”No，”CaptainElishasteppedinfrontofthedoor。”Sheain’tgoin’；andI’dratheryouwouldn’tgoyet。Let’ssettlethisupnow。Iain’taskin’anythingunreasonable。Caroline’sundermycharge，andI’vegottoplanforher。Yourboy’sjustcrazytomarryher；he’sbeenbeggin’forhertonametheday。Let’snameit。Itneedn’tbeto-morrow。Ical’lateyou’llwanttogetoutinvitationsandsuch。Itneedn’tbenextweek。Butjustsayaboutwhenitcanbe；thenI’llknowhowtoplan。Thatain’tmuchtoask，sartin。”Muchorlittle，neitherMrs。Dunnnorhersonappearedreadytoanswer。Malcolmfidgetedwithhishatandgloves；hismotherfannedherselfwithherhandkerchief。Caroline，franticwithhumiliationandshame，wouldhaveprotestedagain，butherguardian’ssternshakeoftheheadsilencedher。”Well，Mr。Dunn，”turningtothegroom-to-be；”you’reoneoftheinterestedparties——whatdoyousay？”
　　Malcolmgroundhisheelintotherug。”Idon’tconsiderityourbusiness，”hedeclared。”You’rebuttinginwhere——””No，no，Iain’t。It’smybusiness，andbusinessisjustWHATitis。Yourmaknowsthat。SheandIhadarealconfidentialupanddowntalkonloveandmarriage，andshe’stheonethatprovedtomethatmarryin’inhighsociety，likeyoursandthekindCaroline’sbeencirculatin’in，wasbusinessandmightylittleelse。There’sabusinesscontractbetweenyouandmyniece。Wewanttoknowhowsoonitcanbecarriedout，that’sall。”
　　Theyoungmanlookeddesperatelyatthedoor；butthecaptain’sbroadshouldersblockedthewaytowardsit。Hehesitated，scowled，andthen，withashrugofhisshoulders，surrendered。”HowcanImarry？”hedemandedsullenly。”Confoundit！mysalaryisn’tlargeenoughtopaymyownway，decently。””Malcolm！”criedhismother，warningly。”Well，Mater，whatthedevil’stheuseofallthis？Youknow……
　　ByJove！youOUGHTto！””Holdon，youngfeller！Idon’tunderstand。Yourwagesain’tlargeenough，yousay？Whatdoyoumean？YouwasGOIN’tobemarried，wasn’tyou？”
　　Mrs。Dunnplungedtotherescue，aforlornhope，butdesperate，andfightingtotheend。”Anoutrage！”sheblurted。”Malcolm，Iforbidyoutocontinuethisdisgustingconversation。Caroline，mypoorchild，Idon’tblameyouforthis，butIcallonyoutostopitatonce。Mydear，I——”
　　Sheadvancedtowardthegirlwithoutstretchedarms。Carolinerecoiled。”Don’t！don’t！”shegasped。CaptainElishaspokeupsharpandstern。”Excuseme，ma’am，”hesaid，”butI’llbeobligedifyou’llwaitaminute。Caroline，don’tyousayaword。Yousay——you——”
　　addressingMalcolm，”thatyoucan’tsupportawifeonyourwages。
　　Yousurprisemesome，considerin’theswathyou’vebeencuttin’on’em——butnevermindthat。Maybetheywon’tkeepautomobilesand——
　　er——otherthingsI’veheardyouwasinterestedin，butifyoucutthemoutandeconomizealittle，sameasyoungmarriedfolksI’veknownhavebeengladtodo，youcouldscrapealong，couldn’tyou？
　　Hey？Couldn’tyou？”
　　Malcolm’sanswerwasanotherscornfulshrug。”YoubelongonCapeCod，”hesneered。”Mater，let’sgetoutofthis。””Wait！Putitplainnow。DoIunderstandthatyoucal’latetobreaktheengagementbecausemyniecehaslosthermoney？Isthatit？”
　　Mrs。Dunnrealizedthattheinevitablewasuponthem。Afterall，itmightaswellbefacednowaslater。”Thisisridiculous，”sheproclaimed。”Everysanepersonknows——
　　thoughBARBARIANSmaynot——”withavenomousglareatthecaptain——”that，inengagementsofthekindinwhichmysonshared，acertainamountof——er——financial——er——thatis，thebrideissupposedtohavesomemoney。Itisexpected。Ofcourseitis！Loveinacottageis——well——abitpasse。MysonandIpityyourniecefromthebottomofourhearts，but——there！underthecircumstancesthewholeaffairbecomesimpossible。Caroline，mydear，I’mdreadfullysorry，dreadfully！Iloveyoulikemyownchild。AndpoorMalcolmwillbeheartbroken——but——youSEE。”
　　Sheextendedherhandinagestureofutterhelplessness。Stephen，whohadbeenfumingandrepressinghisragewithdifficultyduringthescene，leapedforwardwithbrandishedfist。”Bygad！”heshouted。”MalDunn，youcad——”
　　Hisunclepushedhimbackwithasweepofhisarm。”Steve，”heordered，”I’mrunnin’thisship。”Hegaveaquickglanceathisniece，andthenadded，speakingrapidlyandaddressingtheheadoftheDunnfamily，”Isee，ma’am。Yes，yes，Isee。Well，you’veforgotonething，Iguess。Caroline’slivedinhighsociety，too。AndI’vebeeninitaspell，myself。AndSteve’saboy，buthe’sgotabusinesshead。Ifthere’snothin’inmarriagebutbusiness，thenanengagementiswhatIjustcalledit，abusinesscontract，anditcan’tbebrokewithouttheconsentofbothsides。
　　YouwantedCaroline’smoney；maybeshewantsyoursnow。Ifshedoes，andthere’ssuchathingaslaw，why，perhapsshecangetit。””That’sthetalk！”criedStephenexultingly。”Yup；perhapsshecan。Shemaybeabusinesswoman，too，youknow。
　　Ifmoneyandstyleandsocialposition’swhatcountsandshewantstoforceyoutokeepyourpromise，why，I’mherguardianandshecancountonmetobackherup。Whatdoyousay，Caroline？I’matyourservice。I——”
　　ButCarolineinterruptedhim。”Stop！”shecriedwildly。”Oh，stop！Doyouthink——doyousupposeIwouldmarryhimnow？NOW，afterI’veseenwhatheis？Oh，”withashudderofdisgust，”whenIthinkwhatImighthavedone，I……
　　ThankGodthatthemoneyhasgone！I’mgladI’mpoor！I’mGLAD！””Caro，youfool！”shriekedStephen。Shedidnotheedhim。”Letmego！”shecried。”Letmegetawayfromhim；fromthisroom！
　　Ineverwanttoseehimorthinkofhimagain。Please！PLEASEletmego！Oh，takemehome！CaptainWarren，PLEASEletmegohome！”
　　Herunclewasathersideinamoment。”Yes，yes，dearie，”hesaid，”I’lltakeyouhome。Don’tgivewaynow！I’ll——”
　　Hewouldhavetakenherarm，butsheshrankfromhim。”Notyou！”shebegged。”Steve！”
　　Thecaptain’sfaceclouded，butheansweredpromptly。”Ofcourse——Steve，”heagreed。”Steve，takeyoursisterhome。Mr。
　　Sylvester’sgotacarriagewaitin’，andhe’llgowithyou，Idon’tdoubt。DoasItellyou，boy——andbehaveyourself。Don’twait；
　　go！”
　　Heheldthedooropenuntilthehystericalgirlandherbrotherhaddeparted。ThenheturnedtotheDunns。”Well，ma’am，”hesaid，dryly。”Idon’tknow’sthere’sanythingmoretobesaid。Allthequestionsseemtobesettled。Ouracquaintancewa’n’tsoawfullong，butitwasinterestin’。Knowin’
　　youhasbeen，asthefellersaid，aliberaleducation。Don’tletmekeepyouanylonger。Goodafternoon。”
　　Hesteppedawayfromthedoor。Malcolmandhismotherremainedstanding，foraninstant，wheretheywerewhenCarolineleft。
　　Theyoungmanlookedasifhewouldenjoychokingsomeone，thecaptainpreferably，butsaidnothing。ThenMrs。Dunnbethoughtherselfofawaytomaketheirexitlessawkwardandembarrassing。”Myheart！”shesaid，gasping，andwithaclutchatherbreast。”Mypoorheart！I——IfearI’mgoingtohaveoneofmyattacks。
