And a very nice man?' said Attwater. 'And so is Mr Whish, no doubt?'

I won't go so far as that,' said Herrick. 'I do not like Huish. And

yet... he has his merits too.'

'And, in short, take them for all in all, as good a ship's company as

one would ask?' said Attwater.

'O yes,' said Herrick, 'quite.'

'So then we approach the other point of why you despise yourself?' said

Attwater.

'Do we not all despise ourselves?' cried Herrick. 'Do not you?'

'Oh, I say I do. But do I?' said Attwater. 'One thing I know at least:

I never gave a cry like yours. Hay! it came from a bad conscience! Ah,

man, that poor diving dress of self-conceit is sadly tattered! Today,

now, while the sun sets, and here in this burying place of brown

innocents, fall on your knees and cast your sins and sorrows on the

Redeemer. Hay--'

'Not Hay!' interrupted the other, strangling. 'Don't call me that! I

mean... For God's sake, can't you see I'm on the rack?'

'I see it, I know it, I put and keep you there, my fingers are on the

129

The Ebb-Tide