”Goodevening，Captain，”hailedtheyoungman，cheerily。”Didn’texpectme，didyou？IdroppedinforamomenttoshakehandswithyouandtooffercongratulationstoMissWarren。”Then，noticingtheexpressiononhisfriend’sface，headded，”What’sthematter？Anythingwrong？AmIintruding？””No，no！Coursenot。You’reaswelcomeasanotheregginapoorman’shen-house。Comerightinandtakeoffyourthings。I’mgladtoseeyou。Only——well，thefactisIthought’twasCarolinecomin’home。SheandSteviewastobehereovertwohoursago，andIcan’timaginewhat’skeepin，’em。”
Heinsisteduponhisvisitor’sremaining，althoughthelatter，whenheunderstoodthesituation，wasreluctanttodoso。”Caroline’llberealgladtoseeyou，Jim，Iknow，”thecaptainsaid。”AndIwantyoutostayformysake。Betweenpacifyin’theCommodoreandfrettin’overwhatcouldn’tpossiblyhappen，Iwashalfdeadofthefidgets。Stayandcheermeup，there’sagoodfeller。I’djustaboutreachedthestagewhereIhadthegirlandboystovetoflindersunderthatpeskyauto。I’devenbeguntofiggeronnotifyin’theundertaker。TellmeI’manoldfoolandthentalkaboutsomethin’else。They’llbehereanyminute。”
Butagoodmanyminutespassed，andstilltheydidnotcome。
Pearson，awareofhiscompanion’sgrowinganxiety，chattedofthenovel，ofthepeopleattheboardinghouse，ofanythingandeverythinghecouldthinkoflikelytodivertattentionfromtheoneimportanttopic。Theanswershereceivedweremoreandmorebriefandabsent。Atlast，whenEdwardsagainappeared，appealinglymute，attheentrancetothediningroom，CaptainElisha，withasighwhichwasalmostagroan，surrendered。”Iguess，”hesaid，reluctantly，”Iguess，Jim，thereain’tanyusewaitin’anylonger。Somethin’skept’em，andtheywon’tbeherefordinner。YouandI’llsetdownandeat——thoughIain’tgottheappetiteIcal’latedtohave。”
Pearsonhaddinedhoursbefore，buthefollowedhisfriend，resolvedtopleasethelatterbygoingthroughtheformofpretendingtoeat。
Theysatdowntogether。CaptainElisha，witharuefulsmile，pointedtothefloralcenterpiece。”There’syourposies，Jim，”heobserved。”Lookpretty，don’tthey。
Sheain’tseen’emyet，butshe’lllike’emwhenshedoes。Andthatoverthere，isherpresentfromme。Steviegaveheraboxofgloves，andIexpect，fromwhatMrs。Dunnhinted，thatsheandthatsonofhersgavehersomethin’fine。She’llshowuswhenshegetshere。What’sthis，Commodore？Oysters，hey？Well，theyoughttotastelikehome。They’re’CapeCods’；Iwouldn’thaveanythingelse。””Wewon’ttouchthebirthdaycake，Jim，”headded，alittlelater。”She’sgottocutthatherself。”
Thesoupwasonlylukewarm，butneitherofthemcommentedonthefact。Thecaptainhadscarcelytastedofhis，whenhepaused，hisspooninair。”Hey？”heexclaimed。”Listen！What’sthat？Bytheeverlastin’，itIS。Heretheyare，atLAST！”
Hesprangupwithsuchenthusiasmthathischairtippedbackwardsagainstthebutler’sdevotedshins。Pearson，almostasmuchpleased，alsorose。
CaptainElishapaidscantattentiontothechairincident。”Whatareyouwaitin’for？”hedemanded，whirlingonEdwards，whowasrightingthechairwithonehandandrubbinghiskneewiththeother。”Don’tyouhear’ematthedoor？Let’emin！”
Hereachedthelibraryfirst，hisfriendfollowingmoreleisurely。
CarolineandStephenhadjustentered。”Well！”hecried，inhisquarter-deckvoice，hisfacebeamingwithreliefanddelight，”youAREhere，ain’tyou！Ibeguntothink……
Why，what’sthematter？”
ThequestionwasaddressedtoStephen，whostoodnearesttohim。
Theboydidnotdeigntoreply。Withacontemptuousgrunt，heturnedscornfullyawayfromhisguardian。”Whatisit，Caroline？”demandedCaptainElisha。”HASanythinghappened？”
Thegirllookedcoldlyathim。Anewbrooch——Mrs。CorcoranDunn’sbirthdaygift——sparkledatherthroat。”Noaccidenthashappened，ifthatiswhatyoumean，”shesaid。”But——why，yes，thatwaswhatImeant。Youwassoawfullate，andyouknowyousaidyou’dbehomefordinner，so——””Ichangedmymind。Come，Steve。”
Sheturnedtoleavetheroom。Pearson，atthatmoment，enteredit。
Stephensawhimfirst。”WHAT？”hecried。”Well，ofallthenerve！Look，Caro！””Jim——Mr。Pearson，Imean——raninafewminutesago，”explainedCaptainElisha，bewilderedandstammering。”Hethoughtofcoursewe’dhaddinnerand——and——hejustwantedtowishyoumanyhappyreturns，Caroline。”
Pearsonhadextendedhishandanda”Goodevening”wasonhislips。
Stephen’sstrangebehaviorandlanguagecausedhimtohalt。Heflushed，awkward，surprised，andindignant。
Carolineturnedandsawhim。Shestarted，andhercheeksalsogrewcrimson。Then，recovering，shelookedhimfullintheface，anddeliberatelyanddisdainfullyturnedherback。”Come，Steve！”shesaidagain，andwalkedfromtheroom。
Herbrotherhesitated，glaredatPearson，andthenstalkedhaughtilyafterher。
CaptainElisha’sbewildermentwassupreme。Hestared，open-
mouthed，afterhisnephewandniece，andthenturnedslowlytohisfriend。”Whatonearth，Jim，”hestammered。”What’sitMEAN？”
Pearsonshruggedhisshoulders。”IthinkIknowwhatitmeans，”hesaid。”IpresumethatMissWarrenandherbrotherhavelearnedofmytroublewiththeirfather。””Hey？No！youdon’tthinkTHAT’Sit。””Ithinkthere’snodoubtofit。””Buthow？””Idon’tknowhow。WhatIdoknowisthatIshouldnothavecomehere。Ifeltitand，ifyouwillremember，Isaidso。Iwasafool。Goodnight，Captain。”
Hotandfuriouslyangryathisownindecisionwhichhadplacedhiminthishumiliatingsituation，hewasstridingtowardsthehall。
CaptainElishaseizedhisarm。”Staywhereyouare，Jim！”hecommanded。”Ifthetrouble’swhatyouthinkitis，I’mmoretoblamethananybodyelse，andyousha’n’tleavethishousetillI’vedonemybesttosquareyou。””Thankyou；butIdon’twishtobe’squared。’I’vedonenothingtobeashamedof，andIhaveborneasmanyinsultsasIcanstand。
