CHAPTERVII
　　DuringthenextdayCarolineWarrenandherbrothersawlittleoftheiruncle。Notthattheycomplainedofthisorsoughthissociety。ThepolicyofavoidanceandwhatStephencalled”freezingout”hadbegun，andtheyoungpeoplekepttothemselvesasmuchaspossible。AtbreakfastCarolinewascoldlypolite，andherbrothercold，althoughhispolitenesswasnotoverdone。However，CaptainElishadidnotseemtonotice。Hewaspreoccupied，saidbutlittle，andspenttheforenooninwritingasecondlettertoMissAbigail。InithetoldofhisexperienceonboardtheEmpressoftheOceanandoftheluncheonattheCentralClub。Buthesaidnothingconcerninghisnephewandniecefurtherthanthestatementthathewasstillgettingacquainted，andthatCarolinewasarealnicelookinggirl。”IsupposeyouwonderwhatI’vedecidedabouttakingtheguardianship，”headded，justattheclose。”Well，Abbie，I’maboutinthepositionofLutherSylvesterwhenhefelloffthedockatOrham。Thetidewasout，andhewentintothesoftmud，allunder。Whenthefolkswhosawhimtumblegottotheedgeandlookedover，theysawaround，blackthingstickingoutofthemire，and，judging’twasLute’shead，theyaskedhimhowhefelt。
　　’Idon’tknowyet，’sputtersLute，’whetherI’mdrownedorsmothered，butI’msomewheresbetwixtandbetween。’That’sme，Abbie，onthatguardianbusiness。I’mstillbetwixtandbetween。
　　Butbeforethisday’soverI’llbedrownedorsmothered，andI’llletyouknowwhichnexttimeIwrite。”
　　AfterlunchhetookastrollintheParkandpassedupanddownthepaths，thinking，thinking。Returning，hefoundthatCarolineandStephenhadgoneforanautoridewiththeDunnsandwouldnotbehomefordinner。Soheatethatmealinsolitarystate，waiteduponbyEdwards。
　　Thatevening，ashesatsmokinginthelibrary，thebutlerappearedtoannounceacaller。”Someonetoseeyou，sir，”saidEdwards。”Here’shiscard，sir。””Eh？SomeonetoseeME？Guessyou’vemadeamistake，haven’tyou，Commodore？Idon’tknowanybodywho’dbelikelytocomevisitin’
　　mehereinNewYork。Why，yes！Well，Ideclare！Tellhimtowalkrightin。Mr。Pearson，I’mgladtoseeyou。Thisisrealneighborly。”
　　ThecallerwasyoungPearson，thecaptain’sacquaintanceofthepreviousforenoon。Theyshookhandsheartily。”Perhapsyoudidn’tthinkIshouldacceptthatinvitationofyours，CaptainWarren，”observedPearson。”ItoldyouImeantitwhenI
　　saidyes。Andcallingwithinthirty-sixhoursisprettygoodproof，isn’tit？””Suitsmefust-rate。I’mmightygladyoucame。Setrightdown。
　　Lonesomeattheboardin’house，wasit？”
　　Pearsonmadeagrimace。”Lonesome！”herepeated。”Ugh！Let’stalkofsomethingelse。Wereyouintimeforyourappointmentyesterdaynoon？””Why，yes；IwasandIwasn’t。Say，won’tyouhaveacigar？
　　That’sright。AndIs’pose，bein’asthisisNewYork，I’doughttoaskyoutotakesomethin’tolaythedust，hey？Iain’tmadeanyinquiriesmyself，butIshouldn’twonderiftheCommodore——thefellerthatletyouin——couldfindsomethin’inthespareroomclosetorsomewheres，ifIaskhim。”
　　Theyoungmanlaughed。”Ifyoumeanadrink，”hesaid，”Idon’tcareforit，thankyou。””What？Youain’tateetotaler，areyou？””No，notexactly。But——””Butyoucangetalongwithoutit，hey？SocanI；generallydo，fur’sthatgoes。ButI’MfromSouthDenboro。IthoughthereinNewYork——””Oh，therearemanypeople，evenhereinNewYork，whoarenotconvincedthatalcoholisafood。””Youdon’ttellme！Well，I’mlivin’andlearnin’everyday。
　　Judgin’fromstoriesandtheyarnsintheBostonnewspapers，folksupourwayhavetheideathatthistownisasortofannextothebadplace。Allright，thenwewon’ttroubletheCommodore。I
　　noticeyou’relookin’overmyquarters。Whatdoyouthinkof’em？”
　　Pearsonhad，inspiteofhimself，beenglancingabouttheroom。
　　Itsluxuryandtheevidentsignsoftasteandwealthsurprisedhimgreatly。”Astonishyoutofindmelivin’inaplacelikethis，hey？””Why，why，yes，itdoes，somewhat。Ididn’trealizeyouweresuchanaristocrat，CaptainWarren。IfIhad，Imighthavebeenalittlemorecarefulofmydressinmakingmyfirstcall。””Dress？Oh，youmeanyou’dhaveputonyourSundayclothes。Well，I’mgladyoudidn’t。Yousee，_I_haven’tgotonmyregimentals，andifyou’dbeenondressparadeImighthavefeltbashful。Ho，ho！Idon’twonderyouaresurprised。Thisisaprettyswellneighborhood，ain’tit？””Yes，itis。””These——er——apartments，now。’Boutasgoodasanyintown，arethey？””Prettynearly。Therearefewbetter——muchbetter。””Ithoughtso。Youwouldn’tcalllivin’in’emeconomizin’toanyconsider’bleextent，wouldyou？””No，”withalaugh；”no，_I_shouldn’t，butmyideasofeconomyare——well，different。Theyhavetobe。Areyouecomomizing，Captain？”
　　CaptainElishalaughedandrubbedhisknee。”No，”hechuckled，”_I_ain’t，butmynephewandnieceare。Thesearetheirrooms。””Oh，you’revisiting？””No，Idon’tknow’syou’dcallitvisitin’。Idon’tknowwhatyouwouldcallit。I’mhere，that’saboutallyoucansay。”
　　Hepausedandremainedsilent。Hisfriendwassilent，also，notknowingexactlywhatremarktomake。”How’sthenovelcomin’on？”askedthecaptain，aminutelater。”Oh，slowly。I’mnotatallsureitwilleverbefinished。Igetdiscouragedsometimes。””Nouseindoin’that。Whatsortofayarnisitgoin’tobe？
　　Givemeagen’ralideaofthecourseyou’retryin’tosteer。Thatis，ifitain’tasecret。””Itisn’t。Butthere’smightylittleworthtelling。WhenIbeganIthoughtIhadagoodscheme，butitseemsprettyweakanddish-
