Chance - A Tale in Two Parts

ipper. We helped the boy we had with us to haul the boat up on the landing-stage before we went up to the riverside inn, where we fou

heerless tablecloth. We knew him already by sight as the owner of a little five-ton cutter, which he sailed alone apparently, a fellow yachtsman in the unpretending band

or the slovenly manner in which the dinner was served.

we should never make a living. No one would employ us. And moreover no ship navigated and sailed

n his work: from plumbers who were simply thieves to, say, newspaper men (he seemed to think them a specially intellectual class) who never by any chance gave a correct ver

tight little island won't turn turtle with them or spring

ime in their lives was as youngsters in good ships, with no care in the world but not to lose a watch below when at sea and not a moment's time in going ashore after work hours when in harbour. They agreed also as to the proudest moment they had known in that calling which

he Queen my cousin," declared our

farther away, a cabstand, boot-blacks squatting on the edge of the pavement and a pair of big policemen gazing with an air of superiority at the doors of the Black Horse public-house across the road. This was the part of the world, he said, his eyes first took notice of, on the finest day of his lif

lf in the torture chamber and behaved as though he hated me. He kept his eyes shaded with one of his hands. Suddenly he let it drop saying

," says I, grab

ood luck to you,

"Got through all right, sir?" For all answer I dropped a half-crown into his soft broad palm. "Well," says he with a sudden grin from ear to ear, "I never knew

bt, but then it is just a day and no more. What comes after is about the most unpleasant time for a youngster, the trying to get an officer's berth with nothing much to show but a brand-new certificate. It is surprising how useless you find that piece of ass's skin that you have been putting yourself in such a state about. It didn't

-owners' offices in the City where some junior clerk would furnish him with printed forms of application which he took home to fill up in the evening. He used to run out just before midnight to

ks, he met a friend and former shipmate a little older t

d the time to condole with him but briefly. He must be moving. Then as he was running off, over his shoulder as it were, he suggested: "Why don't you go and speak to Mr. Powell in the Shipping Office." Our friend objected that he did

my word, I had grown so desperate that I'd have gone boldly up to the dev

ut holding us with his eye he inquired whether we had known Powell. Marlow

ith his pipe which had suddenly betrayed his trust and disappointed his anticipation of self

Port of London he dispatched me to sea on several long stages of my sailor's pilgrimage. He resembled Socrates. I mean he resembled him genuinely: that is in the face. A philosophical mind is but an accident. He reproduced exactly the familiar bust of the immortal sage, if you will

now from the mantelpiece with

tically with his head in a cloud of smoke, "is that he should ha

to us for social purposes. It required no acknowledgm

his cousin, still, but this time it was from a sense of profound abasement. He didn't think himself good enough for anybody's kinship. He envied the purple-nosed old cab-drivers on the stand, the boot-black boys at the edge of the pavement, the two large bobbies pacing slowly along the Tower Gardens railings in the consciousness of their infallible might, and

us the sense of his youthful hopelessness surprised at not findi

d that all this had not greeted him with songs and incense, but now (he made no secret of it) he made his entry in a slinking fashion past the doorkeeper's glass box. "I hadn't any half-crowns to spare for tips," he remarked grimly. The man, however, ran out after him asking: "What do you require?" but with a grateful gla

y passages. Powell wandered up and down there like an early Christian refugee in the catacombs; but what little faith he had in the success of his enterp

cared of him; but a man can make himself very unpleasant. I looked at a lot of doors, all shut tight, with a growing conviction that I would never have the pluck to open one of them. Thinking's no good for one's nerve. I concluded I would give up the whole business. But I didn't give up in the end, and I'll tell you what stopped me. It was the reco

myself to try one or two I was disconcerted to find that they were locked. I stood there irresolute and uneasy like a baffled thief. The confounded basement was as still as a grave and I became aware of my heart beats.

ing Office where I had been once or twice before, I was extremely startled. A gas bracket hung from the middle of the ceiling over a dark, shabby writing-desk covered with a litter of yellowish dusty documents. Under the flame o

rooms, and seemed to be somewhere 120 feet below the ground. Solid, heavy stacks of paper filled all the corners half-way up to the ceiling. And when the thought flashed upon me that these were the premises of the Marine Board and that this fellow must be connected in some way with ships and sailors and

start: "Not here. Try the passage on the other side. Stree

d off with the words: "You fool" . . . and perhaps he meant to. But

hink and scuttled across the space at the foot of the stairs into the passage where I'd been told to try. And I tried the first door I came to, right away, without any hanging back, because coming loudly from the hall above an amazed and scandalized voice wanted to know what sort of game I was up to down there. "Don't you know there's no admittance that way?" it roared. But if there was anything more I shut it out of my hearing by means of a door marked Private on the outside. It let me into a six-feet wide strip between a l

