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Conrad, Joseph, 1857-1924

"Chance"

Michael, and was condemned there. Roderick Anthony had connections
which would put such paying jobs in his way. So Flora de Barral had but
a five months' voyage, a mere excursion, for her first trial of sea-life.
And Anthony, dearly trying to be most attentive, had induced this Mrs.
Brown, the wife of his faithful steward, to come along as maid to his
bride. But for some reason or other this arrangement was not continued.
And the mate, tormented by indefinite alarms and forebodings, regretted
it. He regretted that Jane Brown was no longer on board--as a sort of
representative of Captain Anthony's faithful servants, to watch quietly
what went on in that part of the ship this fatal marriage had closed to
their vigilance. That had been excellent. For she was a dependable
woman.
Powell did not detect any particular excellence in what seemed a spying
employment. But in his simplicity he said that he should have thought
Mrs. Anthony would have been glad anyhow to have another woman on board.
He was thinking of the white-faced girlish personality which it seemed to
him ought to have been cared for.


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