In this story by Joseph Conrad, a man tells his lover a tale about an English naval captain (who she later deduces to be him) racked with guilt over a decision made at sea. While sheltering from fog, he encountered a trading ship that he became increasingly suspicious of being a privateer supplying fuel to enemy U-boats. The ship’s papers were in order, and he had no legal basis for seizing it. Nevertheless, he found a way to send it and all on board to their doom without firing a shot. Themes include duty vs. morality in war, guilt. Themes include duty vs. morality in war, guilt.