and　a　tail。　　Ha；　ha！　　Not　a　bit　of　it。　　Ten　days　on
  the　outside。　　The　Skimmer　of　the　Seas　was　a　smart
  craft。　　Fine　name；　wasn't　it？　　Mother's　uncle
  owned　her。　。　。　。〃
  He　interrupted　himself；　and　in　a　lowered　voice；
  〃Did　he　ever　tell　you　what　mother　died　of？〃　he
  asked。
  〃Yes；〃　said　Miss　Bessie；　bitterly；　〃from　impa…
  tience。〃
  He　made　no　sound　for　a　while；　then　brusquely：
  〃They　were　so　afraid　I　would　turn　out　badly　that
  they　fairly　drove　me　away。　　Mother　nagged　at　me
  for　being　idle；　and　the　old　man　said　he　would　cut
  my　soul　out　of　my　body　rather　than　let　me　go　to
  sea。　　Well；　it　looked　as　if　he　would　do　it　tooso　I
  went。　　It　looks　to　me　sometimes　as　if　I　had　been
  born　to　them　by　a　mistakein　that　other　hutch　of
  a　house。〃
  〃Where　ought　you　to　have　been　born　by
  rights？〃　Bessie　Carvil　interrupted　him；　defiantly。
  〃In　the　open；　upon　a　beach；　on　a　windy　night；〃
  he　said；　quick　as　lightning。　　Then　he　mused　slowly。
  〃They　were　characters；　both　of　them；　by　George；
  and　the　old　man　keeps　it　up　welldon't　he？　　A
  damned　shovel　on　theHark！　who's　that　mak…
  ing　that　row？　　'Bessie；　Bessie。'　　It's　in　your
  house。〃
  〃It's　for　me；〃　she　said；　with　indifference。
  He　stepped　aside；　out　of　the　streak　of　light。
  〃Your　husband？〃　he　inquired；　with　the　tone　of　a
  man　accustomed　to　unlawful　trysts。　　〃Fine　voice
  for　a　ship's　deck　in　a　thundering　squall。〃
  〃No；　my　father。　　I　am　not　married。〃
  〃You　seem　a　fine　girl；　Miss　Bessie；　dear；〃　he　said
  at　once。
  She　turned　her　face　away。
  〃Oh；　I　say；what's　up？　　Who's　murdering
  him？〃
  〃He　wants　his　tea。〃　　She　faced　him；　still　and
  tall；　with　averted　head；　with　her　hands　hanging
  clasped　before　her。
  〃Hadn't　you　better　go　in？〃　he　suggested；　after
  watching　for　a　while　the　nape　of　her　neck；　a　patch
  of　dazzling　white　skin　and　soft　shadow　above　the
  sombre　line　of　her　shoulders。　　Her　wrap　had　slipped
  down　to　her　elbows。　　〃You'll　have　all　the　town
  coming　out　presently。　　I'll　wait　here　a　bit。〃
  Her　wrap　fell　to　the　ground；　and　he　stooped　to
  pick　it　up；　she　had　vanished。　　He　threw　it　over
  his　arm；　and　approaching　the　window　squarely　he
  saw　a　monstrous　form　of　a　fat　man　in　an　arm…
  chair；　an　unshaded　lamp；　the　yawning　of　an　enor…
  mous　mouth　in　a　big　flat　face　encircled　by　a　ragged
  halo　of　hairMiss　Bessie's　head　and　bust。　　The
  shouting　stopped；　the　blind　ran　down。　　He　lost
  himself　in　thinking　how　awkward　it　was。　　Father
  mad；　no　getting　into　the　house。　　No　money　to　get
  back；　a　hungry　chum　in　London　who　would　begin
  to　think　he　had　been　given　the　go…by。　　〃Damn！〃
  he　muttered。　　He　could　break　the　door　in；　cer…
  tainly；　but　they　would　perhaps　bundle　him　into
  chokey　for　that　without　asking　questionsno　great
  matter；　only　he　was　confoundedly　afraid　of　being
  locked　up；　even　in　mistake。　　He　turned　cold　at　the
  thought。　　He　stamped　his　feet　on　the　sod…
  den　grass。
  〃What　are　you？a　sailor？〃　said　an　agitated
  voice。
  She　had　flitted　out；　a　shadow　herself；　attracted
  by　the　reckless　shadow　waiting　under　the　wall　of
  her　home。
  〃Anything。　　Enough　of　a　sailor　to　be　worth
  my　salt　before　the　mast。　　Came　home　that　way　this
  time。〃
  〃Where　do　you　come　from？〃　she　asked。
  〃Right　away　from　a　jolly　good　spree；〃　he　said；
  〃by　the　London　trainsee？　　Ough！　　I　hate　being
  shut　up　in　a　train。　　I　don't　mind　a　house　so
  much。〃
  〃Ah；〃　she　said；　〃that's　lucky。〃
  〃Because　in　a　house　you　can　at　any　time　open
  the　blamed　door　and　walk　away　straight　before
  you。〃
  〃And　never　come　back？〃
  〃Not　for　sixteen　years　at　least；〃　he　laughed。
  〃To　a　rabbit　hutch；　and　get　a　confounded　old
  shovel　。　。　。〃
  〃A　ship　is　not　so　very　big；〃　she　taunted。
  〃No；　but　the　sea　is　great。〃
  She　dropped　her　head；　and　as　if　her　ears　had
  been　opened　to　the　voices　of　the　world；　she　heard；
  beyond　the　rampart　of　sea…wall；　the　swell　of　yester…
  day's　gale　breaking　on　the　beach　with　monotonous
  and　solemn　vibrations；　as　if　all　the　earth　had　been