　　Malcolm，yourarm——quick！”
　　Withanexpressionofintensebutpatientsuffering，andleaningheavilyuponherson’sarm，shemovedpastCaptainElishaandfromtheroom。
　　ThateveningthecaptainstoodinthelowerhalloftheapartmenthouseatCentralParkWest，undecidedwhattodonext。Hewishedmorethananythingelseintheworldtogotohisniece。Hewouldhavegonetoherbefore——hadbeendyingtogo，tosoothe，tocomfort，totellherofhislove——buthewasafraid。Hisconsciencetroubledhim。Perhapshehadbeentoobrutal。Perhapsheshouldn’thaveactedashedid。MaybeforcingtheDunnfleettoshowitscolorscouldhavebeendonemorediplomatically。Hehadwantedhertoseethosecolorsforherself，toactuallyseethem。Buthemighthaveoverdoneit。Herememberedhowsheshrankfromhimandturnedtoherbrother。Shemighthatehimmorethanevernow。Ifso，thenthewholeschemeunderwhichhewasworkingfelltopieces。
　　HewasworriedaboutSteve，too。Thatyoungmanwould，naturally，befuriouswithhissisterforwhathewouldconsiderherromanticfoolishness。Hehadbeenwarnedtobehavehimself；butwouldhe？
　　CaptainElishapacedupanddownthemarblefloorbeforetheelevatorcageandwonderedwhetherhisvisitingtheapartmentwouldbeawisemoveorafoolishone。
　　Theelevatordescended，thedoorofthecageopened，andStephenhimselfdartedout。Hisfacewasred，hewasscowlingfiercely，andhestrodetowardthestreetwithoutlookinginhisguardian’sdirection。
　　Thecaptaincaughthimashepassed。”Here，boy！”heexclaimed；”where’sthefire？Whereareyoubound？”
　　Hisnephew，broughtthusunexpectedlytoahalt，staredathim。”Oh，it’syou！”heexclaimed。”Humph！I’mbound——Idon’tknowwhereI’mbound！””Youdon’t，hey？Well，youcancruisealongwaysonav’yagelikethat。Whatdoyoumean？””Aw，letmealone！I’mgoingtotheclub，Iguess，orsomewhere。
　　Anyhow，Iwon’tstaywithher。Itoldherso。Sillylittleidiot！
　　Bygad，sheunderstandswhatIthinkofherconduct。I’llneverspeaktoheragain。Itoldherso。She——””Here！Belay！Stop！Whoareyoutalkingabout？””Caro，ofcourse。She——””You’verunoffandleftheralone——to-night？Whereisshe？””Upstairs——andcrying，Isuppose。Shedoesn’tdoanythingelse。
　　It’sallshe’sgoodfor。Selfish，romantic——”
　　Hegotnofurther，forCaptainElishasenthimreelingwithapushandrantotheelevator。”Eighthfloor，”hecommanded。
　　Thedooroftheapartmentwasnotlatched。Stephen，inhisrageandhurry，hadneglectedsuchtrifles。Thecaptainopeneditquietlyandwalkedin。Heenteredthelibrary。Carolinewaslyingonthecouch，herheadburiedinthepillows。Shedidnothearhimcrosstheroom。Heleanedoverandtouchedhershoulder。Shestarted，looked，andsatup，gazingathimasthoughnotcertainwhetherhewasadreamorreality。
　　Andhelookedather，atherprettyface，nowsowhiteandcareworn，athereyes，atthetear-stainsonhercheeks，andhiswholeheartwentouttoher。”Caroline，dearie，”hefaltered，”forgivemeforcomin’here，won’tyou？Ihadtocome。Icouldn’tleaveyoualone；Icouldn’trest，thinkin’ofyoualoneinyourtrouble。Iknowyoumustfeelharderthanevertowardsmeforthisafternoon’sdoin’s，butImeantitforthebest。IHADtoshowyou——don’tyousee？Canyouforgiveme？Won’tyoutrytoforgivetheoldfellerthatlovesyoumore’nalltheworld？Won’tyoutry？”
　　Shelookedathim，wide-eyed，claspingandunclaspingherhands。”_I_forgiveYOU？”sherepeated，incredulously。”Yes。Tryto，dearie。Oh，ifyouwouldonlybelieveImeantitforyourgood，andnothin’else！Ifyoucouldonlyjusttrustmeandcometomeandletmehelpyou。Iwantyou，mygirl，Iwantyou！”
　　Sheleanedforward。”Doyoureallymeanit？”shecried。”Howcanyou？afterallI’vedone？afterthewayI’vetreatedyou？andthethingsI’vesaid？YoumustHATEme！Everyonedoes。Ihatemyself！Youcan’tforgiveme！Youcan’t！”
　　Hisanswerwastoholdouthisarms。Anothermomentandshewasinthem，clingingtohiswetcoat，sobbing，holdinghimfast，andbegginghimnottoleaveher，totakeheraway，thatshewouldwork，thatshewouldnotbeaburdentohim——onlytakeherwithhimandtrytoforgiveher，forhewasrealandhonestandtheonlyfriendshehad。
　　AndCaptainElisha，soothingher，strokingherhair，andmurmuringwordsofloveandtenderness，realizedthathislaborandsacrificehadnotbeeninvain，thatherewashisrecompense；shewouldnevermisunderstandhimagain；shewashisatlast。
　　Andyet，inthemidstofhisjoy，hisconsciencetroubledhimmorethanever。
　　CHAPTERXX
　　ItwasApril；andMaywascloseathand。TheweatherwasallthatlateAprilweathershouldbe，andsooftenisnot。Trees，bushes，andvineswereinbud；thegreenofthenewgrasswasshowingeverywhereabovethedeadbrownoftheold；apairofbluebirdswereinspectingthehollowoftheoldappletree，withaneyetowardspringhousekeeping；thesunwaswarmandbright，andthewateroftheSoundsparkledinthedistance。Caroline，sittingbytheliving-roomwindow，waswaitingforheruncletoreturnfromthecity。
　　InthekitchenAnnieMoriartywaspreparingdinner。Anniewasnowcookaswellaschamber-maid，for，ofalltheWarrenservants，shewastheonlyoneremaining。Edwards，the”Commodore，”hadbeendismissed，haddeparted，notwithoutreluctancebutphilosophically，toseekotheremployment。”Yes，miss，”observedEdwards，whennotifiedthathisserviceswerenolongerrequired；”Iunderstand。
　　I’vebeenexpectingit。Iwasinafamilybeforethatmetwithfinancialdifficulties，andIknowthesigns。AllIcansayisthatIhopeyouandMr。Stephenwillgetonallright，miss。Ifthere’sanythingIcandotohelpyou，bywayoffriendship，pleaseletmeknow。I’dbeglad，foroldtimes’sake。Andthecookwantedmetotellyouthat，beingasshe’sgotanotherjobinsightandwaspaiduptodate，shewouldn’twaitfornotice，butwasleavingimmediate。
　　She’sgonealready，miss。”
　　Thesecondmaidwentalso。ButAnnie，Irishandgrateful，refusedtogo。Hermothercametobackherintherefusal。”Indeedshe’llnotleaveyou，MissCaroline——younorCaptainWarrenneither。Lordlovehim！Sure，d’yethinkwe’lleverforgetwhatyouandhimdoneformeandmyPatandthechilder？You’vegottohavesomebody，ain’tyou？AndAnnie’scookin’ain’tsobadthatit’llkillyez；andI’lllearnhermore。Nevermindwhatthewagesis，they’rebigenough。She’llstay！Ifshedidn’t，I’dbreakherback。”
　　So，whentheapartmentwasgivenup，andCaptainElishaandhiswardsmovedtothelittlehouseinWestchesterCounty，Anniecamewiththem。Andhercooking，thoughnotbyanymeansequaltothatatDelmonico’s，hadnotkilledthemyet。Mrs。Moriartycameonceaweektodothelaundrywork。Carolineactedasasortofinexperiencedbutwillingsupervisinghousekeeper。
