“Yes, sir,” the pale-faced steward turned resignedly to me.  It was this maddening course of being shouted at, checked without rhyme or reason, arbitrarily chased out of my cabin, suddenly called into it, sent flying out of his pantry on incomprehensible errands, that accounted for the growing wretchedness of his expression.

“Where are you going with that coat?”

“To your room, sir.”

“Is there another shower coming?”

“I’m sure I don’t know, sir.  Shall I go up again and see, sir?”

“No! never mind.”

My object was attained, as of course my other self in there would have heard everything that passed.  During this interlude my two officers never raised their eyes off their respective plates; but the lip of that confounded cub, the second mate, quivered visibly.

I expected the steward to hook my coat on and come out at once.  He was very slow about it; but I dominated my nervousness sufficiently not to shout after him.  Suddenly I became aware (it could be heard plainly enough) that the fellow for some reason or other was opening the door of the bath-room.  It was the end.  The place was literally not big enough to swing a cat in.  My voice died in my throat and I went stony all over.  I expected to hear a yell of surprise and terror, and made a movement, but had not the strength to get on my legs.  Everything remained still.  Had my second self taken the poor wretch by the throat?  I don’t know what I would have done next moment if I had not seen the steward come out of my room, close the door, and then stand quietly by the sideboard.

“Saved,” I thought.  “But, no!  Lost!  Gone!  He was gone!”

I laid my knife and fork down and leaned back in my chair.  My head swam.  After a while, when sufficiently recovered to speak in a steady voice, I instructed my mate to put the ship round at eight o’clock himself.

“I won’t come on deck,” I went on.  “I think I’ll turn in, and unless the wind shifts I don’t want to be disturbed before midnight.  I feel a bit seedy.”

“You did look middling bad a little while ago,” the chief mate remarked without showing any great concern.

They both went out, and I stared at the steward clearing the table.  There was nothing to be read on that wretched man’s face.  But why did he avoid my eyes I asked myself.  Then I thought I should like to hear the sound of his voice.

“Steward!”

“Sir!” Startled as usual.

“Where did you hang up that coat?”

“In the bath-room, sir.”  The usual anxious tone.  “It’s not quite dry yet, sir.”