　　waterynow。””Mostthingsdowhiletheirbein’done，ifyoureallycareaboutdoin’’emwell。Heaveahead！Yousaid’twasaseayarn，andI’masortofspecialistwhenitcomestosaltwater。MaybeImightprescribejusttherighttonic，though’tain’tverylikely。”
　　Pearsonbegantooutlinetheplotofhisnovel，speakingslowlyatfirst，butbecomingmoreinterestedashecontinued。CaptainElishalistenedmeditatively，puffingsolemnlyathiscigar，andinterruptingbutseldom。”Ithinkthat’saprettygoodidea，”heobserved，atlength。”Yes，sir，thatsoundspromisin’，tome。Thiscap’nofyoursnow，he’sagoodfeller。Don’tgethimtoogood，though；thatwouldn’tbenatural。Anddon’tgethimtoobad，neither。Iknowit’sthefashion，judgin’bytheseayarnsI’vereadlately，tohaveaYankeeskippersortofacrossbetweenaprizefighterandamurderer。Fustdayoutofporthebeginsbypickin’outthemostsicklyfo’masthandaboard，masheshimup，andthentakesthenextinvalid。Igotabookaboutthatkindofaskipperoutofourlibrarydownhomeaspellago，andthelibrariansaid’twasawfulpopular。Astrongstory，shesaid，andtruetolife。Well，’twasstrong——youcouldprettynighsmellit——butasforbein’truetolife，Ihadmydoubts。I’vebeentosea，commandofavessel，foragoodmanyyears，andsometimesI’dgoweeks，wholeweeks，withoutjumpin’upanddownonasinglesailor。Fact！Gotmyexerciseotherways，Ipresumelikely。”Itellyou，”hewenton，”themaintroublewiththattaleofyours，asIseeit，isthatyou’retalkin’aboutthingsyouain’teverseen。Nowthere’splentyyouhaveseen，Iwouldn’twonder。
　　Let’ssee，youwasborninBelfast，yousaid。Livetherelong，didyou？””Yes，untilIwentawaytoschool。””Yourfather，hewenttosea，didhe？””Yes。Buthisshipwaslost，withallhands，whenIwasababy。””ButyourUncleJimwa’n’tlost。Yourememberhimwell；yousaidso。Tellmesomethingyouremember。”
　　Beforetheyoungmanwasawareofit，hewastellingofhisUncleJim，ofthelatter’sreturnfromvoyages，ofhisownhomelife，ofhismother，andofthevillagewherehespenthisboyhood。Then，ledonbythecaptain’squestioning，hecontinuedwithhisyearsatcollege，hisexperiencesasreporterandcityeditor。Withoutbeingconsciousthathewasdoingso，hegavehishostaprettyfullsketchofhimself，hisstory，andhisambitions。”Mr。Pearson，”saidCaptainElisha，earnestly，”don’tyouworryaboutthatyarnofyours。Ifyou’lltaketheadviceofanoldfellerwhoknowsabsolutelynothin’aboutsuchthings，keeponrememberin’aboutyourUncleJim。Hewasaman，everyinchofhim，andaseaman，too。Putlotsofhimintothisheroofyours，andyouwon’tgofurwrong。Andwhenitcomestohandlin’aship，why——
　　well，ifyouWANTtocometome，I’lltryandhelpyououtbestI
　　can。”
　　Pearsonwasdelighted。”YouWILL？”hecried。”Splendid！It’smightygoodofyou。MayI
　　springsomeofmystuffonyouasIwriteit？””Sartinyoumay。Anytime，I’llbetickledtodeath。I’llbetickledtohaveyoucall，too；thatis，ifcallin’onanoldsaltlikemewon’tbetootirin’。”
　　Theanswerwasemphaticandreassuring。”Thankyou，”saidCaptainElisha。”I’mmuchobliged。Comeoften，do。I——well，thefactis，I’mlikelytogetsortoflonesomemyself，I’mafraid。Yes，Ishouldn’twonderifIdid。”
　　Hesighed，tossedawaythestumpofhiscigar，andadded，”Now，Iwanttoaskyousomethin’。Younewspaperfellersaresupposedtoknowaboutallthereistoknowofeverythingunderthesun。DoyouknowmuchabouttheStockExchange？”
　　Pearsonsmiled。”AllIcanaffordtoknow，”hesaid。”Humph！That’saprettygoodanswer。Knowledgeispower，theysay，but——butIcal’lateknowledgeoftheStockExchangeispoverty，withagoodmanyfolks。””Ithinkyou’reright，Captain。It’snoneofmybusiness，but——
　　wereyouplanningtotackleWallStreet？”
　　CaptainElishaglanced，underhisbrows，athisnewfriend，andhiseyestwinkled。”Didn’tknowbutImight，”hereplied，solemnly。”Ain’tgotany——
　　er——tips，anysurethingsyouwanttoputmeonto，haveyou？””Ihavenot。MyexperienceofWallStreet’surethings’leadsmetobelievethatthey’resure——butonlyfortheotherfellow。””Hum！Iknowachapdownhomethatmademoneyinstocks。Hemadeitsoeasythat，astheboyssay，’twasalmostashametotakethemoney。And’twasthemakin’ofhim，too。”
　　Pearsonwasembarrassedandtroubled。Ifthisbig-hearted，simple-
　　mindedcountrymanhadcometoNewYorktobuckthestockmarket，itwastimetosoundawarning。Buthadhe，onsuchshortacquaintance，therighttowarn？Thecaptainwasshrewdinhisownway。Mightnotthewarningseempresumptuous？”So——this——thisfriendofyourswasasuccessfulspeculator，washe？”heasked。”Hewaslucky。””Thinkso？Well，maybe。HisnamewasElkanahChase，andhisdadwasoldman’RastusChase，whomadeconsider’bleincranberriesandonethingor’nother。TheoldmanbroughtElkanahuptobewhathecalledagentleman。Ho！ho！Hihum！Iain’tsurewhat’Rastus’sideaofagentlemanwas，butifhecal’latedtohavehissonatrampingo-to-meetin’clothes，hegothiswish。Whentheoldmandied，hewilledtheboyfifteenthousanddollars。Well，fifteenthousanddollarsisafortunetosomefolks——iftheyain’teconomizin’inNewYork——buttoElkanah’twasjustaboutenoughtomakehimrealizehispoverty。So，tomakeitbigger，hegotoneofthem’tips’fromacollegefrienddownhereinWallStreet，andputtheheftoftenthousandintoit。AND，Iswan，ifitdidn’tdoublehismoney！”
　　CaptainElisha’svisitorshookhishead。Hedidnotevensmile。”Hewasextremelyfortunate，”hesaid。”Igiveyoumyword，CaptainWarren，thatthemajorityoffirstspeculatorsdon’tturnoutthatway。Ihopehewaswiseenoughtokeephisprofits。”
