CaptainElishamethisgazefrankly。”Wheredidthisaccidenthappen？”askedMr。Dunn，hiscondescendingsmileabsent。”AtthecornerofSaintNicholasAvenueandOneHundredandTwenty-
　　EighthStreet。IthappenedlastFridaymornin’，aweekago。Andthecarthathithimwasayellowone。”
　　Malcolmdidnotanswer。Hispalefacegrewpaler，andthenflushedabrilliantred。Thecaptainseemedtofeelsorryforhim。”Naturally，”hewenton，”whenIheardaboutit，IrememberedwhatyoutoldMr。Sylvesterandmeattheclubthatafternoon。I
　　understandhow’twas，ofcourse。Youneverthoughtyou’ddoneanyrealharmandjustwenton，thinkin’’twasagoodjoke，muchasanything。Ifyou’dknownyou’dreallyhurtthepooroldman，you’dhavestoppedtoseehim。Iunderstandthat。But——””Lookhere！”interruptedDunn，sharply，”didCarolinesendyoutome？””Caroline？No，no！Shedon’tknow’twasyourautomobileatall。
　　Ineversaidawordtoher，’tain’tlikely。Butaforeshespentanyofhermoney，Ithoughtyou’doughttoknow，becauseIwassureyouwouldn’tlether。That’sthewayI’dfeel，andIfelt’twasnomore’nhonesttogiveyouthechance。Icomeonmyownhook；shedidn’tknowanythingaboutit。”
　　Malcolmdrummedonthedeskwithnervousfingers。Theflushremainedonhisface，hiscigarettehadgoneout，andhethrewthestumpsavagelyintothewastepaperbasket。CaptainElisharemainedsilent。Atlengththeyoungmanspoke。”Well，”hegrowled，pettishly，”howmuchwillittaketosquarethingswiththegang？Howmuchdamagesdotheywant？””Damages？Oh，therewon’tbeanyclaimfordamages，Iguess。Thatis，nolawsuit，oranythingofthatkind。TheMoriartysdon’tknowyoudidit，andthere’snoreasonwhytheyshould。IthoughtmaybeI’dseeto’emanddowhateverwasnecessary；thenyoucouldsettlewithme，andthewholebusinesswouldbejustbetweenustwo。
　　Outsidethedoctor’sbillsandfoodandnursin’andsuch，alltheextrywillbejusttheoldman’swagesforthetimehe’sawayfromthefactory。’Twon’tbeveryheavy。”
　　Morereflectionandfingertattoobyhiscompanion。Then:”Allright！I’minit，Icanseethat；andit’suptometogetoutaseasyasIcan。Idon’twantanynewspaperpublicity。Goahead！I’llpaythefreight。”
　　CaptainElishaaroseandpickeduphishat。”That’sfust-rate，”hesaid，withemphasis。”Ifeltsureyou’dseeitjustasIdid。There’sonethingIwouldliketosay，”headded:”thatis，thatyoumustn’tthinkIwasstingyabouthelpin’
　　’emmyself。Butitwa’n’treallymyaffair；andwhenCarolinespokeofspendin’hermoneyandSteve’s，Ididn’tfeelI’doughttolether。Yousee，Idon’tknowasyouknowityet，Mr。Dunn，butmybrother’Bijeleftmeinchargeofhiswholeestate，and，nowthatI’vedecidedtotaketheresponsibility，I’vegotasortofprideinnotwastin’anyofhischildren’sinheritance。Goodday，Mr。Dunn。I’mmuchobligedtoyou。”
　　Heopenedtheofficedoor。Malcolm，frowningheavily，suddenlyaskedafinalquestion。”Say！”hedemanded，”you’llnottellCarolineorSteveawordofthis，mind！”
　　Thecaptainseemedsurprised。”Iguessyoudidn’tcatchwhatIsaid，Mr。Dunn，”heobserved，mildly。”Itoldyouthiswholebusinesswouldbejustbetweenyouandme。”
　　CHAPTERIX
　　CaptainElishawasveryfarfromconsideringhimselfaSolomon。Ashewouldhavesaidhehadlivedlongenoughwithhimselftoknowwhatalothedidn’tknow。Nevertheless，deepdowninhisinnerconsciousness，hecherishedabeliefinhisjudgmentofhumannature。Thisjudgmentwasnotofthesnapvariety；hetookhistimeinformingit。Peopleandtheirhabits，theiropinionsandcharacters，weretohiminterestingproblems。Helikedtostudythemandtoreachconclusionsfoundeduponreason，observation，andcommonsense。Havingreachedsuchaconclusion，itdisturbedhimwhenthesubjectsoftheproblemsuddenlyupsetthewholeprocessofreasoningandapparentlyprovedhimwrongbybehaviorexactlycontrarytothatwhichhehadexpected。
　　HehadbeenprettywellsatisfiedwiththeresultofhisvisittoyoungDunnatthelatter’soffice。Malcolmhadsurrendered，perhapsnotgracefullyorunconditionally，buthehadsurrendered，andthecondition——secrecy——wasonewhichthecaptainhimselfhadsuggested。CaptainElisha’smentalattitudetowardthesonofthelateTammanyleaderhadbeenasortofgood-naturedbutalerttolerance。Hejudgedtheyoungmantobeaproductofrearingandenvironment。HehadknownspoiledyouthsattheCapeand，intheirsurroundings，theybehavedmuchasMalcolmdidinhis。Thesamedisrespecttotheirelders，thesamecock-sureness，andthesamecarelessindifferenceconcerningtheeffectwhichtheiractionsmighthaveuponotherpeople——thesewerenaturalandnothingbutyearsandthehardknocksofexperiencecouldbringaboutachange。
　　ElkanahChase，countryswellandpamperedheirtothecranberrygrower’sfewthousands，andMalcolmDunn，idolofhissetattheMetropolitanClub，werenotsoverydifferent，exceptinexternals。
　　ThesimilarityconfirmedhisopinionthatNewYorkwasmerelySouthDenboromanythousandtimesmagnified。
　　HeknewhowyoungChasehadbehavedafteraninterviewnotunlikethatjustdescribed。InElkanah’scaseseveralbrokenwindowsandpropertydestroyedonarevelthenightbeforetheFourthhadcausedthetrouble。InMalcolm’sitwasanautomobile。Bothhadlistenedtoreasonandhadknuckledunderratherthanfacepossiblelawsuitsandcertainpublicity。Chase，however，hadsulkilyrefusedtospeaktohimforamonth，andregainedaffabilitymerelybecausehewishedtoborrowmoney。Accordingtothecaptain’sdeduction，Dunnshouldhaveactedinsimilarfashion。Buthedidn’t；thatwastheoddpartofit。