I’mgoing。””No，youain’t。Notyet。Iwantyoutostay。”
AtthatmomentStephen’svoicereachedthemfromtheadjoiningroom。”ItellyouIshall，Caro！”itproclaimed，fiercely。”DoyousupposeI’mgoingtopermitthatfellowtocomehereagain——ortogountilheismadetounderstandwhatwethinkofhimandwhy？
No，bygad！I’mthemanofthisfamily，andI’lltellhimafewthings。”
Pearson’sjawsetgrimly。”Youmayletgoofmywrist，CaptainWarren，”hesaid；”I’llstay。”
PossiblyStephen’sintensedesiretoprovehismanlinessmadehimself-conscious。Atanyrate，heneverappearedmoreridiculouslyboyishthanwhen，aninstantlater，hemarchedintothelibraryandconfrontedhisuncleandPearson。”I——Iwanttosay——”hebegan，majestically；”Iwanttosay——”
Hepaused，choking，andbrandishedhisfist。”Iwanttosay——”hebeganagain。”Allright，Stevie，”interruptedthecaptain，dryly，”thenI’dsayitifIwasyou。Iguessit’stimeyoudid。””Iwantto——totellthatfellowTHERE，”withaviciousstabofhisforefingerinthedirectionofPearson，”thatIconsiderhiman——aningrate——andascoundrel——andamiserable——””Steady！”CaptainElisha’sinterruptionwassharpthistime。”Steadynow！Leaveoutthepetnames。Whatisityou’vegottotell？””I——mysisterandIhavefoundoutwhatascoundrelheis，that’swhat！We’velearnedofthelieshewroteaboutfather。Weknowthathewasresponsibleforallthatcowardly，lyingstuffinthePlanet——allthatabouttheTrolleyCombine。Andwedon’tintendthatheshallsneakintothishouseagain。Ifhewastheleastpartofaman，hewouldneverhavecome。””Mr。Warren——”beganPearson，steppingforward。Thecaptaininterrupted。”Holdon，Jim！”hesaid。”Justaminutenow。You’velearnedsomethin’，yousay，Stevie。TheDunnstoldyou，Is’pose。””Nevermindwhotoldme！””Idon’t——much。ButIguesswe’dbetterhaveaclearunderstandin’，allofus。Caroline，willyoucomeinhere，please？”
Hesteppedtowardthedoor。Stephenspranginfrontofhim。”Mysisterdoesn’tintendtocheapenherselfbyenteringthatman’spresence，”hedeclared，hotly。”I’lldealwithhim，myself！””Allright。ButIguessshe’dbetterbehere，justthesame。
Caroline，Iwantyou。””Shesha’n’tcome！””Yes，sheshall。Caroline！”
Theboywouldhavedetainedhim，buthepushedhimfirmlyasideandwalkedtowardthedoor。Beforehereachedit，however，hisnieceappeared。”Well？”shesaid，coldly。”Whatisityouwantofme？””IwantyoutohearMr。Pearson’ssideofthisbusiness——andmine——
beforeyoudoanythingyou’llbesorryfor。””IthinkI’veheardquiteenoughofMr。Pearsonalready。NothinghecansayordowillmakememoresorrythanIam，orhumiliatememorethanthefactthatIhavetreatedhimasafriend。”
Theicycontemptinhertonewascutting。Pearson’sfacewaswhite，buthespokeclearlyandwithdeliberation。”MissWarren，”hesaid，”Imustinsistthatyoulistenforanothermoment。Ioweyouanapologyfor——””Apology！”brokeinStephen，withascornfullaugh。”Apology！
Well，bygad！Justhearthat，Caro！”
Thegirl’slipcurled。”Idonotwishtohearyourapology，”shesaid。”ButIwishyoutohearit。NotformyattitudeintheTrolleymatter，norforwhatIpublishedinthePlanet。Norformypartinthedisagreementwithyourfather。Iwrotethetruthandnothingmore。Iconsidereditrightthen——Itoldyourfatherso——andI
havenotchangedmymind。Ishouldactexactlythesameundersimilarcircumstances。””Youblackguard！”shoutedStephen。Pearsonignoredhimutterly。”Idooweyouanapology，”hecontinued，”forcominghere，asI
havedone，knowingthatyouwereignorantoftheaffair。Ibelievenowthatyouaremisinformedastothefacts，butthatisimmaterial。
YoushouldhavebeentoldofmytroublewithMr。Warren。Ishouldhaveinsisteduponit。ThatIdidnotdosoismyfaultandI
apologize；butforthatonly。Goodevening。”
Heshookhimselffreefromthecaptain’sgrasp，bowedtothetrio，andlefttheroom。Aninstantlatertheouterdoorclosedbehindhim。
Carolineturnedtoherbrother。”Come，Steve，”shesaid。”Stayrightwhereyouare！”CaptainElishadidnotrequestnow，hecommanded。”Stevie，standstill。Caroline，Iwanttotalktoyou。”
Thegirlhesitated。Shehadneverbeenspokentointhattonebefore。Herpridehadbeenalreadydeeplywoundedbywhatshehadlearnedthatafternoon；shewasfiercelyresentful，angry，andrebellious。Shewassuresheneverhatedanyoneasshedidthismanwhoorderedhertostayandlistentohim。But——shestayed。”Caroline，”saidCaptainElisha，afteramomentofsilence，”I
presumelikely——ofcourseIdon’tknowforsartin，butIpresumelikelyit’sMrs。Dunnandthatsonofherswho’vetoldyouwhatyouthinkyouknow。””Itdoesn’tconcernyouwhotoldus！”blusteredStephen，pushingforward。Hemighthavebeenaflybuzzingonthewallforalltheattentionhisunclepaidhim。”IpresumelikelytheDunnstoldyou，Caroline，”herepeated，calmly。
Hisniecemethisgazestubbornly。”Well，”sheanswered，”andiftheydid？Wasn’titnecessaryweshouldknowit？Oh！”withashudderofdisgust，”IwishIcouldmakeyouunderstandhowashamedIfeel——howWICKEDandashamedI
feelthatI——_I_shouldhavedisgracedfather’smemoryby……
Oh，butthere！Ican’t！Yes；Mrs。DunnandMalcolmdidtellus——
manythings。ThankGodthatweHAVEfriendstotellusthetruth！””Amen！”quietly。”I’llsayamentothat，Caroline，anytime。OnlyIwantyoutobesurethoseyoucallfriendsarerealonesandthatthetruthstheytellain’tlikethebaitonafishhook，putonFOR