　　Thecaptainrubbedhischin。”Jim——”hebegan。”Excuseme，IshouldhavesaidMr。Pearson，butI’vegotsortofinthehabitofcallin’folksbytheirfirstnames。Livin’whereyouknoweverybodysowellgetsyouintothosehabits。””Jimsuitsme。Ihopeyou’llcultivatethehabit。””Doyou？Well，Iwill。Now，Jim，referrin’towhatIwasgoin’tosay，you，bein’anewspaperman，oughttoknoweverything，butit’sprettyplainyoudon’tknowElkanahChase。Keephisprofits！Why，whenafellerisallbutconvincedthatheknowsitall，onelittlebitofevidencelikethatspeculationsettlesitforhimconclusive。
　　Elkanah，realizin’thatWallStreetwashisapplepie，openedhismouthtoswalleritatonegulp。Heputhisprofitsandeveryothercenthehadintoanothersurethingtip。””Andwonagain？””No。Helostallthatandsomemorethatheborrowed。””ButIthoughtyousaiditwasthemakingofhim！””Itwas。HehadtotakeajoboverattheoverallsfactoryinOstable。Asafifteenthousanddollargentleman，hewasprettyaverageofamess，buttheytellmehemakesmiddlin’goodoveralls。ElkanahconvincedmethatWallStreethasitsgoodpoints。”
　　Hechuckled。Pearson，relieved，laughedinsympathy。”Hashepaidbackthemoneyheborrowed？”heinquired。”No-o！Iguessthecreditors’llhavetotakeitoutinoveralls。
　　However，it’sasatisfactiontosomeof’emtowatchChasereallywork。IknowthatgivesmeMYmoney’sworth。””Oh，ho！Youareoneofthecreditors！CaptainWarren，I’msurprised。Isizedyouupasashrewderjudgeofinvestments。”
　　CaptainElishacolored。”Ijudgedthatonecorrect，”heanswered。”IfIhadn’tthought’twouldhaveturnedoutthatwayIneverwouldhaveplunged。Yousee，oldmanChasewasafriendofmine，and——
　　However，”headded，hastilychangingthesubject，”we’vestrayedsomeoffthecourse。WhenImentionedtheStockExchangeIdiditbecausemybrotherwasamemberofit，andIcal’lateyoumighthaveknownhim。”
　　Pearsonwasastonished。”YourbrotherwasamemberoftheExchange？”herepeated。”Um-hm。Neverwouldhaveguessedit，wouldyou？Is’poseyoucal’lateallthestockIknewaboutwasonthehoof。Well，Ihavebeenacquaintedwithotherbreedsinmytime。Mybrother’snamewasAbijahWarren——A。RodgersWarren，hecalledhimself。”
　　Theeffectofthisannouncementwasinstantaneousandelectric。
　　Theyoungmansatbackinhischair。”A。RodgersWarrenwasyourbrother？”hecried。”Um-hm。Seemstostaggeryousome。Contrastbetweenusasbigasallthatcomesto？””But——but，CaptainWarren——Yourbrother——Tellme，isMissCarolineWarrenyourniece？””Sheis。AndSteveismynephew。’Tain’tpossibleyou’reacquaintedwiththem？”
　　Pearsonrosetohisfeet。”Is——TheyusedtoliveontheAvenue，”
　　hesaid。”Butyousaidyouwerevisiting。CaptainWarren，isthisyourniece’sapartment？””Yes，hersandSteve’s。Why，what’sthematter？Ain’tgoin’，areyou？””IthinkperhapsIhadbetter。Itisgettinglate。””Late！It’sonlytheshankoftheevenin’。Jim，Iain’tsoblindthatIcan’tseethroughanopenwindow。Itain’tthelatenessthatmakesyouwanttoleavesosudden。IstheresometroublebetweenyouandCaroline？Course，it’snoneofmybusiness，andyouneedn’ttellmeunlessyouwantto。”
　　Theanswerwaspromptenough。”No，”repliedPearson。”No。Iassureyouthereisnothingofthatkind。I——ImetMissWarren。Infact，atonetimewewerewellacquainted。Ihavetheveryhighestopinionofher。ButIthinkitisbestto——””Justaminutenow。NotroublewithSteve？He’saboyandatanagewhenhe’sprettywellsatisfiedwithhimselfandyouhavetomakeallowance。””No。SteveandIwerequitefriendly。I’msorrytocutmyvisitshort，butitislateandIMUSTgo。”
　　Hewasmovingtowardthedoor。CaptainElishalookedathimintently。”Well，ifyoumust，”hesaid。”ButIhopeyou’llcomeagainsoon。
　　Willyou？””IhopeImay。Igiveyoumyword，Captain，thatIappreciateyourinvitation，andIdowanttoknowyoubetter。””Samehere。Idon’toftentakesuddenfancies，Jim，butIknewyouruncle，andI’dbetconsider’bleonanymemberofhisfamily。
　　AndIWASkindofinterestedinthatnovelofyours。Youhaven’tsaidyou’dcomeagain。Willyou？”
　　Pearsonwasmuchembarrassed。”Ishouldliketocome，immensely，”hesaid，withanearnestnessunmistakable；”but——but，tobehonest，CaptainWarren，thereisareason，onewhichImaytellyousometime，butcan’tnow——neitherMissWarrennorherbrotherhaveanypartinit——whichmakesmereluctanttovisityouhere。Won’tyoucomeandseemeattheboardinghouse？Here’stheaddress。WILLyoucome？””Sartin！Ifiguredondoin’it，ifyougavemethechance。””Thankyou，you’llbewelcome。OfcourseitisONLYaboardinghouse，andnotaverygoodone。Myownroomis——well，differentfromthis。””Yup。Maybethat’swhyIexpecttofeelathomeinit。Goodnight，Jim。Thankyouforcallin’。ShallIringfortheCommodoretopilotyouout？””No，Icanfindmyway。I——Someoneiscoming。”
　　Fromthehallcametheclangoftheelevatordoorandthesoundofvoices。Beforethecaptainorhisfriendcouldmove，Caroline，Stephen，Mrs。CorcoranDunn，andMalcolmentered。Carolinewasthefirsttoreachthelibrary。HerentrancebroughtherfacetofacewithPearson。”Ibegyourpardon，”shebegan。”Ididnotknowtherewasanyonehere。””It’sonlyafriendofmine，Caroline，”explainedheruncle，quickly。”Justcallin’onme，hewas。””Goodevening，MissWarren，”saidPearson，quietly。
　　Thegirllookedathimforaninstant。Thenherexpressionchanged，and，withasmile，sheextendedherhand。”Why，Mr。Pearson！”sheexclaimed。”I’mverygladtoseeyou。Youmustexcusemefornotrecognizingyouatonce。Steve，yourememberMr。Pearson。”
　　Stephenalsoextendedahand。”Sure！”hesaid。”Gladtoseeyouagain，Pearson。Haven’tmetyouforanage。Howareyou？”