　　ForMalcolm，whenhenextcalled，incompanywithhismother，attheWarrenapartment，wasnotintheleastsulky。Neitherwasheovereffusive，whichwouldhavearguedfearandadesiretoconciliate。Possiblytherewasabitmorerespectinhisgreetingofthenewguardianandatriflelesscondescension，butnotmuch。
　　HestillhailedCaptainElishaas”Admiral，”andwasasmockinglycarelessaseverinhisremarksconcerningthelatter’snewnessinthebigcity。Infact，hewassolittlechangedthatthecaptainwasperplexed。Achapwhocouldtakealickingwhenhedeservedit，andnotholdmalice，musthavegoodinhim，unless，ofcourse，hewashidingthemaliceforapurpose。Andifthatpurposewasthewishtoappearfriendly，thenthemannerofhidingitprovedMalcolmDunntopossessmorebrainsthanCaptainElishahadgivenhimcreditfor。
　　Onethingseemedsure，theDunnswerenotopenlyhostile。AndCarolinewas。Sincetheinterviewinthelibrary，whenthegirlhad，assheconsideredit，humiliatedherselfbyaskingherguardianformoneytohelptheMoriartys，shehadscarcelyspokentohim。Stephen，takinghiscuefromhissister，wasmoroseandsilent，also。CaptainElishafoundithardtoforgivehisdeadbrotherforbringingallthistroubleuponhim。
　　Hislawyers，soSylvesterinformedhim，weresettingaboutgettingRodgersWarren’stangibleassetstogether。Thetaskwaslikelytobealongone。Thelatebroker’saffairswereinamuddledstate，thebookswereanythingbutclear，someoftheinvestmentswereforeign，and，attheveryearliest，monthsmustelapsebeforetheexecutorandtrusteecouldknow，forcertain，justhowlargeapropertyhewasinchargeof。
　　HefoundsomesolaceandforgetfulnessoftheunpleasantlifehewasleadinginhelpingthestrickenMoriartyfamily。Annie，themaidattheapartment，hesworetosecrecy。ShemustnottellMissCarolineofhisvisitstoherparents’home。DoctorHenry，also，thoughhecouldnotunderstandwhy，promisedsilence。Carolineherselfhadengagedhisservicesinthecase，andhewasfaithful。
　　Butthepatientwasmoreseriouslyhurtthanatfirstappeared，andconsultationswithaspecialistwerenecessary。”Goin’tobeaprettyexpensivejob，ain’tit，Doctor？”askedthecaptainofthephysician。”Rather，I’mafraid。””Allright。Ifexpenseisnecessary，don’tbeafraidofit。Youdojustwhatyou’doughtto，andsendthebilltome。””ButMissWarreninsisteduponmysendingittoher。Shesaiditwasaprivatematter，andonewithwhichyou，asherguardian，hadnothingtodo。””Iknow。Carolineintendstouseherownallowance，Is’pose。
　　Well，letherthinkshewill，if’twillpleaseher。Butwhenitcomestothesettlement，callonme。Giveheranyreasonyouwantto；saya——er——wealthyfriendofthefamilycometolifeallatonceandcouldn’tsleepnightsunlesshepaidthecosts。””Butthereisn’tanysuchfriend，isthere，CaptainWarren？Otherthanyourself，Imean？”
　　CaptainElishagrinnedinappreciationofaprivatejoke。”Thereissomebodyelse，”headmitted，”who’llpayashare，anyhow。I
　　don’tknow’she’swhatyoucallabosomfriend，and，asforhissleepin’nights——well，Ineverheardhecouldn’tdothat，afterhewenttobed。But，anyhow，yousawwood，orbones，orwhateveryouhavetodo，andleavetheresttome。Anddon’ttellCarolineoranybodyelseaword。”
　　TheMoriartyslivedinafour-roomflatontheEastSide，uptown，andhisvisitstheregavethecaptainaglimpseofanothersortofNewYorklife，asdifferentfromthatofCentralParkWestascouldwellbeimagined。Theoldman，Patrick，hiswife，Margaret，theunmarriedson，Dennis，whoworkedinthegashouse，andfiveotherchildrenofvariousageswerehivedsomehowinthosefoursmallroomsandCaptainElishamarveledgreatlythereat。”Forthelandsakes，ma’am，”heaskedofthenurse，”howdotheydoit？Wheredotheyput’emnights？That——thatclosetinthere’sthepantryandwoodshedandkitchenanddinin’room；andthatone’sthesettin’roomandparlor；andthemtwodry-goodsboxeswithdoorsto’emarebedrooms。There’seightlivin’critterstostowawaywhenit’stimetoturnin，andonewholebed’stookupbythepatient。WHEREdotheyputtherest？Hang’emuponnails？”
　　Thenurselaughed。”Goodnessknows！”shesaid。”Heshouldhavebeentakentothehospital。Infact，thedoctorandIatfirstinsisteduponhisremovalthere。Hewouldhavebeenmuchbetteroff。Butneitherhenorhiswifewouldhearofit。Shesaidhewoulddiesurewithouthishomecomforts。””Humph！Ishouldthinkmorelikelyhe’ddiewith’em，orunder’em。Iwatchthatfleshywifeofhiswithfearandtremblin’。
　　EverytimeshegoesnighthebedIexpecthertotripoverayoungoneandfall。Andifshefellonthatpoorrack-o’-bones，”withawaveofthehandtowardtheinvalid，”’twouldbethefinalsmash——
　　likeabrickchimneyfallin’onalathhencoop。”
　　Atthatmomentthe”brickchimney”herselfenteredtheroomsandthenurseaccostedher。”CaptainWarrenhere，”shesaid，”wasaskingwhereyouallfoundsleepingquarters。”
　　Mrs。Moriartysmiledbroadly。”Sure，’tisaisy，”sheexplained。”Whentheouldmanislaidupwe’reallhappytobeabituncomfortable。Notthatweare，neither。Yousee，sor，meandNoraandRosysleepintheotherbed；andDinniehasabitofashakedownintheparlor；andHonoraisinthekitchen；and——””There！there！”CaptainElishainterruptedhastily，”don’ttellmeanymore。I’dratherGUESSthatthebabybunksinthecookstoveoventhanknowitforsartin。HowdidthegrapesIsentyougo？”
　　turningtothesickman。”Aw，sor！theywerefoine。Godblessyou，sor！Marybekindtoyou，sor！Suretheangels’llwatchoveryoueverydayyouliveandbreathe！”
　　CaptainElishaboltedfortheparlor，thesuffererfiringagatlingfusilladeofblessingsafterhim。Mrs。Moriartycontinuedthebombardment，assheescortedhimtothedooroftheflat。”There！there！”protestedthecaptain。”Justbelay！cutitshort，there’sagoodwoman！I’lladmitI’masaintandwouldwearahaloinsteadofahatif’twa’n’tsounfashionable。Goodday。Ifyouneedanythingyouain’tgot，tellthenurse。”
