[Nursing her crushed hand and glancing at his arm, not without a
trace of his own admiration.] Gee, you're some strong, all right.

BURKE--[Delighted.] It's no lie, and why shouldn't I be, with me
shoveling a million tons of coal in the stokeholes of ships since I was
a lad only. [He pats the coil of hawser invitingly.] Let you sit down,
now, Miss, and I'll be telling you a bit of myself, and you'll be
telling me a bit of yourself, and in an hour we'll be as old friends as
if we was born in the same house. [He pulls at her sleeve shyly.] Sit
down now, if you plaze.

ANNA--[With a half laugh.] Well--[She sits down.] But we won't talk
about me, see? You tell me about yourself and about the wreck.

BURKE--[Flattered.] I'll tell you, surely. But can I be asking you one
question. Miss, has my head in a puzzle?

ANNA--[Guardedly.] Well--I dunno--what is it?

BURKE--What is it you do when you're not taking a trip with the Old
Man? For I'm thinking a fine girl the like of you ain't living always
on this tub.

ANNA--[Uneasily.] No--of course I ain't. [She searches his face
suspiciously, afraid there may be some hidden insinuation in his words.
Seeing his simple frankness, she goes on confidently.] Well, I'll tell
you. I'm a governess, see? I take care of kids for people and learn
them things.

BURKE--[Impressed.] A governess, is it? You must be smart, surely.

ANNA--But let's not talk about me. Tell me about the wreck, like you
promised me you would.

BURKE--[Importantly.] 'Twas this way, Miss. Two weeks out we ran into
the divil's own storm, and she sprang wan hell of a leak up for'ard.
The skipper was hoping to make Boston before another blow would finish
her, but ten days back we met up with another storm the like of the
first, only worse. Four days we was in it with green seas raking over
her from bow to stern. That was a terrible time, God help us.
[Proudly.] And if 'twasn't for me and my great strength, I'm telling
you--and it's God's truth--there'd been mutiny itself in the stokehole.
'Twas me held them to it, with a kick to wan and a clout to another,
and they not caring a damn for the engineers any more, but fearing a
clout of my right arm more than they'd fear the sea itself. [He glances
at her anxiously, eager for her approval.]

ANNA--[Concealing a smile--amused by this boyish boasting of his.] You
did some hard work, didn't you?

BURKE--[Promptly.] I did that! I'm a divil for sticking it out when
them