"I guess you'd better get out of Marseilles before Tough Bill comes out of hospital," he said to Strickland, when they had got back to the Chink's Head and were cleaning themselves.

"This beats cock-fighting," said Strickland.

I could see his sardonic smile.

Captain Nichols was anxious. He knew Tough Bill's vindictiveness. Strickland had downed the mulatto twice, and the mulatto, sober, was a man to be reckoned with. He would bide his time stealthily. He would be in no hurry, but one night Strickland would get a knife-thrust in his back, and in a day or two the corpse of a nameless beach-comber would be fished out of the dirty water of the harbour. Nichols went next evening to Tough Bill's house and made enquiries. He was in hospital still, but his wife, who had been to see him, said he was swearing hard to kill Strickland when they let him out.

A week passed.

"That's what I always say," reflected Captain Nichols, "when you hurt a man, hurt him bad. It gives you a bit of time to look about and think what you'll do next."

Then Strickland had a bit of luck. A ship bound for Australia had sent to the Sailors' Home for a stoker in place of one who had thrown himself overboard off Gibraltar in an attack of delirium tremens.

"You double down to the harbour, my lad," said the Captain to Strickland, "and sign on. You've got your papers."

Strickland set off at once, and that was the last Captain Nichols saw of him. The ship was only in port for six hours, and in the evening Captain Nichols watched the vanishing smoke from her funnels as she ploughed East through the wintry sea.

请教老师：

这一句He was in hospital still, but his wife, who had been to see him, said he was swearing hard to kill Strickland when they let him out. 对had been to see的理解困惑。

我的疑惑是：由be to see变成had been to see, 这里的see动作实现了没有？还是原来计划打算去看，而实际没有去看？或者是原来计划打算去看，结果未知？或者是原来计划打算去看，结果也确实去看了？

had been to see 和 was to have seen 理解上，含义究竟有何区别呢？

另外Strickland set off at once, and that was the last Captain Nichols saw of him. 这里的saw of him, of=about 吗？为什么不直接说成saw him呢？