”Mydearchild，”shecried，”howcouldIstayaway？WehavespokenofyouandStephenSOoftenthismorning。Weknowhowlonelyyoumustbe，andMalcolmandIdecidedweMUSTruninonyouafterlunch。Didn’twe，Malcolm？”Mr。MalcolmCorcoranDunn，herson，wasablondyoungman，witharatherindolentmanner。”Sure，Mater！”hesaid，calmly。”Howd’yedo，Caroline？’Lo，Steve！”
　　Thequartetteshookhands。Mrs。Dunnsankcreakinglyintoachairandgazedabouttheroom。Malcolmstrolledtothewindowandlookedout。Stephenfollowedandstoodbesidehim。”Mydear，”saidMrs。Dunn，addressingCaroline，”howareyougettingon？Howareyournerves？Isallthedreadful’settling’
　　over？””Verynearly，thankgoodness。””That’samercy。Ishouldcertainlyhavebeenhereyesterdaytohelpyouinsuperintendingandarrangingandsoon，butIwassufferingfromoneofmy’hearts，’andyouknowwhatTHEYare。”
　　EveryonewhoknewMrs。CorcoranDunnwasacquaintedwithher”hearts。”Theattackscame，soshewasaccustomedtoexplain，fromanimpairedvalve，and”someday”——sheusuallycompletedthesentencewithupturnedeyesandaresignedupwardwaveofthehand。
　　Hersonturnedfromthewindow。”Isay，Mother，”heexplained，wearily，”Idowishyouwouldn’tspeakofyourvitalorgansintheplural。Anyonewouldimagineyouwereasortoffreak，likethetwo-headedboyatthecircus。It’spositivelydistressing。”
　　Stephenlaughed。HeadmiredyoungDunnimmensely。Mrs。Dunnsighed。”Don’t，Malcolm，dear，”shepleaded。”Yousoundsounfeeling。Onenotacquaintedwithyourrealkindnessofheart——””Oh，dropit，”interruptedMalcolm。”Let’somittheheartinterest。
　　Thisisn’taclinic。Isay，Steve，howdoyoulikethenewflat？
　　Itisaflat，isn’tit？”
　　Stephenturnedred。Hissistercoloredandbitherlip。Mrs。Dunnhastenedtotherescue。”Horrors！”sheexclaimed。”Malcolm，youreallyareinsufferable。
　　Flat！Caroline，dear，youmustn’tmindhim。Hewillhavehisjoke。Malcolm，apologize。”
　　Thecommandwassharp，andhersonobeyedit。”Begyourpardon，Steve，”hesaid。”Yours，too，Caroline。Iwasonlyjoking。There’salittlebeastofabookkeeperdownattheofficewhoisforevertalkingofhis’niceflatintheBronx。’
　　It’sastandingguy，youknow。SofarasIcansee，theseareprettysnugquarters。Andattractivelyarranged，too。Yourtaste，Caroline，I’mbetting。”
　　MissWarren，slightlymollified，bowedassent。”Ithoughtso，”continuedMalcolm。”Noonebutyouwouldhaveknownexactlytherightspotforeverything。Showusthrough，won’tyou？”
　　ButMrs。Dunnhadotherplans。”Notnow，Malcolm，”sheputin。”Carolineistiredout，I’msure。
　　Alittlefreshairwilldohergood。IwasgoingtosuggestthatyouandsheandStephengoforashortride。Yes，reallyyoumust，mydear，”sheadded，turningtothegirlbesideher。”Ourcarisatthedoor，it’snotatallabadafternoon，andtheoutingwillbejustwhatyouneed。””Thankyou，Mrs。Dunn，”saidCaroline，gratefully。”Ishouldliketo。Indeed，Ishould。ButwehavebeenexpectingabusinesscallfromMr。Graves，father’slawyer，and——””Oh，comeon，Sis！”interruptedStephen。”I’mdyingtogetoutofthisjail。LetoldGraveswait，ifhecomes。Wewon’tbelong；
　　and，besides，it’snotcertainthatheiscomingto-day。Comeon！””I’mafraidIoughtnot，Steve。Mr。Gravesmaycome，and——anditseemstoobadtotroubleourfriends——””It’snottrouble，it’spleasure，”urgedMrs。Dunn。”Malcolmwillbedelighted。Itwashisidea。Wasn’tit？”turningtoherson。”Oh，yes！certainly，”repliedtheyounggentleman。”Hopeyou’llcome，Caroline。Andyou，ofcourse，Steve。Theblessedmachine’sbeenoffitsfeedforaweekormore，butPetersayshethinksit’sallrightagain。We’llgiveitatry-outontheDrive。Hopewehavebetterluckthanmylast，”withalaugh。”Theynabbedusforspeeding，andIhadtopromisetobeagoodboyortobefined。
　　Saidwewerehittingitatfiftyanhour。WeWEREgoingsome，that’safact。Ha！ha！””Buthewon’tberecklesswhenyou’rewithhim，Caroline，”putinhismother。”Youwillgo？That’ssonice！AsforMr。Graves，I’llexplainifhecomes。Oh，no！I’Mnotgoing！Ishallremainhereinthiscomfortablechairandrestuntilyoureturn。It’sexactlywhatmyphysicianorders，andforonceI’mgoingtoobeyhim。Myheart，youknow，mypoorheart——”
　　Shewavedherhandandraisedhereyes。MissWarrenexpostulated，buttonopurpose。Mrs。CorcoranDunnwouldNOTgo，buttheothersmust。So，atlast，theydid。WhenCarolineandherbrotherhadgonefortheirwraps，Mrs。Dunnlaidahandonherson’sarm。”Nowmind，”shewhispered，”seeifyoucanfindoutanythingduringtheride。Somethingmoreexplicitaboutthesizeoftheirestateandwhotheguardianistobe。Thereareallsortsofstories，youknow，andweMUSTlearnthetruthverysoon。Don’tappearcurious，butmerelyfriendly。Youunderstand？””Sure，Mater，”wasthecarelessanswer。”I’llpump。”
　　Thetwodeparted，leavingtheirladyvisitorensconcedinthecomfortablechair。Sheremainedinitforperhapsfiveminutes。
　　Thensheroseandsaunteredabouttheroom。Shedriftedintothedrawing-room，returningamomentlaterandsaunteringcasuallytowardtheopendeskbythefireplace。Therewerepapersandlettersscatteredaboutthisdesk，andthesesheturnedover，glancingtowardthedoortobesurenoonewascoming。Theletterswere，forthemostpart，messagesofsympathyfromfriendsoftheWarrenfamily。Hearinganapproachingstep，shehastilyreturnedtothechair。
　　Edwards，thebutler，enteredthelibraryandreplenishedthefire。
　　Mrs。Dunnlanguidlyaccostedhim。”Ah——er——Edwards，”shesaid，”youare——er——growingfamiliarwithyournewhome？””Yes，ma’am，”repliedEdwards，politely。”Itmustseem——er——smallcomparedtotheother。””Smaller；yes，ma’am。””Butverysnugandcomfortable。””Yes，ma’am。””ItisfortunatethatMissWarrenandherbrotherhavetheaidofsucha——anoldservantofthefamily。””Thankyou，ma’am。””IsMissCarolinemanagingherownaffairs？””Apparentlyso。Yes，ma’am。””Ipresume，however，aguardianhasbeenappointed？WithanestatesuchasthelateMr。WarrenMUSThaveleft，someresponsiblepersonwouldbe，ofcourse，necessary。”
　　Shepaused。Edwards，havingarrangedthelogstohisliking，brushedthedustfromhishands。”Idon’tknow，ma’am，I’msure，”hesaid。”NeitherMissCarolinenorMr。Stephenhavespokenwithmeconcerningthefamilyaffairs。”
