And then
showing that perhaps he was not so utterly absent from his ship as
Franklin supposed: "That's all right. You seem to be getting on very
well with everybody," he said in his curt hurried tone, as if talking
hurt him, and his eyes already straying over the sea as usual.
"Yes, sir."
Powell tells me that looking then at the strong face to which that
haggard expression was returning, he had the impulse, from some confused
friendly feeling, to add: "I am very happy on board here, sir."
The quickly returning glance, its steadiness, abashed Mr. Powell and made
him even step back a little. The captain looked as though he had
forgotten the meaning of the word.
"You--what? Oh yes . . . You . . . of course . . . Happy. Why not?"
This was merely muttered; and next moment Anthony was off on his headlong
tramp his eyes turned to the sea away from his ship.
A sailor indeed looks generally into the great distances, but in Captain
Anthony's case there was--as Powell expressed it--something particular,
something purposeful like the avoidance of pain or temptation.
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