　　Pearsonshookboththehands。Hewasembarrassedandhesitatedinhisreply。”ItHASbeensometimesincewemet，”hesaid。”Thisisanunexpectedpleasure。Ah，Mr。Dunn，goodevening。””ItisMr。Pearson，thefinancialwriterofthePlanet，Malcolm，”
　　saidCaroline。”Youusedtoknowhim，Ithink。””Don’tremember，I’msure。Yes，Ido。MetyouattheUniversityClub，didn’tI？””Yes。Iwasformerlyamember。””AndletmepresentyoutoMrs。CorcoranDunn，”wentonthegirl。”Mr。Pearsonusedtoknowfatherwell。”
　　Mrs。Dunninspectedthevisitorthroughherlorgnette，andcondescendedtoadmitthatshewas”delighted。””I’mverygladyoucalled，”continuedCaroline。”Wewerejustintime，weren’twe？Dositdown。Andifyouwillwaitaminuteuntilweremoveourwraps——SteveringforEdwards，please。””I’mafraidIcan’twait，MissWarren。Idroppedintoseeyouruncle，athisinvitation，and，asamatteroffact，Ididn’tknow——””ToseeourUNCLE！”interruptedStephen，inamazement。”Who？””Youruncle，CaptainWarrenhere，”explainedPearson，surprisedinhisturn。”HeandImadeeachother’sacquaintanceyesterday，andheaskedmetocall。””You——youcalledtoseeHIM？”repeatedStephen。”Why，whatintheworld——？””Itookthelibertyofaskin’him，Caroline，”observedCaptainElishaquietly，andignoringthelastspeaker。”Ididn’tknowyouknewhim，andIusedtosailalongwithHISuncle，soheseemedalmostlikeownfolks。””Oh！”Caroline’smannerchanged。”Ipresumeitwasabusinesscall，”shesaidslowly。”Ibegpardonforinterrupting。Wehadnotseenyousincefather’sdeath，Mr。Pearson，andIassumedthatyouhadcalleduponmybrotherandme。Excuseme。Mrs。Dunn，wewillgointothedrawing-room。”
　　Sheledthewaytowardtheapartment。CaptainElishawasabouttospeak。Pearson，however，explainedforhim。”MissWarren，”hesaid，”ifbyabusinesscallyoumeanoneintheinterestofthePlanet，Iassureyouthatyouaremistaken。Iamnolongerconnectedwithanypaper。ImetCaptainWarren，underratherunusualcircumstances。Wediscoveredthatwehadmutualfriendsandmutualinterests。Heaskedmetocallonhim，andI
　　didso。Ididnotknow，untilfiveminutesago，thathewasyouruncleorthatyouandyourbrotherlivedhere。Ibegyouwon’tleavetheroomonmyaccount。Iwasabouttogowhenyoucame。
　　Goodevening。”
　　Hebowedandsteppedtowardthehall。CaptainElishalaidahandonhisarmanddetainedhim。”Justaminute，”hesaid。”Caroline，IwantyouandStevetoknowthatwhatMr。Pearsonsaysisexactlytrue。Iain’tthekindtotalktothenewspapersabouttheprivateaffairsofmyrelations，and，ifI’manyjudgeofcharacter，Mr。Pearson，knowin’youasitseemshedoes，wouldn’tbethekindtolisten。That’sall。Now，Jim，ifyoumustgo。”
　　Heandhisguestwereatthedoor。CarolineandMrs。Dunnwereattheoppositesideoftheroom。Suddenlythegirlhalted，turned，and，movingacrosstowhereheruncleandtheyoungmanwerestanding，oncemoreextendedherhand。”Mr。Pearson，”shesaid，impulsively，”againIaskyourpardon。I
　　shouldhaveknown。IamverysorryIspokeasIdid。Willyouforgiveme？”
　　Pearsoncolored。Hisembarrassmentwasmoreevidentthanbefore。”Thereisnooccasionforapology，MissWarren，”hesaid。”Idon’twonderyouthoughtIhadcomeinmyformercapacityasreporter。””Yes，youdo。YouMUSThavewondered。Iamverygladyoucalledtoseemy——myguardian，andIhopeyouwillcontinuetodoso。
　　Fatherusedtospeaksohighlyofyou，andI’msurehevaluedyourfriendship。StephenandIwishtoconsiderhisfriendsours。
　　Pleasebelievethatyouarewelcomehereatanytime。”
　　Pearson’sreplywasbrief。”Thankyou，MissWarren，”hesaid。”Youareverykind。Goodevening。”
　　Inthehall，astheywaitedfortheelevator，CaptainElisha，happierthanatanytimesincehisarrivalinNewYork，clappedhisfriendontheshoulder。”Jim，”hesaid，”Iwasbeginnin’todoubtmyjudgmentofthingsandfolks。NowIfeelbetter。Thatnieceofminehasgottherightstuffinher。AfterTHATinvitation，youwillcomeandseeusonceinawhile。Thatmakesiteasier，hey？”
　　Pearsonshookhishead。”I’mnotsure，Captain，”heobserved，slowly，”thatitdoesn’tmakeitharder。Ishalllookforyouattheboardinghouseverysoon。Don’tdisappointme。Goodnight。”
　　Thecaptain’slastremarkthateveningwasmadetoEdwards，whomhemetjustoutsidethedoorofhisbedroom。”Commodore，”hesaid，”abarnfullofratsisanuisance，ain’tit？””Sir？”stammeredtheastonishedbutler。”Isayabarnfullofratsisanuisance。””Why——why，yes，sir。Ishouldthinkitmightbe，sir。””Yup。Well，Iknowaworseone。It’sahousefullofmysteries。
　　By，by，Son。Pleasantdreams。”
　　Hesatupuntillate，meditatingprofoundly。Then，takingfromitsenvelopetheletteryetunsealed，whichhehadwrittentoMissAbigailBaker，headdedthispostscript:”Eleveno’clock。Ihavedecided，Abbie，toaccepttheguardianshipandtherestofit，foraspell，anyhow。Shallnotifythelawyersinthemorning。Necessityisonething，andpleasureisanother。
　　IdoubtifIfindthejobpleasant，butIguessitisnecessary。
　　Anyhow，itlooksthatwaytome。”
　　CHAPTERVIII
　　AnnouncementofCaptainElisha’sdecisionfollowedquickly。
　　Sylvester，Kuhn，andGravesreceivedthetelephonemessagestatingit，andtheseniorpartnerwasunqualifiedlydelighted。Kuhnacceptedhisassociate’sopinionwithsomereservation。”Itisanoddpieceofbusiness，thewholeofit，”hedeclared。”Ishallbecurioustoseehowitworksout。”AsforMr。Graves，whentheinformationwasconveyedtohimbymessenger，heexpresseddisgustanddismay。”Ridiculous！”hesaid。”Doctor，Isimplymustbeupandaboutwithinthenextfewdays。Itisnecessarythatasane，conservativemanbeattheoffice。FarbeitfrommetosayawordagainstSylvester，asalawyer，butheissubjecttoimpressions。
