lt off the poop. He had come there on duty.
So, still with downcast eyes, he made his way past them. Only when he
got as far as the wheel-grating did he look up. She was hidden from him
by the back of her deck-chair; but he had the view of the owner of the
thin, aged legs seated on the skylight, his clean-shaved cheek, his thin
compressed mouth with a hollow in each corner, the sparse grey locks
escaping from under the tweed cap, and curling slightly on the collar of
the coat. He leaned forward a little over Mrs. Anthony, but they were
not talking. Captain Anthony, walking with a springy hurried gait on the
other side of the poop from end to end, gazed straight before him. Young
Powell might have thought that his captain was not aware of his presence
either. However, he knew better, and for that reason spent a most
uncomfortable hour motionless by the compass before his captain stopped
in his swift pacing and with an almost visible effort made some remark to
him about the weather in a low voice. Before Powell, who was startled,
could find a word of answer, the captain swung off again on his endless
tramp with a fixed gaze. And till the supper bell rang silence dwelt
over that poop like an evil spell. The captain walked up and down
looking straight before him, the helmsman steered, looking upwards at the
sails, the old gent on the skylight looked down on his daughter--and Mr.
Powell confessed to me that he didn't know where to look, feeling as
though he had blundered in where he had no business--which was absurd. At
last he fastened his eyes on the compass card, took refuge, in spirit,
inside the binnacle. He felt chilled more than he should have been by
the chilly dusk falling on the muddy green sea of the soundings from a
smoothly clouded sky. A fitful wind swept the cheerless waste, and the
ship, hauled up so close as to check her way, seemed to progress by
languid fits and starts against the short seas which swept along her
sides with a snarling sound.

Young Powell thought that this was the dreariest evening aspect of the
sea he had ever seen. He was glad when the other occupants of the poop
left it at the sound of the bell. The captain first, with a sudden
swerve in his walk towards the companion, and not even looking once
towards his wife and his wife's father. Those two got up and moved
towards the companion, the old gent very erect, his thin locks stirring
gently about the nape of his neck, and ca