baitandjustthickenoughtocoverthebarb。””Doyoumeantoinsinuate——”screamedtheirrepressiblenephew，wildatbeingsocompletelyignored。Hisuncleagainpaidnottheslightestattention。”Butthatain’tneitherherenortherenow，”hewenton。”Caroline，Mr。Pearsonjusttoldyouthathiscomingtothishousewithouttellin’youfustofhisquarrelwith’Bijewashisfault。Thatain’tso。Thefaultwasminealtogether。Hetoldmethewholestory；
toldmethathehadn’tcalledsinceithappened，onthatveryaccount。AndItookthewholeresponsibilityandASKEDhimtocome。
Idid！Doyouknowwhy？”
Ifheexpectedananswernonewasgiven。Caroline’slidsdroopeddisdainfully。”Steve，”shesaid，”letusgo。””Stop！You’llstayhereuntilIfinish。IwanttosaythatI
didn’ttellyouabouttheTrolleyfussbecauseIwantedyoutolearnsomethingsforyourself。IwantedyoutoknowMr。Pearson——
tofindoutwhatsortofmanhewasaforeyoujudgedhim。Then，whenyouhadknownhimlongenoughtounderstandhewasn’taliarandablackguard，andallthatStevehascalledhim，Iwasgoin’totellyouthewholetruth，notapartofit。And，afterthat，Iwasgoin’toletyoudecideforyourselfwhattodo。I’malotolderthanyouare；I’vemixedwithallsortsoffolks；I’mpastthestagewhereIcanbefooledby——byfalsehairorsoftsoap。Youcan’tpoursweetoiloveraherrin’andmakemebelieveit’sasardine。IknowthePearsonstock。I’vesailedoveraheapofsaltwaterwithoneofthefamily。AndI’vekeptmyeyesopensinceI’verunacrostthisparticularmember。AndIknewyourfather，too，CarolineWarren。AndIsaytoyounowthat，knowin’
JimPearsonand’BijeWarren——yes，andknowin’therightsandwrongsofthatTrolleybusinessquiteaswellasMalcolmDunnoranybodyelse——Isaytoyouthat，although’Bijewasmybrother，I’dbetmylifethatJimhadalltherightonhisside。There！that’sthetruth，andnohookunderneathit。Andsomedayyou’llrealizeit，too。”
Hehadspokenwithgreatvehemence。Nowhetookahandkerchieffromhispocketandwipedhisforehead。Whenheagainlookedathisniece，hefoundherstaringintentlyathim；andhereyesblazed。”Haveyouquitefinished——now？”shedemanded。”Steve，bequiet！””Why，yes，Iguessso，prettynigh。Is’posethereain’tmuchusetosaymore。IfIwastotellyouthatI’vetriedtodoforyouandSteveinthis——sameasineverythingelsesinceItookthisjob——asifyouweremyownchildren，youwouldn’tbelieveit。IfI
wastotellyou，Caroline，thatI’dcometothinkanawfullotofyou，youwouldn’tbelievethat，either。Ididhopethatsinceourothermisunderstandin’wasclearedup，andyoufoundIwa’n’twhatyouthoughtIwas，you’dcometomeandaskquestionsaforepassin’
judgment；butperhaps——”
Andnowsheinterrupted，burstingoutathiminablastofscornwhichtookhisbreathaway。”Oh，stop！stop！”shecried。”Don’tsayanymore。Youhaveinsultedfather’smemory，anddefendedthemanwhoslanderedhim。
Isn’tthatenough？Whymustyougoontoproveyourselfagreaterhypocrite？Welearned，mybrotherandI，to-daymorethanthetruthconcerningyourFRIEND。Welearnedthatyouhavelied——yes，lied——and——””Steady，Caroline！becareful。Iwouldn’tsaywhatImightbesorryforlater。””Sorry！CaptainWarren，youspokeofmymisjudgingyou。IthoughtIhad，andIwassorry。To-dayIlearnedthatyourattitudeinthataffairwasalieliketherest。YOUdidnotpayforMr。
Moriarty’saccident。Mr。Dunn’smoneypaidthosebills。Andyouallowedthefamily——andme——tothankYOUforyourgenerosity。Oh，I’mashamedtobenearyou！””There！There！Caroline，bestill。I——””Ishallnotbestill。Ihavebeenstillaltogethertoolong。Youareourguardian。Wecan’thelpthat，Isuppose。Fatheraskedyoutobethat，forsomereason；butdidheaskyoutoLIVEherewhereyouarenotwanted？Toshameusbeforeourfriends，ladiesandgentlemensofaraboveyouineveryway？Andtotrytopoisonourmindsagainstthemandsneeratthemwhentheyarekindtousandeventrytobekindtoyou？No，hedidnot！Oh，I’msickofitall！yourdeceitandyourhypocriticalspeechesandyourpretendedloveforus。LOVE！Oh，ifIcouldsaysomethingthatwouldmakeyouunderstandhowthoroughlywedespiseyou，andhowyourpresence，eversinceyouforcedituponSteveandme，hasdisgracedus！
IfIonlycould！I——I——”
ShehadbeenneartotearseversinceMrs。CorcoranDunn，inthekindnessofherheart，toldherthe”truth”thatafternoon。Butprideandindignationhadpreventedhergivingway。Now，however，shebrokedown。”Oh——oh，Steve！”shecried，and，turningtoherbrother，sobbedhystericallyonhisshoulder。”Oh，Steve，whatshallwedo？”
Stephenputhisarmaboutherwaist。”It’sallright，Sis，”hesaidsoothingly。”Don’tcrybeforeHIM！Iguess，”withaglanceathisuncle，”you’vesaidenoughtomakeevenhimunderstand——atlast。”
CaptainElishalookedgravelyatthepair。”Iguessyouhave，”hesaidslowly。”Iguessyouhave，Caroline。Anyhow，Ican’tthinkoffhandofanythingyou’veleftout。Icouldexplainsomethings，butwhat’stheuse？And，”withasigh，”youmayberightinaway。
PerhapsIshouldn’thavecomeheretolive。Ifyou’donlytoldmeplainaforejusthowyoufelt，I’d——maybeI’d——butthere！Ididn’tknow——Ididn’tknow。Yousee，Ithought……However，Iguessthatpartofyourtroublesisover。But，”headded，firmly，”whereverIam，orwhereverIgo，youmustunderstandthatI’myourguardian，justthesame。IconsideredalongspellaforeItooktheplace，andIneverabandonedashipyet，onceItookcommandofher。AndI’llsticktothisone！Yes，sir！I’llsticktoitinspiteofthedevil——ortheDunns，either。TillyouandyourbrotherareofageI’mgoin’tolookoutforyouandyourinterestsandyourmoney；andnothin’nornobodyshallstopme。Asforforcin’mycompanyonyou，though，thatwell，that’sdifferent。I
cal’lateyouwon’thavetoworryanymore。Goodnight。”
Hethrusthishandsintohispocketsandwalkedslowlyfromthelibrary。
CHAPTERXIV
Stephen，the”manofthefamily，”wastheonlymemberofthehousehold，servantsexcepted，whosleptsoundlythatnight。
