’With proper resolutions, I hope, as to honesty, sobriety, and industry.’

’With a fixed determination to make a fortune, and come back, and be facile princeps among all the Shands.  I have already made up my mind as to the sum I will give each of the girls, and the way I will start the two younger boys in business.  In the meantime let us light a pipe.’

Chapter V

The Goldfinder

There is no peculiar life more thoroughly apart from life in general, more unlike our usual life, more completely a life of itself, governed by its own rules and having its own roughnesses and amenities, than life on board ship.  What tender friendship it produces, and what bitter enmities!  How completely the society has formed itself into separate sets after the three or four first days!  How thoroughly it is acknowledged that this is the aristocratic set, and that the plebeian!  How determined are the aristocrats to admit no intrusion, and how anxious are the plebeians to intrude!  Then there arises the great demagogue, who heads a party, having probably been disappointed in early life,—­that is, in his first endeavours on board the ship.  And the women have to acknowledge all their weaknesses, and to exercise all their strength.  It is a bad time for them on board ship if they cannot secure the attention of the men,—­as it is in the other world; but in order that they may secure it, they assume indifference.  They assume indifference, but are hard at work with their usual weapons.  The men can do very well by themselves.  For them there is drinking, smoking, cards, and various games; but the potency of female spells soon works upon them, and all who are worth anything are more or less in love by the end of the first week.  Of course it must all come to an end when the port is reached.  That is understood, though there may sometimes be mistakes.  Most pathetic secrets are told with the consciousness that they will be forgotten as soon as the ship is left.  And there is the whole day for these occupations.  No work is required from any one.  The lawyer does not go to his court, nor the merchant to his desk.  Pater-familias receives no bills; mater-familias orders no dinners.  The daughter has no household linen to disturb her.  The son is never recalled to his books.  There is no parliament, no municipality, no vestry.  There are neither rates nor taxes nor rents to be paid.  The government is the softest despotism under which subjects were ever allowed to do almost just as they please.  That the captain has a power is known, but hardly felt.  He smiles on all, is responsible for everything, really rules the world submitted to him, from the setting of the sails down to the frying of the chops, and makes one fancy that there must be something wrong with men on shore because first-class nations cannot be governed like first-class ships.