ed their heads all together towards the far end of the room where a fifth man had been looking on at their antics from a high stool. I walked up to him as boldly as if he had been the devil himself. With one foot raised up and resting on the cross-bar of his seat he never stopped swinging the other which was well clear of the stone floor. He h

nd of youth. He lectured them in a peculiar

idn't lecture me in any way. Not he. He said: 'How do you do?' quite kindly to

ld than a piece of impudence that isn't carried off well. For fear of appearing shamefaced I started about it so free and easy as almost to frighten m

ay for a fortnight till a captain I'm acquainted with was good enough to give him a berth. And no soone

se and curiosity. He hadn't been talking

know it's

lause was directed of course against the swindling practices of the boarding-house crimps. It had never struck me it would apply

t has only the sense that's put into it; and that's precious little sometimes. He didn't mind helping a young man to a

lice court and fined fifty pounds," says he. "I've another four years to serve to get my pension.

n a gate and looking at me very straight with his shining eyes. I was confounded I tel

uch a scurvy trick, sir?" I was half disgust

and we are all very good friends here, but don't you think that my colleague that sits next to me wouldn't like to go up t

the lot. I saw him sideface and his lips were set very tight. I had never looked at mankind in that light before. When one's young human nature shocks one. But what startled me most was to see the door I had come through open slow

Symons?" aske

'ere gentleman 'ad gone to, sir.

ghty unco

know the gentleman," says Mr.

saw the gentleman running races a

and; and, as the old fraud walked off at last, he raised his eyes to me. I

e, "what did you te

t seem proper for me to fling his own name at him as it were. So I merely pulled out my new certificate from my p

y remark on this coincidence. Before he had time to say anything the glass door came open with a bang and a tall, active man rushe

an undertone to wait a little

for you." And turning to a pile of agreements lying at his elbow he took up the topmost of them. From

ll the morning. At one o'clock he went out to get a bit of dinner and didn't turn up at two as he ought to have done. Instead there came a messenger from the hospital with a note signed by a doctor. Collar bone and o

ves of the agreement over. "We must then take his na

er. "This office closes at four o'cloc

glancing up and down the pages and touching up

day of a man ready to go at such short notic

gh the entries relating to that unlucky se

e without looking up. "But I don't think you'll f

be no end of fuss and complications if the ship didn't turn up in time . . . I couldn't help hearing all this, while wishing him to take himself off, because I wanted to know why Mr. Powell had told me to wait. After what he had been saying there didn't seem any object in my hanging about. If I

ng fixedly at me with an expression as if I hadn't been there. "I don't know

He had been so full of his difficulty that I verify believe he had never noticed me. Or perhaps seeing me inside he may have thought I was some understrapper belonging to the place. But w

ery resp

ster quite calm and staring all t

as if struck all of a heap. "B

l my gear scattered about, and my empty sea-chest somewhere in an outhouse the good people I was staying wit

ep on boar

you may suppose. It wasn't exactly that. I was more by way of being out of breath with the quickness of it. It didn't seem possible that

out experience as an officer, because he turned about

. . . You're smart and willing (this to me ve

en unawares. But it was enough for him. He made as if I had d

go to sea without a second officer. I stood by as if all these things were happening to some other chap whom I was seeing through with it. M

do things-are you? You've a lot to l

out for an hour and a half by Captain R- was equal to any demand his old ship was likely to make on his competence. However he didn't give me a chance to make that sort of fool

well. If you let him sign on as second-mate at

misunderstanding had been established and acted upon. But I was too stupid then to admire anything. All my anxiety was that this should be cleared up. I was ass enough to wonder exceedingly at Mr. Powell failing to notice the misapprehension. I saw a slight twitch come and go on his face; but instead of setting rig

ehind me except the thin-necked chap still hard at his writing, and the other three Shipping Masters who were changing their coats and reaching for their hats,

this

we were bound to Port Elizabeth first, and signed my name on the Articl

ble and expense if you did. You've got a good six hours to get your gear together, and

imself, and with his sea-chest locked up in an outhouse the key of which had been mislaid for a week as I remembered. But neither was I much

ong envelope, spoke up with a sort of cold

t disgrace the

per chimes in

h I dare say. I'll l

devil in the hospital, and off he goes with his heavy swinging step after telling me sternly: "Don't y

s already by the door, standing on one leg to turn the bottom of his trousers up before going away). "Mr. Pow

ropriety of it, you know, but Mr. P

like it you may put him right-when you get out to sea." At this I felt a bit queer. Mr. Powell had rendered me a very good service:- because it's a fact that with us merchant sailors the

es waiting down the river which has done most for you. Forty t

enough that I had nothing to thank myself for. But

hank me," says he. "The v

dded meditatively: "Queer man. As i

ility for our actions, whose consequences we are neve

e other. "That could not do much harm," he added with a laugh

reflection. I am speaking of the now nearly vanished sea-life under sail. To those who may be surprised at the statement I will point out that this life secured for the mi

n if it had been he would not have had the power. He was but a man, and the incapacity to achieve anything distinctly good or evil is inherent in our