　　IimaginethisCapeCoddermadehimlaugh，and，therefore，inhisopinion，isallright。I’mgladI’mnotajoker。”
　　Thecaptainsaidthathewouldbedownlaterontotalkthingsover。Meanwhile，ifthe”papersandsuch”couldbegottentogether，itwould”sortofhelpalong。”Sylvesterexplainedthattherewerecertainlegalandformalceremoniespertainingtotheacceptanceofthetrusttobegonethroughwith，andthesemusthaveprecedence。”Allright，”answeredthecaptain。”Let’shave’emalloutatonceandgettheacheandagonyover。I’llseeyoubyandby。”
　　WhenMrs。CorcoranDunnmadeherdailyvisittotheWarrenapartmentthatafternoon，shefoundCarolinealoneandalmostintears。CaptainElishahadbrokenthenewsatthetableduringluncheon，afterwhichhewentdowntown。Stephen，havingraved，protested，andmadehimselfgenerallydisagreeableandhissistercorrespondinglymiserable，haddepartedfortheclub。Itwasatimeforconfidences，andthewilyMrs。Dunnrealizedthatfact。
　　Shesoothed，comforted，andwithinhalfanhour，hadlearnedthewholestory。Carolinetoldherall，thestrangewill，thedisclosureconcerningthecountryuncle，andtheinexplicableclausesbeggingthelattertoaccepttheexecutorship，thetrust，andthechargeofherbrotherandherself。Incidentallyshementionedthatapossiblefivehundredthousandwastheextremelimitofthefamily’specuniaryresources。”Nowyouknoweverything，”sobbedCaroline。”Oh，Mrs。Dunn，YOU
　　won’tdesertus，willyou？”
　　Thewidow’sreplywasatriumph，ofitskind。Initwereexpressedsorrow，indignation，pity，andunswervingloyalty。Desertthem？
　　Deserttheyoungpeople，towardwhomshehadcometofeelalmostlikeamother？Never！”YoumaydependonMalcolmandme，mydear，”shedeclared。”Wearenotfair-weatherfriends。And，afterall，itisnotsoverybad。
　　Affairsmightbeverymuchworse。””Worse！Oh，Mrs。Dunn，howcouldtheybe？Thinkofit！StephenandIaredependentuponhimforeverything。Wemustaskhimforeverypenny。AndwhateverhesaystodoweMUSTdo。We’reobligedto。Justthink！ifhedecidestotakeusbackwithhimto——SouthDenboro，orwhateverdreadfulplacehecomesfrom，weshallhavetogo——andlivethere。””Buthewon’t，mydear。Hewon’t。Itwilltakesometimetosettleyourfather’saffairs，andthebusinesswillhavetobetransactedhereinNewYork。””Iknow。Isupposethat’strue。Butthatdoesn’tmakeitanyeasier。Ifhestopsherehewillstaywithus。Andwhatshallwedo？Wecan’tintroducehimtoourfriends，or，atleast，toanyexceptourbest，ourunderstandingfriends，likeyouandMalcolm。””Why，I’mnotsure。Heisrather——well——er——countryfied，butI
　　believehehasagoodheart。Heisnotrudeorunkindoranythingofthatsort，ishe？””No。No-o。He’snotthat，atall。Infact，hemeanstobekindinhisway。Butit’ssuchadifferentwayfromours。Heisnotusedtosociety；hewouldn’tunderstandthatcertainthingsandwayswereabsolutelyessential。Isupposeitisn’thisfaultexactly，butthatdoesn’thelp。Andhowcanwetellhim？””Idon’tknowthatyoucantellhim，butyoumighthint。Diplomacy，mydear，isoneofthenecessaryelementsoflife。Whateverelseyoudoremembertobediplomatic。Mypoorhusbandusedtohaveapetproverb——hewasinterestedinpolitics，mydear，andsomeofhissayingswereatriflegrotesquebutverymuchtothepoint。Heusedtosaythatonecouldgetridofmoreflieswithmolassesthanwithaclub。AndIthinkhewasright。Nowletmeconsider。Let’slookthesituationrightintheface。Ofcourseyourguardian，asacompanion，asanassociateforus，forourkindofpeople，is，tobequitefrank，impossible。””Yes。Yes，I’msureheis。””Yes。ButheISyourguardian。Therefore，wecan’tgetridofhimwith——well，withaclub。Hemustbeenduredandmadeasendurableaspossible。Anditcertainlywillnotdotooffendhim。””Stevesayswemustdowhathecallsfreezinghimout——makehimfeelthatwedonotwanthimhere。””Hum！Well，Stephenisaniceboy——Malcolmadoreshim——butheisn’tadiplomat。Ifweshould——whatisit？——freezeoutyouruncle——””Pleasecallhimsomethingelse。””Well，we’llcallhimtheencumbranceontheestate；that’slegal，Ibelieve，andexpressesitnicely。Ifweshouldfreezeouttheencumbrance，weMIGHTfreezehimtohisvillage，andheMIGHT
　　insistonyourgoingwithhim，whichwouldn’tdoatALL，mydear。
　　Foronething，Malcolmwouldprobablyinsistongoing，also，andI，forone，don’tyearnforruralsimplicity。Ha！ha！Oh，youmustn’tmindme。I’monlyadotingmamma，dearie，andIhavemyaircastleslikeeveryoneelse。So，freezingoutwon’tdo。No，youandStevemustbepolitetoourencumbrance。””Ishallnotgetonmykneestohimandbeg。ThatIsha’n’tdo。””Nooneexpectsyouto。Ifanyonebegsitshouldbehe。Condescendtojustalittle。Makehimfeelhisplace。Correcthimwhenhegoestoofarwrong，andignorehimwhenhegetsassertive。Asforgettingridofhimattimeswhenitmaybenecessary——well，Ithinkyoumaysafelyleavethattome。””Toyou？Oh，Mrs。Dunn，wecouldn’tthinkofdraggingyouintoit。
　　Itisbadenoughthatweshouldbedisgraced；butyoumustnotbe。””Mydearchild，ITHINKmypositioninsocietyissufficientlyestablishedtowarrantariskortwo。If_I_amseenincompanywith——withtheencumbrance，peoplewillmerelysay，’Oh，it’sanotherofhereccentricities！’that’sall。Now，don’tworry，anddon’tfretallthatprettycolorfromyourcheeks。Alwaysrememberthis:itisbutforayearoratrifleover。Thenyouwillbeofageandcansendyourencumbrancetotheright-aboutinahurry。”
