s a gentleman from the shore waiting to speak to you, sir.”

This statement was curiously slurred over. I dragged the shirt violently over my head and emerged staring.

“So early!” I cried. “Who’s he? What does he want?”

On coming in from sea one has to pick up the conditions of an utterly unrelated existence. Every