was no better sailor afloat for all that, and on the stormiestnight or squalliest day I always felt safe when my first mate trod theplanks.
"James could tell a good story too, and I used to keep him at it of anevening--any evening save Sunday. On Sunday, James did nothing in theintervals of duty except read the Bible--the `Good Book,' as he calledit. This New Testament was one of those large type editions which veryold people use.
"His mother--dead and gone--had left him that Book, and also hergold-rimmed specs, and it was interesting, on a Sunday afternoon, to seeJames sitting solemnly down to the Book, and shipping those specsathwart his nose.
"`What on earth,' I said once to him, `do you use the specs for, myfriend?'
"When James looked up at me, half-upbraidingly, those eyes of his, seenthrough the powerful lenses, looked as big and wild and round as acatamount's. It was unearthly.
"`My mother bade me. Would you disobey your mother?'
"This was a bombshell, and I said no more.
"But there was one subject on which James and I never disagreed--namely,`the ladies,' as he called women folks. `They are deceitful above allthings, and desperately wicked,' James would say, `and I means to steerclear on 'em.' And James always did.
"There was one pleasure James and I had in common--namely, witnessing agood tragedy on the boards of Liverpool theatre. You see this was ourport of destination on our return from the far, far south. Mind, wewouldn't go to see a drama, because there might be too much nonsensicallove business in it, and too many of `the frivolous antics of women'--James's own words. But in a tragedy the women often came to grief,which James thought was only natural.
"So we chose tragedy.
"Now, one night at this same theatre, I had one of the strangestexperiences of my life; and never yet have I found any one who couldexplain it.
"James and I had gone early that evening, because there was somethingspecially tragic on, and we desired to secure good seats. We sat in thefront row, and at the left end of the row, because we wished to leavethe theatre between each act to enjoy a few whiffs of tobacco.
"The play was well begun, and my eyes were riveted on the stage. Therewas a momentary silence, and during this time I was sensible, from aslight rustling noise, that the private box behind and above me wasbeing occupied.
"Did you ever hear psychologists mention the term or feeling `ecstasy'?That was what stole over me now. For a few minutes I saw nothing on thestage; only a feeling of intense happiness, such as I have seldomexperienced since that night, stole over me, occupying, bathing, I maysay, my whole soul and mind.
"I turned at last, and my eyes met those of a young lady in that privatebox. Never before had I seen such radiant beauty. Never had I beenimpressed with beauty of any kind before. My heart almost stood still.It was really an awful moment--that is, if intense happiness can ever beawful.
"Well, if it is possible for a sailor, with a face as brown as the backof a fiddle, to blush, I blushed. She, too, I think, coloured just alittle.
"What was it? What could it mean?
"I know not how I sat out the act. When I rose with James to go out, Idared one other glance towards the box. The lady had gone, and afeeling of coldness crept round my heart. I felt as depressed now as Ihad recently felt happy.
"`James,' I said, `take me home, I--I believe I'm ill.'
"`Why,' said James, `you look as though you had seen a ghost.'
"I got home. Something, I knew not what, was going to happen; but allthat night dream after dream haunted my pillow, and of every dream, thesweet young face I had seen in the private box was the only thing Icould remember when daylight broke athwart the eastern sky."
Book 2--CHAPTER FOUR.
"DEAR, UNSELFISH, BUT SOMEWHAT SILLY FELLOW."
"I never had a secret from James Malone; no, not so much as one. Had Iknown what was the matter with me on the evening before, I should havetold James manfully and in a moment.
"But when he came to my rooms in the morning, to share my humblebreakfast, and consult about the duties of the day, we being just thenfitting out for sea,--
"`James,' I began--
"And then--well, then I told him all the story, even down to my strangedreams and the sweet young face that had haunted them.
"`Why, James,' I concluded, `I have only to close my eyes now to see heronce again, and I can neither read nor write without thinking of her.'