　　Caroline，underthespellofthisconvincingeloquence，begantocheerup。Sheevensmiled。”Well，”shesaid，”Iwilltrytobediplomatic。Ireallywill。
　　ButStephen——I’mnotsurewhatdreadfulthingHEwilldo。””Hewillreturntocollegesoon。Iwilltakeuponmyselftheconvincingoftheencumbrancetothateffect。Andwhileheisathome，Malcolmwilltakechargeofhim。Hewillbedelightedtodoit。””Mrs。Dunn，howcanweeverthankyousufficiently？WhatshouldwedowithoutyouandMalcolm？””IHOPE，mydear，thatyouwillneverhavetodowithoutme；notformanyyears，atanyrate。Ofcourse，thereisalwaysmypoorheart，but——wewon’tworry，willwe？”
　　So，withakissandanembrace，thisaffectinginterviewended。
　　TherewasanotherthateveningbetweenMrs。Dunnandherson，whichwasnotdevoidofinterest。Malcolmlistenedtotheinformationwhichhismothergavehim，andcommenteduponitincharacteristicfashion。”Humph！”heobserved，”twohundredandfiftythousand，insteadofthetwomillionyoufiguredon，Mater！Twohundredandfiftythousandisn’tsomuch，inthesedays。””No，”repliedhisparent，sharply，”itisn’tsomuch，butitisn’tsolittle，either。””Isupposeonecangetalongonit。””Yes，onecan。Infact，Iknowoftwowhoaremanagingwithagooddealless。Don’tbeanymoreofafoolthanyoucanhelp，Malcolm。
　　Thesumitselfisn’tsmall，and，besides，theWarrensareafamilyofstanding。Tobeconnectedwiththemisworthagooddeal。
　　Thereareinfinitepossibilitiesinit。Oh，ifonlyImightlivetoseethedaywhentradespeoplemeantsomethingotherthannuisancestobedodged，ITHINKIcoulddiecontented。””Caro’sadecentsortofagirl，”commentedMalcolm，reflectively。”She’sabrightgirlandanattractiveone。Justnowsheisinamoodtoturntous，toyou。But，forHeaven’ssake，becareful！
　　Sheisdelicateandsensitiveandrequiresmanaging。Shelikesyou。Ifonlyyouweren’tsuchablunderer！””Muchobliged，Mater。You’refreewithyourcomplimentsthisevening。What’sthetrouble？Another’heart’？”No。MyheartIcantrust，uptocertainlimits。ButI’mafraidofyourhead，justasIalwayswasofyourfather’s。Andhere’sonemorebitofadvice:Becarefulhowyoutreatthatcountryuncle。””TheAdmiral！Ho！ho！He’sacard。””Hemaybethetrumpthatwillloseusthetrick。Treathimcivilly；yes，evencordially，ifyoucan。AndDON’Tinsulthimasyoudidthefirsttimeyouandhemet。”
　　Theyoungmancrossedhislegs，andgruntedinresignation。”Well，”hesaid，”it’sgoingtobeaconfoundedbore，but，attheverylongest，it’lllastbutayear。ThenCarowillbeherownmistress。””Yes。Buttherearethreehundredandsixty-fivedaysinayear；
　　rememberthat。””Allright，Mater。Youcanbetonme。TheoldhayseedandIwillbebosompals。Waitandsee。”
　　Theformalitiesatthelawyers’tooksometime。CaptainElishawasabsentfromtheapartmentthebetterpartofthefollowingtwodays。Theevenings，however，hespentwithhisnieceandnephew，and，ifatallsensitivetosuddenchangesofthetemperature，hemusthavenoticedthattheatmosphereofthelibrarywaslessfrigid。Carolinewasnotcommunicative，didnotmakeconversation，norwassheintheleastfamiliar；butsheansweredhisquestions，didnotleavetheroomwhenheentered，andseemedinclinedtoaccepthissocietywithresignation，ifnotwithenthusiasm。EvenStephenwaslesssarcasticandbitter。Attimes，whenhisnewguardiandidorsaidsomethingwhichoffendedhishighlycultivatedsenseoftheproprieties，heseemedinclinedtoburstoutwithasneer；butaquick”ahem！”orawarningglancefromhissistercausedhimtoremainsilentandventhisindignationbykickingafootstoolorbarkingaviolentorderattheunresistingEdwards。
　　Carolineandherbrotherhadhadahearttohearttalk，and，asaresult，theall-wiseyounggentlemanpromisedtomakenomoretroublethanhecouldhelp。”Though，bygad，Caro，”hedeclared，”it’sonlyforyouIdoit！
　　IfIhadmywaytheoldbutt-inshouldunderstandexactlywhatI
　　thinkofhim。”
　　OnThursday，afterluncheon，asCaptainElishasatinhisownroom，readingabookhehadtakenfromthelibrary，therecameaknockatthedoor。”Comeaheadin！”orderedthecaptain。Carolineentered。Heruncleroseandputdownthebook。”Oh！”heexclaimed，”isityou？Excuseme。Ithought’twastheCommodore——Edwards，Imean。IfI’dknownyouwascomin’callin’，Caroline，Ishouldn’thavebeenquitesobossy。GuessI’dhaveopenedthedoorforyou，insteadoflettin’youdoityourself。””Thankyou，”answeredhisniece。”Icametoseeyouon——Isupposeyoumightcallitbusiness。Atanyrate，itisafinancialmatter。
　　Isha’n’tdetainyoulong。”
　　CaptainElishawasatrifledisappointed。”Oh，”hesaid，”onbusiness，wasit？Ihoped——Ididn’tknowbutyou’dcomejustoutofsociability。However，I’mmightygladtoseeyou，Caroline，nomatterwhatit’sfor。That’sarealbecomin’
　　dressyou’vegoton，”headded，inspectingheradmiringly。”I
　　declare，youlookprettiereverytimeIseeyou。Youfavoryourpaconsider’ble；Icanseeitmoreandmore。’Bijehadaboutallthegoodlookstherewasinourfamily，”withachuckle。”Setdown，do。”
　　Thegirlseatedherselfinarocker，andlookedathimforamomentwithoutspeaking。Sheseemedtohavesomethingonhermind，andnottoknowexactlyhowtoexpressit。”CaptainWarren，”shebegan，”I——Icametoaskafavor。Iamobligedtoaskit，becauseyouareour——”shealmostchokedoverthehatedword——”ourguardian，andIcannolongeractonmyownresponsibility。Iwishtoaskyouforsomemoney。