　　ThegratefulIrishwomandidnotintendtolethimescapesoeasily。”Aw，sor，”shewenton，”it’sallrightforyoutomakefun。I’mthejokin’kind，sor，meself。WhintheflatswhereweusedtobegotafireandPathadtolugmedownthefireescapeinhisarms，theytellmeIwaslaughin’fittokill；thatis，whenIwasn’tscreechin’forfearhe’ddropme。Andhim，poorsoul，neverseein’
　　thejoke，butpuffin’andgroanin’thathisbackwasintwopieces。
　　Ha，ha！Oh，dear！Andhimintwopiecesnowforsureandall！
　　Aw，sor，it’sallrightforyoutolaughitoff，butwhatwouldwedowithoutyou？YouandMissCaroline，Godblessher！””Caroline？Shedoesn’tcomehere，doesshe？””Indadeshedoes。Sure，she’stheperfectlittlelady！Hardlyadaypasses——oraweek，anyhow——thatshedoesn’tdropintoseehowtheouldman’sgettin’on。””Humph！Well，seethatyoudon’ttellheraboutme。”
　　Mrs。Moriartyheldupbothhandsinrighteousprotestation。SHE
　　tell？Mightthetongueofherwitherbetweenherteethbeforeitletslipaword，andsoon。CaptainElishawavedhertosilence。”Allright！allright！”heexclaimed。”Solong！Takegoodcareofyourhusband，and，and——forHeaven’ssake，walkcarefulanddon’tsteponanyofthechildren。”
　　Mrs。Moriarty’stonguedidnotwither；atallevents，itwaslivelyenoughwhenhenextmether。Thecaptain’ssecretwasnotdivulged，andhecontinuedhisvisitstotheflat，takingcare，however，toascertainhisniece’swhereaboutsbeforehand。Itwasnotaltogetheradesiretoavoidmakinghischaritabledeedspublicwhichinfluencedhim。Hehadahabitofnotlettinghisrighthandknowwhathisleftwasaboutinsuchcases，andhedetestedaPharisaicalphilanthropist。ButtherewasanotherreasonwhyCarolinemustnotlearnofhisinterestintheMoriartys。Ifshedidlearnit，shewouldbelievehimtobehelpingthemonhisownresponsibility；or，ifnot，thathewasusingmoneybelongingtotheestate。Ofcoursehewould，andhonestlymust，denythelattercharge，and，therefore，thefirstwould，tohermind，beproven。
　　HeintendedthatMalcolmDunnshouldpaythelargershareofthebills，aswasrightandproper。ButhecouldnottellCarolinethat，becauseshemustnotknowoftheyoungman’sresponsibilityfortheaccident。HecouldnotgiveMalcolmthecredit，andhefeltthatheoughtnottotakeithimself。Itwasadelicatesituation。
　　Hewaslonely，andthedaysseemedlong。Readingthepaper，walkinginthepark，occasionallydroppinginatthelawyers’
　　offices，orvisitingtheshopsandotherplacesofinterestabouttownmadeupthemonotonousroutine。Hebreakfastedearly，waiteduponbyEdwards，gotlunchattherestaurantnearesttowhereverhehappenedtobeatnoon，andreturnedtotheapartmentfordinner。
　　Hisnieceandnephewdinedwithhim，butwhenheattemptedconversationtheyansweredinmonosyllablesornotatall。EveryeveninghewrotealettertoAbbie，andthemaileachmorningbroughthimonefromher。TheDunnscamefrequentlyandseemeddisposedtobefriendly，buthekeptoutoftheirwayasmuchaspossible。
　　Pearsonhehadnotseensincethelatter’scall。Thiswasadisappointment，forhefanciedtheyoungfellowandbelievedheshouldlikehimevenbetteroncloseracquaintance。Hewouldhavereturnedthevisit，butsomehoworotherthecardwiththeboarding-housestreetandnumberhadbeenlostormislaid，andthelonglistof”JamesPearsons”inthedirectorydiscouragedhim。Hespeculatedmuchconcerningthemysteryatwhichthewould-benovelisthintedaspreventinghisacceptingCaroline’sinvitation。
　　EvidentlyPearsonhadonceknownRodgersWarrenwell，andhadbeenesteemedandrespectedbythelatter。Caroline，too，hadknownhim，andwasfranklypleasedtomeethimagain。Whateverthetroublemightbe，she，evidently，wasignorantofit。Thecaptainwonderedandpondered，butreachednosatisfactoryconclusion。Itseemedtheironyoffatethattheonecongenialperson——Sylvesterexcepted——whomhehadmetduringhisstayinthebigcityshouldbescratchedfromhissmalllistofacquaintances。
　　WithSylvesterheheldmanyfamiliarandenjoyablechats。Thegood-natured，democraticseniormemberofthelawfirmlikedtohaveCaptainElishadropinforadviceortospinyarns。Graves，whowaswellagain，regardedthenewguardianwithrespectofakind，butwithdistinctdisapproval。Thecaptainwas，inhisopinion，altogethertooflippantandjolly。Therewasnothinghumorousinthesituation，asGravessawit，andtolaughwhenone’sbrother’sestateisinatangle，indicatedunfitness，ifnothingworse。Kuhnwasasharp，quick-movingman，whohadnotimeforfrivolityifitdelayedbusiness。
　　ItwasafteralonginterviewwithSylvesterthatCaptainElishadecidedtosendStephenbacktocollege。Whenhebrokethenewstherewasrebellion，briefbutlively。Stephenhadnodesiretocontinuehisstudies；hewishedtobecomeastockbrokeratonce，and，assoonashewasofage，takehisfather’sseatontheExchange。”Stevie，”saidCaptainElisha，”oneofthesedays，whenyougettobeasoldasIamorbefore，you’llrealizethataneducationisworthsomethin’。””Ugh！”gruntedtheboy，insupremedisgust。”Whatdoyouknowaboutthat？””Why，notmuch，maybe，butenough。””Yes？”sarcastically。”Whatcollegedidyouattend？””Me？Why，none，more’sthepity。Whatlearnin’therewasinourfamilyyourdadhad。Maybethat’swhyhewaswhathewas，sofurasmoneyandpositionandsocietyandsoonwent，andI’mwhat_I_
　　am。””Oh，rubbish！WhatdifferencedoesitmaketoMalcolmDunn——now——
　　hisgoingthroughcollege？””Well，hewent，didn’the？”
