business. I said:

"You must have got up mighty early this morning."

He admitted with simplicity that he was on the quay before six
o'clock waiting for my ship to come in. He gave me the impression
that it would be impossible to get rid of him now.

"If you think we are going to live on that scale," I said, looking
at the table with an irritated eye, "you are jolly well mistaken."

"You'll find it all right, Captain. I quite understand."

Nothing could disturb his equanimity. I felt dissatisfied, but I
could not very well fly out at him. He had told me many useful
things--and besides he was the brother of that wealthy merchant.
That seemed queer enough.

I rose and told him curtly that I must now go ashore. At once he
offered the use of his boat for all the time of my stay in port.

"I only make a nominal charge," he continued equably. "My man
remains all day at the landing-steps. You have only to blow a
whistle when you want the boat."

And, standing aside at every doorway to let me go through first, he
carried me off in his custody after all. As we crossed the
quarter-deck two shabby individuals stepped forward and in mournful
silence offered me business cards which I took from them without a
word under his heavy eye. It was a useless and gloomy ceremony.