　　CaptainElishanoddedgravely。”Isee”hesaid。”Well，Caroline，Idon’tbelieveyou’llfindmeveryclose-fisted。IthinkItoldyouandStevethatyouwastodojustasyou’dbeeninthehabitofdoin’。OfcourseIAMyourguardiannow，andIshallbeheldresponsibleforwhateverexpensecomestotheestate。Itisquitearesponsibility，andIsounderstandit。AsIsaidtoyouwhenItoldyouI’ddecidedtotakethejobontrial，WHILEIhaveitit’llbemypridetoseethatyouoryourbrotherdon’tloseanything。Iintend，iftheAlmightysparesmesolongandIkeeponwiththetrust，toturnover，whenmyterm’sout，atleastasmuchtoyouandSteveasyourfatherleft。That’sall。Excusemeformentioningitagain。Now，howmuchdoyouwant？Isyourreg’larallowancetoosmall？
　　Remember，Idon’tknowmuchaboutsuchthingshereinNewYork，andyoumustbefrankandaboveboardandtellmeifyouhaveanycomplaints。””Ihavenocomplaints。Myallowanceissufficient。Itisthesamethatfatherusedtogiveme，anditisallIneed。Butthisisamatteroutsidemypersonalneeds。””Um-hm。Somethin’todowiththehouseholdexpenses，hey？””No。Itis——isamatterof——well，ofcharity。Itmayamounttoseveralhundreddollars。””Yes，yes。Isee。Charity，hey？Church？””No。Oneofthemaids，Annie，hastroubleathome，andIwantedtohelpher。”
　　Thecaptainnoddedoncemore。”Annie，”herepeated，”that’stherosy-facedone？TheIrishone？””Yes。Herfatherwasseriouslyinjuredtheotherdayandcannotwork。Hishipisbroken，andthedoctor’sbillwillbelarge。
　　Theyareverypoor，andIthoughtperhaps——”Shehesitated，faltered，andthensaidhaughtily:”Fatherwasverysympatheticandlikedtohavemedosuchthings。””Sho！sho！Sartin！Coursehedid。Ilikeit，too。I’mgladyoucametomejustasyoudid，Caroline。Howmuchdoyouwanttostartwith？””Idon’tknow，exactly。IthoughtImightaskourowndoctortoattendtothecase，andmightsendthemsomedelicaciesandfood。””Goodidea！Gorightahead，Caroline。””Thankyou。Ihavebeenovertoseethem，andtheyneedhelp——theyreallydo。””Ipresumelikely。How’dtheaccidenthappen？Anybody’sfault，wasit？”
　　Caroline’seyessnapped。”Indeeditwas！”shesaid，indignantly。”Itwasawetmorning，afterarain，andthepavementwasslippery。
　　Mr。Moriarty，Annie’sfather，wasnotworkingthatday——theyweremakingsomerepairsatthefactorywhereheisemployed，Ibelieve——
　　andhehadgoneouttodothefamilymarketing。Hewascrossingthestreetwhenanautomobile，recklesslydriven，soeveryonesays，drovedirectlydownonhim。Hetriedtojumpoutofthewayandsucceeded——otherwisehemighthavebeenkilled；buthefellandbrokehiship。Heisanoldman，andthecaseisserious。””Dear！dear！youdon’ttellme！Pooroldchap！Theautofeller——
　　didhehelp？Seemstomeheoughttobetheonetobespendin’themoney。’Twashisfault。””Help！Indeedhedidn’t！Heandthemanwithhimmerelylaughed，asifitwasagoodjoke，putonspeed，anddisappearedasquicklyaspossible。””Why，themeanswab！DidthisMr。Moriartyorthefolksaroundgetthelicensenumberoftheauto？””No。Alltheyknowisthatitwasabigyellowcarwithtwomeninit。””Hey？Ayellowcar？””Yes。SomewhatsimilartotheoneMalcolm——Mr。Dunndrives。””So，so！Hum！Wheredidithappen？””OnSaintNicholasAvenue，nearOneHundredandTwenty-EighthStreet。””Eh？SaintNicholasAvenue，yousay？””Yes。”Carolineroseandturnedtogo。”Thankyou，CaptainWarren，”shesaid。”IwilltellDoctorHenrytotakethecaseatonce。”
　　Thecaptaindidnotanswerimmediately。Withhischininhishandhewasgazingatthefloor。”Goodafternoon，”saidCaroline。
　　Herunclelookedup。”Er——Waitjustaminute，Caroline，”hesaid。”Iguessmaybe，ifyoudon’tmind，I’dliketothinkthisoveralittleaforeyougotoofar。Youhaveyourdoctorgorightaheadandseetotheoldman，andyouorderthethingstoeatandwhatever’snecessary。ButaforeyougiveAnnieorherfatheranymoney，I’dkindofliketofiggeralittlemite。”
　　Hisniecestoppedshort，turnedandstaredathim。”Oh！”shesaid，slowlyandicily，”Isee。Pleasedon’ttroubleyourself。Ishouldhaveknown。However，myallowanceismyown，andIpresumeIampermittedtodowhatIpleasewiththat。””Caroline，don’tbehasty。Iain’tsayin’noaboutthemoney。Farfromit。Ionly——””Iunderstand——thoroughly。Don’ttroubleto’figure，’asyoucallit。Oh！WHYdidIhumiliatemyself？Ishouldhaveknown！””Caroline，please——”
　　Butthegirlhadgone，closingthedoorafterher。CaptainElishashookhishead，heavedadeepsigh，andthen，sinkingbackintohischair，relapsedintomeditation。Soonafterwardheputonhishatandcoatandwentout。
　　HalfanhourlaterheenteredtheofficeofafirmofcommissionbrokersonlowerBroadStreet，andinquiredifagentlemanbythenameofMr。MalcolmDunnwasconnectedwiththatestablishment。Onbeingansweredintheaffirmative，heaskedifMr。Dunnwerein。
　　Yes，hewas。”Well，”saidCaptainElisha，”I’dliketospeaktohimaminuteorso。Justtellhimmyname’sWarren，ifyoudon’tmind，youngfeller。”
　　Theclerkobjectedtobeingaddressedas”youngfeller，”andshowedhisdisapprovalbythehaughtyandindifferentmannerinwhichhedepartedontheerrand。However，hedidsodepart，andreturnedfollowedbyMalcolmhimself。Thelatter，whohadbeenmisledbythenameintosupposinghiscallertobeStephenWarren，wasmuchastonishedwhenhesawthecaptainseatedoutsidetherailing。”Goodafternoon，”saidCaptainElisha，risingandextendinghishand:”Howareyouto-day，sir？Prettysmart？”
　　Theyoungmanansweredbrieflythathewasallright。Headdedhewasgladtoseehisvisitor，astatementmorepolitethantruthful。”Well，what’sup？”heinquired，condescendingly。”NothingwrongwithCaroorSteve，Ihope。””No，they’refust-rate，thankyou。””What’sdoing，then？Isitpleasureorbusiness？””Well，alittleofboth，maybe。It’salwaysapleasuretoseeyou，ofcourse；andIhavegotalittlemiteofbusinessonhand。”