　　ThehouseitselfhadbeenprocuredthroughthekindinterestofSylvester。Keepingtheapartmentwas，underthecircumstances，outofthequestion，andCarolinehateditandwasonlytooanxioustogiveitup。Shehadnosuggestionstomake。Shewouldgoanywhere，anywherethatherguardiandeemedbest；butmighttheynotpleasegoatonce？SheexpectedthathewouldsuggestSouthDenboro，andshewouldhavegonetherewithoutacomplaint。Togetawayfromtheplacewhereshehadbeensomiserablewashersolewish。Andtrustingandbelievinginheruncleasshenowdid，realizingthathehadbeenrightalwaysandhadworkedforherinterestthroughout，andhavingbeenshownthefalsenessandinsincerityoftheotherswhomshehadoncetrustedimplicitly，sheclungtohimwithanappealalmostpiteous。Herpridewas，forthetime，broken。Shewashumbleandgrateful。Shesurrenderedtohimunconditionally，andhopedonlyforhisforgivenessandlove。
　　ThecaptaindidnotsuggestSouthDenboro。Hedid，however，tellSylvesterthathebelievedalittleplaceoutofthecitywouldbethebetterrefugeforthepresent。”PoorCaroline’sswitchedcleararound，”hesaidtothelawyer，”andyoucan’tblamehermuch。Shecal’latesNewYork’snothin’
　　butashamfromsterntostern，mannedbyliarsandswindlersandhypocritesandofficeredbythieves。’Tain’tnousetotellher’tain’t，thoughshemightpretendtobelieveit，if_I_toldher，forjustnowthepoorgirlthinksI’mSolomonandSaintPeterrolledintoone。ThewaysheagreestowhateverIsayandthewayshelooksatmeandsortofholdsontome，asifIwasheronlyanchorinagale，Ideclareitmakesmefeelmeanerthanpoorhousetea——andthat’smadeofblackberryleavessteepedinmemoriesofbetterthings，soI’veheardsay。AMIalowdownscamp，playin’
　　adirtymeantrickonacoupleoforphans？Whatdoyouthink，Sylvester？””YouknowwhatIthink，CaptainWarren，”repliedthelawyer。”You’rehandlingthewholematterbetterthananyothermancouldhandleit。Nooneelsewouldhavethoughtofit，tobeginwith；
　　andtheresultssofarprovethatyou’reright。””Yup。Maybe。IwishyouwasaroundtosaythattomewhenIwakeupnightsandgettothinkin’。However，asIsaid，CarolinebelievesNewYorkislikeasailors’dancehall，aplacefordecentfolkstosteerclearof。Andwhenthefelleryou’vebeenengagedtoisshownupasasneakandyourowndadasacrook——well，youcan’tblameagreenhandforholdin’prejudiceagainstthetownthatraised’em。She’llgetoverit；butjustnowIcal’latesomelittleflat，or，betterstill，alittlehomeoutwherethebackyardsain’tmadeofconcrete，wouldbeafirst-classportforustomakefor。Don’tknowofsuchaplaceatareasonablerent，doyou？””Imightfindone。Andyoumayberight；yourniecemightlikeitbetter，thoughitwillbesomewhatofachange。Buthowaboutyournephew？Hehasnoobjectiontothemetropolis，Ishouldjudge。
　　Whatwillhesay？””Nothin’，Iguess——unlesshesaysittohimself。Steve’sgoin’
　　backtoNewHavenwiththingsonhismind。HeandIhadamornin’
　　service，andIwastheparson。Helistened，becausewhenyouain’tgotacentexceptwhatthesocietyallowsyou，itain’tgoodorthodoxytododgethecharitysermon。Steve’llbehave，andwhathedon’tlikehe’lllump。Ifhestartstoopenhismouthhisear’llache，Ical’late。Italkedturkeytothatyoungman。
　　Ye-es，”withaslightsmile，”I’msortofafraidIlostpatiencewithStevie。”
　　WhenCarolinefirstsawthelittlehouse，withitsshingledsides，thedeadvinesovertheporch，andthedrystalksoflastyear’sflowersintheyard，herheartsank。Withthewindblowingandthebarebranchesoftheoldappletreescrapingtheroofandwhiningdolefully，itlookedbleakandforsaken。Itwassodifferent，sounhomelike，andso，tohereyes，smallandpoverty-stricken。Shemadebelievethatshelikedit，exclaimedovertheview——which，ontheparticularday，wasdesolateenough——anddeclaredtheDutchfrontdoorwas”old-fashionedanddear。”ButCaptainElisha，watchingherclosely，knewthatshewasonlywaitingtobealonetogivewaytowretchednessandtears。Heunderstood，hadexpectedthatshewouldfeelthus，buthewasdisappointed，nevertheless。
　　However，afterthefrontdoorwaspassedandtheywereinsidethehouse，Carolinelookedaboutherindelightedamazement。Thelivingroomwassmall，butbrightandwarmandcheery。Onitswalls，hidingtherathervividpaper，werehungsomeofthebestofRodgersWarren’spictures——theCorot，thecodfisher，andothers。
　　Thefurnitureandrugswerethosewhichhadbeeninthelibraryoftheapartment，thoseshehadbeenfamiliarwithallherlife。Thebooks，manyofthem，werethere，also。Andthediningroom，exceptforsize，lookedlikehome。Sodidthebedrooms；and，inthekitchen，Anniegrinnedawelcome。”Buthowcouldyou？”askedCaroline。”Howcouldyoukeepallthesethings，UncleElisha？Ithought，ofcourse，theymustallbesold。
　　Icriedwhentheytookthemawaythatdaywhenwewereleavingtogotothehotel。IwassureIshouldneverseethemagain。Andheretheyallare！Howcouldyoudoit？”
　　Thecaptain’sgrinwasaswideasAnnie’s。”Oh，”heexplained，”I
　　couldn’tlet’emallgo。Neverintendedto。Thatfivethousanddollarcodderupthereseemedlikeownfolks，prettynigh。I’dhavekeptHIM，ifwehadtoliveinoneroomandatrunk。Andweain’tgottothat——yet。Itellyou，dearie，Ithoughtthey’dmakeyoufeelmoretohome。Andtheydo，don’tthey？”
　　Thelookshegavehimwasanswersufficient。”Butthecreditors？”sheasked。”Thatmanwho——theybelongtohim，don’tthey？Isupposedofcoursetheymustgowiththerest。”
　　CaptainElishawinked。”There’stimes，”heanswered，”whenI
　　believeincheatin’mycreditors。Thisisoneof’em。Neveryoumindthatfelleryoumentioned。He’sgotenough，confoundhim！Hedidn’thavethefacetoaskforanymore。Sylvesterlookedoutforthat。Fivehundredthousand，droppin’in，asyoumightsay，unexpected，oughttosoftenanybody’sheart；andIjudgeeventhatfeller’sgotsomebowelsofmercy。”
　　Hechangedthesubjecthastily，butCarolineaskednomorequestions。Sheneveralludedtothelostestate，neverexpressedanyregrets，noraskedtoknowwhoitwasthathadseizedherall。
　　Thecaptainhadexpectedhertoask，hadbeenreadywiththesameanswerhehadgivenStephen，butwhenhehintedsheherselfhadforbadehiscontinuing。”Don’ttellmeaboutit，”shebegged。”I
　　don’twanttoknowanymore。Fatherdidwrong，but——butIknowhedidnotmeanto。Hewasagood，kindfathertome，andIlovedhim。Thismanwhosemoneyhetookhadarighttoit，andnowitishis。Hedoesn’twishustoknowwhoheis，soStevesays，andI’mglad。Idon’twanttoknow，becauseifIdidImighthatehim。
　　And，”withashudder，”Iamtryingsohardnottohateanybody。”