　　Stephengrinned。Malcolmhadtoldhimsomeparticularsconcerninghisuniversitycareeranditstermination。”Hewent——partway，”heanswered。”Ya-as。Well，you’vegonepartway，sofur。Andnowyou’llgotherest。””I’dliketoknowwhy。””Foronereason，becauseI’myourguardianandIsayso。”
　　Stephenwasfuriouslyangry。Hisfather’sindulgenceandhissister’stolerancehad，inmostcases，madehiswilllawinthehousehold。Tobeorderedaboutinthiswaybyanignorantinterloper，asheconsideredhisuncle，wastoomuch。”Bygad，”heshouted，”we’llsee！””No，we’veseen。Yourunalongnowandpackyourtrunk。Andtakemyadviceandstudyhard。You’llbebehindhandinyourwork，soMr。Sylvestertellsme，butyou’resmart，andyoucancatchup。
　　Makeusproudofyou；that’swhatyoucando。”
　　Hisnephewglancedathim。CaptainElishawassmilingkindly，buttherewasnosignofchangeofpurposeinhislook。
　　Stephengroundhisteeth。”Oh，”hesnarled，”ifitwasn’tforthedisgrace！Ifthingsweren’tastheyare，I’d——””S-s-s-h！Iknow；buttheyare。MaybeIwishtheywa’n’t’mostasmuchasyoudo，buttheyare。Idon’tblameyouforfeelin’madnow；butI’mrightandIknowit。Andsomedayyou’llknowit，andthankme。””WhenIdo，I’llbeinsane。””No，you’llbeolder，that’sall。Nowpackyourtrunk——orgettheCommodoretopackitforyou。”
　　NewsfromtheMoriartysickroomcontinuedfavorableforatime。
　　Then，withalarmingsuddenness，achangecame。Thebrokenhipwasmendingslowly，butpoorPat’sagewasagainsthim，andtheshockandlongillnessweretoomuchforhissystemtofight。Dr。Henryshookhisheaddubiouslywhenthecaptainaskedquestions。And，onemorningatbreakfast，Edwardsinformedhimthattheoldmanwasdead。Anniehadbeensummonedbytelephoneatmidnightandhadgonehome。
　　CaptainElisha，thoughnotgreatlysurprised，wasshockedandgrieved。Itseemedsuchaneedlesstragedy，almostlikemurder，althoughtherewasnomaliceinit。Andthethoughtofthefatherlesschildrenandthepovertyofthestrickenfamilymadehimshudder。Deathatanytime，amidanysurroundings，isterrible；
　　whenthedeadhandshaveearnedthebreadformanymouthsitisappalling。
　　Thecaptaindreadedvisitingtheflat，butbecausehefeltittobeadutyhewentimmediately。Andthemiseryandwailinganddismayhefoundtherewereworsethanhisanticipations。Hedidhisbesttocomfortandcheer。Mrs。Moriartyalternatelycalleduponthesaintstoblesshimandbeggedtoknowwhatshewoulddonowthattheywereallsuretostarve。Luckily，thefamilypriest，akind-
　　hearted，quietmanwhofacedsimilarscenesalmosteverydayofhislife，wasthere，andCaptainElishahadalongtalkwithhim。WithDennis，theoldestson，andAnnie，themaidattheWarrens’，healsoconsulted。Moneyfortheirimmediateneeds，hetoldthem，hewouldprovide。Andthefuneralexpensesmustnotworrythem。
　　Afterward——well，plansforthefuturecouldbediscussedatanothertime。ButuponDennisandAnniehetriedtoimpressasenseoftheirresponsibility。”It’suptoyou，Boy，”hesaidtotheformer。”Annie’sjob’ssure，Iguess，aslongasshewantsit，andshecangivehermothersomethin’everymonth。Butyou’rethemanofthehousenow，andyou’vegottosteertheshipandkeepitafloat。Thatmeanswork，andhardwork，lotsofit，too。Youcandoit，ifyou’vegotthegrit。IfIcanfindabetterplaceandmorepayforyou，Iwill，butyoumustn’tdependonthat。It’suptoyou，Itellyou，andyou’vegottoshowwhat’sinyou。Ifyougetstuckandneedadvice，cometome。”
　　Hehandedthepriestasumofmoneytocoverimmediatecontingencies，anddeparted。HislettertoAbbiethatafternoonwassobluethatthehousekeeperfeltsurehewas”comingdown”withsomediseaseorother。Hehadbeenridinginthatawfulsubway，wheretheair——sothepaperssaid——wasnotfittobreathe，andjustaslikeasnothe’dcaughtconsumption。Hisgreat-uncleonhismother’ssidediedofit，soitruninthefamily。”Eitherhemustcomehomeorsheshouldcometohim，oneortheother。
　　Butbeforeeveninghisbluenesshaddisappeared。Hehadjustreturnedtohisroom，aftersteppingintothehalltodrophisletterinthemailchute，whenhisnieceknockedatthedoor。Hewassurprisedtoseeher，forshehadnotspokentohim，exceptinbriefreplytoquestions，sincetheirmisunderstandinginthatveryroom。Helookedatherwonderingly，notknowingwhattosayorwhattoexpect；butshespokefirst。”CaptainWarren，”shebegan，hurriedly，”thelasttimeIcametoyou——thelasttimeIcamehere，Icametoaskafavor，andyou——I
　　thoughtyou——”
　　Shewasevidentlyembarrassedandconfused。Herguardianwasembarrassed，also，buthetriedtobehospitable。”Yes，Caroline，”hesaid，gravely，”Iknowwhatyoumean。Won’tyou——won’tyousitdown？”
　　Tohissurprise，sheacceptedtheinvitation，takingthesamechairshehadtakenontheoccasionoftheirformerinterview。Buttherewasalookinhereyeshehadneverseentherebefore；atleast，notwhenshewasaddressinghim。
　　Shewenton，speakinghastily，asthoughdeterminedtoheadoffanyquestioningonhispart。”CaptainWarren，”shebeganoncemore，”thetimeIcametoyouinthisroomyouwere，soIthought，unreasonableandunkind。Iaskedyouformoneytohelpapoorfamilyintrouble，andyourefusedtogiveittome。””No，Caroline，”heinterrupted，”Ididn’trefuse，youonlythoughtIdid。”
　　Sheheldupherhand。”Pleaseletmegoon，”shebegged。”I
　　thoughtyourefused，andIcouldn’tunderstandwhy。Iwashurtandangry。Iknewthatfatherneverwouldhaverefusedmeundersuchcircumstances，andyouwerehisbrother。Butsincethen，onlyto-day，IhavelearnedthatIwaswrong。Ihavelearned——”
