I promised the old man all should be done, as he desired.  After a short pause, it struck me the present might be a favourable moment to say a ward on the subject of the future.  Marble was never a vicious man, nor could he be called a particularly wicked man, as the world goes.  He was thoroughly honest, after making a few allowances for the peculiar opinions of seamen, and his sins were principally those of omission.  But, of religious instruction he had literally known none, in early life.  That which he had picked up in his subsequent career, was not of the most orthodox character.  I had often thought Marble was well disposed on such subjects, but opportunity was always wanting to improve this hopeful disposition.  Accordingly, I now spoke plainly to him, and I could see his still keen eyes turned wistfully towards me, more than once, as he listened with an absorbed attention.

“Ay, ay, Miles,” he answered, when I was through, “this may all be true enough, but it’s rather late in the day for me to go to school.  I’ve heard most of it before, in one shape or another, but it always came so much in scraps and fragments, that before I could bend one idee on to another, so as to make any useful gear of the whole, some of the pieces have slipped through my fingers.  Hows’ever, I’ve been hard at work at the good book, the whole of this v’y’ge, and you know it’s been a long one; and I must say that I’ve picked up a good deal that seems to me to be of the right quality.  Now I always thought it was one of the foolishest things a man could do, to forgive one’s enemies, my rule having been to return broadside for broadside, as you must pretty well know; but, I now see that it is more like a kind natur’ to pardon, than to revenge.”

“My dear Moses, this is a very hopeful frame of mind; carry out this feeling in all things, leaning on the Saviour alone for your support, and your dying hour may well be the happiest of your life.”

“There’s that bloody Smudge, notwithstanding; I hardly think it will be expected of me to look upon him as anything but a ’long-shore pirate, and a fellow to be disposed of in the shortest way possible.  As for old Van Tassel, he’s gone to square the yards in a part of the univarse where all his tricks will be known; and I hold it to be onreasonable to carry spite ag’in a man beyond the grave.  I rather think I have altogether forgiven him; though, to speak the truth, he desarved a rope’s-ending.”

I understood Marble much better than he understood himself.  He felt the sublime beauty of the Christian morality, but, at the same time, he felt there were certain notions so rooted in his own heart, that it exceeded his power to extract them.  As for Smudge, his mind had its misgivings concerning the propriety of his own act, and, with the quickness of his nature, sought to protest itself against its own suggestions, by making an exception of that wretch, as against the general mandates of God.  Van Tassel he probably could, in a manner, pardon, the mischief having been in a measure repaired; though it was a forgiveness that was strangely tinctured with his own deep contempt for the meanness of the transgressor.