  a　tolling　bell。
  〃And　then；　why；　a　ship's　a　ship。　　You　love　her
  and　leave　her；　and　a　voyage　isn't　a　marriage。〃　　He
  quoted　the　sailor's　saying　lightly。
  〃It　is　not　a　marriage；〃　she　whispered。
  〃I　never　took　a　false　name；　and　I've　never　yet
  told　a　lie　to　a　woman。　　What　lie？　　Why；　THE　lie。
  Take　me　or　leave　me；　I　say：　and　if　you　take　me；
  then　it　is　。　。　。〃　　He　hummed　a　snatch　very　low；
  leaning　against　the　wall。
  Oh；　ho；　ho　Rio！
  And　fare　thee　well；
  My　bonnie　young　girl；
  We're　bound　to　Rio　Grande
  〃Capstan　song；〃　he　explained。　　Her　teeth　chat…
  tered。
  〃You　are　cold；〃　he　said。　　〃Here's　that　affair
  of　yours　I　picked　up。〃　　She　felt　his　hands　about
  her；　wrapping　her　closely。　　〃Hold　the　ends　to…
  gether　in　front；〃　he　commanded。
  〃What　did　you　come　here　for？〃　she　asked；　re…
  pressing　a　shudder。
  〃Five　quid；〃　he　answered；　promptly。　　〃We　let
  our　spree　go　on　a　little　too　long　and　got　hard　up。〃
  〃You've　been　drinking？〃　she　said。
  〃Blind　three　days；　on　purpose。　　I　am　not　given
  that　waydon't　you　think。　　There's　nothing　and
  nobody　that　can　get　over　me　unless　I　like。　　I　can
  be　as　steady　as　a　rock。　　My　chum　sees　the　paper
  this　morning；　and　says　he　to　me：　'Go　on；　Harry：
  loving　parent。　　That's　five　quid　sure。'　　So　we
  scraped　all　our　pockets　for　the　fare。　　Devil　of　a
  lark！〃
  〃You　have　a　hard　heart；　I　am　afraid；〃　she
  sighed。
  〃What　for？　　For　running　away？　　Why！　he
  wanted　to　make　a　lawyer's　clerk　of　mejust　to
  please　himself。　　Master　in　his　own　house；　and　my
  poor　mother　egged　him　onfor　my　good；　I　sup…
  pose。　　Well；　thenso　long；　and　I　went。　　No；　I
  tell　you：　the　day　I　cleared　out；　I　was　all　black　and
  blue　from　his　great　fondness　for　me。　　Ah！　he　was
  always　a　bit　of　a　character。　　Look　at　that　shovel
  now。　　Off　his　chump？　　Not　much。　　That's　just
  exactly　like　my　dad。　　He　wants　me　here　just　to
  have　somebody　to　order　about。　　However；　we　two
  were　hard　up；　and　what's　five　quid　to　himonce
  in　sixteen　hard　years？〃
  〃Oh；　but　I　am　sorry　for　you。　　Did　you　never
  want　to　come　back　home？〃
  〃Be　a　lawyer's　clerk　and　rot　herein　some　such
  place　as　this？〃　he　cried　in　contempt。　　〃What！　if
  the　old　man　set　me　up　in　a　home　to…day；　I　would
  kick　it　down　about　my　earsor　else　die　there　be…
  fore　the　third　day　was　out。〃
  〃And　where　else　is　it　that　you　hope　to　die？〃
  〃In　the　bush　somewhere；　in　the　sea；　on　a　blamed
  mountain…top　for　choice。　　At　home？　　Yes！　the
  world's　my　home；　but　I　expect　I'll　die　in　a　hospital
  some　day。　　What　of　that？　　Any　place　is　good
  enough；　as　long　as　I've　lived；　and　I've　been　every…
  thing　you　can　think　of　almost　but　a　tailor　or　a
  soldier。　　I've　been　a　boundary　rider；　I've　sheared
  sheep；　and　humped　my　swag；　and　harpooned　a
  whale。　　I've　rigged　ships；　and　prospected　for　gold；
  and　skinned　dead　bullocks；and　turned　my　back
  on　more　money　than　the　old　man　would　have
  scraped　in　his　whole　life。　　Ha；　ha！〃
  He　overwhelmed　her。　　She　pulled　herself　to…
  gether　and　managed　to　utter；　〃Time　to　rest
  now。〃
  He　straightened　himself　up；　away　from　the　wall；
  and　in　a　severe　voice　said；　〃Time　to　go。〃
  But　he　did　not　move。　　He　leaned　back　again；
  and　hummed　thoughtfully　a　bar　or　two　of　an　out…
  landish　tune。
  She　felt　as　if　she　were　about　to　cry。　　〃That's
  another　of　your　cruel　songs；〃　she　said。
  〃Learned　it　in　Mexicoin　Sonora。〃　　He　talked
  easily。　　〃It　is　the　song　of　the　Gambucinos。　　You
  don't　know？　　The　song　of　restless　men。　　Nothing
  could　hold　them　in　one　placenot　even　a　woman。
  You　used　to　meet　one　of　them　now　and　again；　in
  the　old　days；　on　the　edge　of　the　gold　country；　away
  north　there　beyond　the　Rio　Gila。　　I've　seen　it。　　A
  prospecting　engineer　in　Mazatlan　took　me　along
  with　him　to　help　look　after　the　waggons。　　A
  sailor's　a　handy　chap　to　have　about　you　anyhow。
  It's　all　a　desert：　cracks　in　the　earth　that　you　can't
  see　the　bottom　of；　and　mountainssheer　rocks
  standing　up　high　like　walls　and　church　spires；　only