ConsciousofhavingdonehisdutyintheaffairwithPearsonandhisguardian，andsomewhatfatiguedbythedisagreeabletaskofsoothinghishystericalsister，hewasslumberingpeacefullyatninethenextmorningwhenawakenedbyaseriesofrapsonhisbedroomdoor。”Ah！What？Well，whatisit？”hedemanded，testilyopeninghiseyes。”Edwards，isthatyou？Whatthedevildoyoumeanbymakingsucharow？”
Thevoicewhichansweredwasnotthebutler’s，butCaroline’s。”Steve！Oh，Steve！”shecried。”Dogetupandcomeout！Come，quick！””What’sthematter？”inquiredtheyoungman，sittingupinbed。”Isthehouseafire？””No，no！Butdocome！Iwantyou。Somethinghashappened。””Happened？Whatisit？””Ican’ttellyouhere。Pleasedressandcometomeasquickasyoucan。”
Stephen，wonderingandsomewhatalarmed，dressedwithunusualpromptitudeandobeyed。Hefoundhissisterstandingbythelibrarywindow，aletterinherhand。Shelookedtroubledandanxious。”Well，Caro，”observedtheboy，”hereIam。Whatintheworld’supnow？”
Sheturned。”Oh，Steve！”sheexclaimed，”he’sgone！””Gone？Who？””CaptainWarren。He’sgone。””Gone？Gonewhere？Caro，youdon’tmeanhe’s——DEAD？””No，he’sgone——goneandleftus。”
Herbrother’sexpressionchangedtoincredulousjoy。”What？”heshouted。”Youmeanhe’squit？Clearedout？Lefthereforgood？””Yes。””Hurrah！ExcusemewhileIgloat！Hurrah！Wegotitthroughhisskullatlast！Isitpossible？But——butholdon！Perhapsit’stoogoodtobetrue。Areyousure？Howdoyouknow？””Hesaysso。See。”
Shehandedhimtheletter。Itwasaddressedto”MydearCaroline”
andinitCaptainElishastatedhisintentionssuccinctly。Aftertheplainspeakingofthepreviouseveningheshouldnot，ofcourse，burdenthemwithhissocietyanylonger。Hewasleavingthatmorning，and，assoonashe”locatedpermanentmooringssomewhereelse”wouldnotifyhisnieceandnephewofhiswhereabouts。”For，”headded，”asItoldyou，althoughIshallnotimposemycompanyonyou，Iamyourguardiansameasever。Iwillseethatyourallowancecomestoyouregular，includingenoughforallhouseholdbillsandpayforthehiredhelpandsoon。Ifyouneedanyextrasatanytimeletmeknowand，iftheyseemtomerightandproper，Iwillsendmoneyforthem。Youwillstaywhereyouare，Caroline，andSteviemustgobacktocollegerightaway。
TellhimIsayso，andifhedoesnotIshallbeginreducinghisallowanceaccordingasIwrotehim。HewillunderstandwhatI
mean。IguessthatisalluntilIsendyoumyaddressandanyothersailingordersthatseemnecessarytomethen。And，Caroline，IwantyouandStevietofeelthatIamyouranchortowindward，andwhenyougetinatightplace，ifyoueverdo，youcandependonme。Lastnight’stalkhasnobearingonthatwhatever。Good-by，then，untilmynext。”ELISHAWARREN。”
Stephenreadthisscreedtotheend，thencrumpleditinhisfistandthrewitangrilyonthefloor。”Thenerve！”heexclaimed。”HeseemstothinkI’masailorononeofhisships，tobeorderedaroundasheseesfit。I’llgobacktocollegewhenI’mgoodandready——notbefore。”
Carolineshookherhead。”Oh，no！”shesaid。”Youmustgoto-day。
He’sright，Steve；it’sthethingforyoutodo。HeandIwereagreedastothat。Andyouwouldn’tstayandmakeitharderforme，wouldyou，dear？”
Hegrowledareluctantassent。”IsupposeIshallhavetogo，”hesaid，sullenly。”Myallowanceistoobeastlysmalltohavehimcuttingit；andtheoldsharkwoulddothatverything；he’dtakedelightindoingit，confoundhim！Well，heknowswhatwethinkofhim，that’ssomecomfort。”
Shedidnotanswer。Helookedathercuriously。”Why，hangitall，Caro！”heexclaimedindisgust；”whatailsyou？
BlessedifIsha’n’tbegintobelieveyou’resorryhe’sgone。Youactasifyouwere。””No，I’mnot。OfcourseI’mnot。I’m——I’mglad。Hecouldn’tstay，ofcourse。ButI’mafraid——Ican’thelpfeelingthatyouandIweretooharshlastnight。Wesaidthings——dreadfulthings——””Behanged！Wedidn’tsayhalfenough。Oh，don’tbeafool，Caro！
Iwasjustbeginningtobeproudofyourgrit。Andnowyouwanttotakeitallback。Honestly，girlsarethelimit！Youdon’tknowyourownmindsfortwelveconsecutivehours。Answermenow！ARE
yousorryhe’sgone？””No。No，I’mnot，really。ButI——Ifeelsomehowasif——asifeverythingwasonmyshoulders。You’regoingaway，andhe’sgone，and——Whatisit，Edwards？”
Thebutlerentered，withasmallparcelinhishand。”Ibegyourpardon，MissCaroline，”hesaid。”Ishouldhavegivenyouthislastevening。Itwasbyyourplaceatthetable。IthinkCaptainWarrenputitthere，miss。”
Carolinetooktheparcelandlookedatitwonderingly。”Forme？”sherepeated。”Yes，MissCaroline。Itismarkedwithyourname。Andbreakfastisserved，whenyouandMr。Stephenareready。”
Hebowedandretired。Thegirlsatturningthelittlewhiteboxinherhands。”HEleftitforme，”shesaid。”Whatcanitbe？”
Herbrothersnatcheditimpatiently。”Whydon’tyouopenitandfindout？”hedemanded。”Perhapsit’shislatchkey。Here！I’lldoitmyself。”
Hecutthecordandremovedthecoverofthelittlebox。Insidewasthejeweler’sleathercase。Hetookitoutandpressedthespring。Thecoverflewup。”Whew！”hewhistled。”It’sapresent。Andratheradecentone，too，bygad！Look，Caro！”
Hehandedhertheopencase。Shelookedatthechain，spreadcarefullyonthewhitesatinlining。Insidethecoverwasfittedacard。Sheturneditoverandread:”Tomyniece，Caroline。Withwishesformanyhappyreturns，andmuchlove，fromherUncleElishaWarren。”
Shesatgazingatthecard。Stephenbentdown，readtheinscription，andthenlookedupintoherface。”WHAT？”hecried。”Ibelieve——You’renotCRYING！Well，I’llbehanged！Sis，youAREafool！”
Theweatherthatmorningwasfineandclear。JamesPearson，standingbythewindowofhisroomsattheboardinghouse，lookingoutatthesnow-coveredroofssparklinginthesun，wasmiserable。