"James sat silently beholding me for fully a minute. His face wasclouded, and pity and anxiety were in every lineament of his manlyfeatures.
"`I'm taken aback,' he stammered at last. `White squalls is nothin' toit. Charlie Halcott, you're _in love_. It's an awful, fearful thing.No surgical operation can do anything for you. It's worse by far than Ithought. A mild touch of the cholera would be mere moonshine to this.A brush wi' Yellow Jack wouldn't be a circumstance to it. O Halcott,Halcott! O Charlie! what _am_ I to do with you?'
"`James,' I interrupted, `light your pipe. Did _you_ see the beautifulvision--the lovely child?'
"`I followed your eyes.'
"`And what saw you, James?' I asked, leaning eagerly towards him.
"`I saw what appeared to be--a woman. Nothin' more and nothin' less.'
"`James, did you not notice her blue and heavenly eyes, that seemed toswim in ether; her delicately pencilled eyebrows; the long lashes thatswept the rounded rosy cheeks; her golden hair like sunset's glow; herlittle mouth; her lips like the blossom of the blueberry, and thedelicate play of her mobile countenance?'
"`Delicate play of a mobile marling-spike!' cried James, jumping up. Herammed a piece of paper into his pipe and thrust it into his pocket.
"`Charles Halcott, I'm off,' he cried.
"`Off, James?'
"`Yes, off. Every man Jack shall be on board the _Sea Flower_ to-day,bag and baggage. We'll drop down stream to-morrow morning early, ship apilot, and get away to sea without more ado.'
"He was at the door by the time he had finished but he stopped a momentwith a look of wondrous pity on his handsome face, then came straightback and clasped my hand in brotherly affection, and so, without anotherword, walked out and away.
"Now, I was master of the _Sea Flower_, but in the matter of sailingnext day--three or four whole days before I had intended--I should nomore have thought of gainsaying honest James Malone than of disobeyingmy father had he been alive. James was acting towards me with truebrotherly affection, quite disinterestedly in my behalf, and--_quiensabe_?--probably saving me from a lifetime's misery.
"I would be advised by James.
"So after he had left, and I had smoked in solitary sadness for about anhour, I rose with a sigh, and commenced throwing my things together inthe great mahogany sea-chest that while afloat stood in my state-room,and which on shore I never travelled without.
"For the whole of that forenoon I wandered about the streets ofLiverpool, looking chiefly at the photographers' windows. I wasbewitched, and possessed some faint hope of seeing a photograph of herwho had bewitched me. I even entered the shops under pretence ofbargaining for a likeness of my sailor-self, and looked over their booksof specimens.
"Had I come across her picture, the temptation to purchase it would, Ifear, have proved irresistible.
"Suddenly I pulled myself taut up with a round turn, and planked myself,so to speak, on my mental quarterdeck before Commander Conscience.
"`What are you doing, or trying to do, Charles Halcott?' said CommanderConscience.
"`Only trying,' replied Charles Halcott, `to procure a photograph of theloveliest young lady on earth, whose eyes shine like stars in beauty'snight.'
"`Don't be a fool, Charles Halcott. Are you not wise enough to knowthat, even if you procure this photograph, you will have to keep it asecret from honest James Malone? His friendship is better far than loveof womankind. Besides,' added Commander Conscience, `you need nophotograph. Is not the image of the lady who has bewitched youindelibly photographed upon your soul? Charl
es Halcott, I am ashamed ofyou!'
"I stood at a window for a few minutes, looking sheepish enough; then Ithrew temptation to the winds, put about, and sailed right away back tomy chambers, studding-sails set low and aloft.
"I finished packing, saw my owners in the afternoon, and when James cameoff to the ship he found me quietly smoking my biggest pipe in thesaloon of the _Sea Flower_.
"He smiled now.
"`Better already,' he said; `His name be praised!'
"James was a strange man in some ways. This was one: he thanked Heavenfor every comfort, even the slightest, and did nothing without, in aword or two, asking a blessing thereon.
"In three days'