　　Mrs。CorcoranDunnstraightened，withhauteur。”Ithinkthatwasthedoorbell，”sheremarked，atriflesharply。”IfitshouldbeMr。Graves，theattorney，youmayshowhimintothelibraryhere。””Yes，ma’am，”saidEdwardsoncemore，anddeparted。
　　Theladyvisitorheardvoicesinthepassage。Shelistened，butcouldhearnothingunderstandable。Evidentlythebutlerwashavinganargumentwithsomeone。ItcouldnotbeGraves。
　　Edwardsreappeared，lookingtroubled。”It’sa——agentlemantoseeMissCaroline，”hesaid。”Hewon’tgivehisname，ma’am，butsaysshe’sexpectinghim。””Expectinghim？””Yes，ma’am。Itoldhimshewasout，buthesaidhewasintendingtostayawhileanyway，andwouldwait。Iaskedhisbusiness，buthewouldn’ttellit。””That’sodd。”Mrs。Dunnwasslightlyinterested。”Atradesman，perhaps；oranagentofthelandlord。””No-o，ma’am。Idon’tthinkhe’seitherofthem，ma’am。””Whatsortofapersonishe，Edwards？”
　　Thebutler’sfacetwitchedforaninstantwithatroubledsmile。
　　Thenitresumeditscustomaryrespectfulcalm。”Ihardlyknow，ma’am。He’sanoddishman。He——Ithinkhe’sfromthecountry。”
　　Frombehindhimcameaquietchuckle。”You’reright，Commodore，”saidamansvoice；”I’mfromthecountry。Youguessedit。”
　　Edwardsjumped，startledoutofhisrespectablewits。Mrs。Dunnroseindignantlyfromherchair。”Ibegyourpardon，ma’am，”saidtheintruder，appearinginthedoorway。”Youmustn’tthinkI’mforcin’mywaywhereIain’twanted。ButitseemedtotakesolongtomaketheAdmiralhereunderstandthatIwasgoin’towaituntilCarolinecamebackthatI
　　thoughtI’dsavetimeandbreathbyprovin’ittohim。Ididn’tknowtherewasanycompany。Excuseme，ma’am，Iwon’tbotheryou。
　　I’lljustcometoanchorouthereintheentry。Don’tmindme。”
　　Hebowedpolitely，pickedupthelargesuit-case，plainlybran-new，whichhehadmomentarilyplacedontherugathisfeet，and，withitinonehandandabigsoftfelthatintheother，steppedbackintothehalloutofsight。TheastonishedMrs。DunnandtheparalyzedEdwardsheardachaircrackasifaheavyweighthaddescendeduponit。Evidentlyhehad”cometoanchor。”
　　Theladywasthefirsttorecoverthepowerofspeech。”Why！”sheexclaimed，inanalarmedwhisper。”Why！Ineverheardofsuchbrazenimpertinenceinmylife。Hemustbeinsane。Heisalunatic，isn’the，Edwards？”
　　Thebutlershookhishead。”I——Idon’tknow，ma’am，”hestammered。”Ibelieveheis。”Mrs。Dunn’spresenceofmindwasreturning，andwithithercourage。Herfloridcheeksflamedamorevividred，andhereyessnapped。”Butwhetherheisornot，hesha’n’tbulldozeme。”
　　Shestrodemajesticallytothedoor。Thevisitorwasseatedinthehall，calmlyreadinganewspaper。Hatandsuit-casewereonthefloorbesidehim。”Whatdoyoumeanbythis？”demandedthelady。”Whoareyou？Ifyouhaveanybusinesshere，stateitatonce。”
　　Themanglancedather，overhisspectacles，roseandstoodlookingdownather。Hisexpressionwaspleasant，andhewasremarkablycool。”Yes，ma’am，”hesaid，gravely。”I’llbegladtotellyouwhoI
　　am，ifyou’dliketohaveme。I’dhavedoneitbefore，butI
　　thoughtthereweren’tanyusetroublin’youwithmyaffairs。But，justaminute——”hehesitated——”Ihaven’tmadeanymistake，haveI？
　　Iunderstoodyoursteward——thefellerwiththebrassbuttons，tosaythatAbijahWarren’schildrenlivedhere。That’sso，ain’tit？
　　Ifnot，thenIAMmistaken。”
　　Mrs。Dunnregardedhimwithindignation。”Youare，”shesaidcoldly。”ThefamilyofthelateMr。RodgersWarrenliveshere。I
　　presumetheslightresemblanceinnamesmisledyou。Edwards，showthegentlemanout。””Justonemomentmore，ma’am。ItwasRodgersWarren’schildrenI
　　waslookin’for。A。RodgersWarrenhecalledhimself，didn’the？
　　Yes。Well，theAstoodforAbijah；thatwashisChristianname。
　　Andhelefttwochildren，CarolineandStephen？Good！IthoughtforajiffyI’dblunderedinwhereIhadnobusiness，butit’sallright。Yousee，ma’am，I’mtheirunclefromSouthDenboro，Massachusetts。MynameisElishaWarren。”
　　Mrs。Dunngasped。Edwards，peeringoverhershoulder，breathedheavily。”Youare——theirUNCLE？”repeatedthelady。”Yes，ma’am。I’m’Bije’sbrother。Oh，don’tworry。It’sallright。Anddon’tfretyourselfaboutme，either。I’llsetrightdownouthereandreadmypaperandwaittillCarolineorStephengethome。They’reexpectin’me。Mr。Graves，thelawyer，told’emIwascomin’。”
　　Hecalmlyseatedhimselfandadjustedhisspectacles。Mrs。Dunnstaredathim，thenatEdwards。Afteraninstant’sindecision，shesteppedbackintothelibraryandwalkedtothewindow。Shebeckoned，withanagitatedfinger，tothebutler，whojoinedher。”Edwards，”shewhispered，”didyouhearwhathesaid？””Yes，ma’am，”repliedEdwards，wide-eyedandwondering。”Isittrue？””Idon’tknow，ma’am。””DidMr。Warrenhaveabrother？””Ididn’tknowthathehad，ma’am。””Doyou——doyouthinkitlikelythathewouldhaveabrotherlike——
　　likeTHAT？””Idon’tknow，ma’am。””WasMissCarolineexpectinghim？””Idon’tknow，ma’am。She——””Oh，youdon’tknowanything！You’reimpossible。Goaway！””Yes，ma’am，”saidEdwardsthankfully；andwent。Mrs。CorcoranDunnstoodforsomeminutesbythewindow，thinking，ortryingtothinkawaytothetruthinthisastoundingdevelopment。OfcoursethemanMIGHTbealunaticwhohadgainedhisinformationconcerningtheWarrenfamilyfromthepapers；buthedidnotlooklikealunatic。Ontheotherhand，hecertainlydidnotlookasonewouldhaveexpectedabrotherofRodgersWarren’stolook。Oddestofall，ifhewassuchabrother，whyhadneitherCarolineorStephenmentionedhisexistence？Accordingtohisstory，Graves，theWarrenlawyer，hadwarnedthechildrenofhiscoming。Carolinehadbeenveryreticentconcerningherfather’swill，theamountofhisestate，andthelike。AndMrs。Dunnhadrepeatedly，thoughdiscreetly，endeavoredtofindouttheseimportantdetails。Neitherhintsnorquestionshadresultedsatisfactorily。Wasitpossiblethatthiswasthereason，thiscountryuncle？Ifso——well，ifso，herewasaHeaven-sentopportunityforalittlegenteelandperfectlysafedetectivework。Mrs。Dunncreakinglycrossedtheroomandspoke。”Mr。Warren，”shesaid，”Ifeelguiltyinkeepingyououtthere。
　　Won’tyoucomeintothelibrary？””Why，thankyou，ma’am，I’mallright。Don’tyoutroubleaboutme。
　　Gorightonwithyourreadin’orsewingorknittin’orwhateveryouwasdoin’and——””Iwasnotreading，”repliedMrs。Dunn，withaslightshudder。”Comein，please。Iwishyouto。”