WhenheretiredthenightbeforeitwaswithasolemnoathtoforgetCarolineWarrenaltogether；toputherandherfatherandtheyoungcad，herbrother，utterlyfromhismind，nevertobethoughtofagain。Asapreliminarystepinthisdirection，hebegan，themomenthisheadtouchedthepillow，toreview，forthefiftiethtime，thehumiliatingsceneinthelibrary，tothinkofthingsheshouldhavesaid，and——worsethanall——torecall，wordforword，thethingsshehadsaidtohim。Inthischeerfuloccupationhepassedhoursbeforefallingasleep。And，whenhewoke，itwastobeginalloveragain。
Why——WhyhadhebeensoweakastoyieldtoCaptainElisha’sadvice？Whyhadhenotactedlikeasensible，self-respectingman，donewhatheknewwasright，andpersistedinhisrefusaltovisittheWarrens？Why？Becausehewasanidiot，ofcourse——ahopelessidiot，whohadgotexactlywhathedeserved！Whichbitofphilosophydidnothelpmakehisreflectionslessbitter。
Hewentdowntobreakfastwhenthebellrang，buthisappetitewasmissing，andherepliedonlyinmonosyllablestotheremarksaddressedtohimbyhisfellowboarders。Mrs。Hepton，thelandlady，noticedthechange。”Younotill，Mr。Pearson，Ihope？”shequeried。”Idohopeyouhaven’tgotcold，sleepingwithyourwindowswideopen，asyousayyoudo。Freshairisagoodthing，inmoderation，butoneshouldbecareful。Don’tyouthinkso，Mr。Carson？”
Mr。Carsonwasathinlittleman，abachelor，whooccupiedthesmallestroomonthethirdstory。Hewasaclerkinadepartmentstore，andhisboardwasgenerallyinarrears。Therefore，whenMrs。Heptonexpressedanopinionhemadeitapointtoagreewithher。Inthisinstance，however，hemerelygrunted。”Isayfreshairinone’ssleepingroomisagoodthinginmoderation。Don’tyouthinkso，Mr。Carson？”repeatedthelandlady。
Mr。Carsonrolleduphisnapkinandinserteditinthering。Hisboard，asithappened，waspaidinfulltodate。Also，althoughhehadnotyetdeclaredhisintention，heintendedchanginglodgingsattheendoftheweek。”Humph！”hesniffed，withsarcasm，”itmaybe。Icouldn’tgetnoneinMYroomifIwantedit，soIcan’tsaysure。Morning。”
Hedepartedhurriedly。Mrs。Heptonlookeddisconcerted。Mrs。VanWinkleRugglessmiledmeaninglyacrossthetableatMissSherborne，whosmiledback。
Mr。Ludlow，thebookseller，quietlyobservedthathehopedMr。
Pearsonhadnotgottencold。Coldswereprevalentatthistimeoftheyear。”’ThesearethedayswhentheGeniusoftheweathersitsinmournfulmeditationonthethreshold，’asMr。Dickenstellsus，”
headded。”Ipresumehesitsonthesillsofopenwindows，also。”
ThewifeoftheMr。Dickenstherepresentprickedupherears。”Whendidyouwritethat，’C。’dear？”sheasked，turningtoherhusband。”Irememberitperfectly，ofcourse，butIhaveforgotten，forthemoment，inwhichofyourwritingsitappears。”
Theillustriousone’smouthbeingoccupiedwithasectionofscorchinghotwaffle，hewassparedthenecessityofconfession。”Pardonme，”saidMr。Ludlow。”IwasnotquotingourMr。Dickensthistime，buthisfamousnamesake。”
Thegreat”C。”drownedthewafflewithaswallowofwater。”Maria，”hesnapped，”don’tbesofoolish。Ludlowquotesfrom——er——
’BleakHouse。’Ihavewrittensomethings——er——similar，butnotthat。Whydon’tyoupassthesyrup？”
Thebookseller，whowasundertheimpressionthathehadquotedfromthe”ChristmasCarol，”merelysmiledandremainedsilent。”Myfather，theSenator，”beganMrs。VanWinkleRuggles，”wastroubledwithcoldsduringhispoliticalcareer。IrememberhissayingthattheSenateChamberattheCapitolwasextremelydraughty。PossiblyMr。Pearson’sailmentdoescomefromsleepinginadraught。NotthatfatherwasaccustomedtoSLEEPduringthesessions——Oh，dear，no！notthat，ofcourse。Howabsurd！”
Shelaughedgayly。Pearson，whoseemedtothinkittimetosaysomething，declaredthat，sofarasheknew，hehadnocoldoranysymptomsofone。”Well，”saidMrs。Hepton，withconviction，”somethingailsyou，I
know。Wecanallseeit；can’twe？”turningtotherestofthecompany。”Why，you’vescarcelyspokensinceyousatdownatthetable。Andyou’veeatennexttonothing。Perhapsthereissometrouble，somethingonyourmindwhichisworryingyou。Oh，IHOPE
not！””Nodoubtitisthepreoccupationofgenius，”remarkedMrs。
Dickens。”I’msureitmustbethat。When’C。’isengagedwithsomeparticularlytryingliteraryproblemhefrequentlylosesallhisappetiteanddoesnotspeakforhourstogether。Isn’titso，dear？””C。，”whowaspainfullyconsciousthathemighthavemadeamiscueinthematterofthequotation，answeredsharply。”No，”hesaid。”Notatall。Don’tbesilly，Maria。”
MissSherborneclaspedherhands。”_I_know！”sheexclaimedinmockrapture；”Mr。Pearsonisinlove！”
Thissuggestionwasreceivedwithapplauseandhilarity。Pearsonpushedbackhischairandrose。”I’mmuchobligedforthisoutburstofsympathy，”heobserved，dryly。”But，asIsay，I’mperfectlywell，andtheotherdiagnosesaretooflatteringtobetrue。Goodmorning。”
Backinhisroomheseatedhimselfathisdesk，tookthemanuscriptofhisnovelfromthedrawer，andsatmoodilystaringatit。Hewasinnomoodforwork。Theverysightofthetypewrittenpagedisgustedhim。Ashenowfelt，themonthsspentonthestoryweretimewasted。Itwasridiculousforhimtoattemptsuchathing；ortobelievethathecouldcarryitthroughsuccessfully；ortodreamthathewouldeverbeanythingbetterthanaliteraryhack，acheapeditionof”C。”Dickens，minusthelatter’scolossalself-
satisfaction。
Hewasstillsittingthere，twirlinganidlepencilbetweenhisfingers，whenheheardstepsoutsidehisdoor。Someoneknocked。”Well，whatisit？”heasked。
Hislandladyanswered。”Mr。Pearson，”shesaid，”mayIseeyou？”
