d to this mode of
salutation; for she neither betrayed any discomposure in her answers,
nor ever honoured them by raising her eyes to their faces, but
tranquilly pursued her labours at the spinning-wheel. It was pretty
evident that the aged woman exercised a very remarkable influence and
some degree of authority over these rough seamen. She allowed them to
run on with their peal of angry complaint; and, as soon as the volley
was over, she started up to her feet with an authoritative air--and
uttered a few words which, interpreted by such gestures as hers, would
have been understood by a deaf man as words of command that looked for
no disobedience.

The men muttered, swore a little, and cursed a little; and then
sitting down in any order and place, just as every man happened to
find a seat, made preparations for a meal such as circumstances
allowed. Broth was simmering on the fire: from various baskets were
produced bread--ship-biscuit--and brandy; dried haddock and sprats were
taken down from the chimney; fresh herrings were boiling; and in no
long space of time the whole wealth of the hut, together with no small
addition imported by the new-comers, seemed in a fair way of
extinction. Bertram felt violently irritated by appetite to jump up and
join the banqueters: for this was the second night since his shipwreck,
and he was beginning to recover from his fatigues. But doubts and
irresolution checked him; and a misgiving that this was not the most
favourable moment for such an experiment; especially as he perceived
that he himself was the subject of general conversation. Without
relaxing in their genial labours, the men showed sufficiently by their
looks and gestures that they were deliberating on some question
connected with himself. The old woman now and then interposed a word;
and the name of Nicholas, as Bertram remarked, was often repeated by
all parties. Some person of this name continued to occupy the
conversation an hour longer. Frequently it happened that one or other
of the company uttered an oath in English or Dutch, and seemed disposed
to pursue the conversation in one of those languages; but in such cases
the old woman never failed to check him either by signs or in her own
language which was wholly unintelligible to Bertram: so that of the
entire conversation he could make out nothing more than that it related
to himself. After the lapse of about an hour, the whole party retired;
and the hut was again rest