　　CaptainElishafoldedhispaperandputitinhispocket。Enteringthelibrary，hestoodquietlywaiting。”Won’tyousitdown？”askedhisimpromptuhostess，tryinghardtobegracious。”Thankyou，”saidthecaptain。Hesankintoanarmchairandlookedcuriouslyabouthim。”SoyouarethelateMr。Warren’sbrother？”askedthelady，makingherfirstleadinthegame。”Yes，ma’am。Hisolderbrother。’Bijewastenyearyounger’nI
　　am，Mrs——er——””Dunn。Iamanoldfriendofthefamily。””That’sgood。I’mgladtohearthey’vegotfriends。Whenyou’reinsicknessortroubleorsorrer，friendshipcountsforconsider’ble。
　　Howaretheyoungfolks——CarolineandStephen——prettysmart，hey？””SMART？Why，theyareintelligent，naturally。I——””No，no。Imeanaretheyprettywell？””Verywell，indeed，consideringtheshockoftheirrecentbereavement。””Yes，yes。Ofcourse。Andthey’vemoved，too。Movin’sanawfuljob。Theysaythreemovin’sareasbadasafire，butIcal’lateI’dratherburnupasetofcarpetsthanPULL’emup，’speciallyiftheywasinsured。’Tain’thalfsomuchstrainonyourreligion。I
　　rememberthelasttimewetookupourcarpetsathome，Abbie——she’smysecondcousin，keepin’houseforme——saidifgettin’downonmykneeshasthateffectonmeshe’dneveraskmetogotoprayer-
　　meetin’again。Ho！ho！”
　　Hechuckled。Mrs。Dunnelevatedhernoseandlookedoutofthewindow。Thensheledanothersmalltrump。”YousaythatMissCarolineandherbrotherexpectyou，”shesaid。”Yousurpriseme。Areyousure？””Oh，yes，ma’am。I’msure。WhenMr。Gravescamedowntoseeme，lastweek’twas，ItoldhimtosayI’dbeupprettysoontolookthegroundover。Thisisaprettyfineplacetheyoungfolkshavegothere，”headded，gazingadmiringlyatthepaintingsandbookcases。”Yes，”assentedthelady，condescendingly。”Foranapartmentitisreallyquitelivable。””Livable！”CaptainElisha’sastonishmentgotthebetterofhispolitenessforthemoment。”Um！Yes，IshouldsayabodyMIGHT
　　managetoworryalonginit。Wastheplacewheretheyusedtoliveanyfinerthanthis？””Certainly！””Youdon’ttellme！Nowondertheytalkedabouteconomi——Humph！””Whatwereyouabouttosay，Mr。Warren？””Oh，nothin’，nothin’！Talkin’tomyselfisahabitI’vegot。
　　Abbie——mysecondcousin；IguessItoldyouabouther——saysit’sasuresignthataperson’srichoroutofhishead，oneort’other。
　　Iain’trich，so——”Hechuckledoncemore。”Mr。Gravescametoseeyouatyourhome，didhe？””Yes，ma’am。AtSouthDenboro。Andhecertainlydidhavearoughpassage。Ho！ho！Probablyyouheardaboutit，bein’sofriendlywiththefamily。””Ahem！Doubtlesshewouldhavementionedit，buthehasbeenill。””Sho！I’msorrytohearthat。Iwasafraidhe’dcatchcold。””Yes。IhopeMr。Graves’serrandwassuccessful？””Well，sortofso——so。””Yes。Hecametoseeyouinconnectionwithyourbrother’sestate——
　　somelegacy，perhaps？”
　　Shedidnotlookatthecaptainwhensheaskedthisquestion。
　　Therefore，shedidnotnoticetheglancewhichhegaveher。Whenheanswered，itwasinthesamedeliberate，provokinglydeliberate，manner。”Um-hm。Somethin’ofthatkind，Mrs。Dunn。Ican’thelpthinkin’，”
　　hewenton，”howniceitisthatCarolineandStevehavesuchagoodfriendasyoutohelp’em。Yourhusbandand’Bijewaschums，Is’pose？”No，notexactly。Thefriendshipwasonmysideofthefamily。””So？Wanttoknow！Yourhusbanddead，ma’am？”
　　Mrs。Dunnchangedthesubject。Herhusband，Mr。CorcoranDunn——
　　onceMikeDunn，contractorandTammanypolitician——wasburiedinCalvaryCemetery。Shemournedhim，afterafashion，butshepreferrednottotalkabouthim。”Yes，”sheansweredshortly。”It——itlooksasifitmightsnow，doesn’tit？””Ishouldn’twonder。Haveyouanychildren，ma’am？””One——ason。”Thewidow’stonewasfrigid。”So？Hemustbeacomforttoyou。Is’poselikelyhe’safriendofmynephewandniece，too。””Certainly。””That’sgood。Youngfolksoughttohaveyoungfriends。Youliveinthisneighborhood，ma’am？”
　　Theladydidnotanswer。ShegazedhaughtilyatthetreesinthePark。CaptainElisharubbedasmilefromhislipswithhishandandremainedsilent。Thetallclocktickedloud。
　　Therecamethesoundoflaughterfromthepassageoutside。Thehalldooropened。Amomentlater，Caroline，followedbyherbrotherandyoungDunn，enteredthelibrary。
　　Thegirl’scheekswererosyfromthecoldwind。Herhair，beneaththefurautocap，hadblowninbrown，rippleddisorderacrossherforehead。Shewassmiling。”Oh，Mrs。Dunn！”shecried。”I’msogladIacceptedyour——
　　Malcolm’s——invitation。Wehadagloriousride！I——”
　　Shestoppedshort。CaptainWarrenhadrisenfromhischairandwasfacingher。Mrs。Dunnalsorose。”Caroline，”shesaid，nervously，”this”——pausingontheword——”gentlemanisheretoseeyou。Hesaysheis——”
　　Thecaptaininterruptedher。Steppingforwardheseizedhisniece’shandsinhis。”Well，well！”heexclaimedadmiringly。”’Bije’sgirl，thatIain’tseensinceyouwasalittlemiteofababy！Caroline，I’myourUncleElisha。””GoodLORD！”groanedStephenWarren。
　　CHAPTERIV
　　IfthecaptainheardStephen’sferventejaculation，hepaidnoattentiontoit。Droppinghisniece’shand，heextendedhisowntowardhisnephew。”AndthisisStephen？”hesaid。”Well，Steve，youandmehavenevermetafore，Ib’lieve。Butthat’sourmisfortune，notourfault，hey？Howareyou？Prettysmart？”
　　Theboy’sfacewasflaming。Hemumbledsomethingtotheeffectthathewasallrightenough，andturnedawaywithoutacceptingtheprofferedhand。CaptainElishaglancedquicklyathim，thenathissister。”Well，Caroline，”hesaid，pleasantly，”Is’poseyou’vebeenexpectin’me。Mr。GravestoldyouIwascomin’，didn’the？”
　　MissWarren，also，wasflushedwithembarrassmentandmortifiedsurprise。”No，”shestammered。”Hehasbeenill。””Sho！youdon’tsay！Mrs。Dunn——yourfriendhere——saidhewaslaidupwithacold，butIdidn’trealize’twasasbadasthat。Soyoudidn’tknowIwascomin’atall。””No。We——wehavenotheardfromyousincehereturned。””That’stoobad。IhopeIsha’n’tputyououtany，droppin’inonyouthisway。Youmustn’ttreatmeascomp’ny，youknow。If’tain’tconvenient，ifyourspareroomain’treadysosoonaftermovin’，oranythingofthatkind，Icangotoahotelsomewheresforadayorso。Hadn’tIbetter，don’tyouthink？”
　　Carolinehesitated。Ifonlytheymighthavebeensparedthispublichumiliation。IftheDunnshadnotbeenthere。Itwasbadenoughtohavethisdreadfulcountryunclecomeatall；buttohavehimcomenow，beforetheywereprepared，beforeanyexplanationshadbeenmade！Whatshouldshedo？
