“Whist!” says Tobin to me, “do ye hear that?”

“Look out,” goes on the palmist, “for a dark man and a light woman; for they’ll both bring ye trouble.  Ye’ll make a voyage upon the water very soon, and have a financial loss.  I see one line that brings good luck.  There’s a man coming into your life who will fetch ye good fortune.  Ye’ll know him when ye see him by his crooked nose.”

“Is his name set down?” asks Tobin. “’Twill be convenient in the way of greeting when he backs up to dump off the good luck.”

“His name,” says the palmist, thoughtful looking, “is not spelled out by the lines, but they indicate ’tis a long one, and the letter ‘o’ should be in it.  There’s no more to tell.  Good-evening.  Don’t block up the door.”

“’Tis wonderful how she knows,” says Tobin as we walk to the pier.

As we squeezed through the gates a nigger man sticks his lighted segar against Tobin’s ear, and there is trouble.  Tobin hammers his neck, and the women squeal, and by presence of mind I drag the little man out of the way before the police comes.  Tobin is always in an ugly mood when enjoying himself.

On the boat going back, when the man calls “Who wants the good-looking waiter?” Tobin tried to plead guilty, feeling the desire to blow the foam off a crock of suds, but when he felt in his pocket he found himself discharged for lack of evidence.  Somebody had disturbed his change during the commotion.  So we sat, dry, upon the stools, listening to the Dagoes fiddling on deck.  If anything, Tobin was lower in spirits and less congenial with his misfortunes than when we started.

On a seat against the railing was a young woman dressed suitable for red automobiles, with hair the colour of an unsmoked meerschaum.  In passing by, Tobin kicks her foot without intentions, and, being polite to ladies when in drink, he tries to give his hat a twist while apologising.  But he knocks it off, and the wind carries it overboard.

Tobin came back and sat down, and I began to look out for him, for the man’s adversities were becoming frequent.  He was apt, when pushed so close by hard luck, to kick the best dressed man he could see, and try to take command of the boat.

Presently Tobin grabs my arm and says, excited:  “Jawn,” says he, “do ye know what we’re doing?  We’re taking a voyage upon the water.”

“There now,” says I; “subdue yeself.  The boat’ll land in ten minutes more.”

“Look,” says he, “at the light lady upon the bench.  And have ye forgotten the nigger man that burned me ear?  And isn’t the money I had gone—­a dollar sixty-five it was?”

I thought he was no more than summing up his catastrophes so as to get violent with good excuse, as men will do, and I tried to make him understand such things was trifles.