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enigmatical； with something mournful too in the pose； like that
statue of Giuliano （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
certain conditions of weather； season； locality； &c。 &c。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 up 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 apologised 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 sandbanksthe 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 thankfullypassed！ 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 myself to be examined for
Master the examiner who received me was short； plump； with a
round； soft face in grey； 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 3000…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 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 sown at sea。 It was the exact truth； but he would not
have understood the somewhat exceptional psychology of my sea…
going； I fear。
〃I suppose you've never come across one of your countrymen at
sea。 Have you now？〃
I admitted I never had。 The examiner had given himself up to the
spirit of gossiping idleness。 For myself； I was in no haste to
leave that room。 Not in the least。 The