　　Hermake-believelikingforthelittlehomebecamemoreandmorerealasspringdrewnear。Shebegantotakeaninterestinit，intheflowergarden，inthebedsbesidetheporch，wherethepeoniesanddaffodilswerebeginningtoshowgreenheadsabovetheloam，andinthehouseholdaffairs。Andshehadplansofherown，notconnectedwiththese。Shebroachedthemtoheruncle，andtheysurprisedanddelightedhim，althoughhewouldnotgivehisconsenttothementirely。”Youmustn’tthink，”shesaid，”that，becauseIhavebeenwillingtoliveonyourmoneysinceminewent，thatImeantocontinuedoingit。Idon’t。I’vebeenthinkingagreatdeal，andIrealizethatImustearnmyownwayjustassoonasIcan。I’mnotfittedforanythingnow；butIcanbeandIshall。I’vethoughtperhapsI
　　mightlearnstenographyor——orsomethinglikethat。Girlsdo。”
　　Helookedatherseriousfaceandchokedbackhislaugh。”Why，yes，”headmitted，”theydo，that’safact。Aboutfourhundredthousandof’emdo，andfourhundredthousandmoretrytoandthentrytomakebusinessmenthinkthattheyhave。IheardSylvestersputterin’aboutacoupleinhisofficet’otherday；saidtheywasnogoodandnotworththesevendollarsaweekhepaid’em。””SevendollarsaWEEK！”sherepeated。”Yes。Coursesomemakethreetimesthatandmore；butthey’retheexperiencedones，thegoodones。Andthere’sheapsthatdon’t。
　　Whatmakesyousosotonearnin’alivin’，Caroline？Ain’tyousatisfiedwiththekindI’mtryin’togiveyou？”
　　Sheregardedhimreproachfully。”Pleasedon’tsaythat，”sheprotested。”Youalwaystreatyourkindnessasajoke，buttomeit——it——””There！there！”quickly。”Don’tlet’stalkfoolish。Iseewhatyoumean，dearie。Itain’tthelivin’butbecauseI’mgivin’ittoyouthattroublesyou。Iknow。Well，_I_ain’tcomplainin’butI
　　understandyourfeelin’sandrespect’em。However，Ishouldn’tstudytype-writin’，ifIwasyou。There’stoomuchcompetitioninittobecomfortable，asthefatmansaidaboutrunnin’races。
　　I’vegotasuggestion，ifyouwanttolistentoit。””Ido，indeed。Whatisit？””Why，justthis。I’vebeenabouteverythin’aboardship，butI’veneverbeenasteward。NowI’llsaythismuchforAnnie，shetriedhard。Shetumbledintogeneralhousekeepin’thewayAsaFostersaidhefellintothecucumberframe——withajoltandajingle；andshe’sdoin’herbestaccordin’toherlights。Butsometimesherlightsneedileortrimmin’orsomethin’。I’vehadthefeelin’
　　thatweneedagoodhousekeeperhere。IfAnnie’sintelligencewasasbroadandliberalashershoes，wewouldn’t；as’tis，wedo。
　　I’llhireyou，Caroline，forthatjob，ifyousayso。””I？UncleElisha，you’rejoking！””No，Iain’t。CourseIrealizeyouain’thadmuchexperienceinrunnin’ahouse，andIhopeyouunderstandIdon’twanttohireyouasacook。ButI’vehadaschemeinthebackofmyheadforafortni’tormore。Somethin’Sylvestersaidaboutayoungladycousinofhismademethinkofit。Seemsoverhereatthefemalecollege——youknowwhereImean——they’reteachin’anewcoursethatthey’vechristenedDomesticScience。Nigh’sIcanfindoutitisaboutwhatourgreatgran’marmslarnedathome；that，withup-to-
　　datetrimmin’s。Allaboutrunnin’ahouse，itis；howtosuperintendservants，andwhatkindofthingstohavetoeat，andhowtheyoughttobecooked，andtakin’careofchildren——Humph！wedon’tneedthat，dowe？——and，well，everythingthatahomewoman，richorpoor，oughttoknow。Atleast，sheoughtto’cordin’tomyold-fashionednotions。Sylvester’scousingoesthere，andlikesit；andIjudgesheain’tfiggerin’tobeanybody’shiredhelp，either。Myideawasaboutthis:Ifyou’dliketotakethiscourse，Caroline，youcoulddoitafternoons。Mornin’sandthedaysyouhadoff，youcouldapplyyoursciencehereathome，onAnnie。Trulyitwouldsavemehirin’somebodyelse，and——well，maybeyou’denjoyit，youcan’ttell。”
　　Hisnieceseemedinterested。”IknowoftheDomesticSciencecourse，”shesaid。”Severalofmyfriends——myformerfriends，werestudyingit。ButI’mafraid，Uncle，thatIdon’tseewhereearningmylivinghasanypartinit。
　　Itseemstomethatitmeansyourspendingmoremoneyforme，payingmytuition。””Nomore’nI’dspendforacompetenthousekeeper。Honest，Caroline，I’dliketodoit。Youthinkitoveraspell。”
　　Shedid，visitingtheUniversityandmakinginquiries。Whatshewastoldtheredecidedher。Shetookupthecourseandenjoyedit。
　　Itoccupiedhermindandpreventedherbroodingoverthepast。Shemighthavemademanyfriendsamongtheotherstudents，butshewascarefultotreatthemonlyasacquaintances。Herrecentexperiencewith”friends”wastoofreshinhermind。Shestudiedhardandappliedherknowledgeathome。SheandAnniemadesomeoddandfunnymistakesatfirst，buttheywerenotmadetwice，andCaptainElishanoticedagreatimprovementinthehousekeeping。Also，Caroline’sspiritsimproved，thoughmoreslowly。
　　Mosteveningstheyspenttogetherinthelivingroom。Shereadaloudtoheruncle，whosmokedhiscigarandlistened，commentingonthedoingsofthestoryfolkwithcharacteristicoriginalityandaptitude。Eachnight，afterthereadingwasover，hewrotehiscustomarynotetoAbbieBakeratSouthDenboro。Hemadeoneflyingtriptothatvillage:”Justtoproveto’emthatI’mstillalive，”
　　asheexplainedit。”Someofthosefolksdownthereatthepostofficemusthaveprettynighforgottogossipaboutmebythistime。They’vehadmeelopedandmarriedandamillionaireandapauperlongago，Idon’tdoubt。Andnowthey’veprobablyforgotmealtogether。I’lljustrundownandstir’emup。Goodsubjectsforyarnsarescurceatthatpostoffice，andtheyoughttobethankful。”
　　Onhisreturnhetoldhisniecethathefoundeverythingmuchasusual。”ThophKenney’sraisedabeard’causeshavin’ssoexpensive；andtheCome-Outerministercalledtheplacetheotherdenominationsareboundfor’Hades，’andhiscongregationarethinkin’offirin’himforturnin’Free-Thinker。That’saboutallthesensations，”hesaid。”Icouldn’tgetaroundtownmuchonaccountofAbbie。Shekeptmeinbedmostofthetime，whileshesewedonbuttonsandmended。Saidsheneversawabody’sclothesinsuchastateinHERlife。”
　　Afewoftheneighborscalledoccasionally。Andtherewereothercallers。CaptainElisha’sunexpecteddeparturefromMrs。Hepton’sboardinghousehadcausedasensationandmuchregrettothatselectestablishment。Thelandlady，aidedandabettedbyMrs。VanWinkleRuggles，wouldhavegivenafarewellteainhishonor，buthedeclined。”Don’tyoudoit，”hesaid。”Ilikemyteaprettystrong，andfarewellsarewaterysortofthings，thebestof’em。
　　Andthisain’tarealfarewell，anyhow。””’Sayaurevoir，butnotgood-by，’”sangMissSherbornesentimentally。”That’sit。Everybodyknowswhatgood-bymeans。We’llsaytheotherthing——aswellaswecan——andchangeitto’Hello’theveryfirsttimeanyofyoucomeouttoseeus。”
