'The old
lady's first-rate, sir, thank you.' And then they had nothing to say to
each other. It was a strange and disturbing feeling for Franklin. He,
just back from leave, the ship just come to her loading berth, the
captain just come on board, and apparently nothing to say! The several
questions he had been anxious to ask as to various things which had to be
done had slipped out of his mind. He, too, felt as though he had nothing
to say.

The captain, picking up his stick off the table, marched into his state-
room and shut the door after him. Franklin remained still for a moment
and then started slowly to go on deck. But before he had time to reach
the other end of the saloon he heard himself called by name. He turned
round. The captain was staring from the doorway of his state-room.
Franklin said, "Yes, sir." But the captain, silent, leaned a little
forward grasping the door handle. So he, Franklin, walked aft keeping
his eyes on him. When he had come up quite close he said again, "Yes,
sir?" interrogatively. Still silence. The mate didn't like to be stared
at in that manner, a manner quite new in his captain, with a defiant and
self-conscious stare, like a man who feels ill and dares you to notice
it. Franklin gazed at his captain, felt that there was something wrong,
and in his simplicity voiced his feelings by asking point-blank:

"What's wrong, sir?"

The captain gave a slight start, and the character of his stare changed
to a sort of sinister surprise. Franklin grew very uncomfortable, but
the captain asked negligently:

"What makes you think that there's something wrong?"

"I can't say exactly. You don't look quite yourself, sir," Franklin
owned up.

"You seem to have a confoundedly piercing eye," said the captain in such
an aggressive tone that Franklin was moved to defend himself.

"We have been together now over six years, sir, so I suppose I know you a
bit by this time. I could see there was something wrong directly you
came on board."

"Mr. Franklin," said the captain, "we have been more than six years
together, it is true, but I didn't know you for a reader of faces. You
are not a correct reader though. It's very far from being wrong. You
understand? As far from being wrong as it can very well be. It ought to
teach you not to make rash surmises. You should leave that to the shore
people. They are great hands at spying out something wrong. I dare say
they know what they