　　Herbrother，fidgetingatherelbow，notdaringtolookatMalcolmDunn，who，heknew，wasthoroughlyenjoyingthescene，couldstanditnolonger。”Caro，”hesnapped，”whatareyouwaitingfor？Don’tyouKNOWthattheroomsarenotready？Ofcoursethey’renot！We’resorry，andallthat，butGravesdidn’ttellusandweweren’tprepared。
　　Certainlyhe’llhavetogotothehotel，for——forthepresent。”
　　Heventuredtoraisehiseyesandglareindignantlyatthecaptain。
　　Findingthelatterlookingintentlyathim，hedroppedthemagainandjammedhisclenchedfistsintohispockets。
　　CaptainElishapulledthoughtfullyathisbeard。”Humph！”hegrunted。”Humph！thenIcal’latemaybe——”Hetookasteptowardthedoor，stopped，turnedback，andsaid，withcalmdecision，”IguessI’dbetterstay。Youwon’tmindme，Caroline——
　　youandStephen。YouMUSTN’T。AsIsaid，Iain’tcomp’ny。I’moneofthefamily，yourpa’sbrother，andI’vecomesomeconsider’blewaystoseeyoutwoyoungfolksandtalkwithyou。
　　I’vecomebecauseyourpaaskedmeto。I’musedtoroughin’it，beentoseaagoodmanyv’yages，andifafeatherbedain’thandyI
　　cangetmyfortywinksonthefloor。Sothat’ssettled，andyoumustn’thavemeonyourconscience。That’ssense，ain’tit，Mrs。
　　Dunn？”
　　Mrs。CorcoranDunndidnotdeignareply。Carolineansweredforher。”Verywell，”shesaid，coldly。Steppingtothedesksherangabell。Thebutlerappearedinthedoorway。”Edwards，”saidMissWarren，”thisgentleman，”indicatingthecaptain，”istobeourguest，forthepresent。Youmayshowhimtohisroom——theblueroom，Ithink。Ifitisnotready，seethatitismadeso。””Yes，MissCaroline，”repliedEdwards。Retiringtothehall，hereturnedwiththesuit-case。”Willyouwishtogotoyourroomatonce，sir？”heasked。”Why，IguessImightaswell，Commodore，”answeredCaptainElisha，smiling。”Littlesoapandwaterwon’tdonoharm。Factis，I
　　feel’sif’twasaprescriptiontoberecommended。Youneedn’ttotethatvalise，though，”headded。”’Tain’theavy，andI’veluggeditsofuralreadysenceIgotoffthecarthatIfeelkindoflonesomewithoutit。”
　　Thebutler，notknowingexactlyhowtoanswer，grinnedsheepishly。
　　CaptainElishaturnedtoMrs。Dunnandherson。”Well，goodafternoon，ma’am，”hesaid。”I’mrealgladtohavemadeyouracquaintance。Yours，too，sir，”withanodtowardMalcolm。”Yourmothertoldmewhatafriendoftheyoungfolksyouwas，and，asI’msortofactin’pilotfor’emjustnow，inawayofspeakin’，anyfriendoftheirsoughttobeafriendofmine。Hopetoseeyouoften，Mr。Dunn。”
　　Theyoungmanaddressedsmiled，withamusementnotatallconcealed，andlanguidlyadmittedthathewas”charmed。””Yourfirstvisittothecity？”heinquired，inatonewhichcausedStephentowritheinwardly。”No-o。No，notexactly。Iusedtocomehereprettyfrequent，backinmysea-goin’days，whenmyshipwasinport。IsailedforOsgoodandColton，downonSouthStreet，foraspell。Theyweremyowners。Youdon’trememberthefirm，Is’pose？””No。Theprivilegehasbeendeniedme。YoufindsomechangesinNewYork，don’tyou——er——Captain？Youareacaptain，orabos’n，oradmiral——somethingofthatsort，Ipresume？””Malcolm！”saidhismother，sharply。”Oh，nooffenseintended。Myseatermsarerathermixed。Thecaptainwillexcuseme。””Sartin！Cap’n’swhattheyallcallme，mostly。Yoursonain’teverbeentosea，exceptaspassenger，Ical’late，ma’am？””Certainlynot，”snappedMrs。Dunn。”Ofcourse，ofcourse。Well，’tain’talifeI’dwantaboyofminetotakeup，nowadays。Butitdidhavesomeadvantages。Idon’tknowanythingbetterthanav’yageaforethemasttolearnayoungfellerwhat’shealthyforhimtounlearn。Goodday，ma’am。Goodday，Mr。Dunn。Imustn’tkeeptheCommodorewaitin’herewiththatvalise。I’llbeoutprettysoon，Caroline；justassoonasI’vegottheupperlayerofrailroaddustoffmyfaceandhands。You’llbesurprisedtoseehowlight-complectedIreallyamwhenthat’sover。Allright！Heaveahead，Commodore！”
　　Hedeparted，precededbyEdwardsandthesuit-case。StephenWarrenthrewhimselfviolentlyintoachairbythewindow。YoungDunnlaughedaloud。Hismotherflashedanindignantglanceathim，andthenhurriedtoCaroline。”Youpoordear！”sheexclaimed，puttinganarmaboutthegirl’sshoulder。”Don’tmindus，pleasedon’t！MalcolmandIunderstand。
　　Thatis，weknowhowyoufeeland——””Oh，butyouDON’Tknow，Mrs。Dunn，”criedCaroline，almostintears。”Youdon’tunderstand！It’ssomuchworsethanyouthink。
　　I——I——Oh，whydidfatherdoit？Howcouldhebesoinconsiderate？””There！there！”purredthefriendofthefamily。”Youmustn’t，youknow。Youreallymustn’t。Whoisthisman？Thisuncle？Wheredoeshecomefrom？Whydoesheforcehimselfuponyouinthisway？
　　Ididn’tknowyourpoorfatherhadabrother。””Neitherdidwe，”growledStephen，savagely。Malcolmlaughedagain。”Whatdoesitallmean，dear？”beggedMrs。Dunn。”Youareintrouble，I’msure。Don’tyouthinkwe——MalcolmandI——mightbeabletohelpyou？Weshouldsolovetodoit。IfyoufeelthatyouCANconfideinus；ifitisn’tasecret——”
　　Shepausedexpectantly，pattingthegirl’sshoulder。ButCarolinehadheardyoungDunn’slaugh，andwasoffendedandhurt。Hereyesflashedassheanswered。”It’snothing，”shesaid。”Hehascometoseeusonamatterofbusiness，Ibelieve。Iamnervousand——foolish，Isuppose。Mr。
　　Graveswillseeussoon，andtheneverythingwillbearranged。
　　Thankyouforcalling，Mrs。Dunn，andfortheride。”
　　Itwasaveryplainhint，butMrs。Dunndidnotchoosetounderstanditassuch。”You’resureyouhadn’tbettertellmethewholestory，dear？”sheurged。”Iamoldenough，almost，tobeyourmother，andperhapsmyadvicemight……No？Verywell。Youknowbestbut——Youunderstandthatitissomethingotherthanmerecuriositywhichleadsmetoask。””Ofcourse，Iunderstand，”saidthegirlhastily。”Thankyouverymuch。Perhaps，byandby，Icantellyoueverything。ButwemustseeMr。Gravesfirst。I——oh，DON’Taskmemorenow，Mrs。Dunn。”
　　ThewidowofsoastuteapoliticianasMikeDunnhadbeeninhisdaycouldhavescarcelyfailedtoprofitbyhisteachings。
　　Moreover，shepossessedtalentofherown。Withafinalpatandakiss，shepreparedfordeparture。”Good-by，then，”shesaid，”orrather，aurevoir。Weshalllookinto-morrow。Come，Malcolm。””Isay，Mal！”criedStephen，risinghurriedly。”Youwon’ttellanyoneabout——””Steve！”interruptedhissister。