Hethrewdownthepenciland，rising，walkedtothedoorandopenedit。Mrs。Heptonwaswaitinginthehall。Sheseemedexcited。”Mr。Pearson，”shesaid，”willyoustepdownstairswithmeforamoment？Ihaveasurpriseforyou。””Asurprise？Whatsortofasurprise？””Oh，apleasantone。AtleastIthinkitisgoingtobepleasantforallofus。ButI’mnotgoingtotellyouwhatitis。Youmustcomedownandseeforyourself。”
Sheledthewaydownstairs，theyoungmanfollowingher，wonderingwhatthesurprisemightbe，andfairlycertainit，noranythingelse，couldbepleasantonthatday。
Hesupposed，ofcourse，thathemustdescendtotheparlortoreachthesolutionofthemystery，buthewasmistaken。OnthesecondfloorMrs。Heptonstoppedandpointed。”It’sinthere，”shesaid，pointing。”There”wastheroomformerlyoccupiedbyMr。Saks，thelong-hairedartist。Sincehisdepartureithadbeenvacant。Pearsonlookedatthecloseddoorandthenatthelady。”AsurpriseformeinTHERE？”herepeated。”What’sthejoke，Mrs。
Hepton？”
Bywayofanswershetookhimbythearm，and，leadinghimtothedoor，threwthelatteropen。”Hereheis！”shesaid。”Hello，Jim！”hailedCaptainElishaWarren，cheerfully。”Shipahoy！Gladtoseeyou。”
Hewasstandinginthemiddleoftheroom，hishatonthetableandhishandsinhispockets。
Pearsonwassurprised；therewasnodoubtofthat——notsomuchatthesightofhisfriend——hehadexpectedtoseeorhearfromthecaptainbeforethedaywasover——asatseeinghiminthatroom。Hecouldnotunderstandwhathewasdoingthere。
CaptainElishanotedhisbewilderedexpression，andchuckled。”Comeaboard，Jim！”hecommanded。”Comeinandinspect。I’llseeyoulater，Mrs。Hepton，”headded，”andgiveyoumyfinalword。I
wanttoholdofficer’scouncilwithMr。Pearsonherefust。”
Thelandladyacceptedthebroadhintandturnedtogo。”Verywell，”shesaid，”butIdohopeforalloursakesthatwordwillbeYES，Mr。Warren——Excuseme，itisCaptainWarren，isn’tit？””Itusedtobe，yes，ma’am。Andathomeitisyet。’RoundhereI’velearnedtobelikeabarroompoll-parrot，readytoanswertomosteverything。There！”asthedoorclosedafterher；”nowwecanbemoreprivate。Setdown，Jim！Howareyou，anyway？”
Pearsonsatdownmechanically。”I’mwellenough——everythingconsidered，”hereplied，slowly。”Butwhat——whatareyouinherefor？Idon’tunderstand。””Youwillinaminute。Whatdoyouthinkofthis——er——salooncabin？”withacomprehensivesweepofhisarm。
Theroomwasoffairsize，furnishedinanondescript，boarding-
housefashion，andwithtwowindowsoverlookingthelittlebackyardofthehouseandthoseoftheotheradjoiningit。Eachyardcontainedanassortmentofashcans，andtherewasanastonishingnumberofclotheslines，eachflutteringavarietyofgarmentspeculiarlypersonaltotheirrespectiveowners。”Prettysnug，ain’tit？”continuedthecaptain。”NotexactlyuptothatI’vebeenluxuriatin’inlately，butmorefittin’tomybuildandclassthanthatwas，Ishouldn’twonder。NoCorotpaintin’snorfivethousanddollartintypesofdorycodders；butIcanmanagetoworryalongwithoutthem，ifItryhard。Neatbutnotgaudy，I
callit——asthearchitectfellersaidabouthisplansfortheadditiontothecountyjailatOstable。Hey？Ho！Ho！”
Pearsonbegantogetacluetothesituation。”CaptainWarren，”hedemanded，”haveyou——Doyoumeantosayyou’vetakenthisroomtoLIVEin？””No，Iain’tsaidallthatyet。IwantedtotalkwithyoualittleaforeIsaidit。Butthatwasmyidea，ifyouandIagreedonsartinmatters。””You’vecomeheretolive！You’veleftyour——yourniece’shouse？””Ya-as，I’veleft。Thatis，IleftthewaytheIrishmanleftthestablewheretheykeptthemule。Hesaidtherewasalloutdoorsinfrontofhimandonlytwofeetbehind。That’sabouttheway’twaswithme。””Haveyournephewandniece——””Um-hm。Theyhintedthatmyroomwasbetterthanmycompany，and，takeitbyandlarge，Iguesstheywasrightforthepresent，anyhow。Isetuptillthreeo’clockthinkin’itover，andthenI
decidedtogetoutaforebreakfastthismornin’。Ididn’twaitforanygood-bys。They’dbeensaid，orallIcaredtohear——CaptainElisha’ssmiledisappearedforaninstant——”lastevenin’。Thedosewassortofbitter，butithadthenecessaryeffect。Atanyrate，Ididn’thankerforanotherone。IrememberedwhatyourlandladytoldmewhenIwashereafore，aboutthisstateroombein’vacated，andIcomedowntolookatit。Itsuitsmewellenough；seemslikeadecentmoorin’sforanoldsaltwaterderelictlikeme；thepriceisreasonable，andIguesslikelyI’lltakeit。IGUESSIwill。””Whydoyouguess？ByGeorge，Ihopeyouwill！””Doyou？I’mmuchobliged。Ididn’tknowbutafterlastnight，afterthescrapeIgotyouinto，youmightfeel——well，sortofasifyou’dseenenoughofme。”
Theyoungmansmiledbitterly。”Itwasn’tyourfault，”hesaid。”Itwasmineentirely。I’mquiteoldenoughtodecidemattersformyself，andIshouldhavedecidedasmyreason，andnotmyinclinations，toldme。Youweren’ttoblame。””Yes，Iwas。Ifyou’reoldenough，I’mTOOold，Ical’late。ButI
didthink——However，there’snousegoin’overthat。Iaskyourpardon，Jim。Andyoudon’tholdanygrudge？””IndeedIdon’t。Imaybeafool——IguessIam——butnotthatkind。””Thanks。Well，there’soneobjectionoutoftheway，then，onlyIdon’twantyoutothinkthatI’vehoveoverboardthat’responsibility’Iwassoeasyandfreshabouttakin’onmyshoulders。It’sthereyet；andI’llseeyousquaredwithCarolineaforethisv’yageisover，ifIlive。”
Hisfriendfrowned。”Youneedn’tmind，”hesaid。”Ipreferthatyoudropthewholemiserablebusiness。””Well，maybe，but——Jim，you’vetakenholdoftheseelectricbatteriesthatdoctorshavesometimes？It’sawfuleasytograbthehandlesofoneofthosecontraptions，butwhenyouwanttodrop’emyoucan’t。Theydon’tdropeasy。Itookholdofthehandlesof’Bije’saffairs，and，thoughitmightbepleasantertodrop’em，I