　　Shepaused。Thecaptainwassilent。Hewasbeginningtohope，tobelieveoncemoreinhisjudgmentofcharacter；andyet，withhishopeandgrowingjoy，therewasatrifleofanxiety。”Ihavelearned，”wentonhisniece，”thatIwasmistaken。Ican’tunderstandyetwhyyouwishedtowaitbeforesayingyes，butIdoknowthatitmusthavebeenneitherbecauseyouwereunkindnorungenerous。Ihavejustcomefromthosepoorpeople，andtheyhavetoldmeeverything。”
　　CaptainElishastarted。”Whatdidtheytellyou？”heasked，quickly。”Whotoldyou？””Annieandhermother。Theytoldmewhatyouhaddoneandweredoingforthem。Howkindyouhadbeenallthroughtheillnessandto-day。Oh，Iknowyoumadethempromisenottotellme；andyoumadethedoctorandnursepromise，too。ButIknewSOMEONEhadhelped，andAnniedroppedahint。ThenIsuspected，andnowI
　　know。Thosepoorpeople！”
　　Thecaptain，whohadbeenlookingatthefloor，andfrowningabit，suddenlyglanceduptofindhisniece’seyesfixeduponhim，andtheywerefilledwithtears。”Willyouforgiveme？”sheasked，risingfromherchair，andcomingimpulsivelytowardhim。”I’msorryImisjudgedyouandtreatedyouso。Youmustbeaverygoodman。Pleaseforgiveme。”
　　Hetookherhand，whichwasswallowedupinhisbigone。Hiseyesweremoist，also。”Lordloveyou，dearie，”hesaid，”there’snothin’toforgive。
　　IrealizedthatImusthaveseemedlikeamean，stingyoldscamp。
　　YetIdidn’tmeantobe。Ionlywantedtolookintothisthingjustalittle。Justasamatterofbusiness，youknow。AndI……Caroline，didthatdoctortellyouanythingmore？””Anymore？”sherepeatedinbewilderment。”Hetoldmethatyouwerethekindestmanhehadeverseen。””Yes，yes。Well，maybehiseyesight’spoor。WhatImeanisdidhetellyouanythingaboutanybodyelsebein’inthiswithme？””Anybodyelse？Whatdoyoumean？””Oh，nothin’，nothin’。IjokedwithhimaspellagoaboutawealthyrelationoftheMoriartytribeturninup。’Twasonlyajoke，ofcourse。Andyet，Caroline，I——IthinkI’doughttosay——
　　Hehesitated。Whatcouldhesay？EvenahintmightleadtoembarrassingquestionsandhehadpromisedDunn。”Whatoughtyoutosay？”askedhisniece。”Why，nothin’，Iguess。I’mgladyouunderstandmattersalittlebetterandIdon’tintendfortheestatenoryoutopaytheseMoriartybills。Justget’emoffyourmind。Forget’em。I’llseethateverything’sattendedto。And，lateron，ifyouandmecan，byputtin’ourheadstogether，helpthosefolkstoearnin’abetterlivin’，why，wewill，hey？”
　　Thegirlsmiledupathim。”Ithink，”shesaid，”thatyoumustbeonewholikestohidehislightunderabushel。””Iguesslikelyatwo-quartmeasure’dbeplentybigenoughtohidemine。There！there！Wewon’thaveanymoremisunderstandin’s，willwe？I’maprettygreenvegetableandaboutasoutofplacehereasalobsterinaballoon，but，asIsaidtoyouandSteveoncebefore，ifyou’lljustrememberIAMgreenandsortofrough，andmaybemakeallowancesaccordin’，thiscruiseofoursmaynotbesounpleasant。Nowyourunalongandgetreadyfordinner，ortheCommodore’llpetrifyfromstandin’solongbehindyourchair。”
　　Shelaughed，assheturnedtogo。”Ishouldhatetohavehimdothat，”shesaid。”Hewouldmakeadepressingstatue。Ishallseeyouagaininafewminutes，atdinner。Thankyou——Uncle。”
　　SheleftCaptainElishainacuriousstateofmind。Againsthiswillhehadbeenforcedtoacceptthanksandcreditwhich，hebelieved，didnotrightfullybelongtohim。Itwastheonlythingtodo，andyetitseemedalmostlikedisloyaltytoMalcolmDunn。
　　Thistroubledhim，butthetroublewas，justthen，amerepinheadofblacknessagainsttheradianceofhisspirit。
　　Hisbrother’sdaughterhad，forthefirsttime，calledhimuncle。
　　CHAPTERX”CaptainWarren，”askedCaroline，astheywereseatedatthebreakfasttablenextmorning，”whatareyourplansforto-day？”
　　CaptainElishaputdownhiscoffeecupandpulledhisbeardreflectively。Contrarytohisusualdesiresincehecametotheapartmenttolive，hewasinnohurrytofinishthemeal。Thisbreakfastandthedinnerofthepreviouseveninghadbeenreallypleasant。Hehadenjoyedthem。Hisniecehadnotcalledhimuncleagain，itistrue，andperhapsthatwastoomuchtobeexpectedasyet，butshewascheerfulandevenfamiliar。Theytalkedastheyate，andhehadnotbeenmadetofeelthathewasthedeath’sheadatthefeast。Thechangewasmarkedandverywelcome。Thebrightwintersunshinestreamingthroughthewindowindicatedthattheconditionsoutsidewerealsojustwhattheyshouldbe。”Well，”hereplied，withasmile，”Idon’tknow，Caroline，asI’vemadeanydefiniteplans。Let’ssee，to-day’sSunday，ain’tit？
　　LastletterIgotfromAbbieshesailedintomebecause，asshesaid，Iseemedtohavebeen’mosteverywheresexcepttomeetin’。
　　ShefiggersNewYork’saheathenplace，anyhow，andshecal’latesI’mgettin’tobeabacksliderliketherest。Ididn’tknowbutI
　　mightgotochurch。”
　　Carolinenodded。”Iwonderedifyouwouldn’tliketogo，”shesaid。”Iamgoing，andIthoughtperhapsyouwouldgowithme。”
　　Herunclehadagainraisedhiscuptohislips。NowhesetitdownwithasuddennesswhichcausedthestatuesqueEdwardstobendforwardinanticipationofasmash。Thecaptainstartedtospeak，thoughtbetterofit，andstaredathisniecesointentlythatshecoloredanddroppedhereyes。”Iknow，”shefaltered，”thatIhaven’taskedyoubefore，but——
　　but——”then，withtheimpulsivenesswhichwasoneofhercharacteristics，andtoherguardianhergreatcharm，shelookedhimfullinthefaceandadded，”butIhopedyouwouldunderstandthat——that_I_understoodalittlebetter。Ishouldliketohaveyourcompanyverymuch。”
　　CaptainElishadrewalongbreath。”Thankyou，Caroline，”heanswered。”Iappreciateyouraskin’me，Isartinlydo。AndI’drathergowithyouthananybodyelseonearth。ButIwascal’latin’tohuntupsomelittleround-the-
　　cornerchapel，orBethel，whereI’dfeelalittlebitathome。I
