John Rowland's encounter with Myra Selfridge

A gang of sailors, headed by a six-foot boatswain, comes aft on the starboard side to paint. Among them is John Rowland, a slight-built man of about thirty, black-bearded and bronzed but watery-eyed and unsteady. As he approaches a group of ladies, his gaze rests on one—a sunny-haired young woman with blue eyes. He starts, turns aside, and raises his hand in an embarrassed half-salute before passing on. The young woman, Myra Selfridge, is equally affected, showing surprise and terror. She catches up a little child from the deck and hurries into the saloon. This encounter reveals the past romantic relationship between Rowland and Myra, and his subsequent social disgrace and alcoholism.