through a fierce, white heat of
pain, and had emerged burned clean of dross, free of all petty rancor
or hatred. It glowed in her face, this wide understanding and
sympathy, looked from her eyes, and sounded in her voice, and it was
this that won the worship of the desperate men and broken derelicts who
peopled the _Golden Bough's_ forecastle.

Hair? Oh, yes, she had hair, a great mass of it piled on her head,
black hair. Eyes? Her eyes were blue, not the washed out blue of a
morning sky, but the changing, mysterious purple-blue of deep water.
She turned those wonderful eyes upon me, as I stood there at the wheel,
and the red blood flushed my cheeks, while the mask of cynical hardness
I had striven so hard to cultivate fled from my face. She saw through
my pretence, did the lady, she saw me as I really was, a boy playing
desperately at being such a man as my experience had taught me to
admire. I was abashed. I was no longer a hard case with those
pitying, understanding eyes upon me. I was like a lad detected in a
mischief, facing my mother.

She had heard some talk in the cabin, or perhaps she had overheard
Lynch's report to the Old Man, for her words showed she knew me as one
of the men who had shipped in the vessel of my own will. "Why--you are
only a boy!" she said, in a surprised voice. Then her face seemed to
diffuse a sweet sympathy and understanding. I can't explain it, but I
knew that the lady knew just why I had shipped. She looked inside of
me, and read my heart--and _understood_! "Oh, Boy, why did you do it?"
she exclaimed softly. "It is not worth it--why did you come!
Listen!--do not give offense; whatever they do, show no resentment.
Oh, they are hard--forget your pride, and be willing!"

She seemed about to say more, but Captain Swope interrupted. When she
appeared on deck, he affected not to see her; he had paced past her
twice, but not by the quiver of an eyelash had he shown himself aware
of her presence. Now he suddenly paused nearby. Perhaps his sailor's
sense of fitness was ruffled by the sight of her in conversation with
the man at the wheel; or, more likely, his eye had noted the scene
occurring forward, and he wished to force it upon her attention,
because it would cause her pain.

"Ah, madam, commencing your good works so soon?" he remarked, in a
soft, sneering voice. "Well, from all signs for'ard, you had better
overhaul your medicine chest. You will have a patient or two