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The Mirror of the Sea by Joseph Conrad
page 97 of 212 (45%)
a chance, no matter how boisterous, threatening, and dangerous, of
a fair wind. Like men racing blindfold for a gap in a hedge, we
were finishing a splendidly quick passage from the Antipodes, with
a tremendous rush for the Channel in as thick a weather as any I
can remember, but his psychology did not permit him to bring the
ship to with a fair wind blowing--at least not on his own
initiative. And yet he felt that very soon indeed something would
have to be done. He wanted the suggestion to come from me, so that
later on, when the trouble was over, he could argue this point with
his own uncompromising spirit, laying the blame upon my shoulders.
I must render him the justice that this sort of pride was his only
weakness.

But he got no suggestion from me. I understood his psychology.
Besides, I had my own stock of weaknesses at the time (it is a
different one now), and amongst them was the conceit of being
remarkably well up in the psychology of the Westerly weather. I
believed--not to mince matters--that I had a genius for reading the
mind of the great ruler of high latitudes. I fancied I could
discern already the coming of a change in his royal mood. And all
I said was:

"The weather's bound to clear up with the shift of wind."

"Anybody knows that much!" he snapped at me, at the highest pitch
of his voice.

"I mean before dark!" I cried.

This was all the opening he ever got from me. The eagerness with
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