can’t——orIwon’t。””Thenyou’releavingyournephewandniecedoesn’tmeanthatyou’vegivenuptheguardianship？”
CaptainElisha’sjawsetsquarely。”Idon’tremembersayin’thatitdid，”heanswered，withdecision。
Then，hisgood-naturereturning，headded，”Andnow，Jim，I’dlikeyouropinionofthesenewquartersthatImaytake。Whatdoyouthinkof’em？Cometothewindowandtakealookatthescenery。”
Pearsonjoinedhimatthewindow。Thecaptainwavedtowardtheclothes-linesandgrinned。”Looksasiftherewassomekindofjubilee，don’tit，”heobserved。”Everycraftinsighthasstrungthecolors。”
Pearsonlaughed。Thenhesaid:”Captain，Ithinktheroomwilldo。Itisn’tpalatial，butonecanliveinworsequarters，asIknowfromexperience。””Yup。Well，Jim，there’sjustonethingmore。HaveIdisgracedyouagooddeal，bein’aroundwithyouandchummin’inwithyouthewayIhave？Thatis，doyouTHINKI’vedisgracedyou？Areyouashamedofme？””I？AshamedofYOU？You’rejoking！””No，I’mserious。Understandnow，I’mnotapologizin’。Mywaysaremyways，andIthinkthey’rejustasgoodasthenextfeller’s，whetherhe’sfromSouthDenboroor——well，BroadStreet。I’vegotahabitofthinkin’formyselfandactin’formyself，andwhenItakeoffmyhatit’stoabiggerMANthanIamandnottoamorestylishhat。But，sinceI’velivedhereinNewYork，I’velearnedthat，withawholelotoffolks，hatsthemselvescountmorethanwhat’sunderneath’em。Ihaven’tchangedmine，andIain’tgoin’to。
Now，withthatplainandunderstood，doyouwantmetolivehere，inthesamehousewithyou？Iain’tfishin’forcompliments。Iwantanhonestanswer。”
Hegotit。Pearsonlookedhimsquarelyintheeye。”Ido，”hesaid。”Ilikeyou，andIdon’tcareadamnaboutyourhat。Isthatplain？”
CaptainElisha’sreplywasdeliveredoverthebalustersinthehall。”Hi！”hecalled。”Hi，Mrs。Hepton。”
Thelandladyhadbeenanxiouslywaiting。Sheranfromthediningroomtothefootofthestairs。”Yes？”shecried。”Whatisit？””It’sabargain，”saidthecaptain。”I’mreadytoengagepassage。”
CHAPTERXV
ThusCaptainElishaenteredanotherofNewYork’s”circles，”thatwhichcenteredatMrs。Hepton’sboardinghouse。Withinaweekhewasasmuchapartofitasifhehadlivedthereforyears。Atlunch，onthedayofhisarrival，hemadehisappearanceatthetableincompanywithPearson，andwhenthelandladyexultantlyannouncedthathewastobe”oneofourlittleparty”thereafter，hereceivedandrepliedtothewelcomingsalutationsofhisfellowboarderswithunruffledserenity。”HowcouldIhelpit？”heasked。”Humannature’sliabletotemptation，theytellus。TheflavorofthatluncheonwehadlasttimeIwasherehasbeenhangin’’roundtheedgesofmymouthandtantalizin’mymemoryeversince。””Wehadasoufflethatnoon，ifIremembercorrectly，Captain，”
observedtheflatteredMrs。Hepton。”Didyou？Well，Ideclare！I’dhavesworn’twasabiled-dinnerhash。Knew’twasbetterthananyIeverateafore，butI’dhavebet’twashash，justthesame。Tut！tut！tut！Now，honest，Mrs。
Hepton，ain’tthis——er——whatever-you-call-itacloserelation——asortofhashwithitscityclotheson，hey？”
Thelandladyadmittedthatasoufflewassomethingnotunlikeahash。CaptainElishanodded。”Ithoughtso，”hedeclared。”IwassartinsureIcouldn’tbemistaken。Whatisitusedtobeinthesongbook？’Youcansmash——
youcan——’Well，Idon’tremember。Somethin’aboutyourbein’
abletosmashthevaseifyouwantedto，butthesmelloftheposieswasthereyet。”
Mr。Ludlow，thebookseller，suppliedthequotation。”’Youmaybreak，youmayshatterThevaseifyouwill，ButthescentoftherosesWillclingtoitstill，’
hesaid，smiling。”That’sit。Muchobliged。Youcanwarmupandrechristenthehashifyouwill；butthecornedbeefandcabbagestayrightondeck。
Ain’tthatso，Mr。Dickens？”
Theillustrious”C。”bowed。”Moore？”heobserved，withdignity。”Yes。That’swhat_I_said——’More！’Saidittwice，Ibelieve。
Gladyouagreewithme。Thehymnsaysthatweaknessissin，butthere’snosininhavin’aweaknessforcorned-beefhash。”
MissSherborneandMrs。VanWinkleRuggleswereatfirstinclinedtosnubthenewboarder，consideringhimacountryboorwhosepresenceintheirselectsocietywasalmostaninsult。Thecaptaindidnotseemtonoticetheirhintsorsneers，althoughPearsongrewredandwrathful。”Laura，mydear，”saidMrs。Ruggles，addressingtheteacherofvocalculture，”don’tyoufeelquiteruraltoday？Almostasifyouwerevisitingthecountry？””Ido，indeed，”repliedMissSherborne。”Refreshing，isn’tit？
Ha！ha！””Itisifonecaresforsuchthings。Iamafraid_I_don’tappreciatethem。Theymaybewellenoughintheirplace，but——”
Shefinishedwithashrugofhershoulders。CaptainElishasmiled。”Yes，ma’am，”hesaidpolitely，joiningintheconversation；”that’swhattheboysaidaboutthecookycrumbsinthebed。Youdon’tcareforthecountry，Itakeit，ma’am””IdoNOT！””So？Well，it’samercywedon’tthinkalike；evenHeavenwouldbecrowdedifwedid——hey？Youdidn’tcomefromthecountry，either？”
turningtoMissSherborne。
Theyoungladywouldhavelikedtoanswerwithanuncompromisingnegative。Truthandthefactthatsomeofthosepresentwereacquaintedwithitcompelledhertoforegothispleasure。”Iwasbornina——asmalltown，”sheansweredcoldly。”ButIcametothecityassoonasIpossiblycould。””Um-hm。Well，IcamewhenIcouldn’tpossiblystayaway。Wecanagreeononething——we’reallhere。Yes，andonanother——thatthatcakeisfust-rate。I’lltakeasecondpiece，ifyou’venoobjection，Mrs。Hepton。”
Whentheywerealoneoncemore，inthecaptain’sroom，Pearsonventedhisindignation。”Whydidn’tyougivethemasgoodastheysent？”hedemanded。”Couldn’tyouseetheyweredoingtheirbesttohurtyourfeelings？””Ya-as。Icouldseeit。Didn’tneedanyspecstoseethat。””Thenwhydidn’tyouanswerthemastheydeserved？””Oh，Idon’tknow。What’stheuse？They’vegottroublesoftheirown。Oneof’em’saused-to-be，andtheother’sanever-was。
