heavy eyelids. The thick, smooth lips in repose looked as if glued
together. The smile was faint. A heavy, tranquil man. I named my
two officers, who just then came down to breakfast; but why Mr.
Burns's silent demeanour should suggest suppressed indignation I
could not understand.

While we were taking our seats round the table some disconnected
words of an altercation going on in the companionway reached my
ear. A stranger apparently wanted to come down to interview me,
and the steward was opposing him.

"You can't see him."

"Why can't I?"

"The Captain is at breakfast, I tell you. He'll be going on shore
presently, and you can speak to him on deck."

"That's not fair. You let--"

"I've had nothing to do with that."

"Oh, yes, you have. Everybody ought to have the same chance. You
let that fellow--"

The rest I lost. The person having been repulsed successfully, the
steward came down. I can't say he looked flushed--he was a
mulatto--but he looked flustered. After putting the dishes on the
table he remained by the sideboard with that lackadaisical air of
indifference he used to assume when he had done something too