A more splendid lot of pearls than those
paid to us I had never seen, and these we divided equally between the
"Golden Seahorse" and the "Speedwell", to be allotted among the
officers and crews of both vessels in such proportions as might be
decided upon on our return to Amsterdam. The stone ballast, which, as
we expected, turned out to be the gold-bearing quartz we had obtained
from the island of Armenio, we transferred to our own ship.
And now, with a cargo which for richness had surely never been
surpassed, we once more set sail for home.
CHAPTER LII
CONCLUSION
As we neared Amsterdam I began to think, with some trepidation, of my
inevitable meeting with Pauline. It was now three years since I had set
out upon my second voyage in the "Golden Seahorse", compelled to this
course by reason of the incompatibility of temper which existed between
my wife and me, making a happy union between us impossible. Yet when I
took myself to task I could not but blame myself for much that had
occurred. Pauline was vain, but so are most women, and most men too for
that matter, for while a woman seeks admiration for her personal charms
a man is equally proud of his achievements, and he is never so happy as
when he is being praised for what he has done.
Pages:
281
282
283
284
285
286
287
288
289
290
291
292
293
294
295
296
297
298
299
300
301
302
303
304
305