　　Malcolm，abouttoutteralanguidsarcasm，caughthismother’slook，andremainedsilent。Anothermeaningglance，andhismannerchanged。”Allright，Steve，oldman，”hesaid。”Good-byandgoodluck。
　　Caroline，awfullygladwehadthespinthisafternoon。Wemusthavemore。JustwhatyouandSteveneed。Atyourserviceanytime。IfthereisanythingIcandoinanywayto——er——youunderstand——callonme，won’tyou？Ready，Mater？”
　　ThepairwereshownoutbyEdwards。OnthewayhomeinthecarMrs。CorcoranDunnlecturedhersonseverely。”Haveyounocommonsense？”shedemanded。”Couldn’tyouseethatthegirlwouldhavetoldmeeverythingifyouhadn’tlaughed，likeanidiot？”
　　Theyoungmanlaughedagain。”ByJove！”heexclaimed，”itwasenoughtomakeawoodenIndianlaugh。Theoldjaywiththebarnaclestellingusabouttheadvantagesofasailor’slife。AndSteve’sface！Ho！ho！”
　　Hismothersnorteddisgust。”Ifyouhadbrains，”shedeclared，”youwouldhaveunderstoodwhathemeantbysayingthattheseawastheplacetolearnwhattounlearn。Hewashittingatyou。Wasitnecessarytoinsulthimthefirsttimeyouandheexchangedaword？””Insulthim？HIM？Ha，ha！Why，Mater，what’sthematterwithyou？Doyouimaginethatahayseedlikethatwouldrecognizeaninsultwithoutanintroduction？And，besides，whatdifferencedoesitmake？Youdon’tintendputtinghimonyourcallinglist，doyou？””Iintendcultivatinghimforthepresent。””CULTIVATINGhim？””Yes——forthepresent。HeisRodgersWarren’sbrother。Thatlawyer，Graves，traveledmilestoseehim。Whatdoesthatmean？
　　That，insomeimportantway，heisconnectedwiththeestateandthosetwochildren。Iftheestateisworthanything，andwehavereasontobelieveitis，youandImustknowit。Ifitisn’t，itisevenmoreimportantthatweshouldknow，beforewewastemoretime。IfCarolineisanheiress，ifsheinheritsevenamoderatefortune——”
　　Sheshruggedhershouldersbywayoffinishtothesentence。
　　Malcolmwhistled。”ButtothinkofthatoldDown-EasterbeingrelatedtotheWarrenfamily！”hemused。”Itseemsimpossible。””Nothingisimpossible，”observedhismother。Then，withashudder，”Younevermetyourfather’srelatives。Ihave。”
　　WhenCaptainElishaemergedfromhisroom，afterawashandachangeoflinen，hefoundthelibraryuntenanted。Hestrolledabout，hishandsbehindhim，inspectingthepictureswithcriticalinterest。Caroline，dressedfordinner，foundhimthusengaged。
　　Heturnedatthesoundofherstep。”Why，hello！”hecried，withheartyenthusiasm。”Allriggedupforinspection，ain’tyou？””Inspection？””Oh，that’sjustsailor’slingo。Meansyou’vegotyourSundayuniformon，that’sall。My！my！howniceyoulook！Butain’tblackprettyoldforsuchayounggirl？””Iaminmourning，”repliedhisniece，coldly。”There！there！ofcourseyouare。Tut！tut！HowcouldIforgetit。Yousee，I’vebeensomanyyearsfeelin’asifIdidn’thaveabrotherthatI’vesortofgotusedtohisbein’gone。””Ihavenot。”Hereyesfilledasshesaidit。Thecaptainwasgreatlymoved。”I’mablunderin’oldfool，mydear，”hesaid。”Ibegyourpardon。
　　Dotrytoforgiveme，won’tyou？And，perhaps——perhapsIcanmakeupyourlosstoyou，justalittlemite。I’dliketo。I’lltryto，if——”
　　Helaidahandonhershoulder。Sheavoidedhimand，movingaway，seatedherselfinachairattheoppositesideofthedesk。Theavoidancewassoobviousastobealmostbrutal。CaptainElishalookedverygraveforaninstant。Thenhechangedthesubject。”Iwaslookin’atyouroilpaintin’s，”hesaid。”They’reprettyfine，ain’tthey？Anyofthemyourwork，Caroline？””MYwork？”Thegirl’sastonishmentwassogreatthatsheturnedtostareatherquestioner。”MYwork？”sherepeated。”Areyoujoking？Youcan’tthinkthatIpaintedthem。””Ididn’tknowbutyoumight。Thatoneoverthere，withthetreesandfolksdancin’——sortofpicnicscene，Ijudge——thatlooksasifyoumighthavedoneit。””ThatisaCorot。””’Tis，hey？Iwanttoknow！A——a——whatdidyoucallit？””ACorot。HewasafamousFrenchartist。Thatwasfather’sfavoritepicture。””Sho！Well，Ilikeitfust-ratemyself。Did’Bije——didyourfatherknowthisMr。Corotwell？””Knowhim？Certainlynot。Whyshouldyouthinksuchathingasthat？””Well，heboughtthepictureofhim，andsoIs’poselikelyheknewhim。TherewasayoungfellercometoSouthDenborothreeorfouryearagoandofferedtopaintapictureofourplaceforfifteendollars。Abbie——that’sAbbieBaker，she’soneofourfolks，youknow，yourthirdcousin，Caroline；keepin’houseforme，sheis——
　　Abbiewantedmetohavehimdothejob，butIwa’n’tveryparticularaboutit，soitnevercometonothin’。Hedonetwoorthreeplaces，though，andIswan’twasnicework！HepaintedSamCahoon’soldramshacklehouseandbarn，andyou’dhardlyknowit，’twassofixedupandfine，inthepicture。Whitepaintandgreengrassandeverythingjustlikereal。Heleftouttheplaceswherethepicketswasoffthefenceandtheblindshangin’ononehinge。
　　ItoldAbbie，Isays，’Abbie，thatpainter’smadeSam’splacelookalmostrespectable，andifthatain’tamiracle，Idon’tknowwhatis。IwouldthinkSamwouldblusheverytimeheseesthatpicture。’Ho，ho！Abbieseemedtocal’latethatSamCahoon’sblushin’wouldbethebiggestmiracleofthetwo。Ho！ho！You’dlikeAbbie；she’sgotlotsofcommonsense。”
　　Hechuckledatthereminiscenceandrubbedhisknee。Hisniecemadenoreply。CaptainElishaglancedattheCorotoncemoreandaskedanotherquestion。”Ipresumelikely，”hesaid，”thatthatpicturecostconsider’blemorethanfifteen，hey？””Fatherpaidtwenty-twothousanddollarsforit，”wasthecrushinganswer。
　　Thecaptainlookedather，openedhismouthtospeak，shutitagain，and，rising，walkedacrosstheroom。Adjustinghisglasses，heinspectedtheCorotinsilenceforafewminutes。Thenhedrewalongbreath。”Well！”hesighed。”WELL。”Then，afteraninterval，”Wasthistheonlyoneheeverpainted？””Theonlyone？TheonlypictureCorotpainted？Ofcoursenot！
　　Therearemanymore。””Did——didthisCorotfellergetasmuchforeveryjobashedidforthis？””Ipresumeso。Iknowfatherconsideredthisoneabargain。””Did，hey？Humph！IoughttoknowenoughbythistimenottobelieveallIhear，butIkindofhadanideathatpicturepaintin’
　　wasstarvationwork。I’vereadaboutartistscommittin’suicide，andlivin’inattics，andsuch。Whew！Abouttwosuchbargainsalejobsasthis，andI’dguaranteenottostarve——andtoliveasnighthegroundasasecond-floorbedroomanyhow。Howaboutthisnextone？Thisfellerinadory——coddin’，Iguessheis。Did——didMr。
