"
The sailor thought for a little. Then he struck his leg with
his great, sun-burned hand.
"I'll chance it," he cried. "I believe you are a man of your
word, and a white man, and I'll tell you the whole story.
But one thing I will say first. So far as I am concerned I regret
nothing and I fear nothing, and I would do it all again and be
proud of the job. Curse the beast, if he had as many lives as a
cat he would owe them all to me! But it's the lady, Mary --
Mary Fraser -- for never will I call her by that accursed name.
When I think of getting her into trouble, I who would give my life
just to bring one smile to her dear face, it's that that turns my
soul into water. And yet -- and yet -- what less could I do?
I'll tell you my story, gentlemen, and then I'll ask you as man
to man what less could I do.
"I must go back a bit. You seem to know everything, so I expect
that you know that I met her when she was a passenger and I was
first officer of the ROCK OF GIBRALTAR. From the first day I
met her she was the only woman to me. Every day of that voyage
I loved her more, and many a time since have I kneeled down in
the darkness of the night watch and kissed the deck of that ship
because I knew her dear feet had trod it.
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