“Junk,” it said, “only old junk! And does Mr. Hay find a parable?”
“I find at least a strong impression,” replied Herrick, turning quickly, lest he might be able to catch, on the face of the speaker, some commentary on the words.
Attwater stood in the doorway, which he almost wholly filled; his hands stretched above his head and grasping the architrave. He smiled when their eyes met, but the expression was inscrutable.
“Yes, a powerful impression. You are like me; nothing so affecting as ships!” said he. “The ruins of an empire would leave me frigid, when a bit of an old rail that an old shellback leaned on in the middle watch, would bring me up all standing. But come, let’s see some more of the island. It’s all sand and coral and palm-trees; but there’s a kind of a quaintness in the place.”
“I find it heavenly,” said Herrick, breathing deep, with head bared in the shadow.
“Ah, that’s because you’re new from sea,” said Attwater. “I daresay, too, you can appreciate what one calls it. It’s a lovely name. It has a flavour, it has a colour, it has a ring and fall to it; it’s like its author—it’s half Christian! Remember your first view of the island, and how it’s only woods and woods and water; and suppose you had asked somebody for the name, and he had answered—nemorosa Zacynthos.”
“Jam medio apparet fluctu!” exclaimed Herrick. “Ye gods, yes, how good!”
“If it gets upon the chart, the skippers will make nice work of it,” said Attwater. “But here, come and see the diving-shed.”
He opened a door, and Herrick saw a large display of apparatus neatly ordered: pumps and pipes, and the leaded boots, and the huge snouted helmets shining in rows along the wall; ten complete outfits.
“The whole eastern half of my lagoon is shallow, you must understand,” said Attwater; “so we were able to get in the dress to great advantage. It paid beyond belief, and was a queer sight when they were at it, and these marine monsters”—tapping the nearest of the helmets—“kept appearing and reappearing in the midst of the lagoon. Fond of parables?” he asked abruptly.