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me going crazy over any of my youngsters clear…
ing out。 I've got eight of them at home。〃 The
barber was showing off his strength of mind in the
midst of a laughter that shook the tap…room。
Strange； though； that sort of thing； he would
confess； with the frankness of a superior intelli…
gence； seemed to be catching。 His establishment；
for instance； was near the harbour； and whenever a
sailorman came in for a hair…cut or a shaveif it
was a strange face he couldn't help thinking di…
rectly； 〃Suppose he's the son of old Hagberd！〃
He laughed at himself for it。 It was a strong
craze。 He could remember the time when the whole
town was full of it。 But he had his hopes of the
old chap yet。 He would cure him by a course of
judicious chaffing。 He was watching the progress
of the treatment。 Next weeknext monthnext
year！ When the old skipper had put off the date
of that return till next year； he would be well on
his way to not saying any more about it。 In other
matters he was quite rational； so this； too； was
bound to come。 Such was the barber's firm opin…
ion。
Nobody had ever contradicted him； his own hair
had gone grey since that time； and Captain Hag…
berd's beard had turned quite white； and had ac…
quired a majestic flow over the No。 1 canvas suit；
which he had made for himself secretly with tarred
twine； and had assumed suddenly； coming out in
it one fine morning； whereas the evening before he
had been seen going home in his mourning of
broadcloth。 It caused a sensation in the High
Streetshopkeepers coming to their doors； people
in the houses snatching up their hats to run out
a stir at which he seemed strangely surprised at
first； and then scared； but his only answer to the
wondering questions was that startled and evasive；
〃For the present。〃
That sensation had been forgotten； long ago；
and Captain Hagberd himself； if not forgotten；
had come to be disregardedthe penalty of daili…
nessas the sun itself is disregarded unless it
makes its power felt heavily。 Captain Hagberd's
movements showed no infirmity： he walked stiffly
in his suit of canvas； a quaint and remarkable fig…
ure； only his eyes wandered more furtively perhaps
than of yore。 His manner abroad had lost its ex…
citable watchfulness； it had become puzzled and
diffident； as though he had suspected that there
was somewhere about him something slightly com…
promising； some embarrassing oddity； and yet had
remained unable to discover what on earth this
something wrong could be。
He was unwilling now to talk with the townsfolk。
He had earned for himself the reputation of an
awful skinflint； of a miser in the matter of living。
He mumbled regretfully in the shops； bought in…
ferior scraps of meat after long hesitations； and
discouraged all allusions to his costume。 It was
as the barber had foretold。 For all one could tell；
he had recovered already from the disease of hope；
and only Miss Bessie Carvil knew that he said noth…
ing about his son's return because with him it was
no longer 〃next week；〃 〃next month；〃 or even
〃next year。〃 It was 〃to…morrow。〃
In their intimacy of back yard and front gar…
den he talked with her paternally； reasonably； and
dogmatically； with a touch of arbitrariness。 They
met on the ground of unreserved confidence； which
was authenticated by an affectionate wink now and
then。 Miss Carvil had come to look forward rather
to these winks。 At first they had discomposed her：
the poor fellow was mad。 Afterwards she had
learned to laugh at them： there was no harm in
him。 Now she was aware of an unacknowledged；
pleasurable； incredulous emotion； expressed by a
faint blush。 He winked not in the least vulgarly；
his thin red face with a well…modelled curved nose；
had a sort of distinctionthe more so that when he
talked to her he looked with a steadier and more in…
telligent glance。 A handsome； hale； upright； ca…
pable man； with a white beard。 You did not think
of his age。 His son； he affirmed； had resembled
him amazingly from his earliest babyhood。
Harry would be one…and…thirty next July； he
declared。 Proper age to get married with a nice；
sensible girl that could appreciate a good home。
He was a very high…spirited boy。 High…spirited
husbands were the easiest to manage。 These mean；
soft chaps； that you would think butter wouldn't
melt in their mouths； were the ones to make a wom…
an thoroughly miserable。 And there was nothing
like a homea firesidea good roof： no turning
out of your warm bed in all sorts of weather。 〃Eh；
my dear？〃
Captain Hagberd had been one of those sailors
that pursue their calling within sight of land。 One
of the many children of a bankrupt farmer； he had
been apprenticed hurriedly to a coasting skipper；
and had remained on the coast all his sea life。 It
must have been a hard one at first： he had never
taken to it； his affection turned to the land； with
its innumerable houses； with its quiet lives gathered
round its firesides。 Many sailors feel and profess
a rational dislike for the sea； but his was a pro…
found and emotional animosityas if the love of
the stabler element had been bred into him through
many generations。
〃People did not know what they let their boys in
for when they let them go to sea；〃 he expounded to
Bessie。 〃As soon make convicts of them at once。〃
He did not believe you ever got used to it。 The
weariness of such a life got worse as you got older。
What sort of trade was it in which more than half
your time you did not put your foot inside your
house？ Directly you got out to sea you had no
means of knowing what went on at home。 One
might have thought him weary of distant voyages；
and the longest he had ever made had lasted a fort…
night； of which the most part had been spent at
anchor； sheltering from the weather。 As soon as
his wife had inherited a house and enough to live on
（from a bachelor uncle who had made some money
in the coal business） he threw up his command of
an East…coast collier with a feeling as though he
had escaped from the galleys。 After all these years
he might have counted on the fingers of his two
hands all the days he had been out of sight of Eng…
land。 He had never known what it was to be out
of soundings。 〃I have never been further than
eighty fathoms from the land；〃 was one of his
boasts。
Bes