　　guesslikelyyourchurchisaprettybigone，ain’tit？””WeattendSaintDenis。ItISalargechurch，butwehavealwaysbeenconnectedwithit。StephenandIwerechristenedthere。But，ofcourse，ifyouhadrathergosomewhereelse——””No，no！Ihadn’tanywhereinparticulartogo。I’maCongregationalisttohome，butAbbiesaysI’vespreadmycreedsowidethatitain’tmore’naninchdeepanywhere，andsheshouldn’tthink’twouldkeepmeafloat。ItellherI’drathernavigateabroadandshallowchannel，whereeverybodystandsbytokeephisneighborofftheshoals，thanIwouldanarrowandcrookedonewithself-righteousnessoffbothbeamsandperditionunderneath。”Yousee，”headded，reflectively，”thewayIlookatit，it’saprettyuncertaincruiseatthebest。Coursethere’sallsortsofcharts，andeveryfleetissartinit’sgottheonlyrightone。ButIdon’tknow。We’reafloat——thatmuchwearesureof——buttheportweleftandtheharborwe’reboundfor，they’realwaysoutofsightinthefogasternandahead。Iknowlotsoffolkswhoclaimtoseetheharbor，andseeitplain；buttheydon’texactlyagreeastowhattheysee。Asforme，I’vecometotheconclusionthatwemuststeerasstraightacourseaswecan，andwhenwemeetacraftindistress，why，doourbesttohelpher。TherestofitIguesswemustleavetotheOwner，totheOnethatlaunchedus。I……Goodland！”heexclaimed，comingoutofhismeditationwithastart，”I’mpreachin’asermonaheadoftime。AndtheCommodore’sgoin’
　　tosleepoverit，Idobelieve。”
　　Thebutler，whohadbeenstaringvacantlyoutofthewindowduringthecaptain’ssoliloquy，straightenedatthesoundofhisnickname，andaskedhastily，”Yes，sir？Whatwillyouhave，sir？”CaptainElishalaughedinhugeenjoyment，andhisniecejoinedhim。”Well，”shesaid，”willyougowithme？””I’dliketofust-rate——ifyouwon’tbetoomuchashamedofme。””Thenit’ssettled，isn’tit？Theservicebeginsataquartertoeleven。Wewillleavehereathalf-pastten。”
　　Thecaptainshavedwithextracarethatmorning，donnedspotlesslinen，includinga”stand-up”collar——whichhedetested——brushedhisfrock-coatandhishairwithgreatparticularity，andgaveEdwardshisshoestoclean。Hewouldhaveshinedthemhimself，ashealwaysdidathome，butonaformeroccasionwhenheaskedforthe”blackin’kit，”thebutler’sshockedandpainedexpressionledtoquestionsandconsequentenlightenment。
　　Hewasreadybyaquarterafterten，butwhenhisnieceknockedathisdoorsheboreamessagewhichsurprisedandtroubledhim。”Mrs。Dunncalled，”shesaid，”toaskmetogotochurchwithher。
　　ItoldherIhadinvitedyoutoaccompanyme。Wouldyoumindifshejoinedus？”
　　Herguardianhesitated。”Iguess，”heanswered，slowly，”itain’tsomuchaquestionofmymindin’herasshemindin’me。DoesSHE
　　wantmetogoalong？””Shesaidsheshouldbedelighted。””Iwanttoknow！Now，Caroline，don’tyouthinkI’dbesortofintheway？Don’tyoubelieveshe’dmanagetolivedownherdisappointmentifIdidn’ttagon？Youmustn’tfeelthatyou’vegottobebotheredwithmebecauseyousuggestedmygoin’，youknow。””IfIhadconsidereditabotherIshouldnothaveinvitedyou。Ifyoudon’twishMrs。Dunn’scompany，thenyouandIwillgoalone。””Oh，landsakes！Iwouldn’thaveyoudothatfortheworld！Allright，I’llbeoutinajiffy。”
　　Hegavehishairafinalbrush，straightenedhistie，turnedaroundoncemorebeforethemirror，andwalkedfearfullyforthtomeetthevisitor。Forhim，theanticipatedpleasureoftheforenoonhadbeenreplacedbyuneasyforeboding。
　　ButMrs。CorcoranDunn，assherosecreakinglytogreethim，wasextremelygracious。Shewasgownedandfurredandhattedinamannerwhichcausedthecaptaintomakehastymentalestimateastocost，butsheextendedaplumphand，buttonedinaverytightglove，andmurmuredhergratification。”I’msogladyouaretoaccompanyus，CaptainWarren，”shegushed。”Itisacharmingwintermorning，isn’tit？”
　　CaptainElishatouchedtheplumpglovewithhisownbigfingertips，andadmittedthatthemorningwas”fust-rate。”HewasrelievedfromtheembarrassmentoffurtherconversationjustthenbyCaroline’sappearanceinthelibrary。She，too，wasrichlydressed。”Areweallready？”sheasked，brightly。”Thenwemayaswellstart。””I’mafraidwe’reatrifleearly，mydear，”saidMrs。Dunn，”butwecanstrollaboutabitbeforewegoin。”
　　Thecaptainlookedatthelibraryclock。Thetimewasaquartertoeleven。”Early？”heexclaimed，involuntarily。”Why，IthoughtCarolinesaid——”
　　Hestopped，suddenly，realizingthathehadspokenaloud。Hisniecedivinedhisthoughtandlaughedmerrily。”Theservicedoesbeginnow，”shesaid，”butnooneiseverontime。””Oh！”ejaculatedheruncle，anddidnotspeakagainuntiltheywereatthedoorofthechurch。ThenCarolineaskedhimwhathewasthinking。”Nothin’much，”heanswered，gazingatthefashionablygarbedthrongpouringunderthecarvedstonearchoftheentrance；”Iwasjustreorganizin’myideas，that’sall。I’vealwayssortofthoughtaplughatlookedlonesome。NowI’vedecidedthatI’mwearin’thelonesomekind。”
　　HemarchedbehindhisnieceandMrs。DunnupthecenteraisletotheWarrenpew。Hewrotehishousekeeperafterwardsthatheestimatedthataisletobe”upwardsoftwomilelong。AndmySundayshoeshadaseparatesqueakforeveryinch，”headded。
　　Onceseated，however，andnolongersoconspicuous，hiscommonsenseandYankeeindependencecametohisrescue。Hehadbeeninmuchbiggerchurchesthanthisone，whileabroadduringhisseagoingyears。Heknewthathisclotheswerenotfashionablycut，andthat，tothepeopleabouthim，hemustappearoddand，perhaps，evenridiculous。ButherememberedhowoddcertaincitypeopleappearedwhilesummeringatSouthDenboro。Recollectionsofpointedcommentsmadebyboatmenwhohadtakenthesesummersojournersonfishingexcursionscametohismind。Well，hehadoneadvantageoversuchpeople，atanyrate，heknewwhenhewasridiculous，andtheyapparentlydidnot。
