urmuring of the loss of his cigar; and after he had been handed up the
side like baggage, and cast down in the alleyway to slumber, his last
audible expression was: "Splen'l fl' Attwa'!" This the expert construed
into "Splendid fellow, Attwater"; with so much innocence had this great
spirit issued from the adventures of the evening.

The captain went and walked in the waist with brief irate turns; Herrick
leaned his arms on the taffrail; the crew had all turned in. The ship
had a gentle, cradling motion; at times a block piped like a bird. On
shore, through the colonnade of palm stems, Attwater's house was to be
seen shining steadily with many lamps. And there was nothing else
visible, whether in the heaven above or in the lagoon below, but the
stars and their reflections. It might have been minutes, or it might
have been hours, that Herrick leaned there, looking in the glorified
water and drinking peace. "A bath of stars," he was thinking; when a
hand was laid at last on his shoulder.

"Herrick," said the captain, "I've been walking off my trouble."

A sharp jar passed through the young man, but he neither answered nor so
much as turned his head.

"I guess I spoke a little rough to you on shore," pursued the captain;
"the fact is, I was real mad; but now it's over, and you and me have to
turn to and think."

"I will _not_ think," said Herrick.

"Here, old man!" said Davis kindly; "this won't fight, you know! You've
got to brace up and help me get things straight. You're not going back
on a friend? That's not like you, Herrick!"

"O yes, it is," said Herrick.

"Come, come!" said the captain, and paused as if quite at a loss. "Look
here," he cried, "you have a glass of champagne. _I_ won't touch it, so
that'll show you if I'm in earnest. But it's just the pick-me-up for
you; it'll put an edge on you at once."

"O, you leave me alone!" said Herrick, and turned away.

The captain caught him by the sleeve; and he shook him off and turned on
him, for the moment like a demoniac.

"Go to hell in your own way!" he cried.

And he turned away again, this time unchecked, and stepped forward to
where the boat rocked alongside and ground occasionally against the
schooner. He looked about him. A corner of the house was interposed
between the captain and himself; all was well; no eye must see him in
that last act. He slid silently into the boat; thence, silently, into
the starry water. Instinctively he swam a little; it