YANK--[_Slowly._] She was all white. I tought she was a ghost. Sure. PADDY--[_With heavy, biting sarcasm._] 'Twas love at first sight, divil a doubt of it! If you'd seen the endearin' look on her pale mug when she shrivelled away with her hands over her eyes to shut out the sight of him! Sure, 'twas as if she'd seen a great hairy ape escaped from the Zoo! YANK--[_Stung--with a growl of rage._] Aw! PADDY--And the loving way Yank heaved his shovel at the skull of her, only she was out the door! [_A grin breaking over his face._] 'Twas touching, I'm telling you! It put the touch of home, swate home in the stokehole. [_There is a roar of laughter from all._] YANK--[_Glaring at Paddy menacingly._] Aw, choke dat off, see! PADDY--[_Not heeding him--to the others._] And her grabbin' at the Second's arm for protection. [_With a grotesque imitation of a woman's voice._] Kiss me, Engineer dear, for it's dark down here and me old man's in Wall Street making money! Hug me tight, darlin', for I'm afeerd in the dark and me mother's on deck makin' eyes at the skipper! [_Another roar of laughter._] YANK--[_Threateningly._] Say! What yuh tryin' to do, kid me, yuh old Harp? PADDY--Divil a bit! Ain't I wishin' myself you'd brained her? YANK--[_Fiercely._] I'll brain her! I'll brain her yet, wait 'n' see! [_Coming over to Paddy--slowly._] Say, is dat what she called me--a hairy ape? PADDY--She looked it at you if she didn't say the word itself. YANK--[_Grinning horribly._] Hairy ape, huh? Sure! Dat's de way she looked at me, aw right. Hairy ape! So dat's me, huh? [_Bursting into rage--as if she were still in front of him._] Yuh skinny tart! Yuh white-faced bum, yuh! I'll show yuh who's a ape! [_Turning to the others, bewilderment seizing him again._] Say, youse guys. I was bawlin' him out for pullin' de whistle on us. You heard me. And den I seen youse lookin' at somep'n and I tought he'd sneaked down to come up in back of me, and I hopped round to knock him dead wit de shovel. And dere she was wit de light on her! Christ, yuh coulda pushed me over with a finger! I was scared, get me? Sure! I tought she was a ghost, see? She was all in white like dey wrap around stiffs. You seen her. Kin yuh blame me? She didn't belong, dat's what. And den when I come to and seen it was a real skoit and seen de way she was lookin' at me--like Paddy said--Christ, I was sore, get me? I don't stand for dat stuff from nobody. And I flung de shovel--on'y she'd beat it. [_Furiously._] I wished it'd banged her! I wished it'd knocked her block off! LONG--And be 'anged for murder or 'lectrocuted? She ain't bleedin' well worth it. YANK--I don't give a damn what! I'd be square wit her, wouldn't I? Tink I wanter let her put somep'n over on me? Tink I'm goin' to let her git away wit dat stuff? Yuh don't know me! Noone ain't never put nothin' over on me and got away wit it, see!--not dat kind of stuff--no guy and no skoit neither! I'll fix her! Maybe she'll come down again--