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regret would be perfectly adequate: more indeed
might be offensive. It was not anything much of a marriage, you know. Indeed
legally I believe it was no marriage at all. The Governor was impotent. I took
the ordinary measures, and some out of the ordinary: but nothing answered. How
the connexion came about in the first place or what they made of it I do not
know: but they slept in separate rooms and I had the strong impression that it
was but a sad cohabitation - guilt and resentment just under the surface. He of
course was a busy man, and very fortunately she had her anatomical studies - a
most uncommonly gifted lady. No. Condolence by all means; but tempered, tempered .
    Besides, one very usual and genuine source of grief
is wholly lacking: she is well-off in her own right. I know the family in Lancashire.’
    ‘So much the better. Now reverting to this
question of impotence: was it physical?’
    ‘Not evidently so.’
    ‘Was the patient an opium-eater?’
    ‘Certainly not. I once had occasion to
administer a very moderate dose, and he was astonished by the effects. No, no:
it was all in the head - and what innumerable strange surprising fancies the
head of a physically normal, active, intelligent man can hold, quite apart from
anxiety, that most- what is it?’
     ‘Commodore’s
compliments, sir,’ said a midshipman, ‘and when Dr Maturin is at liberty,
should be happy to see him. But I am to add that there is no hurry at all.’
    ‘Another glass before you go...
or rather let me call for another bottle, since there is no hurry.’
    ‘You are too kind,’ said Stephen, shaking his head;
and to the boy, ‘Pray tell the Commodore that I shall wait upon him directly.’
    ‘Why, Stephen, there you are,’ cried Jack. ‘I do beg
pardon for interrupting you. But since I am sure you have heard of poor
Governor Wood’s death, I thought you would like to know that there is a
Guineaman sailing this evening, in case you chose to send... Then again, the
Admiral has a courier setting off for England within the hour: I have asked for
William Reade to bring Ringle, and since she will need a day or two’s readying,
he could ride over to Woolhampton, taking messages and bringing things back.’
    ‘I had indeed heard of Captain Wood’s death, God rest
his soul, and I have been composing a letter to his widow in my mind - perhaps
I may be able to dash something off by this evening, though I am a slow, dry
and barren creature with a pen. As for William Reade, if he will buy a fine
bold hoop in Portsmouth and give it to Brigid with
my love, together with this crown piece, I should be infinitely obliged to him.
And if he would bring back my narwhal horn, or rather tusk - the tusk you so
very kindly gave me a great while since - I should be most uncommon grateful. I
was contemplating on it in the night, for I am told that in Mahon we are likely
to meet that eminent engineer, metallurgist and natural philosopher James
Wright, and I hope that he will be able to tell me - do you see the horn in
your eye, at all clearly?’
    ‘Fairly well.’
    ‘To tell me whether those
whorls, or perhaps I should say those torsades or undulations, and those
spirals running from the base almost to the very tip add strength or possibly
elasticity to the whole improbable structure.’
    ‘Beg pardon, sir,’ said Killick, ‘but your number
one scraper ain’t fit to be seen aboard the flag.’ He held up a gold-laced hat,
very fine, but strangely dented. ‘Which you trod on it last Thursday and put it
back in its case without a word: but there is still just time to have it
reblocked at Broad’s.’
    ‘Make it so, Killick,’ said Jack. ‘Ask Mr Willis
for a boat.’ And to Stephen, ‘I shall add your requests in my letter to Reade:
hoop and a crown for Brigid, with your love, and the narwhal horn.’
    ‘Love to dear Sophie too, of course, and the
kindest of wishes to Clarissa Oakes. The horn is in a bow-case, hanging in one
of the cupboards in