ill be before I bring the dishes in. She never gives that sort of
trouble. That she doesn't."

"No. Not in that way," Mr. Franklin agreed, and then both he and the
steward, after glancing at Powell--the stranger to the ship--said nothing
more.

But this had been enough to rouse his curiosity. Curiosity is natural to
man. Of course it was not a malevolent curiosity which, if not exactly
natural, is to be met fairly frequently in men and perhaps more
frequently in women--especially if a woman be in question; and that woman
under a cloud, in a manner of speaking. For under a cloud Flora de
Barral was fated to be even at sea. Yes. Even that sort of darkness
which attends a woman for whom there is no clear place in the world hung
over her. Yes. Even at sea!

* * * * *

And this is the pathos of being a woman. A man can struggle to get a
place for himself or perish. But a woman's part is passive, say what you
like, and shuffle the facts of the world as you may, hinting at lack of
energy, of wisdom, of courage. As a matter of fact, almost all women
have all that--of their own kind. But they are not made for attack. Wait
they must. I am speaking here of women who are really women. And it's
no use talking of opportunities, either. I know that some of them do
talk of it. But not the genuine women. Those know better. Nothing can
beat a true woman for a clear vision of reality; I would say a cynical
vision if I were not afraid of wounding your chivalrous feelings--for
which, by the by, women are not so grateful as you may think, to fellows
of your kind . . .

"Upon my word, Marlow," I cried, "what are you flying out at me for like
this? I wouldn't use an ill-sounding word about women, but what right
have you to imagine that I am looking for gratitude?"

Marlow raised a soothing hand.

"There! There! I take back the ill-sounding word, with the remark,
though, that cynicism seems to me a word invented by hypocrites. But let
that pass. As to women, they know that the clamour for opportunities for
them to become something which they cannot be is as reasonable as if
mankind at large started asking for opportunities of winning immortality
in this world, in which death is the very condition of life. You must
understand that I am not talking here of material existence. That
naturally is implied; but you won't maintain that a woman who, say,
enlisted, for instance (there have been cases) has conquered her