Eitherdiseaseisbadenoughwithoutaddin’complications。”
Pearsonlaughed。”Idon’tgetthewholeofthat，Captain，”hesaid。”Mrs。Vanistheused-to-be，Isuppose。ButwhatisitthatMissSherborneneverwas？””Married，”wasthepromptreply。”Oldmaiditisiscreepin’onherfast。Youwanttobecareful，Jim；acertainkindoffemalegetsdesperateaboutherstage。”
Pearsonlaughedagain。”Oh，getout！”heexclaimed，turningtogo。”Allright！Iwill，whenyouandshearetogetherandyougivemethesignal。ButItellyouhonest，I’dhatetodoit。Judgin’bythewayshesmilesandlooksupunderhereye-winkersatyou，you’reindangerofkidnappin’。Solong。I’llseeyouagainafterIgetmydunnageunpacked。”
Thesnubbingandsneeringcametoanabruptend。Pearson，inconversationwithMrs。Ruggles，casuallyimpartedtheinformationthatCaptainElishawasthebrotherofA。RodgersWarren，latesocietyleaderandwealthybroker。Also，thathehadentirechargeofthelatter’sestate。ThereafterMrs。Rugglestreatedthecaptainasonewhoserankwasequaltoherown，and，consequently，higherthananyone’selseintheboarding-house。Shemadeitapointtopubliclyaskhisadviceconcerning”securities”and”investments，”andfavoredhimwithmanyreminiscencesofherdistinguishedfather，theSenator。MissSherborne，asusual，followedherlead。CaptainElisha，whenPearsonjokedhimonthealteredbehaviorofthetwoladies，merelygrinned。”Youmaythankmeforthat，Captain，”saidtheyoungman。”WhenI
toldMrs。Ruggleswhoandwhatyouwereshealmostbrokedownandsobbed。ThefactthatshehadriskedoffendingonesocloselyconnectedwiththerealthingonFifthAvenueandWallStreetwastoodreadful。Butshe’syoursdevotedlynow。There’san18-karatcrownonyourhead。””Yup。Isupposeso。Well，Iain’tsosotupwithprideoverwearin’thatcrown。Itusedtobelongto’Bije，andIneverdidcaremuchforsecond-handthings。Ratherhaveanewsou’westerofmyown，anydayintheweek。WhenIbuyasou’westerIknowwhatit’smadeof。””Mrs。Rugglesknowswhatthecrownismadeof——gold，nicelypaddedwithbondsandpreferredstock。””Humph！SometimesIwonderifthepaddin’swaterproof。Asforthegold——well，youcanmakeconsider’bleshinewithbrasswhenyou’redealin’withnigh-sightedfolks……andchildren。”
TothisindirectreferencetoMissWarrenandherbrotherPearsonmadenoreply。Thepairconversedfreelyonothersubjects，buteachavoidedthisone。Thenovel，too，waslaidontheshelfforthepresent。Itsauthorhadnotyetmusteredsufficientcouragetoreturntoit。CaptainElishaonceortwicesuggestedasessionwith”Cap’nJim，”but，findinghissuggestionsreceivedwithmoreorlessindifference，didnotpressthem。Hismindwasbusywithotherthings。AhintdroppedbySylvester，thelawyer，wasoneofthese。Itsuggestedalarmingpossibilities，andhisskepticismconcerningtheintrinsicworthofhisinherited”crown”wasincreasedbyit。
HepaidfrequentvisitstotheofficesofSylvester，Kuhn，andGravesinPineStreet。Upontheseniorpartner，whomheesteemedandtrustednotonlyasabusinessadviserbutafriend，hedependedforinformationconcerninghappeningsattheWarrenapartment。
Carolinesenthimregularstatementsofherweeklyexpenditures，alsobillsforhisapproval，butshehadwrittenhimbutonce，andthenonlyabriefnote。Thenotebroughtbyamessenger，accompaniedapackagecontainingthechainwhichheandPearsonselectedwithsuchdeliberationandcareattheFifthAvenuejeweler’s。Undertheexistingcircumstances，thegirlwrote，shefeltthatshedidnotwishtoacceptpresentsfromhimandthereforereturnedthisone。Hewasalonewhenthenoteandpackagecameandsatbythewindowofhisroom，lookingoutatthedismalprospectofbackyardsandclothes-lines，turningtheleathercaseoverandoverinhishands。Perhapsthiswasthemostmiserableafternoonhehadspentsincehisarrivalinthecity。Hetriedtocomforthimselfbytheexerciseofhisusualphilosophy，butitwascoldcomfort。Hehadnorighttoexpectgratitude，sohetoldhimself，andthegirlundoubtedlyfeltthatshewasjustifiedinhertreatmentofhim；butitishardtobemisunderstoodandmisjudged，evenbyonewhoseyouthis，perhaps，anexcuse。HeforgaveCaroline，buthecouldnotforgivethosewhowereresponsibleforheraction。
AfterPearsonhaddeparted，onthemorningwhentheconversationdealingwithMrs。VanWinkleRugglesandherchangeofattitudetookplace，CaptainElishaputonhishatandcoatandstartedforhislawyer’soffice。Sylvesterwasgladtoseehimandinvitedhimtolunch。”No，thankyou，”repliedthecaptain。”Ijustrundowntoaskiftherewasanythingnewintheoffin’。LasttimeIseeyou，youhintedyouandyourmateshadsightedsomethin’orotherthroughthefog，anditmightturnouttobearockoralighthouse，youcouldn’ttellwhich。Madeupyourmindyet？”
Sylvestershookhishead。”No，”hesaid，slowly；”itisstillfoggy。We’rebusyinvestigating，butwe’renotreadytoreport。””Humph！Well，what’sthethinglooklike？Youmustbealittlenighertoitbynow。”
Thelawyertappedhisdeskwithapencil。”Idon’tknowwhatitlookslike，”heanswered。”Thatistosay，Idon’t——Ican’tbelieveitiswhatitappears，atthisdistance，tobe。Ifitis，itisthemost——”
Hepaused。CaptainElishawaitedforhimtogoonand，whenhedidnotdoso，askedanotherquestion。”Themostwhat？”hedemanded。”Isitlikelytobeverybad？””Why——why——well，Ican’tsayeventhatyet。Butthere！asItoldyou，I’mnotgoingtopermitittoworryme。Andyoumustn’tworry，either。That’swhyIdon’tgiveyouanyfurtherparticulars。