　　Theywerecurioustoknowhisreasonforleaving。Heexplainedthathisniecewassortoflonesomeandneededcountryair；hewasgoingtolivewithher，forthepresent。ConsequentlyMrs。Ruggles，onthetrailofaristocracy，wasthefirsttocall。Herswasastatelyandceremoniousvisit。Theyweregladwhenitwasover。
　　Lawton，thebooksellerandhiswife，cameandwerepersuadedtoremainanddine。Carolinelikedthematsight。Themostimpressivecall，however，wasthatofMr。andMrs。”C。”Dickens。Thegreatmanmadeitapointtodressinthestyleofbygoneyears，andhisconversationwasatreat。Hisliterarylaborswerefatiguingandconfining，headmitted，andthe”littlebreathofruralozone”whichthistriptoWestchesterCountygavehim，waslikeatonic——yes，asonemightsay，atonicprescribedandadministeredbyDameNatureherself。”Iformerlyresidedinthecountry，”hetoldCaroline。”Yes，”putinhiswife，”weusedtoliveatBayonne，NewJersey。
　　Wehadsuchaprettyhousethere，thatis，halfahouse；youseeitwasadoubleone，and——””Maria，”herhusbandwavedhishand，”whytroubleourfriendswithunnecessarydetails。””ButitWASaprettyhouse，’C。，’dear，”withapatheticlittlesigh。”I’vemisseditagreatdealsince，MissWarren。’C。’hadajokeaboutit——he’ssuchajoker！Heusedtocallit’Gad’sHill，Junior。’””NamedaftersomeofDavidB。’sfolks？”askedCaptainElishainnocently。Theanswer，deliveredbyMr。Dickens，wascondescendingandexplanatory。
　　Carolinelaughed，actuallylaughedaloud，whenthevisitwasover。
　　Herunclewasimmenselypleased。”Hooray！”hecried。”I’llinvite’emuptostayaweek。That’sthefusttimeI’veheardyoulaughforIdon’tknowwhen。”
　　Shelaughedagain。”Ican’thelpit，”shesaid；”theyaresofunny。”
　　Thecaptainchuckled。”Yes，”hesaid，”andtheydon’tknowit。I
　　cal’lateaperson’sskullhasgotroomforjustaboutsomuchinitandnomore。CorneliusCharles’sheadissojammedwithself-
　　satisfactionthathissenseofhumorwascrowdedoutofdoorlongago。”
　　OneboarderatMrs。Hepton’sdidnotcall，nordidCaptainElishaalludetohim。Carolinenoticedthelatterfactandunderstoodthereason。Also，whenthecaptainwenttothecity，ashefrequentlydid，andremainedlongerthanusual，shenoticedthathisexplanationsofthewayinwhichhespenthistimeweresometimesvagueandhurried。Sheunderstoodandwastroubled。Yetshethoughtagreatdealonthesubjectbeforeshementionedit。
　　OntheAprilafternoonwhenCarolinesatatthewindowofthelivingroomawaitingheruncle’sreturnshewasthinkingofthatsubject。But，atlast，hermindwasmadeup。Itwasahardthingtodo；itwashumiliating，inaway；itmight——thoughshesincerelyhopednot——bemisconstruedastomotive；butitwasright。CaptainElishahadbeensounselfish，sogladtogiveupeverypersonalinclinationinordertopleaseher，thatshewouldnolongerpermitherpridetostandinthewayofhisgratification，eveninlittlethings。Atleast，shewouldspeaktohimonthematter。
　　Hecameonalaterthanhisusualtrain，andatdinner，whensheaskedwherehehadbeen，replied，”Oh，toseeSylvester，and——er——
　　around。”Sheaskedhimnomore，but，whentheyweretogetherinthelivingroom，shemovedherchairoverbesidehisandsaidwithoutlookingathim:”UncleElisha，Iknowwhereyou’vebeenthisafternoon。You’vebeentoseeMr。Pearson。””Hey？”Hestarted，leanedbackandregardedherwithastonishmentandsomealarm。”You’vebeentoseeMr。Pearson，”sherepeated，”haven’tyou？””Why——why，yes，Caroline，Ihave——totellyouthetruth。Idon’tseehowyouknew，but，”nervously，”Ihopeyoudon’tfeelbad’causeIdid。Igotoseehimprettyoften。Yousee，Ithinkagooddealofhim——awholelotofhim。_I_thinkhe’safineyoungfeller。CourseIknowyoudon’t，andsoInevermentionhimtoyou。ButIdohopeyouain’tgoin’toaskmenottoseehim。”
　　Sheshookherhead。”No，”shesaid。”Iwouldhavenorighttoaskthat，evenifIwishedto。AndIdonotwishit。UncleElisha，ifyouwerealonehere，hewouldcometoseeyou；Iknowhewould。
　　Invitehimtocome，please。”
　　Hisastonishmentwasgreaterthanever。”InvitehimtocomeHERE？”heasked。”Toseeyou？””No，”hastily；”toseeyou。Thisisyourhome。Ihavenorighttokeepyourfriendsfromvisitingit。Iknowyouwouldsacrificeeverythingforme，eventhem；butIwillnotbesoselfishastoallowit。Askhimhere，please。Ireallywantyouto。”
　　Hepulledhisbeard。”Caroline，”heansweredslowly，”I’mmuchobligedtoyou。Iunderstandwhyyou’redoin’this，andIthankyou。Butitain’tlikelythatI’llsayyes，isit？AnddoyousupposeJimwouldcomeifIdidaskhim？Heknowsyoubelievehe’sa——well，allthat’sbad。Youtoldhimso，andyousenthimaway。
　　IwillgiveinthatI’dliketohavehimhere。He’soneofthefewmenfriendsI’vemadesinceIlandedinNewYork。But，underthecircumstances——youfeelin’asyoudo——Icouldn’taskhim，andhewouldn’tcomeifIdid。”
　　Sheremainedsilentforatime。Thenshesaid:”Uncle，IwantyoutotellmethetruthaboutMr。Pearsonandfather——justwhytheyquarreledandtherealtruthofthewholeaffair。Don’tsparemyfeelings；tellmewhatyoubelieveisthetruestory。IknowyouthinkMr。Pearsonwasright，foryousaidso。”
　　Thecaptainwasmuchtroubled。”I——Idon’tknow’sI’dbetter，dearie，”heanswered。”IthinkIdoknowthetruth，butyoumightthinkIwashardon’Bije——onyourfather。Iain’t。AndIsympathizewiththewayhefelt，too。ButJimdidright，asIseeit。HeactedjustasI’dwantasonofminetodo。And……Well，Ical’latewe’dbetternotrakeupoldtimes，hadwe？””Iwantyoutotellme。Pleasedo。””Idon’tknow’sI’dbetter。Youhavebeentoldthestorydifferent，and——””IknowIhave。ThatisthereasonwhyIaskyoutotellit。Oh，”
　　withaflashofscorn，”Iwastoldmanystories，andIwanttoforgetthem。And，”sadly，”Icanbearwhateveryoumaytellme，evenaboutfather。SinceIlearnedthathewasa——a——””S-sh，Caroline；don’t！””Afterthat，Icanbearanything，Ithink。Thiscannotbeworse。””Worse！No，not！Thisain’tverybad。Iwilltellyou，dearie。
　　Thisisjustwhathappened。”
　　HetoldhertheexacttruthconcerningtheTrolleyCombine，hisbrother’spartinit，andPearson’s。Shelistenedwithoutcomment。”Isee，”shesaidwhenhehadfinished。”IthinkIsee。Mr。
　　Pearsonfeltthat，asanewspaperman，anhonestone，hemustgoon。Heknewthatthethingwaswrongandthatinnocentpeoplemightlosemoneyinit。Itwashisdutytoexposeit，andhedidit，eventhoughitmeantthelossofinfluenceandoffather’sfriendship。Isee。””Thatwasaboutit，Caroline。Ithinkthehardestpartforhimwaswhen’Bijecalledhimungrateful。’Bijehadbeenmightykindtohim，that’safact。””Yes。Fatherwaskind；Iknowthatbetterthananyoneelse。ButMr。Pearsonwasright。Yes，hewasright，andbrave。””SoIsizeitup。AndIdosympathizewithyourfather，too。Thiswa’n’tsuchanawfullotworsethanagoodmanystockdeals。Andpoor’Bijewasperfectlydesp’rate，Iguess。Ifithadgonethroughhe’dhavebeenabletosquareaccountswiththeRubberCompany；andjustthinkwhatthatwouldhavemeanttohim。Poorfeller！poorfeller！”Hesighed。Shereachedforhishandandstrokeditgentlywithherown。
