Brown's gabbling prayers, the cries of the
sailors in the rigging, strains of the dead Hemstead's
minstrelsy, ran together in Carthew's mind with
sickening iteration. He neither acquitted nor
condemned himself: he did not think he suffered. In
the bright water into which he stared, the pictures
changed and were repeated: the baresark rage of
Goddedaal; the blood-red light of the sunset into which
they had run forth; the face of the babbling Chinaman
as they cast him over; the face of the captain, seen a
moment since, as he awoke from drunkenness into
remorse. And time passed, and the sun swam higher, and
his torment was not abated.
Then were fulfilled many sayings, and the weakest of
these condemned brought relief and healing to the
others. Amalu the drudge awoke (like the rest) to
sickness of body and distress of mind; but the habit of
obedience ruled in that simple spirit, and, appalled to
be so late, he went direct into the galley, kindled the
fire, and began to get breakfast. At the rattle of
dishes, the snapping of the fire, and the thin smoke
that went up straight into the air, the spell was
lifted.
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