　　Malcolmsmiled，inhislanguidfashion。Ifhesuspectedsarcasminthefirstpartofthecaptain’sreply，itdidnottroublehim。Hisself-sufficiencywasproofagainstanythingofthatsort。”Business，”herepeated。”Well，that’swhatI’mherefor。
　　Thinkingofcorneringthe——er——potatomarket，wereyou？””No-o。Cranberrieswouldbemoreinmyline，andIcal’lateyoufellersdon’tdealinthatkindofsass。IhadaprivatematterI
　　wantedtotalkoverwithyou，Mr。Dunn；thatis，ifyouain’ttoobusy。”
　　Malcolmlookedathimwithanamusedcuriosity。Ashehadexpresseditintheconversationwithhismother，thisoldfellowcertainlywasa”card。”Heseatedhimselfonthearmoftheoaksettlefromwhichthecaptainhadrisenand，lazilyswingingapolishedshoe，admittedthathewasalwaysbusybutnevertoobusytooblige。”What’sonyourmind，Captain？”hedrawled。
　　CaptainElishaglancedabouthimsomewhatuneasily。”I——Idon’tknowasImadeitquiteclear，”hesaid，”thatitwassortofprivate；somethin’justbetweenus，youunderstand。”
　　Malcolmhesitated。Slidingfromthesettle，andimpatientlycommandingtheclerktoopenthegateintherailing，heledhiscallerthroughthemainofficeandintoasmallroombeyond。Ontheglasspaneofthedoorwaslettered，”Mr。Dunn——Private。”A
　　roll-topdeskinthecornerandthreechairswerethefurniture。
　　Malcolm，afterclosingthedoor，sprawledintheswingchairbeforethedesk，threwonelegoveradrawer，whichhepulledoutforthatpurpose，andmotionedhiscompaniontooccupyoneoftheotherchairs。
　　CaptainElishatooktheofferedchairanddroppedhishatonthefloorbesideit。Thenheinspectedtheroomanditsfurnishingswithinterest。Dunndrewoutapocketcase，extractedacigarette，litit，andwaitedforhimtospeak。”Well，”observedtheyoungman，afteramoment，what’sthetrouble，Admiral？Bettergetitoffyourchest，hadn’tyou？We’reprivateenoughhere。”
　　Thecaptainansweredthelastquestion。”Yes，”hesaid，”thisisniceandprivate。Gotastateroomalltoyourself；nameonthedoor，andeverythingcomplete。Youmustbeoneoftheofficersofthecraft。””Yes。””Um-hm。Isortofexpectedtofindyournameonthedooroutside，butthere’twas，’Smith，Haynes&Co。’Ipresumelikelyyou’rethe’Co。’””_I_’presumelikely，’”withmockingimpatience。”Whataboutthatprivatematter？”
　　CaptainElishadidnotappeartohearhim。HiseyeswerefixedonseveralphotographsstuckintherailofMr。Dunn’sdesk。Thephotoswerethoseofyoungladies。”Friendsofyours？”inquiredthecaptain，noddingtowardthephotographs。”No。”Dunntookthephotosfromtherackandthrewthemintoapigeonhole。”Lookhere，”hesaid，pointedly，”Iwouldn’thurryyoufortheworld，but——”
　　Hepaused。CaptainElishadidnottakethehint。Hismindwasevidentlystillbusywiththevanishedphotographs。”Justfancypictures，Is’pose，hey？”hecommented。”Doubtless。AnyotherlittlepointsIcangiveyou？””Iguessnot。Ithoughttheywasfancy；lookedsotome。Well，aboutthatprivatematter。Mr。Dunn，Icometoseeyouaboutanautomobile。””Anautomobile！”Theyoungmanwassoastonishedthatheactuallyremovedhisfeetfromthedesk。Thenheburstintoalaugh。”Anautomobile？”herepeated。”Captain，hastheinfluenceofthemetropolismadeyouasportalready？Doyouwanttobuyacar？””Buyone？”ItwasCaptainElisha’sturntoshowirritation。”Buyoneofthemthings？Me？Iwouldn’tbuyoneof’em，orrunoneof’em，forsomethin’，_I_tellyou！No，Idon’twanttobuyone。””Whynot？Sellyoumineforaprice。””NotifIseeyoufust，thankyou。No，Mr。Dunn，’tain’tthat。
　　Butoneofthehiredhelpuptoourplace——Caroline’splace，I
　　mean——isintroubleonaccountofoneofthedrattedmachines。
　　They’repoorfolks，ofcourse，andtheyneedmoneytohelp’emthroughthedoctorin’andnursin’andwhiletheoldman’soutofwork。Carolinewasforgivin’itto’emrightoff，she’sagood-
　　heartedgirl；butIsaid——thatis，Ikindofcoaxedheroutofit。
　　IthoughtI’dasksomequestionsfirst。””Soyoucametometoaskthem？”Malcolmsmiledcontentedly。
　　Evidentlythecaresandcomplicationsofguardianshipwerealreadyprovingtoointricatefortheunsophisticatedcountryman。Hewishedadvice，andhadcometohimforit，possiblyatCaroline’ssuggestion。Affairswereshapingthemselveswell。Herewasanopportunitytoactthedisinterestedfriend，aspermaternalinstructions。”Soyouwantedtoaskquestions，didyou，Captain？”herepeated。”Well，fireaway。AnythingIcandotohelpyouorCarolinewillbeapleasure，ofcourse。Smoke？”
　　Heofferedthecigarettecase。Thecaptaineyeditdubiouslyandshookhishead。”No，”hesaid；”no，thankyou，Icommencedsmokin’atthebuttend，Iguess。Begunwithapipe，andthemthingswouldseemsortofkindergarten，I’mafraid。Nooffensemeant，youunderstand。It’sallaccordin’towhatyou’vebeenusedto。Well，aboutthequestions。Here’sthefirstone:Don’titseemtoyouthattherightonetopayforthedoctorin’andnursin’andsuchofMr。
　　Moriarty——that’sAnnie’spa——oughttobethefellerwhohurthim？
　　Thatfeller，insteadofCaroline？””Surething！Ifyouknowwhodidit，he’syourmark。””Hecouldbeheldresponsible，couldn’the？””Certainly。””Um-hm。SoIthought。Andifhewasaright-mindedchap，he’dbegladtohelpthepoorcritter，providin’heknewwhatdamagehe’ddone；wouldn’tyouthinkso？”
　　Malcolmnoddedsagely，openedhismouthtospeak，andthencloseditagain。Asuddenrecollectioncametohim，analarmingrecollection。Heturnedinhischairandlookedathisvisitor。