　　Afteranotherintervalshesaid:”HowIinsultedandwrongedhim！
　　Howhemustdespiseme！””Who？Jim？No，no！hedon’tdoanysuchthing。Heknowsyoudidn’tunderstand，andwhowasresponsible。Jim’sgotsense，lotsofit。””Butitismymisunderstandingandmyinsultingtreatmentofhimwhichhavekeptyoutwoapart——here，atanyrate。””Don’tletthatworryyou，Caroline。Iseehimeveryonceinawhile，uptothecity。””Itdoesworryme；anditwill，untilitismaderight。And，”inalowertone，butwithdecision，”itshallbe。”
　　Sheroseand，bendingover，kissedhimontheforehead。”Goodnight，Uncle，”shesaid。
　　CaptainElishawasdisappointed。”What！”heexclaimed。”Goin’
　　aloftsosoon？Weain’thadourreadin’yet。Prettyearlytoturnin，seemstome。Stayalittlelonger，do。””Notto-night，dear。I’mgoingtomyroom。Pleaseexcusemethistime。”Sheturnedtogoandthen，turningbackagain，askedafinalquestion。”You’resure，”shesaid，hesitatingly；”you’requitesurehewillnotcomehere——toyou——ifyoutellhimIunderstand，and——andyouaskhim？””Well，Caroline，Idon’tknow。Yousee，Iwasresponsibleforhiscomin’before。Hehadsomescruplesagainstitthen，butItalkedhimdown。He’ssortofproud，Jimis，andhemight——mightnotwantto——to——””Isee。Goodnight，Uncle。”
　　Thenextmorning，afterbreakfast，shecametohimagain。”UncleElisha，”shesaid，”Ihavewrittenhim。””What？You’vewritten？Writtenwho？””Mr。Pearson。Iwrotehim，tellinghimIhadlearnedthetruestoryofhisdisagreementwithfatherandthathewasrightandI
　　waswrong。Iapologizedformybehaviortowardhim。Now，Ithink，perhaps，ifyouaskhim，hewillcome。”
　　Thecaptainlookedather。Herealizedthesacrificeofherpridewhichwritingthatlettermusthavemeant，andthatshehaddoneitforhim。Hewastouchedandalmostsorryshehaddoneit。Hetookbothherhandsinhis。”Dearie，”hesaid，”youshouldn’thavedonethat。Ididn’texpectyouto。Iknowyoudiditjustformysake。Iwon’tsayIain’tglad；Iam，inoneway。But’twa’n’tnecessary，and’twastoomuch，toohardforyoualtogether。””Don’tsaythat，”shebegged。”Toomuch！Inevercandoenough。
　　Comparedtowhatyouhavedoneformeit——it……Oh，pleaseletmedowhatlittleIcan。But，UncleElisha，promisemeonething；
　　promisethatyouwillnotaskmetomeethim，ifheshouldcome。
　　ThatIcouldn’tdo，evenforyou。”
　　CHAPTERXXI
　　Promisesofthatkindareeasiertomakethantokeep。Thecaptainpromisedpromptlyenough，buttheFateswereagainsthim。Hemadeithisbusinesstogototowntheverynextdayandcalleduponhisfriend。Hefoundtheyoungmaninacuriouslyexcitedandoptimisticframeofmind，radicallydifferentfromthatofthepastfewmonths。Themanuscriptofthenovelwasbeforehimonthedesk，alsoplentyofblankpaper。Hisfountain-penwasinhishand，althoughapparently，hehadwrittennothingthatmorning。
　　Buthewasgoingto——oh，yes，hewasgoingto！Hewasfeelingjustinthemood。Hehadreadhismanuscript，anditwasnotsobad；byGeorge，someofthestuffwasprettygood！Andtheendwasnotsofaroff。Fiveorsixchaptersmoreandthethingwouldbefinished。
　　Hewouldhavetosecureapublisher，ofcourse，buttwohadalreadyexpressedaninterest；andsoon。
　　CaptainElishadrewhisownconclusions。Hejudgedthathisniece’sletterhadreacheditsdestination。Hedidnotmentionit，however，nordidPearson。Butwhenthecaptainhintedatthelatter’srunningouttothehousetoseehimsometimeorother，theinvitationwasaccepted。”That’sfine，Jim，”declaredthevisitor。”Comeanytime。IwantyoutoseewhatanicelittleplaceI’vegotoutthere。Don’tstandonceremony，come——er——nextweek，say。”Then，mindfulofhispromise，headded，”YouandI’llhaveitalltoourselves。I’vebeencal’latin’tohireasail-boatforthesummer；gotmyeyeonacapablelittlesloopbelongin’toafellerontheSoundshore。IfallgoeswellI’llclosethedealinafewdays。I’llmeetyouatthedepotandwe’llhaveasailandgetdinneratahotelorsomewheres，andthenwe’llcomeuptothehouseandtakeawhackatCap’nJim’sdoin’sinthenewchapters。JustyouandItogetherinthesettin’room；hey？”
　　Pearsondidnotseemsoenthusiasticoverthisprogramme，althoughheadmittedthatitsoundedtip-top。”HowisMissWarren？”heasked，mentioningthenamewithanonchalanceremarkable，consideringthathehadnotdonesobeforeforweeks。”Sheiswell，Ihope？””Yes，she’sfust-rate，thankyou。Verywell，everythingconsidered。
　　Shekeepstoherselfagooddeal。Don’tcaretomeetmanyfolks，andyoucan’thardlyblameher。”
　　Pearsonadmittedthat，andtheremainderofthecallwaslargelyamonologuebyCaptainElisha。”Well，then，Jim，”saidthelatter，whenherosetogo，”youcomeupMondayorTuesdayofnextweek。Willyou？””Yes。I——Ithinkso。””Don’tthink，doit。Letmeknowwhattrainyou’recomin’on，andI’llmeetyouatthedepot。”
　　Thislastremarkwaswhatupsetcalculations。PearsoncameonMonday，havingwrittenthedaybefore。Hedidnotmailthenotehimself，buttrustedittoMrs。Hepton，whowasgoingouttoattendeveningservice。Sheforgotituntilthenextday。Soithappenedthatwhenhealightedfromthetrainatthesuburbanstationthecaptainwasnottheretomeethim。Hewaitedawhile，andthen，inquiringthewayofthestationagent，walkeduptothehousebyhimself。Asheturnedinatthefrontwalk，Carolinecameoutofthedoor。Theymet，facetoface。
　　Itwasamostembarrassingsituation，particularlyforCaroline；
　　yet，withfeminineresourcefulness，shedissembledherembarrassmenttosomeextentandacknowledgedhisstammered，”Goodafternoon，MissWarren，”withacool，almostcold，”Howdoyoudo，Mr。Pearson？”
　　whichchilledhispleasureatseeingherandmadehimwishdevoutlythathehadnotbeensuchafoolastocome。However，therehewas，andhehastilyexplainedhispresencebytellingherofthecaptain’sinvitationforthatday，howhehadexpectedtomeethimatthestation，and，notmeetinghim，hadwalkeduptothehouse。”Ishein？”heasked。
　　No，CaptainElishawasnotin。Hehadgonetoseethesail-boatman。Nothearingfromhisfriend，heconcludedthelatterwouldnotcomeuntilthenextday。”Hewillbesosorry，”saidCaroline。
　　Pearsonwasratherthankfulthanotherwise。Thecaptain’sabsenceaffordedhimanopportunitytoescapefromaplacewherehewasplainlyunwelcome。”Oh，nevermind，”hesaid。”Itisnotimportant。Icanrunoutanotherday。JusttellhimIcalled，MissWarren，please；thatI
　　wroteyesterday，butmylettermusthavegoneastray。Goodafternoon。”