to Marlow manfully. "What effect did you expect an

e chance of accommodating your desire with a vengeance. I am inclined to think your cheek alarmed him. And this was an excellent occasion to suppress you altogether. For if you accepted he was relieved of you with every appearance of humanity, and if you made objections (after requestin

nocked the ashes

mine, my only relation, who quarrelled with poor father as long as he lived about some silly matter that had neither right nor wrong to it. She left her money to me when she died. I used always to go and see her for decency's sake. I had so much to do before night that I didn't know where to begin. I felt inclined to sit down on the kerb and hold my head in my hands. It was as if an engine had been started going under my skull. Finally I sat down in the first cab that came along and it was a hard matter to keep on sitting there I can tell you, while we rolled up and down the streets, pulling up here and there, the parcels accumulating round

*

ow of houses on the other side looked empty: there wasn't the smallest gleam of light in them. The white-hot glare of a gin palace a good way off made the intervening piece of the street pitch black. Some human shapes appearing mysteriously, as if they had sprung up from the dark ground, shunned t

ings in, Capt'in! I'

long drooping nose and no chin to speak of. He seemed to have just scrambled out of a dust-bin in a tam-o'shanter cap and a tattered soldier's coat much too long for him. Being so deadly white he looked like a horrible dirty invalid in a ragged dressing gown. The coat f

e bobby'll let us in all r

rom basement to roof. You could never have guessed that within a stone's throw there was an open sheet of water and big ships lying afloat. The few gas lamps showing up a bit of brick work here and there, app

What's u

ow many night prowlers had collected in the darkness of the street in such a short time and without my being aware of it. Directly we were through they came surging against the bars, silent, like a mob of ugly spectres.

"It's a wonder to me they didn't make off

f that," I said defiantly. But

ave been tripped up and jumped upon before you had run three yards. I tell you you've had a most extraordinary chance that there wasn't one of them

The other frail creature seemed dumb and only hopped abo

"He hasn't got the nerve for it. However, I ain't going to lose sight of them two till they go out through the gate. That little chap's a devil. He

etting ready with so much hurry and inconvenience I should hav

hing happen often so

es along with a cabload of things to join a ship at this time of night. I

ot to the other's stride. The skirt of his soldier's coat floating behind him nearly swept the ground so that he seemed to be running on castors. At the corner of the gloomy passage a rigged jib b

your ship

constable was intere

ith curiosity. "And you the second officer!

my appointment was the work of chance. I told him brie

e is, right before

de the narrow strip of the quay; the rest of her was a black smudge in the darkness. Here I was face to face with my start in life. We walked in a body a few steps on a greasy pavement between her side and the towering wall of a warehou

he least; but as another broken-down buzz like a still fainter echo of the first dismal sound proceeded from

oming to join. Mo

other second officer, to that constable. I was moved by this solid evidence of my new dignity. Only his tone offended me. Nevertheless I gave him the tip he was looking for. Thereupon he lost all interest in me, humorous or otherwi

ed down on to my chest near the after hatch as if my legs had been jerked from under me. I felt suddenly very tired and languid. The ship-keeper, whom I could hardly make ou

since last Christmas twelv

His voice was thin like the buzzing of a mosquito. As it would have been cruel to demand assistance from such a shadowy wreck I went to work myself, dragging my chest along a pitch-black passage under the poop deck,

roughly, not relishing to be admonis

or him. "Only the captain and his missus are sleeping on board. She's a lady that mustn't be disturbed

he old and experienced wives on the other hand fancied they knew more about the ship than the skipper himself and had an eye like a hawk's for what went on. They were like an extra chief mate of a particularly sharp and unfeeling sort who made his report in the evening. The best of them were a n

ing into the bunk but took no trouble to spread it out. I wasn't sleepy now, neither was I tired. And the thought that I was done wit

know nothing of it. It is only this calling whose primary appeal lies in the suggestion of restless adv

to be met by a laugh of derision and were half prepared to salve his reputation for common sense by joining in it. But neith

ling of security in the exercise of his calling. The exacting life of the sea has this

ted Mr. Powell. "No!

ion of the liver. The other, compact, broad and sturdy of limb, seemed extremely full of sound organs functioning vigorously all the time in order to keep up the brilliance of his colouring, the light curl of his coal-black hair and the lustre of his eyes, which asserted themselves roundly in an open, manly face. Between two such organisms one would not have expected to find the slightest temperamental accord. But I have observed that profane men living in ships like the holy men gathered together in monasteries develop traits of pro

he things

ach other pretty

er still riding to the flood. "He's the sort that's always chasing some

n good condit

h I dare say,

r a man who let his n

ult to get on with. "I like him, very well," he continued, "though it isn't

had retired from the sea in a sort o

ent was: "Fancied

ird rests on the branch of a tree, so tense with the power of brusque flight into its true element that it is incomprehensible why it should sit still minute after minute. The sea is the s