a man's shirt, a stand-up collar and a long necktie.
Marlow had made their acquaintance one summer in the country, where
they were accustomed to take a cottage for the holidays...

At this point we were interrupted by Mr Powell who declared that he
must leave us. The tide was on the turn, he announced coming away from
the window abruptly. He wanted to be on board his cutter before she
swung and of course he would sleep on board. Never slept away from the
cutter while on a cruise. He was gone in a moment, unceremoniously, but
giving us no offence and leaving behind an impression as though we had
known him for a long time. The ingenuous way he had told us of his
start in life had something to do with putting him on that footing with
us. I gave no thought to seeing him again. Marlow expressed a
confident hope of coming across him before long.

"He cruises about the mouth of the river all the summer. He will be
easy to find any week-end," he remarked ringing the bell so that we
might settle up with the waiter.

Later on I asked Marlow why he wished to cultivate this chance
acquaintance. He confessed apologetically that it was the commonest
sort of curiosity. I flatter myself that I understand all sorts of
curiosity. Curiosity about daily facts, about daily things, about daily
men. It is the most respectable faculty of the human mind--in fact I
cannot conceive the uses of an incurious mind. It would be like a
chamber perpetually locked up. But in this particular case Mr Powell
seemed to have given us already a complete insight into his personality
such as it was; a personality capable of perception and with a feeling
for the vagaries of fate, but essentially simple in itself.

Marlow agreed with me so far. He explained however that his curiosity
was not excited by Mr Powell exclusively. It originated a good way
further back in the fact of his accidental acquaintance with the Fynes,
in the country. This chance meeting with a man who had sailed with
Captain Anthony had revived it. It had revived it to some purpose, to
such purpose that to me too was given the knowledge of its origin and of
its nature. It was given to me in several stages, at intervals which
are not indicated here. On this first occasion I remarked to Marlow
with some surprise:

"But, if I remember rightly you said you didn't know Captain Anthony."

"No. I never saw the man. It's years ago now, but I seem to hear
solemn little Fyne's