第26章

Whereupon，andthename(withinfinitehardbreathing)beingsigned，thecommissionerwouldproceedtofillintheman’sappearance，height，etc。，ontheofficialform。Inthistaskofliteraryportraitureheseemedtorelywhollyupontemperament；

forIcouldnotperceivehimtocastoneglanceonanyofhismodels。Hewasassisted，however，byarunningcommentaryfromthecaptain：“Hairblueandeyesred，nosefivefootseven，andstaturebroken“——jestsasold，presumably，astheAmericanmarine；and，likethesimilarpleasantriesofthebilliardboard，perenniallyrelished。ThehighestnoteofhumourwasreachedinthecaseoftheChinesecook，whowasshippedunderthenameof“OneLung。”tothesoundofhisownprotestsandtheself-approvingchucklesofthefunctionary。

“Now，captain。”saidthelatter，whenthemenweregone，andhehadbundleduphispapers，“thelawrequiresyoutocarryaslop-chestandachestofmedicines。”

“IguessIknowthat。”saidNares。

“Iguessyoudo。”returnedthecommissioner，andhelpedhimselftoport。

Butwhenhewasgone，IappealedtoNaresonthesamesubject，forIwaswellawarewecarriednoneoftheseprovisions。

“Well。”drawledNares，“there’ssixtypoundsofniggerheadonthequay，isn’tthere？andtwentypoundsofsalts；andInevertravelwithoutsomepainkillerinmygripsack。”

Asamatteroffact，wewerericher。Thecaptainhadtheusualsailor’sprovisionofquackmedicines，withwhich，intheusualsailorfashion，hewoulddailydrughimself，displayinganextremeinconstancy，andflittingfromKennedy’sRedDiscoverytoKennedy’sWhite，andfromHood’sSarsaparillatoMotherSeigel’sSyrup。Andtherewere，besides，somemildewedandhalf-emptybottles，thelabelsobliterated，overwhichNareswouldsometimessniffandspeculate。“Seemstosmelllikediarrhoeastuff。”hewouldremark。“Iwish’tIknew，andIwouldtryit。”Buttheslop-chestwasindeedrepresentedbytheplugsofniggerhead，andnothingelse。Thuspaternallawsaremade，thustheyareevaded；andtheschoonerputtosea，likeplentyofherneighbours，liabletoafineofsixhundreddollars。

Thischaracteristicscene，whichhasdelayedmeoverlong，wasbutamomentinthatdayofexerciseandagitation。Tofitoutaschoonerforsea，andimproviseamarriagebetweendawnanddusk，involvesheroiceffort。AlldayJimandIran，andtramped，andlaughed，andcamenearcrying，andfellinsuddenanxiousconsultations，andweresped(withapreparedsarcasmonourlips)tosomefallaciousmilliner，andmadedashestotheschoonerandJohnSmith’s，andateverysecondcornerwerereminded(byourownhugeposters)ofourdesperateestate。

Betweenwhiles，Ihadfoundthetimetohoveratsomehalf-a-

dozenjewellers’windows；andmypresent，thusintemperatelychosen，wasgraciouslyaccepted。Ibelieve，indeed，thatwasthelast(thoughnottheleast)ofmyconcerns，beforetheoldminister，shabbyandbenign，wasroutedfromhishouseandledtotheofficelikeaperformingpoodle；andthere，inthegrowingdusk，underthecoldglitterofThirteenStar，twohundredstrong，andbesidethegarishgloriesoftheagriculturalengine，MamieandJimweremadeone。Thescenewasincongruous，butthebusinesspretty，whimsical，andaffecting：

thetypewriterswithsuchkindlyfacesandfineposies，Mamiesodemure，andJim——howshallIdescribethatpoor，transfiguredJim？Hebeganbytakingtheministerasidetothefarendoftheoffice。Iknewnotwhathesaid，butIhavereasontobelievehewasprotestinghisunfitness；forheweptashesaidit：andtheoldminister，himselfgenuinelymoved，washeardtoconsoleandencouragehim，andatonetimetousethisexpression：“Iassureyou，Mr。Pinkerton，therearenotmanywhocansaysomuch“——fromwhichIgatheredthatmyfriendhadtemperedhisself-accusationswithatleastonelegitimateboast。Fromthisghostlycounselling，Jimturnedtome；andthoughhenevergotbeyondtheexplosiveutteranceofmynameandonefiercehandgrip，communicatedsomeofhisownemotion，likeachargeofelectricity，tohisbestman。Westooduptotheceremonyatlast，inageneralandkindlydiscomposure。Jimwasallabroad；andthedivinehimselfbetrayedhissympathyinvoiceanddemeanour，andconcludedwithafatherlyallocution，inwhichhecongratu

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