That the well-meaning curate came no more did not perturb her. They say he never did.
Captain Joshua trudged down the steep and devious ways of the Overgang, with a bundle under his arm. To him the quaint roofs, the narrow street, the occasional stretches of gray stone wall were of no interest. He rolled past a wandering artist who, with easel and paints, was enraptured with a view, and under his breath grunted a derisive: “Humph! Loafin’ lout! If I could get him aboard the I’ll Try for a month, I’d make a useful man out of nothing. Playing with pretty things, he be. No use!�
He could not resist the temptation to stand in front of a ship-chandler’s show-window and stare therein at a compact steam winch scarcely larger than a sewing machine, and the brass-bound boiler beside it.
“Wish to the Lord I’d a bought you instead of that blamed motor-engine,â€� he thought. “The I’ll Try be one of the last ships left that has to hoist trawls by hand-winch and—great dollops, it do be hard work!â€�
A long, troubled sigh slipped out before he could check it, and he had turned to hasten away lest the sin of envy creep through his mind, when the voice of the chandler stopped him.
“Morning, Captain Josh. See you looking at that winch. I had expected you’d be in to buy that lot for the I’ll Try. You should have it. It does more work than two men aboard. Wouldn’t you like it?�
“I’d like it, all right, John,â€� said the skipper, “but what with bad catches and bad markets, and that fool experiment with motors, I haven’t the money, and—â€�
The ship-chandler laughed as if immensely amused.
“Since when has any man in Brixham town asked anything more than the word of Captain Josh? Why, you can have my shop on your word!�
“Nope,â€� said the veteran. “I’ll never buy anything more I can’t pay for. I’m too old now to take any chance on debts. When my time comes, those up there on the hill—you know,â€�—and he jerked a heavy thumb over his shoulder in the direction of his home,—“they’ll have no debts of mine to meet. Not one! Not a damned farthing!â€