Take it for what you feel like giving, have it for next to nothing!” Edevart had begun to grow a fair amount of down on his cheeks, and he bought the razor. But he was red with embarrassment.

August came aboard that evening. And very smart he looked in his new coat. But his spirits had slumped. Whatever else might have been the cause of this, it was doubtless in part the hangover effects of his drinking. Edevart at once asked him if he had had any reply to his telegram. No. Had he made any inquiries? No, he hadn’t done that, either.

Edevart looked at him. The blue of his eyes had somehow become pale and blurred, and his face was wan. Edevart remarked that he ought to get some sleep.

“I ended up playing cards with some fellows,” said August.

“And you lost?”

“Yes, they were like fiends. Yet in fact I didn’t lose all that much. What I was going to ask was: were you out looking for me today?”

“Yes. And I looked in to ask Mattea, too.”

“Well, what did she say?”

“She said you looked smart. One of the smartest people she’d ever seen.”

“Yes,” responded August. “When I buy anything it’s always the best!”

They talked about the price of the gold chain. It had been a stiff price, and Edevart wanted to have another look. He couldn’t. “No,” said August, “and I wish I’d never bought it, because now it’s gone.”

“Gone? You lost it gambling?”

“But I’ve still got my watch,” said August, and turned away, his mouth trembling.

“You ought to go to bed,” said Edevart.

Again August wouldn’t listen. He had decided that there was no longer any pleasure in sleeping. He had a hangover and was deeply dejected.

But when Edevart woke in the morning, fatigue had nonetheless overcome his companion. He sat outside asleep on one of the thwarts of the boat, fully dressed and as gray as a corpse.

The vessels and boats had already left the harbor in the gray light of dawn; a small steamer lay alongside the quay taking on passengers and packing cases. Edevart felt inclined to go aboard himself, but decided that he would first dash ashore and inquire about the telegram. It had arrived. He took delivery of it and ran back on board with it. August was sitting on the selfsame thwart; he was awake now. He was busy counting his money.

“Here’s the telegram,” said Edevart.

August answered: “Can’t be bothered with it.”

“Don’t you want to see what it says?”

“No. Chuck it in the sea.”

“You are being stupid,” said Edevart respectfully. He looked across at the little steamer and said: “Isn’t that the steamer I’m supposed to be going home on?”

August merely sighed and sat there, pensive.

“For there’s nothing more to keep me here,” continued Edevart and began collecting his bits and pieces.

“There’s no hurry,” said August.

“No hurry?”

August suddenly ripped open the telegram and read it, or pretended to. “Just as I thought! Karolus thinks he can ask me some outrageous price for the boat. Look here!”

Edevart slowly spelled out what the telegram said; but as far as he could understand, it seemed a reasonable price.