more clearly. Your suggestion that Conscience points the way to
an integration of personality into a higher type of divinity,
seems to me off the track; but I haven't quite downed it yet. I'm
going to shut myself up to-day and consider the matter. I leave
you in charge."

"I shall be perfectly happy," said Gissing. "Please don't worry
about me."

"You suggest that all the conditions of life at sea, our mastery
of the forces of Nature, and so on, seem to show that we have
perfect freedom of will, and adapt everything to our desires. I
believe just the contrary. The forces of Nature compel us to
approach them in their own way, otherwise we are shipwrecked. It
is in the conditions of Nature that this ship should reach port
in eight days, otherwise we should get nowhere. We do it because
it is our destiny."

"I am not so sure of that," said Gissing. But the Captain had
already departed with a clouded brow.

On the chart-room roof Gissing had discovered an alluring
instrument, the exact use of which he did not know. It seemed to
be some kind of steering control. The dial was lettered, from
left to right, as follows HARD A PORT, PORT, STEADY, COURSE,
STEADY, STARBD, HARD A STARBD. At present the handle stood upon
the section marked COURSE. After a careful study of the whole
seascape, it seemed to Gissing that off to the south the ocean
looked more blue and more interesting. After some hesitation he
moved the handle to the PORT mark, and waited to see what would