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For
the
moment
he
had
forgotten
that
Coralio
was
an
insignificant
town
in
an
insignificant
republic
lying
along
the
by-ways
of
a
second-rate
sea
.
He
thought
of
Gregg
,
the
quarantine
doctor
,
who
subscribed
for
the
London
Lancet
,
expecting
to
find
it
quoting
his
reports
to
the
home
Board
of
Health
concerning
the
yellow
fever
germ
.
The
consul
knew
that
not
one
in
fifty
of
his
acquaintances
in
the
States
had
ever
heard
of
Coralio
.
He
knew
that
two
men
,
at
any
rate
,
would
have
to
read
his
report
--
some
underling
in
the
State
Department
and
a
compositor
in
the
Public
Printing
Office
.
Perhaps
the
typesticker
would
note
the
increase
of
commerce
in
Coralio
,
and
speak
of
it
,
over
the
cheese
and
beer
,
to
a
friend
.
He
had
just
written
:
"
Most
unaccountable
is
the
supineness
of
the
large
exporters
in
the
United
States
in
permitting
the
French
and
German
houses
to
practically
control
the
trade
interests
of
this
rich
and
productive
country
"
--
when
he
heard
the
hoarse
notes
of
a
steamer
's
siren
.
Geddie
laid
down
his
pen
and
gathered
his
Panama
hat
and
umbrella
.
By
the
sound
he
knew
it
to
be
the
Valhalla
,
one
of
the
line
of
fruit
vessels
plying
for
the
Vesuvius
Company
.
Down
to
niños
of
five
years
,
everyone
in
Coralio
could
name
you
each
incoming
steamer
by
the
note
of
her
siren
.
The
consul
sauntered
by
a
roundabout
,
shaded
way
to
the
beach
.
By
reason
of
long
practice
he
gauged
his
stroll
so
accurately
that
by
the
time
he
arrived
on
the
sandy
shore
the
boat
of
the
customs
officials
was
rowing
back
from
the
steamer
,
which
had
been
boarded
and
inspected
according
to
the
laws
of
Anchuria
.
There
is
no
harbour
at
Coralio
.
Vessels
of
the
draught
of
the
Valhalla
must
ride
at
anchor
a
mile
from
shore
.
When
they
take
on
fruit
it
is
conveyed
on
lighters
and
freighter
sloops
.
At
Solitas
,
where
there
was
a
fine
harbour
,
ships
of
many
kinds
were
to
be
seen
,
but
in
the
roadstead
off
Coralio
scarcely
any
save
the
fruiters
paused
.
Now
and
then
a
tramp
coaster
,
or
a
mysterious
brig
from
Spain
,
or
a
saucy
French
barque
would
hang
innocently
for
a
few
days
in
the
offing
.
Then
the
custom-house
crew
would
become
doubly
vigilant
and
wary
.
At
night
a
sloop
or
two
would
be
making
strange
trips
in
and
out
along
the
shore
;
and
in
the
morning
the
stock
of
Three
--
Star
Hennessey
,
wines
and
drygoods
in
Coralio
would
be
found
vastly
increased
.
It
has
also
been
said
that
the
customs
officials
jingled
more
silver
in
the
pockets
of
their
red-striped
trousers
,
and
that
the
record
books
showed
no
increase
in
import
duties
received
.
The
customs
boat
and
the
Valhalla
gig
reached
the
shore
at
the
same
time
.
When
they
grounded
in
the
shallow
water
there
was
still
five
yards
of
rolling
surf
between
them
and
dry
sand
.
Then
half-clothed
Caribs
dashed
into
the
water
,
and
brought
in
on
their
backs
the
Valhalla
's
purser
and
the
little
native
officials
in
their
cotton
undershirts
,
blue
trousers
with
red
stripes
,
and
flapping
straw
hats
.
At
college
Geddie
had
been
a
treasure
as
a
first-baseman
.
He
now
closed
his
umbrella
,
stuck
it
upright
in
the
sand
,
and
stooped
,
with
his
hands
resting
upon
his
knees
.
The
purser
,
burlesquing
the
pitcher
's
contortions
,
hurled
at
the
consul
the
heavy
roll
of
newspapers
,
tied
with
a
string
,
that
the
steamer
always
brought
for
him
.
Geddie
leaped
high
and
caught
the
roll
with
a
sounding
"
thwack
.
"
The
loungers
on
the
beach
--
about
a
third
of
the
population
of
the
town
--
laughed
and
applauded
delightedly
.
Every
week
they
expected
to
see
that
roll
of
papers
delivered
and
received
in
that
same
manner
,
and
they
were
never
disappointed
.
Innovations
did
not
flourish
in
Coralio
.
The
consul
rehoisted
his
umbrella
and
walked
back
to
the
consulate
.
This
home
of
a
great
nation
's
representative
was
a
wooden
structure
of
two
rooms
,
with
a
native-built
gallery
of
poles
,
bamboo
and
nipa
palm
running
on
three
sides
of
it
.
One
room
was
the
official
apartment
,
furnished
chastely
with
a
flat-top
desk
,
a
hammock
,
and
three
uncomfortable
cane-seated
chairs
.
Engravings
of
the
first
and
latest
president
of
the
country
represented
hung
against
the
wall
.
The
other
room
was
the
consul
's
living
apartment
.