　　So，savedfromhumiliationbyhissenseofhumor，helookedabouthimwithinterest。Whentheprocessionofchoirboyscameuptheaisle，andMrs。Dunnexplainedinacondescendingwhisperwhattheywere，hisanswersurprisedheratrifle。”Yes，”whisperedthecaptaininreply，”Iknow。I’veseenthechoirinSaintPeter’satRome。”
　　Onlyoncedidheappeargreatlyastonished。Thatwaswhentheofferingwastakenandacertaindignifiedmagnate，whosefameasakingoffinanceisworld-wide，officiatedasoneofthecollectors。”Heavensandearth！”murmuredCaptainElisha，staringwide-eyedattheunmistakablefeaturessooftenpicturedandcartoonedinthedailypapers；”Caroline——Caroline，amIseein’thingsoristhat——
　　isthat——”
　　ThatisMr——，”whisperedhisniece。”Heisoneofthevestrymenhere。””Mysoul！”stillgazingaftertheEmperorofWallStreet；”HIM
　　passin’theplate！Well，”withagrimsmile，”whoeverpickedhimoutforthejobhasgotjudgment。IfHEcan’tmakeabodyshellout，nobodycan。”
　　Helistenedtothesermon，thetextofwhichwasfromtheBeatitudes，withoutwardsolemnity，butwithatwinkleinhiseye。
　　Afterthebenediction，whenCarolineaskedhowheenjoyedit，thecauseofthetwinklebecameapparent。”Fine！”hedeclared，withenthusiasm。”He’sasmartpreacher，ain’the！Andheknewhiscongregation。Youmightnotguesstheywasmeekperhaps，buttheycertainlydidlookasifthey’dinheritedtheearth。”
　　Hedrewabreathofreliefasthetrioemergedintotheopenair。
　　Hehadenjoyedthenovelexperience，inaway，butnowhefeltratherlikeoneletoutofjail。ThequietluncheonathomewithCarolinewasapleasantanticipation。
　　ButMrs。CorcoranDunnsmashedhisanticipationatablow。Sheinsistedthatheandhisniecelunchwithher。”Youreallymust，youknow，”shedeclared。”Itwillbedelightful。
　　Justalittlefamilyparty。”
　　CaptainElishalookeddistressed。”Thankyou，ma’am，”hestammered；”it’sawfulkindofyou，butIwouldn’tfeelrighttogoputtin’youtoallthattrouble。Justasmuchobliged，butI——I’vegotalettertowrite，yousee。”
　　Mrs。Dunnborehisrefusalbravely。”Verywell，”shesaid，”butCarolineMUSTcomewithme。ItoldMalcolmIshouldbringher。””Sure！Sartin！Carolinecango，ofcourse。”
　　ButCarolinealsodeclined。HavingmisjudgedherguardianinthematteroftheMoriartyfamily，shewasinarepentantmood，andhadmarkedthatdayonhercalendarasoneofself-sacrifice。”No，CaptainWarren，”shesaid，”Ishallnotgounlessyoudo。””Thenthecaptainwillcome，ofcourse，”declaredMrs。Dunn，withdecision。”I’msurehewillnotbesoselfishastodepriveme——
　　andMalcolm——ofyourcompany。”
　　So，becausehedidnotwishtoappearselfish，CaptainElishaadmittedthathislettermightbewrittenlaterintheafternoon，acceptedtheinvitation，andbracedhisspiritforfurthermartyrdom。
　　Itwasnotasbadasheexpected。TheDunnsoccupiedasmall，brown-stonehouseonFifthAvenue，somewhatold-fashioned，buteminentlyrespectable。ThepaintingsandbronzeswereasnumerousasthoseintheWarrenapartment，andifthetasteshownintheirselectionwasnotthatofRodgersWarren，theconnoisseur，theymadequiteasmuchshow，andtheeffectuponCaptainElishawasthesame。Thevariousmortgagesonthepropertywerenotvisible，andthetradesmen’sbillsweresecurelylockedinMrs。Dunn’sdesk。
　　Theluncheonitselfwaselaborate，andtherewasabutlerwhosemajesticdignityandimportancemadeevenEdwardsseemplebeianbycomparison。
　　Malcolmwasathomewhentheyarrived，irreproachablydressedandlanguidlynon-effusive，asusual。CaptainElisha，asheoftensaid，didnot”setmuchstore”byclothes；buttherewassomethingaboutthisyoungmanwhichalwaysmadehimconsciousthathisowntrouserswerealittletooshort，orhisbootstooheavy，orsomething。”Iwouldn’tWEARanecktielikehis，”hewroteAbbie，afterhisfirstmeetingwithMalcolm，”butblessedifIdon’twishIcouldIFIwould！”
　　Caroline，inthecourseofconversationduringtheluncheon，mentionedtheMoriartysandtheirsorrow。Thecaptaintriedtoheadheroffandtochangethesubject，butwithlittlesuccess。
　　HewasuncomfortableandkeptglancingunderhisbrowsatMalcolm，withwhom，underthecircumstances，hecouldnothelpsympathizingtoanextent。Buthissympathywaswasted。Theyoungmandidnotappearintheslightestdegreenervous。ThememoryofhisrecentinterviewwithCaptainElishadidnotembarrasshim，outwardlyatleast，halfasmuchasitdidthecaptain。HedeclaredthatoldPat’sdeathwasbeastlyhardluck，butaccidentswereboundtohappen。Itwasashame，andallthat。”Ifthere’sanythingthematerandIcando，Caroline，callonus，ofcourse。””Yes，do，Caroline，”concurredhismother。”However，onemustbephilosophicinsuchcases。Itisamercythatpeopleintheirstationdonotfeelgriefandlossaswedo。Providence，initswisdom，haslimitedtheirsusceptibilitiesasithastheirintelligence。Don’tyouagreewithme，CaptainWarren？””Sartin！”wasthepromptreply。”It’salwaysacomforttome，whenIgofishin’，toknowthatthefishain’tgotsomuchbrainsasI
　　have。Thehookhurts，Ipresumelikely，buttheyain’tgotthesensetorealizewhatameantrick’sbeenplayedon’em。Theonethat’scaught’sdead，andthemthatareleftaretoobusyhustlin’
　　forthenextmealtowastemuchtimegrievin’。Thateasesmyconscienceconsider’ble。”
