the　dead　of　winter；　emitted　a　sort　of　faint　perfume　of　adventure
  and　died　before　spring　set　in。　　But　indubitably　it　was　a　company；
  it　had　even　a　house…flag；　all　white　with　the　letters　F。C。T。C。
  artfully　tangled　up　in　a　complicated　monogram。　　We　flew　it　at　our
  main…mast　head；　and　now　I　have　come　to　the　conclusion　that　it　was
  the　only　flag　of　its　kind　in　existence。　　All　the　same　we　on
  board；　for　many　days；　had　the　impression　of　being　a　unit　of　a
  large　fleet　with　fortnightly　departures　for　Montreal　and　Quebec
  as　advertised　in　pamphlets　and　prospectuses　which　came　aboard　in
  a　large　package　in　Victoria　Dock；　London；　just　before　we　started
  for　Rouen；　France。　　And　in　the　shadowy　life　of　the　F。C。T。C。　lies
  the　secret　of　that；　my　last　employment　in　my　calling；　which　in　a
  remote　sense　interrupted　the　rhythmical　development　of　Nina
  Almayer's　story。
  The　then　secretary　of　the　London　Shipmasters'　Society；　with　its
  modest　rooms　in　Fenchurch　Street；　was　a　man　of　indefatigable
  activity　and　the　greatest　devotion　to　his　task。　　He　is
  responsible　for　what　was　my　last　association　with　a　ship。　　I　call
  it　that　because　it　can　hardly　be　called　a　sea…going　experience。
  Dear　Captain　Froudit　is　impossible　not　to　pay　him　the　tribute
  of　affectionate　familiarity　at　this　distance　of　yearshad　very
  sound　views　as　to　the　advancement　of　knowledge　and　status　for　the
  whole　body　of　the　officers　of　the　mercantile　marine。　　He
  organised　for　us　courses　of　professional　lectures；　St。　John
  ambulance　classes；　corresponded　industriously　with　public　bodies
  and　members　of　Parliament　on　subjects　touching　the　interests　of
  the　service；　and　as　to　the　oncoming　of　some　inquiry　or　commission
  relating　to　matters　of　the　sea　and　to　the　work　of　seamen；　it　was
  a　perfect　godsend　to　his　need　of　exerting　himself　on　our
  corporate　behalf。　　Together　with　this　high　sense　of　his　official
  duties　he　had　in　him　a　vein　of　personal　kindness；　a　strong
  disposition　to　do　what　good　he　could　to　the　individual　members　of
  that　craft　of　which　in　his　time　he　had　been　a　very　excellent
  master。　　And　what　greater　kindness　can　one　do　to　a　seaman　than　to
  put　him　in　the　way　of　employment？　　Captain　Froud　did　not　see　why
  the　Shipmasters'　Society；　besides　its　general　guardianship　of　our
  interests；　should　not　be　unofficially　an　employment　agency　of　the
  very　highest　class。
  〃I　am　trying　to　persuade　all　our　great　ship…owning　firms　to　come
  to　us　for　their　men。　　There　is　nothing　of　a　trade…union　spirit
  about　our　society；　and　I　really　don't　see　why　they　should　not；〃
  he　said　once　to　me。　　〃I　am　always　telling　the　captains；　too；　that
  all　things　being　equal　they　ought　to　give　preference　to　the
  members　of　the　society。　　In　my　position　I　can　generally　find　for
  them　what　they　want　amongst　our　members　or　our　associate
  members。〃
  In　my　wanderings　about　London　from　West　to　East　and　back　again　（I
  was　very　idle　then）　the　two　little　rooms　in　Fenchurch　Street　were
  a　sort　of　resting…place　where　my　spirit；　hankering　after　the　sea；
  could　feel　itself　nearer　to　the　ships；　the　men；　and　the　life　of
  its　choicenearer　there　than　on　any　other　spot　of　the　solid
  earth。　　This　resting…place　used　to　be；　at　about　five　o'clock　in
  the　afternoon；　full　of　men　and　tobacco　smoke；　but　Captain　Froud
  had　the　smaller　room　to　himself　and　there　he　granted　private
  interviews；　whose　principal　motive　was　to　render　service。　　Thus；
  one　murky　November　afternoon　he　beckoned　me　in　with　a　crooked
  finger　and　that　peculiar　glance　above　his　spectacles　which　is
  perhaps　my　strongest　physical　recollection　of　the　man。
  〃I　have　had　in　here　a　shipmaster；　this　morning；〃　he　said；　getting
  back　to　his　desk　and　motioning　me　to　a　chair；　〃who　is　in　want　of
  an　officer。　　It's　for　a　steamship。　　You　know；　nothing　pleases　me
  more　than　to　be　asked；　but　unfortunately　I　do　not　quite　see　my
  way。　。　。〃
  As　the　outer　room　was　full　of　men　I　cast　a　wondering　glance　at
  the　closed　door　but　he　shook　his　head。
  〃Oh；　yes；　I　should　be　only　too　glad　to　get　that　berth　for　one　of
  them。　　But　the　fact　of　the　matter　is；　the　captain　of　that　ship
  wants　an　officer　who　can　speak　French　fluently；　and　that's　not　so
  easy　to　find。　　I　do　not　know　anybody　myself　but　you。　　It's　a
