'Right! Go and tell Nils,' he says. Oh, but he's a
grand open-handed sort, is the Captain! There's not many of his like
about."
A little while after, I was sent for up to the Captain's room. He thanked
me for the work I had done both indoors, and out, and went on to settle
up. And that was all, really. But he kept me there a little, asking one or
two things about the drying-shed, and we talked over that for a bit.
Anyhow it would have to wait till after Christmas, he said. But when the
time came, he'd be glad to see me back. He looked me in the face then, and
went on:
"But you won't come back here again now, I suppose?"
I was taken by surprise. But I faced him squarely in return, and answered:
"No."
As I went down, I thought over what he had said. Had he seen through me,
then? If so, he had shown a degree of trust in me that I was glad to think
of. At least, he was a man of good feeling.
Trust me? And why should he not? Played out and done with as I was.
Suffered to go about and do and be as I pleased, by virtue of my eminent
incapacity for harm.
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