Bartleby the Scrivener: A Tale of Wall Street

84 THE PIAZZA TALES
ship might proceed to Conception, there fully to refit
for Lima, her destined port.
Such generosity was not without its effect, even upon
the invalid. His face lighted up ; eager and hectic, he
met the honest glance of his visitor. With gratitude he
seemed overcome.
'
This excitement is bad for master, '
whispered the
servant, taking his arm, and with soothing words gently
drawing him aside.
^— When Don Benito returned, the American was pained
to observe that his hopefulness, like the sudden kindling
in his cheek, was but febrile and transient.
Ere long, with a joyless mien, looking up toward the
poop, the host invited his guest to accompany him there,
for the benefit of what little breath of wind might be stirring .
As, during the telling of the story, Captain Delano
had once or twice started at the occasional cymballing
of the hatchet-polishers, wondering why such an inter-
ruption should be allowed, especially in that part of
the ship, and in the ears of an invalid ; and moreover,
as the hatchets had anything but an attractive look,
and the handlers of them still less so, it was, therefore,
to tell the truth, not without some lurking reluctance,
or even shrinking, it may be, that Captain Delano, with
apparent complaisance, acquiesced in his host's invitation.
The more so, since, with an untimely caprice of
punctilio, rendered distressing by his cadaverous aspect,
Don Benito, with Castilian bows, solemnly insisted upon
his guest's preceding him up the ladder leading to the
elevation ; where, one on each side of the last step,
sat for armorial supporters and sentries two of the
ominous file. Gingerly enough stepped good Captain
Delano between them, and in the instant of leaving
^thern behind, like one running the gauntlet, he felt an
i apprehensive twitch in the calves of his legs.