　　Hewasturningtogo，butshestoppedhim。Shehadfullymadeuphermindthat，whenhecame，shewouldnotmeethim——rememberinghowshehadtreatedhimontheeveningofherbirthday，shewouldbeashamedtolookhimintheface。Besides，shecouldnotmeethimafterwritingthatletter；itwouldbetoobrazen；hewouldthink——
　　allsortsofthings。Whenhevisitedheruncleshewouldremaininherroom，orgotothecityorsomewhere。
　　Butnowshehadmethim。Andhehadcomeinresponsetoheruncle’sinvitation，givenbecausesheherselfhadpleadedthatitshouldbe。Tolethimgoawaywouldberudeandridiculous；andhowcouldsheexplaintothecaptain？”Youmustn’tgo，Mr。Pearson，”shesaid。”Youmustcomeinandwait；CaptainWarrenwillbebacksoon，I’msure。””Thankyou；butIthinkIwon’twait。Icancomeanothertime。””Butyoumustwait。Iinsist。UncleElishawillbedreadfullydisappointedifyoudon’t。Thereisn’tatrainforanhour，andhewillreturnbeforethat，Iamsure。Pleasecomein。”
　　Pearsonwasreluctant，buthecouldthinkofnoreasonableexcuse。
　　Soheenteredthehouse，removedhisovercoatandhat，andseatedhimselfinthelivingroomtoawaitthecaptain’sreturn。Carolineexcusedherself，sayingthatshehadanerrandattheshopinthevillage。Shemadethaterrandaslongasshecould，butwhenshereturnedhewasstillthere，andCaptainElishahadnotappeared。
　　Theconversationwasforced，foratime。Eachfelttheembarrassment，andPearsonwasstillresentfulofthemannerinwhichshehadgreetedhimonhisarrival。But，ashelookedather，theresentmentvanished，andtheotherfeeling，thatwhichhehaddeterminedtoforget，returned。CaptainElishahadtoldhimhowbraveshehadbeenthroughitall，and，contrastingthelittlehousewiththeformerhome，rememberingthelossoffriendsandfortune，tosaynothingoftheunmaskingofthosewhomshebelievedwerehernearestanddearest，hewonderedandadmiredmorethanever。Heunderstoodhowveryharditmusthavebeenforhertowritethatlettertohim，aletterinwhichshejustifiedhiscourseatthecostofherownfather’shonor。Helongedtotellherthatheunderstoodandappreciated。
　　Atlasthecouldnotresistthetemptation。”MissWarren，”hesaid，”pleaseexcusemyspeakingofthis，butI
　　must；Imustthankyouforwritingmeasyoudid。Itwasnotnecessary，itwastoomuchtoexpect，toohardathingforyoutodo。Itmakesmefeelguilty。I——””Pleasedon’t！”sheinterrupted。”Don’tspeakinthatway。Itwasright。ItwaswhatIshouldhavedonelongago。””Butitwasnotnecessary；Iunderstood。IknewyouhadheardanotherversionofthestoryandthatyoufeltIhadbeenungratefulandmean，tosaytheleast，inmyconducttowardyourfather。Iknewthat；Ihaveneverblamedyou。Andyouwritingasyoudid——””Ididitformyuncle’ssake，”shebrokein，quickly。”Youarehisclosestfriend。””Iknow，butIappreciateit，nevertheless。I——Iwishyouwouldconsidermeyourfriendaswellashis。Ido，sincerely。””Thankyou。Ineedfriends，Iknow。Ihavefewnow，whichisnotstrange，”ratherbitterly。
　　Heprotestedearnestly。”Ididnotmeanitinthatway，”hesaid。”Itisanhonorandagreatprivilegetobeoneofyourfriends。I
　　hadthathonorandprivilegeonce。MayIhaveitagain？””Thankyou，Mr。Pearson……Nowtellmeaboutyournovel。I
　　rememberitallsowell。AndIamverymuchinterested。Youmusthaveitnearlycompleted。Tellmeaboutit，please。”
　　TheyweredeepinthediscussionofthenovelwhenCaptainElishawalkedintothelivingroom。Hewassurprised，statinghisfeelingsattheirmildest，tofindthemtogether，buthedidnotexpresshisastonishment。Instead，hehailedPearsondelightedly，demandedtoknowiftheyhaddaredtackleCap’nJimwithoutthe”headdoctor’s”beingonthescene；andinsistedupontheauthor’sadmittinghimtothe”clinic”forthwith。Pearsondidnottakethenexttrain，northenext。Instead，hestayedfordinnerandwellintotheevening，andwhenhedidgoitwasafterapromptacceptanceofthecaptain’sinvitationto”comeagaininamightylittlewhile。”
　　Caroline，whensheandherunclewerealoneaftertheirvisitor’sdeparture，madenoprotestagainsttheinvitationhavingbeengiven。ShedidnotspeakofPearsonatall。CaptainElishaalsotalkedofotherthings，principallyaboutthesail-boat，thesummerleaseofwhichhehadarrangedthatafternoon。Hedeclaredtheslooptobean”ablecraftofhertonnage”andthattheywouldhavesomegoodtimesaboardherorhemissedhisguess。Inhisownroom，whenreadyforbed，hefavoredhisreflectionintheglasswithabroadsmileandasatisfiedwink，fromwhichproceedingitmaybesurmisedthatthedayhadnotbeenabadone，accordingtohisestimate。
　　Pearsoncameagainaweeklater，andthereafterfrequently。ThesessionswithCap’nJimandhisassociateswereoncemoreregularhappeningstobelookedforwardtoandenjoyedbythethree。Astheweathergrewwarmer，thesloop——CaptainElishahadthenamesheformerlyborepaintedoutandCarolinesubstituted——provedtobeasgreatasourceofpleasureashernewskipperhadprophesied。Heandhisniece——andoccasionallyPearson——sailedandpicnickedontheSound，andCaroline’spallordisappearedundertheinfluenceofbreezeandsunshine。Herhealthimproved，andherspirits，also。
　　Sheseemed，attimes，almosthappy，andheruncleseldomsawher，asaftertheremovaltothesuburbhesofrequentlyused，withtearsinhereyesandthesadnessofbittermemoriesinherexpressionandmanner。HerworkattheUniversitygrewsteadilymoredifficult，butsheenjoyeditthoroughlyanddeclaredthatshewouldnotgiveitupforworlds。
　　InJunetwoveryimportanteventstookplace。Thenovelwasfinished，andStephen，hisSophomoreyearatanend，camehomefromcollege。HehadbeeninvitedbysomeclassmatestospendapartofhisvacationwiththemontheMainecoast，andhisguardianhadconsentedtohisdoingso；buttheboyhimselfhadsomethingelsetopropose。Onaneveningsoonafterhisreturn，when，hissisterhavingretired，hewasalonewiththecaptain，hebroachedtheidea。”Say，”hesaid，”I’vebeenthinkingagooddealwhileI’vebeenawaythislasttime。””Gladtohearit，I’msure，”repliedhisuncle，dryly。”Yes。I’vebeenthinking——aboutagoodmanythings。I’mflatbroke；downandout，sofarasmoneyisconcerned。That’sso，isn’tit？”
　　CaptainElishalookedathimkeenlyforaninstant。Then:”Itappearsthatway，I’mafraid，”heanswered。”Whatmadeyouask？””Nothing。Iwasn’tasking，really；Iwasjuststatingthecase。
　　Now，thewayIlookatit，thiscollegecourseofmineisn’tworthwhile。You’reputtingupforit，andIoughttobemuchobliged；I
　　am，ofcourse。””You’rewelcome，Stevie。””Iknow；butwhat’stheuseofit？I’vegottogotoworkwhenit’sover。AndthekindofworkIwanttododoesn’tneeduniversitytraining。I’mjustwastingtime；that’swhatI’mdoing。””Humph！Iain’tsosureaboutthat。Butwhatsortofworkdoyouwanttodo？””IwanttobedownontheStreet，asthegovernorwas。IfthisRubberCompanybusinesshadn’tknockedusout，Iintended，assoonasIwasofage，totakethatseatofhisandstartinformyself。
