u? Of course we expected you in a general sort of way, but we
didn't know when you would make port."

Egbert bowed. "I scarcely knew myself," he said. "My plans were somewhat
vague and--ah--rather hurriedly made, naturally. Of course my great
sorrow, my bereavement----"

He paused, sighed and then brushed the subject away with a wave of his
glove.

"You won't mind, I'm sure," he said, "if I don't dwell upon that just
now. It is too recent, the shock is too great, I really cannot.... But I
am so sorry to hear of your disability. A railway wreck, I understand.
Outrageous carelessness, no doubt. Really, Captain Kendrick, one cannot
find excuses for the reckless mismanagement of your American
railways.... Why, what is it? Don't you agree with me?"

The captain had looked up momentarily. Now he was looking down again.

"Don't you agree with me?" repeated Egbert. "Surely you, of all people,
should not excuse their recklessness."

Sears shook his head. "Oh, I wasn't tryin' to," he replied. "I was only
wonderin' why you spoke of 'em as 'your' railroads. They aren't mine,
you know. That is, any more than they are Judah's--or yours--or any
other American's. No such luck."

Mr. Phillips coughed, smiled, coughed again, and then explained that he
had used the word 'your' without thinking.

"I have been so long an--ah--shall I say exile, Captain Kendall," he
observed, "that I have, I presume, fallen somewhat into the European
habit of thinking and--ah--speaking. Habit is a peculiar thing, is it
not?"

Mr. Cahoon, intensely interested in the conversation, evidently felt it
his duty to contribute toward it.

"You're right there, Mr. Phillips," he announced, with emphasis.
"Don't talk to me about habits! When a man's been to sea as long's I
have he runs afoul of pretty nigh every kind of habit there is, seems
so. Why, I knew a feller one time--down to Surinam 'twas--I was cook
and steward aboard the old _Highflyer_--and this feller--he wan't
a white man, nor he wan't all nigger nuther, kind of in between, one of
them--er--er--octoreens, that's what he was--well, this feller he had
the dumdest habit. Every day of his life, about the middle of the dog
watch he'd up and----"

"Judah."

"Aye, aye, Cap'n Sears?"

"You'll be late down at the store, won't you?"

"Hey? Oh, I don't care how late I be. I don't know's I'm so dreadful
partic'lar about goin' down there to-night, anyhow. Don't know but I'd
just as live stay here."