Ilookedaboutmeagain，andsawtheletter-writinggoingonwiththemostcuriouscomposure。Perfectlyabstractedinthemidstofthecrowd；whilegreatcaskswereswingingaloft，andbeingloweredintothehold；whilehotagentswerehurryingupanddown，adjustingtheinterminableaccounts；whiletwohundredstrangersweresearchingeverywherefortwohundredotherstrangers，andwereaskingquestionsaboutthemoftwohundredmore；whilethechildrenplayedupanddownallthesteps，andinandoutamongallthepeople’slegs，andwerebeheld，tothegeneraldismay，topplingoverallthedangerousplaces；theletter-writerswroteoncalmly。
Onthestarboardsideoftheship，agrizzledmandictatedalonglettertoanothergrizzledmaninanimmensefurcap:whichletterwasofsoprofoundaquality，thatitbecamenecessaryfortheamanuensisatintervalstotakeoffhisfurcapinbothhishands，fortheventilationofhisbrain，andstareathimwhodictated，asamanofmanymysterieswhowasworthlookingat。Onthelar-boardside，awomanhadcoveredabelaying-pinwithawhiteclothtomakeaneatdeskofit，andwassittingonalittlebox，writingwiththedeliberationofabookkeeper。Down，uponherbreastontheplanksofthedeckatthiswoman’sfeet，withherheaddivinginunderabeamofthebulwarksonthatside，asaneligibleplaceofrefugeforhersheetofpaper，aneatandprettygirlwroteforagoodhourshefaintedatlast，onlyrisingtothesurfaceoccasionallyforadipofink。Alongsidetheboat，closetomeonthepoop-deck，anothergirl，afresh，well-growncountrygirl，waswritinganotherletteronthebaredeck。Laterintheday，whenthisself-sameboatwasfilledwithachoirwhosanggleesandcatchesforalongtime，oneofthesingers，agirl，sangherpartmechanicallyallthewhile，andwrotealetterinthebottomoftheboatwhiledoingso。
’Astrangerwouldbepuzzledtoguesstherightnameforthesepeople，Mr。Uncommercial，’saysthecaptain。
’Indeedhewould。’
’Ifyouhadn’tknown，couldyoueverhavesupposed-？’