　　Well，thatchancehasgone，butImeantogetinsomeway，thoughI
　　havetostartatthefootoftheladder。Nowwhycan’tIleavecollegeandstartnow？Itwillbetwoyearsgained，won’tit？”
　　CaptainElishaseemedpleased，butheshookhishead。”Howdoyouknowyou’dlikeit？”heasked。”You’venevertried。””No，Ineverhave；butI’lllikeitallright。IknowIshall。
　　It’swhatI’vewantedtodoeversinceIwasoldenoughtothinkofsuchthings。Justletmestartinnow，rightaway，andI’llshowyou。I’llmakegood；youseeifIdon’t。”
　　Hewasveryearnest。Thecaptaindeliberatedbeforeanswering。”Stevie，”hesaid，doubtfully，”Iratherliketohearyoutalkthatway；Iownupitpleasesme。But，astoyourgivin’upcollege——
　　that’sdifferent。Letmethinkitoverforadayortwo；thatis，ifyoucanputofftheMainetripsolongasthat。””HangtheMainetrip！Youletmegetintobusiness，thebusinessI
　　wanttogetinto，andIwon’taskforavacation；youcanbetonthat！””Allrightthen。I’llthink，anddosomequestionin’around，andreportsoon’sI’vedecidedwhat’sbest。”
　　Helaidthestumpofhiscigarintheashreceiverandrosefromhischair。Buthisnephewhadnotfinished。”TherewassomethingelseIintendedtosay，”heannounced，butwithlesseagerness。”Thatso？What？””Why——why，justthis。”Hefidgetedwithhiswatchchain，coloredandwasevidentlyuneasy。”Iguess——”hehesitated——”IguessthatIhaven’ttreatedyouasIought。””Iwanttoknow！Youguessthat，hey？Why？””Oh，youknowwhy。I’vebeenthinkingsinceIwentbacktoNewHaven。I’vehadachancetothink。SomeofthefellowsinthesetIusedtobethickwithuptherehavelearnedthatI’mbroke，andthey——theyaren’tasfriendlyastheywere。Notallofthem，ofcourse，butsome。AndIwouldn’tchaseafterthem；notmuch！Iftheywantedtodropmetheycould。YoubetIdidn’ttrytohangon！Iwasprettysoreforawhileandkepttomyselfand——well，I
　　didalotofthinking。IguessCaroisright；you’vebeenmightydecenttoherandme。”
　　Hepaused，butCaptainElishamadenocomment。”Iguessyouhave，”continuedStephen，soberly。”Whenyoufirstcame，youknow，CarolineandIcouldn’tunderstand。Wethoughtyouwerebuttinginandweren’toursort，and——and——””Andahayseednuisancegenerally；Iknow。Heaveahead，son；youinterestme。””Well，wedidn’tlikeit。AndMalDunnandhismotherwerealwayssympathizingandinsinuating，andwebelievedtheywereourbestfriends，andallthat。Sowedidn’ttrytounderstandyouor——orevenmakeitlivableforyou。Then，afterthenewscamethatthemoneyhadgone，Iactedlikeakid，Iguess。ThatbusinessofmakingMalsticktotheengagementwasprettysilly。Iwasnearlydesperate，yousee，and——and——youknewitwassilly。Younevertookanystockinit，didyou？”
　　Thecaptainsmiled。”Notaheap，”headmitted。”No。Allyouwantedwastoshowthemup。Well，youdidit，andI’mgladyoudid。ButCaroandIhavetalkeditoversinceI’vebeenhome，andweagreethatyou’vebeenagreatdealbettertousthanwedeserve。Youdidn’tHAVEtotakecareofusatall，anymore，afterthemoneywent。Bygad！consideringhowwetreatedyou，Idon’tseewhyyoudid。_I_wouldn’t。Butyoudid——andyouare。You’vegivenusahome，andyou’reputtingmethroughcollegeand——and——””That’sallright，son。Goodnight。””Justaminute。I——I——well，ifyouletme，I’dliketothankyouand——andaskyourpardon。””Granted，myboy。Andnevermindthethanks，either。Justkeeponthinkin’andactin’asyouhaveto-night，andI’llbesatisfied。I
　　wanttoseemynephewmakin’amanofhimself——arealman；and，Steve，youtalkmorelikeamanto-nightthanI’veeverheardyou。
　　Sticktoit，andyou’lldoyet。Asforgoin’towork，youletmechewonthatforafewdays。”
　　ThenextmorninghecalledonSylvester，whointurntookhimtoafriendofhis，abroker——employingagood-sizedstaffofclerks。
　　Thethreehadaconsultation，followed，thedayafter，byanother。
　　ThateveningthecaptainmadeadefiniteproposaltoStephen。Itwas，briefly，that，whilenotconsentingtothelatter’sleavingcollege，hedidconsiderthatatrialoftheworkinabroker’sofficemightbeagoodthing。Therefore，iftheyoungmanwished，hecouldentertheemployofSylvester’sfriendandremainduringJulyandAugust。”You’llleaveaboutthefirstofSeptember，Steve，”hesaid，”andthat’llgiveyoutimeforthetwoweeksvacationthatyououghttohave。ThenyoucangobacktoYaleandpitchintillthenextsummer，whenthesamejob’llbereadyforyou。Afteryou’rethroughcollegeforgood，ifwhatyou’velearnedaboutbrokerin’
　　ain’tcuredyouofyourlikin’forit——ifyoustillwanttogoaheadwithitforyourlifejob，then——well，thenwe’llsee。Whatdoyousay？”
　　Stephenhadagooddealtosay，principallyinthelineofobjectiontocontinuinghisstudies。Findingtheseobjectionsunavailing，heagreedtohisguardian’sproposition。”Allright，”saidthecaptain；”thenyoucangotoworknextMonday。Butyou’llHAVEtowork，andbejustthesameasanyotherbeginner，nobetterandnoworse。There’llbenofavoritism，and，ifyou’rereallywuthyoursalt，youwon’twantany。Show’em，andme，thatyou’rewuthit。”
　　Thenovel，thewonderfultalewhichCaptainElishawascertainwouldmakeitsauthorfamous，wasfinishedthatverydayinJunewhenStephencamebackfromNewHaven。Thequestionoftitleremained，andthe”clinic，”nowre-enforcedbySteve——whosedislikeforPearsonhadapparentlyvanishedwithothersofhisformerlikesanddislikes——consideredthatatseveralsessions。Atlast”TheManattheWheel”wasselected，asindicatingsomethingofthehero’sprofessionandimplying，perhaps，ahintofhischaracter。
　　Thencamethefatefultaskofsecuringapublisher。Andthefirsttowhomitwassubmitted——oneofthetwofirmswhichhadalreadyexpressedadesiretoreadthemanuscript——acceptedit，atwhat，forafirstnovel，wereveryfairterms。Duringthesummertherewasprooftobereadandillustrationstobecriticized。CaptainElishadidnotwhollyapproveoftheartist’sproductions。”Jerushy！”heexclaimed，”lookatthatmainmast！Lookattherakeofit！Morelikeayachtthanadeep-waterbark，sheisenoughsight。Andthefustmate’sgotauniformcapon，likeapurseronasteamboat。Makethatartistfellertakethatcapoffhim，Jim。
　　He’sgotto。Iwishhecouldhaveseensomeofmymates。Theywa’n’tCunarderdudes，buttheycouldmakeacrewhop’roundlikeasand-fleainaclambake。”
　　Or，whenthepicturehappenedtobeashoreview:”Whatkindofahouseisthat？DidyoueverseeahouselikethatDown-East？I’llleaveittoanybodyifitdon’tlooklikeasugarman’splantationIusedtoknowdownMobileway。Allthatfellerstandin’bythedoorneedsistohavehisfaceblacked；thenhe’dstartsingin’’S’waneeRiver。’Thisain’t’UncleTom’sCabin。’
　　Bah！”