Our new acquaintance had become involved in a vexatious difficulty with his pipe which had suddenly betrayed his trust and disappointed his anticipation of self-indulgence.

To keep the ball rolling I asked Marlow if this Powell was remarkable in any way.
"He was not exactly remarkable," Marlow answered with his usual nonchalance.

"In a general way it's very difficult for one to become remarkable.

People won't take sufficient notice of one, don't you know.
I remember Powell so well simply because as one of the Shipping Masters in the Port of London he dispatched me to sea on several long stages of my sailor's pilgrimage.

He resembled Socrates.