now, in the garish light of
day, than he had been when he presented himself fresh from his hammock
on the night before--was down on his hands and knees busily engaged in
scrubbing the cabin floor, while the strips of carpet and the table-
cloth were rolled up and placed upon the table, the beautifully polished
surface of which was partially protected by a large square of green
baize. I bade the fellow good-morning; but he took no more notice of me
than if I had never spoken; so I passed on and entered my sleeping
apartment, closing the door behind me. I then proceeded to dress
leisurely and perform my toilet as well as the means at my disposal
would permit, but when it is remembered that I had no change of linen,
and owned only the clothes which I happened to be wearing when I was
washed off the wreck, it will be readily understood that when I had done
all that was possible to render myself presentable the result still left
much to be desired.

The steward finished the washing and swabbing of the cabin deck, and
then retired, returning about half an hour later--by which time the
planks were dry--to relay the strips of carpet, replace the table-cloth,
and arrange the table for breakfast, producing, somewhat to my surprise,
a very elegant table-equipage of what, seen through the slats which
formed the upper panel of my cabin door, appeared to be solid silver and
quite valuable china.

He had barely finished his task when seven bells struck on deck, and
prompt upon the last stroke the door in the after bulkhead was thrown
open and a man issued from it, and, passing rapidly through the cabin,
with just a momentary pause to glance at the tell-tale barometer
swinging in the skylight, made his way out on deck.

I caught a glimpse of him, through the slats in the top panel of my
door, as he passed, and judged him to be about thirty years of age. He
was rather tall, standing about five feet ten inches in his morocco
slippers; very dark--so much so that I strongly suspected the presence
of negro blood in his veins--with a thick crop of jet-black hair, a
luxuriantly bushy beard, and a heavy thick moustache, all very carefully
trimmed, and so exceedingly glossy that I thought it probable that the
gloss was due to artificial means. The man was decidedly good-looking,
in a Frenchified fashion, and was a sea dandy of the first water, as was
evidenced by the massive gold earrings in his ears, the jewelled studs
in the immaculate