　　Corotdohim？””No。Thatisbyawell-knownAmericanartist。Itisagoodpieceofwork，butnotliketheother。Itisworthmuchless。Perhapsfivethousand。””So？Well，evenforthatI’dundertaketobuyconsider’blemanydories，andhirefellerstofishfrom’em，too。Humph！IguessI’moutofsoundin’s。WhenIthoughtfifteendollarswasahighpriceforpaintin’aviewofahouseIwasslightlymistaken。NexttimeI’llofferthepaintin’fellerthehouseandaskhimwhatheconsidersafairboot，besides。SamCahoon’sabetterspeculatorthanIthoughthewas。Hello，Commodore！what’sworryin’younow？”
　　Edwardsappearedtoannouncethatdinnerwasserved。Carolineroseandledthewaytothediningroom。CaptainElishafollowed，lookingcuriouslyabouthimashedidso。Stephen，whohadbeensulkilydressinginhisownroom，enteredimmediatelyafter。
　　Thecaptainsurveyedthediningroomwithinterest。Liketheothersofthesuite，itwassumptuouslyandtastefullyfurnished。
　　HetookthechairindicatedbythesolemnEdwards，andthemealbegan。
　　Thebutler’ssenseofhumorwasnotacute，butitwaswithconsiderabledifficultythatherestrainedhissmilesduringthenexthalfhour。Amoreappreciativeobserverwouldhavenoticedandenjoyedthesubtlerpoints。Stephen’sglareofdisgustathisunclewhenthelattertuckedhisnapkinintheopeningofhiswaistcoat；Caroline’sembarrassmentwhenthecaptaincomplimentedthesoup，declaringthatitwasalmostasgoodasoneofAbbie’schowders；thevisitor’sobviousuneasinessatbeingwaiteduponattentively，andthelike。TheseEdwardsmissed，buthecouldnothelpappreciatingCaptainElisha’sconversation。
　　Carolinesaidlittleduringdinner。Herbrothergloweredathisplateandwassilent。Butthecaptaintalkedandtalked。”MaybeyouthinkIdidn’thaveatimefindin’yournewlodgin’s，”
　　hesaid。”Icomeoveronthecars，somethin’Idon’tusuallydowhenthere’sanythingafloattocarryme。ButIhadanerrandortwotodoinBoston，soIstoppedovernightatthehotelthereandgotthenineo’clocktrain。IlandedhereinNewYorkallshipshapeandontime，andstartedintohuntyouup。””Howdidyougetouraddress？”askedhisniece。”Mr。Gravescouldn’thavegivenittoyou，forweonlydecidedonthisapartmentafewdaysago。””Ho！ho！”chuckledCaptainElisha，rollinginhischair，likeashipinacrosssea。”Ho！ho！YouremindmeofAbbie，Caroline。
　　That’swhatshesaid。’Ineverheardofsuchacrazycruise，’shesays。’Startin’offtovisitfolkswhenyouhaven’ttheleastideawheretheylive！’’Oh，yes，Ihave，’Isays，’Iknowwheretheylive；theyliveinNewYork。’Well，yououghttohaveseenherface。Abbie’sagoodwoman——nonebetter——butshegenerallydon’tnoticeajokeuntilshetripsoverit。Igetconsider’blefunoutofAbbie，takeherbythelarge。’NewYork！’shesays。
　　’Didanybodyeverhearthebeatofthat？Doyoucal’lateNewYork’slikeSouthDenboro，whereeverybodyknowseverybodyelse？
　　Whatareyouplannin’todo？runupthefustman，womanorchildyoumeetandask’emtotellyouwhere’BijahWarrenlives？Orareyougoin’totrotfromDantoBeersheby，trustin’tomeetyournephewandnieceontheway？Ineverinmyborndays！’”Well，”wentonthecaptain，”Itoldherthatthelastsuggestionweren’tsuchabadone，buttherewasonelittleobjectiontoit。
　　Considerin’thatIhadn’teverlaideyesonSteveandthatI
　　hadn’tseenyousinceyouwasababy，thechanceswasagainstmyrecognizin’youifwedidmeet。Ho，ho，ho！FinallyIhintedthatImightlookinthedirectory，andshegotmorereconciledtomystartin’。Honest，Idobelieveshe’dhaveinsistedontakin’mebythehandandleadin’metoyou，ifIhadn’ttoldherthat。”SoIdidlookinthedirectoryandgotthenumberonFifthAvenuewhereyouusedtobe。Iaskedapolicemanthenighestwaytogetthere，andhesaidtakeabus。LasttimeIwasinNewYorkIrodeinoneofthoseFifthAvenueomnibuses，andInevergotsuchajouncin’inmylife。Thepavementthenwasroundcobblestones，likesomeoftheroadsinNantucket。IrememberItriedtoaskafellerthatsetnexttomesomethin’orother，andIswantomanI
　　couldn’tgetnothin’outofmymouthbutrattles。’MetropolitanMuseum，’soundedlikeputtin’inatonofcoal。IthoughtIwascomin’apart，ormyworkswasoutoforder，orsomethin’，butwhenthefellertriedtoanswerherattledjustasbad，soIrealized’twasthereg’lardiseaseandfeltsomebetter。Inevershallforgetafleshywoman——somethin’likethatMrs。Dunnfriendofyours，Caroline——thatsetoppositeme。Itgivemethecrawlstolookather，herchinsshookaroundso。Ho！ho！shehadnoless’nthreeof’em，andtheyallshookdifferentways。Ho！ho！ho！IfI’dbeeninthehabitofwearin’falsehairorteethoranythingthatwa’n’tgrowedtoorbuttonedonmeI’dneverhaveriskedatripinoneofthoseomnibuses。”Sowhenthepoliceofficerprescribedoneformethisv’yage，I
　　wassomedubious。I’molder’nIwastenyearago，andIwa’n’tsurethatI’dholdtogether。Ical’latedwalkin’wasbetterformyhealth。SoIfoundFifthAvenueandstartedtowalk。AndthefartherIwalkedtheheavierthatblessedsatchelofminegot。Itweighedmaybetenortwelvepoundsatthecornerof42ndStreet，butwhenIgotasfarastheopensquarewherethegiltwomanishurryin’tokeepfrombein’runoverbyGen’ralShermanonhorseback——thatstatue，youknow——Iwouldn’thaveletthatblessedbaggoforless’ntwoton，ifIwassellin’itbyweight。SoI
　　leanedupagainstanelectriclightpoletorestandsortofgetmybearin’s。ThenInoticedwhatI’doughttohaveseenafore，thatthestreetwa’n’tpavedwithcobbles，asitusedtobe，butwassmoothasastretchofstateroaddownhome。SoIfiggeredthatabuswasasaferisk，afterall。Iwaitedtenminutesormoreforonetocome，andfinallyIaskedawomanwhowasintowofanastrakhan-trimmeddogattheendofachain，iftheomnibuseshadstoppedrunnin’。WhenIfustseethedogleadin’herIthoughtshewasblind，butIguessshewasdeefanddumbinstead。Anyhow，allshesaidwas’Ugh！’notveryenthusiastic，atthat，andwentalong。
