Now she was dead, and he dismissed her from his mind.
This explanation might be the truth, but nevertheless the steady humming wore on McTee's nerves until finally he knocked on the door of the inner cabin.

It was dusk by this time, and when Henshaw opened the door, he was carrying a lantern.
"You!" he muttered.

"Well, captain ?" "You seem busy," said McTee uneasily, shifting under the steady light from the lantern.

"I thought I might be able to help you." "At the work I'm doing no man can help," answered Henshaw.
"What work ?" "I'm calculating profit and loss." "On your cargo ?" "Cargo?
Yes, yes! Profit and loss on this cargo." And he broke into a harsh laugh.

Obviously Henshaw was lying, yet the Scotchman went on with the conversation, eager to draw out some hidden meaning.
"It's an odd idea of yours, this, to bring a shipment of wheat from the south seas to Central America." "Aye, the first time it's ever been done.