“He tossed his head fearlessly, and I confess that for the first and last time in our acquaintance I perceived myself unexpectedly to be thoroughly sick of him. Why these vapourings? He was stumping about the room flourishing his arm absurdly, and now and then feeling on his breast for the ring under his clothes. Where was the sense of such exaltation in a man appointed to be a trading-clerk, and in a place where there was no trade—at that? Why hurl defiance at the universe? This was not a proper frame of mind to approach any undertaking; an improper frame of mind not only for him, I said, but for any man. He stood still over me. Did I think so? he asked, by no means subdued, and with a smile in which I seemed to detect suddenly something insolent. But then I am twenty years his senior. Youth is insolent; it is its right—its necessity; it has got to assert itself, and all assertion in this world of doubts is a defiance, is an insolence. He went off into a far corner, and coming back, he, figuratively speaking, turned to rend me. I spoke like that because I—even I, who had been no end kind to him—even I remembered—remembered—against him—what—what had happened. And what about others—the—the—world? Where’s the wonder he wanted to get out, meant to get out, meant to stay out—by heavens! And I talked about proper frames of mind!
“‘It is not I or the world who remember,’ I shouted. ‘It is you—you, who remember.’
“He did not flinch, and went on with heat, ‘Forget everything, everybody, everybody.’…His voice fell…’But you,’ he added.
“‘Yes—me, too—if it would help,’ I said, also in a low tone. After this we remained silent and languid for a time as if exhausted. Then he began again, composedly, and told me that Mr. Stein had instructed him to wait for a month or so, to see whether it was possible for him to remain, before he began building a new house for himself, so as to avoid ‘vain expense.’ He did make use of funny expressions—Stein did. ‘Vain expense’ was good…Remain? Why! of course. He would hang on. Let him only get in—that’s all; he would answer for it he would remain. Never get out. It was easy enough to remain.
“‘Don’t be foolhardy,’ I said, rendered uneasy by his threatening tone. ‘If you only live long enough you will want to come back.’
“‘Come back to what?’ he asked, absently, with his eyes fixed upon the face of a clock on the wall.
“I was silent for a while. ‘Is it to be never, then?’ I said. ‘Never,’ he repeated, dreamily, without looking at me, and then flew into sudden activity. ‘Jove! Two o’clock, and I sail at four!’
“It was true. A brigantine of Stein’s was leaving for the westward that afternoon, and he had been instructed to take his passage in her, only no orders to delay the sailing had been given. I suppose Stein forgot. He made a rush to get his things while I went aboard my ship, where he promised to call on his way to the outer roadster. He turned up accordingly in a great hurry and with a small leather valise in his hand. This wouldn’t do, and I offered him an old tin trunk of mine supposed to be water-tight, or at least damp-tight. He effected the transfer by the simple process of shooting out the contents of his valise as you would empty a sack of wheat. I saw three books in the tumble; two small, in dark covers, and a thick green-and-gold volume—a half-crown complete Shakespeare. ‘You read this?’ I asked. ‘Yes. Best thing to cheer up a fellow,’ he said, hastily. I was struck by this appreciation, but there was no time for Shakespearian talk. A heavy revolver and two small boxes of cartridges were lying on the cuddy-table. ‘Pray take this,’ I said. ‘It may help you to remain.’ No sooner were these words out of my mouth than I perceived what grim meaning they could bear. ‘May help you to get in,’ I corrected myself, remorsefully. He, however, was not troubled by obscure meanings; he thanked me effusively and bolted out, calling Good-bye over his shoulder. I heard his voice through the ship’s side urging his boatmen to give way, and looking out of the stern-port I saw the boat rounding under the counter. He sat in her leaning forward, exciting his men with voice and gestures; and as he had kept the revolver in his hand and seemed to be presenting it at their heads, I ‘shall never forget the scared faces of the four Javanese, and the frantic swing,of their stroke which snatched that vision from under my eyes. Then turning away, the first thing I saw were the two boxes of cartridges on the cuddy-table. He, had forgotten to take them.