　　Ho！ho！SothenIaskedaman，andhepointedtoabusrightinfrontofme。Yousee，Iwaslookin’forthehorses，sameastheyusedtobe，andthiswasanautomobile。”Iblushed，Iguess，justtoshowthattherewassomeredunderneaththegreen，andclimbedaboardtheomnibus。Irodealongforaspell，admirin’asmuchofthesceneryasIcouldseebetweenthewomen’shats，thenItoldtheskipperofthethingthatIwantedtomakeportat82ndStreet。Hesaid’Ugh，’apparentlysuff’rin’fromthesamecomplaintthedogwomanhad，andwewentonandon。AtlastIgotkindofanxiousandaskedhimagain。”’Eighty-second！’sayshe，ugly。’ThisisNinety-first。’”’Goodland！’saysI。’IwantedEighty-second。’”’Whydidn’tyousayso？’sayshe，lookin’asifI’dstolehismother’sspoons。”’Idid，’saysI。”’YouDID？’hesnarls。’Youdidnot！Ifyoudid，wouldn’tIhaveheardyou？’”Well，anyanswerI’dbelikelytomaketothatwouldhavemeantmoreargument，andthebuswassailin’rightalongatthetime，soIpiledoutanddidsomemorewalkin’，theotherway。AtlastI
　　reachedyouroldnumber，Stevie，and——Hey？Didyouspeak？””Don’tcallme’Stevie，’”growledhisnephew，rebelliously。”Begyourpardon。Ikeepforgettin’thatyou’realmostgrownup。
　　Well，asIwassayin’，Igottothehousewhereyouusedtolive，and’twasshuttight。Nobodythere。Ho！ho！IfeltagooddeallikeoldBeriahDoanemusthaveonhislast’vacation。’Yousee，BeriahisoneofourSouthDenboronotorieties；he’sfamousinhisway。Heworksandloafsbyspellsuntilcranberrypickin’timeinthefall；thenhepickssteadyandearnsthirtyorfortydollarsallatonce。Soon’she’spaidoff，hestartsforBostonona’vacation，’analcoholicone。Well，lastfallhismarriedsisterwasvisitin’him，andshe，bein’strongforgoodTemplarism，wasdeterminedheshouldn’tvacateinhisregularway。Soshetelegraphedherhusband’sbrotherinBrocktontomeetBeriahthere，gowithhimtoBoston，andseethathebehavedhimselfandstayedsober。Beriahheardofit，andwhenhistraingetsasfarasTremontwhatdoeshedobutgetoffquietandchangecarsforNewBedford。Hehadn’tbeentherefornineyears，buthehadpleasantmemoriesofhislastvisit。AndwhenhedoesgettoNewBedford，chucklin’overthewayhe’sbefooledhissisterandherfolks，I’mblessedifhedidn’tfindthatthetownhadgoneno-license，andeverysaloonwasshutup！Ho！ho！ho！Well，Ifeltaboutthewayhedid，Iguess，whenIstoodonthestepsofyourFifthAvenuehouseandrealizedyou’dgoneaway。Iwouldn’thavehadAbbieseemethereforsomethin’。Ho！ho！”
　　Heleanedbackinhischairandlaughedaloud。Carolinesmiledfaintly。Stephenthrewdownhisnapkinandsprangtohisfeet。”Sis，”hecried，”I’mgoingtomyroom。Bygad！Ican’t——”
　　Catchingawarningglancefromhissister，hedidnotfinishhissentence，butstoodsulkilybesidehischair。CaptainElishalookedathim，thenatthegirl，andstoppedlaughing。Hefoldedhisnapkinwithcare，androse。”That’saboutallofit，”hesaid，shortly。”Iaskedaroundattwoorthreeoftheneighbors’houses，andthelastoneIaskedknewwhereyou’dmovedandtoldmehowtogethere。”
　　Whenthetriowereagaininthelibrary，thecaptainspokeoncemore。”I’m’fraidI’vetalkedtoomuch，”hesaid，gravely。”Ididn’trealizehowIwasrunnin’on。ThoughtIwashome，Iguess，withthefellersofmyownagedownatthepostoffice，insteadofbein’
　　anoldcountryman，tirin’outyoutwoyoungcityfolkswithmyyarns。Ibegyourpardon。Nowyoumustn’tmindme。Iseeyou’reexpectin’companyorgoin’callin’somewheres，soI’lljustgotomybedroomandwriteAbbiealine。She’llbekindofanxioustoknowifIgotheresafeandsoundandfoundyou。Don’tworryaboutme，I’llbecomf’tableandbusy。”
　　Heturnedtogo。Carolinelookedathiminsurprise。”Wearenotexpectingcallers，”shesaid。”Andcertainlywearenotgoingoutto-night。Whyshouldyouthinksuchathing？”
　　Itwasheruncle’sturntoshowsurprise。”Why，”hesaid，withaglanceatStephen，”Iseethatyou’realldressedup，andsoIthought，naturally——”
　　Hepaused。
　　YoungWarrengruntedcontemptuously。”Wedressedfordinner，thatisall，”saidCaroline。”You——youmeanyouputtheseclothesoneverynight？””Certainly。”
　　CaptainElishawasplainlyverymuchastonished。”Well，”heobserved，slowly。”I——guessI’vemadeanothermistake。
　　Hum！Goodnight。””Goodnight，”saidStephen，quickly。Caroline，however，seemedembarrassed。”CaptainWarren，”shesaid，”Ithoughtpossiblyyoumightwishtotalkbusinesswithmybrotherandme。We——weunderstandthatyouhavecomeonbusinessconnectedwithfather’swill。Itseemstomethatthesoonerwe——we——””Getitoverthebetter，hey？Well，maybeyou’reright。It’sanoddbusinessforanoldsaltlikemetobemixedupin，that’safact。Ifithadn’tbeensoodd，ifIhadn’tthoughttheremustbesomereason，somepartic’larreason，I——well，IguessI’dhavestayedtohomewhereIbelong。Youmustn’tthink，”headded，seriously，”thatIdon’trealizeI’masoutofplaceamongstyouandyourrichfriendsasalivefishinabarrelofsawdust。
　　That’sallright；youneedn’ttroubletosayno。Butyoumustunderstandthat，realizin’it，I’mnotexactlyimposin’myselfonyouforpleasureor——well，fromchoice。I’msobuiltthatIcan’tshirkwhenmyconsciencetellsmeIshouldn’t，that’sall。I’mkindoftiredto-night，andIguessyouare。To-morrowmornin’，ifit’sagreeabletoallhands，wewillhavealittlebusinesstalk。
　　I’llhavetoseeLawyerGravesprettysoon，andhaveagen’rallookatyourpa’saffairs。Then，ifeverythingisallrightandIfeelmyduty’sdone，I’llprobablygobacktotheCapeandleaveyoutohim，orsomebodyelseabletolookoutforyou。UntilthenI’mafraid，”withasmilewhichhadatraceofbitternessinit；”I’mafraidyou’llhavetodothebestyoucanwithme。I’lltrytobenomoreofanuisancethanIcanhelp。Goodnight。”
　　Whenthetwoyoungpeoplewereleftalone，Carolineturnedtoherbrother。”Steve，”shesaid，”I’mafraidyouwerealittlerude。I’mafraidyouhurthisfeelings。”
　　Theboystaredatherinwonder。”Hurthisfeelings！”heexclaimed。”HISfeelings！Well，byJove！Caro，you’reawonder！Didyouexpectmetothrowmyarmsaroundhisneck？Ifhehadhadanyfeelingsatall，ifhewastheslightestpartofagentleman，doyousupposehewouldcomehereanddisgraceusasheisdoing？Whoinvitedhim？Didwe？Iguessnot！””Butheisfather’sbrother，andfatheraskedhimtocome。””No，hedidn’t。Heaskedhim——heavenknowswhy——tolookoutforourmoneyaffairs。That’sbadenough；buthedidn’taskhimtoLIVEwithus。Hesha’n’t！bygad，hesha’n’t！YOUmaybeassweettohimasyoulike，butI’llmakeitmybusinesstogivehimthecoldshouldereverychanceIget。I’llfreezehimout，that’swhatI’lldo——freezehimout。Why，Caro！besensible。Thinkwhathisstayingheremeans。Canwetakehimaboutwithus？CanourfriendsmeetHIMas——asouruncle？He’sgottobemadetogo。