  second　officer's　berth　and；　of　course；　you　would　not　care。　。　。
  would　you　now？　　I　know　that　it　isn't　what　you　are　looking　for。〃
  It　was　not。　　I　had　given　myself　up　to　the　idleness　of　a　haunted
  man　who　looks　for　nothing　but　words　wherein　to　capture　his
  visions。　　But　I　admit　that　outwardly　I　resembled　sufficiently　a
  man　who　could　make　a　second　officer　for　a　steamer　chartered　by　a
  French　company。　　I　showed　no　sign　of　being　haunted　by　the　fate　of
  Nina　and　by　the　murmurs　of　tropical　forests；　and　even　my　intimate
  intercourse　with　Almayer　（a　person　of　weak　character）　had　not　put
  a　visible　mark　upon　my　features。　　For　many　years　he　and　the　world
  of　his　story　had　been　the　companions　of　my　imagination　without；　I
  hope；　impairing　my　ability　to　deal　with　the　realities　of　sea
  life。　　I　had　had　the　man　and　his　surroundings　with　me　ever　since
  my　return　from　the　eastern　waters；　some　four　years　before　the　day
  of　which　I　speak。
  It　was　in　the　front　sitting…room　of　furnished　apartments　in　a
  Pimlico　square　that　they　first　began　to　live　again　with　a
  vividness　and　poignancy　quite　foreign　to　our　former　real
  intercourse。　　I　had　been　treating　myself　to　a　long　stay　on　shore；
  and　in　the　necessity　of　occupying　my　mornings；　Almayer　（that　old
  acquaintance）　came　nobly　to　the　rescue。　　Before　long；　as　was　only
  proper；　his　wife　and　daughter　joined　him　round　my　table　and　then
  the　rest　of　that　Pantai　band　came　full　of　words　and　gestures。
  Unknown　to　my　respectable　landlady；　it　was　my　practice　directly
  after　my　breakfast　to　hold　animated　receptions　of　Malays；　Arabs
  and　half…castes。　　They　did　not　clamour　aloud　for　my　attention。
  They　came　with　a　silent　and　irresistible　appealand　the　appeal；
  I　affirm　here；　was　not　to　my　self…love　or　my　vanity。　　It　seems
  now　to　have　had　a　moral　character；　for　why　should　the　memory　of
  these　beings；　seen　in　their　obscure　sun…bathed　existence；　demand
  to　express　itself　in　the　shape　of　a　novel；　except　on　the　ground
  of　that　mysterious　fellowship　which　unites　in　a　community　of
  hopes　and　fears　all　the　dwellers　on　this　earth？
  I　did　not　receive　my　visitors　with　boisterous　rapture　as　the
  bearers　of　any　gifts　of　profit　or　fame。　　There　was　no　vision　of　a
  printed　book　before　me　as　I　sat　writing　at　that　table；　situated
  in　a　decayed　part　of　Belgravia。　　After　all　these　years；　each
  leaving　its　evidence　of　slowly　blackened　pages；　I　can　honestly
  say　that　it　is　a　sentiment　akin　to　piety　which　prompted　me　to
  render　in　words　assembled　with　conscientious　care　the　memory　of
  things　far　distant　and　of　men　who　had　lived。
  But；　coming　back　to　Captain　Froud　and　his　fixed　idea　of　never
  disappointing　ship…owners　or　ship…captains；　it　was　not　likely
  that　I　should　fail　him　in　his　ambitionto　satisfy　at　a　few
  hours'　notice　the　unusual　demand　for　a　French…speaking　officer。
  He　explained　to　me　that　the　ship　was　chartered　by　a　French
  company　intending　to　establish　a　regular　monthly　line　of　sailings
  from　Rouen；　for　the　transport　of　French　emigrants　to　Canada。
  But；　frankly；　this　sort　of　thing　did　not　interest　me　very　much。
  I　said　gravely　that　if　it　were　really　a　matter　of　keeping　up　the
  reputation　of　the　Shipmasters'　Society；　I　would　consider　it。　　But
  the　consideration　was　just　for　form's　sake。　　The　next　day　I
  interviewed　the　Captain；　and　I　believe　we　were　impressed
  favourably　with　each　other。　　He　explained　that　his　chief　mate　was
  an　excellent　man　in　every　respect　and　that　he　could　not　think　of
  dismissing　him　so　as　to　give　me　the　higher　position；　but　that　if
  I　consented　to　come　as　second　officer　I　would　be　given　certain
  special　advantagesand　so　on。
  I　told　him　that　if　I　came　at　all　the　rank　really　did　not　matter。
  〃I　am　sure；〃　he　insisted；　〃you　will　get　on　first　rate　with　Mr。
  Paramor。〃
  I　promised　faithfully　to　stay　for　two　trips　at　least；　and　it　was
  in　those　circumstances　that　what　was　to　be　my　last　connection
  with　a　ship　began。　　And　after　all　there　was　not　even　one　single
  trip。　　It　may　be　that　it　was　simply　the　fulfilment　of　a　fate；　of
  that　written　word　on　my　forehead　which　apparently　forbade　me；
  through　all　my　sea　wanderings；　ever　to　achieve　the　crossing　of
  the　Western　Oceanusing　the　words