　　Hasn’thenow？Hasn’the？”
　　Thegirlwassilentforamoment。Thenshecoveredherfacewithherhands。”Oh，yes！”shesobbed。”Oh，yes，hemust！heMUST！
　　WHYdidfatherdoit？”
　　CHAPTERV
　　TheWarrenbreakfasthourwasnineo’clock。AtaquartertonineCaroline，enteringthelibrary，foundStephenseatedbythefirereadingthemorningpaper。”Goodmorning，”shesaid。Then，lookingabouttheroom，asked，”Has——hasHEbeenhere？”
　　Herbrothershookhishead。”YoumeanUncle’Lish？”heasked，cheerfully。”No，hehasn’t。Atleast，Ihaven’tseenhimandI
　　haven’tmadeanyinquiries。Ishallmanagetosurviveifheneverappears。Letsleepingrelativeslie，that’smymotto。”
　　Helaughedathisownjokeandturnedthepageofthepaper。Thebutlerentered。”Breakfastisserved，MissCaroline，”heannounced。”HasCaptainWarrencomefromhisroom？”askedtheyounglady。”No，MissCaroline。Thatis，Ihaven’tseenhim。”
　　Stephentossedthepaperonthefloorandrose。”Iwonder——”hebegan。Then，withabroadgrin，”Asuddenthoughtstrikesme，Sis。Hehasundoubtedlyblownoutthegas。””Steve！Howcanyou！””Perfectlysimple。Absolutelyreasonable。Justwhatmighthavebeenexpected。’Hehasgone，butweshallmisshim。’Comeon，Caro；I’mhungry。Lettheoldhayseedsleep。YouandIcanhaveamealinpeace。Heavens！youdon’tcareforanotherexperiencelikelastnight’s，doyou？””Edwards，”saidCaroline，”youmayknockatCaptainWarren’sdoorandtellhimbreakfastisserved。””Yes，”commandedStephen，”andtellhimnottohurryonouraccount。
　　Come，Caro，come！You’renotpiningforhissociety。Well，waitthen！_I_won’t！”
　　Hemarchedangrilyoutoftheroom。Hissisterhesitated，herwishtofollowcomplicatedbyafeelingofdutytoaguest，nomatterhowunwelcome。Thebutlerreappeared，lookingpuzzled。”He’snotthere，miss？”hesaid。”Notthere？Notinhisroom？””No，MissCaroline。Iknocked，andhedidn’tanswer，soIlookedinandhewasn’tthere。Hisbed’sbeensleptin，buthe’sgone。””Gone？Andyouhaven’tseenhim？””No，miss。I’vebeenupandaboutsincehalfpastseven，andI
　　can’tunderstandwherehecouldhavegotto。”
　　Thedoorofthehallopenedandshut。Edwardsdartedfromthelibrary。AmomentafterwardsCaptainElishastrolledin。Hewaswearinghisovercoat，andhishatwasinhishand。”Goodmornin’，Caroline，”hehailed，inhisbigvoice。”Surprisedtoseeme，areyou？Ho！ho！SowastheCommodore。Hecouldn’tunderstandhowIgotinwithoutringin’。Well，yousee，I’musedtoturnin’outprettyearly，andwhenitgottobemostseveno’clock，Icouldn’tlaytobedanylonger，soIgotup，dressed，andwentforawalk。Ifixedthedoorlatchso’sIcouldcomeinquiet。Youhaven’twaitedbreakfastforme，Ihope。””No；itisreadynow，however。””Readynow，”thecaptainlookedathiswatch。”Yes，Ishouldthinkso。It’swayintotheforenoon。YouHAVEwaitedforme，haven’tyou？I’mawfullysorry。””No，wehavenotwaited。Ourbreakfasthourisnine。Pardonmeforneglectingtotellyouthatlastevening。””Oh，that’sallright。Nowyoutrotrightoutandeat。I’vehadmine。””Hadyourbreakfast？””Yes，indeed。WhenI’mhome，AbbieandIusuallyeataboutseven，soIgetsortofsharp-setifIwaitafterthat。Ical’latedyoucityfolkswaslatesleepers，andIwouldn’twanttomakeanytrouble，soIfoundalittleeatinghousedownbelowhereawaysandhadacupofcoffeeandsomebreadandbutterandmush。ThenI
　　wentcruisin’roundinCentralParkaspell。ThisISCentralParkoveracrosshere，ain’tit？””Yes。”Thegirlwastooastonishedtosaymore。”Ithought’twas。I’dbeenthroughpartofitafore，but’twasyearsago，andit’ssuchabigplaceandthepathsrunsocriss-
　　crossIgotsortofmixedup，andittookmelongertogetoutthanitdidtogetin。Ihadthegen’ralpointsofthecompass，andI
　　guessIcouldhavemadeaprettyaveragestraightrunforhome，buteverytimeIwantedtocutacrosslotstherewasapolicemanlookin’atme，soIhadtosticktothechannel。That’swhatmademesolate。Nowdogoandeatyourbreakfast。Iwon’tfeeleasytillIseeyoustart。”
　　Carolinedeparted，andthecaptain，afteravisittohisownroom，wherehelefthiscoatandhat，returnedtothelibrary，pickedupthepaperwhichhisnephewhaddropped，andbeganreading。
　　Afterbreakfastcamethe”businesstalk。”Itwasabriefone。
　　CaptainElishasoondiscoveredthathisbrother’schildrenknewverylittleconcerningtheirfather’saffairs。Theyhadalwaysplentyofmoney，hadbeenindulgedinpracticallyeverywish，andhadneverhadtothinkorplanforthemselves。Astothesizeoftheestate，theyknewnothingmorethanMr。Graveshadtoldthem，whichwasthat，insteadoftheseveralmillionswhichrumorhadcreditedA。RodgersWarrenwithpossessing，fivehundredthousanddollarswouldprobablybetheextentoftheirinheritance，andthat，therefore，theymustliveeconomically。Asafirststepinthatdirection，theyhadgivenuptheirformerhomeandmovedtotheapartment。”Yes，yes，”musedthecaptain，”Isee。Mr。Gravesdidn’tknowaboutyourmovin’，then？Youdiditonyourownhook，sotospeak？”
　　Stephenansweredpromptly。”Ofcoursewedid，”hedeclared。”Whynot？””Noreasonintheworld。Agoodsensiblethingtodo，Ishouldsay。Didn’tanybodyadviseyouwheretogo？””Whyshouldweneedadvice？”AgainitwasStephenwhoreplied。”Wearen’tkids。We’reoldenoughtodecidesomethingsforourselves，Ishouldthink。””Yes。Sartin。That’sright。ButIdidn’tknowbutp’rapssomeofyourfriendsmighthavehelpedalong。ThisMrs。Dunnnow，shekindofhintedtomethatshe’d——well，donewhatshecouldtomakeyoucomf’table。””Shehas，”avowedCaroline，warmly。”Mrs。DunnandMalcolmhaveprovedtheirfriendshipinathousandways。Wenevercanrepaythem，StephenandI，never！””No。There’ssomethingsyoucan’teverpay，Iknowthat。Mrs。
　　Dunnfoundthisniceplaceforyou，didshe？””Why，yes。SheandIfoundittogether。””So？Thatwaslucky，wa’n’tit？Advertisedinthenewspaper，wasit；orwastherea’ToLet’placardupinthewindow？””No，certainlynot。Mrs。Dunnknewthatwehaddecidedtomove，andshehasacousinwhoisinterestedinNewYorkproperty。Sheaskedhim，andhementionedthisapartment。””Oneofhisown，wasit？””Ibelieveso。Whyareyousoparticular？Don’tyoulikeit？”
　　Hertonewassharp。Stephen，whoresentedhisuncle’squestionsasimpertinentintrusionsuponthefamilyaffairs，addedoneofhisown。”Isn’titasgoodasthosein——whatdoyoucallit——SouthDenboro？”
　　heasked，maliciously。