　　Carolineseemedtobetheonlyonewhoappreciatedthesarcasminthisobservation。Shefrownedslightly。Mrs。CorcoranDunntolerantlysmiled，andhersonlaughedaloud。”Say，Admiral，”hecommented，”whenitcomestophilosophyyougosomeyourself，don’tyou？””Um-hm。Icanbeasphilosophicalaboutotherfolk’stroublesasanybodyIeversee。”Then，withaninvoluntarychuckleofadmirationattheyounggentleman’scoolness，headded，”Thatis，anybodyIeverseeaforeIcometoNewYork。”
　　Malcolmopenedhismouthtoreply，butcloseditagain。Thecaptain，noticinghischangeofpurposeandfollowingthedirectionofhislook，sawMrs。Dunnshakeherheadinsharpdisapproval。Heatetheremainderofhissaladinsilence，buthethoughtagooddeal。”Andnow，”saidMrs。Dunn，risingandleadingthewaytothedrawing-room，”wemustallgoforamotorride。EveryoneridesonSundayafternoon，”sheexplained，turningtohermaleguest。
　　ThedistressedlookreturnedtoCaptainElisha’sface。Hisniecesawit，understood，andcametohisrescue。”IthinkCaptainWarrenpreferstobeexcused，”shesaid，smiling。”Hehasaprejudiceagainstautomobiles。””No！”drawledMalcolm，theirrepressible。”Notreally？Admiral，I’msurprised！Inthesedays，youknow！””Itain’tsomuchtheautomobiles，”snappedCaptainElisha，irritationgettingthebetterofhisdiscretion，”as’tisthedevilishfoolsthat——””Yes？Oh，allright，Mater。””Thatarecarelessenoughtogetinthewayofthem，”finishedthecaptain，withsurprisingpresenceofmind。”Still，ifCarolinewantstogo——””Ihaveit！”exclaimedMrs。Dunn。”Theyoungpeopleshallgo，andtheothersremainathome。Malcolmshalltakeyouforaspin，Caroline，andCaptainWarrenandIwillstayhereandwaituntilyoureturn。We’llhaveafamilychat，Captain，won’twe？
　　Because，”withagaylaugh，”inawayweARElikeonefamily，yousee。”
　　And，somewhattoMissWarren’ssurprise，heruncleagreedtothisproposition。Hedidnotanswerimmediately，but，whenhedid，itwaswithheartiness。”Why，yes，”hesaid，”that’sagoodidea。That’sfust-rate。Youyoungfolksgo，andMrs。DunnandI’llwaitheretillyoucomeback。That’sthewayoftheworld——youngfolksonthego，andtheoldfolksathomebythefire，hey，Mrs。Dunn？”
　　Theladyaddresseddidnotrelishbeingnumberedwith”oldfolks，”
　　butshesmiledsweetly，andsaidshesupposeditwas。MalcolmtelephonedtothegarageandtoEdwardsattheWarrenapartment，orderingthebutlertodeliverhismistress’sautocapandcloaktothechauffeur，whowouldcallforthem。Afewminuteslatertheyellowcarrolleduptothedoor。
　　InthehallMrs。Dunnwhisperedareassuringwordtoherdepartingguest。”Nowenjoyyourself，dear，”shewhispered。”Haveanicerideanddon’tworryaboutme。Ifhe——ifourencumbranceboresmetoomuchIshall——well，Ishallpleadaheadacheandleavehimtohisowndevices。Besides，heisn’tsoVERYdreadful，ishe？”
　　Carolineshookherhead。”No，”sheanswered，”heisagoodman。I
　　understandhimbetterthanIdidand——yes，Ilikehimbetter，too。””Oh！……Indeed！Well，good-by，dear。Good-by。”
　　Theyellowcarroaredasthechauffeurcrankedit，thenmovedoffupthecrowdedavenue。Mrs。Dunnwatchedituntilitwasoutofsight。Herbrowsweredrawntogether，andsheseemedpuzzledandjustabitdisconcerted。However，whenshereturnedtothedrawing-room，hergracioussmilehadreturned，andherblandcondescensionwasagaininevidence。
　　CaptainElishahadbeenstandingbythewindow。Shebeggedhimtobeseated。Hethankedher，butlookeddubiouslyattheLouisXVI
　　chairindicated。Shenoticedthelook。”Supposewegointothelibrary，”shesaid。”Itismuchlessformal。Andthereisafire——forusOLDfolks，”withaslightaccentontheword。
　　Thelibrarywasmorehomelike。NotasmanybooksasattheWarrens’，butagreatdealofgiltinthebindingsandmuchcarvingonthecases。Thefirewascheery，andthepairsatdownbeforeitinbigeasychairs。Mrs。Dunnlookedintentlyattheglowingcoals。
　　CaptainElishaclearedhisthroat。Mrs。Dunnleanedforwardexpectantly。Thecaptaincoughedandsankbackinhischair。”Yes？”purredthelady。”Youwereabouttosay？””Me？Oh，no，Ididn’tsayanything。”
　　Anotherperiodofsilence。Mrs。Dunn’sfoottappedtherugimpatiently。Shewishedhimtobegintheconversation，andhewouldnot。Atlength，indesperation，shebeganitherself。”IsupposeyoufindNewYorkratherdifferentfrom——er——North——
　　er——””FromSouthDenboro？Yes，ma’am。””Doyoulikethecitylife？””Well，Idon’tknow，ma’am。””Notaswellasyoudothatofthecountry，doubtless。””Well，yousee，Iain’thadsomuchofit。””No，ofcoursenot。Itdoessodependuponwhatoneisaccustomedto。NowIfancyIshouldbeperfectlydesperateinyourvillage。”
　　OnecornerofCaptainElisha’smouthcurledupward。”Ishouldn’tbesurprised，”headmitted。”Desperatelylonely，Imean。””Yes’m。Ijudgedthatwaswhatyoumeant。Still，folkscanbelonesomeinNewYork。””Perhaps。ButreallyIdon’tseehow。Withallthewhirlandthecrowdsandthegloriousexcitement。Thefeelingthatoneisattheveryheart，thecenterofeverything！””Yes。Ifyoubelongtothemachinery，Is’poseit’sallright。
　　Butifyou’vebeenleanin’overtherail，lookin’on，andgetpushedinunexpected，maybeyoudon’tcaresomuchaboutbein’nighthecenter。””Thenwhystaythere？Whynotgetout？””Ifyou’recaughtinthewheels，gettin’out’ssomethin’ofajob。””But，asIunderstandit，CaptainWarren——Imaybemisinformed，for，ofcourse，Ihaven’tbeenundulycuriousconcerningyourfamilyaffairs——as_I_understandit，youwerenotobligedtoremainamongthe——amongthewheels，asyoucallthem。Youcouldhavegottenoutquiteeasily，couldn’tyou？””IpresumelikelyIcould。But，yousee，ma’am，Ihadafeelin’
　　thatI’doughttostay。”
　　Mrs。Dunnlaughedlightly。”Ahme！”sheexclaimed；”youfeltityourduty，Isuppose。Oh，youNewEnglandPuritans！”
　　Sheshookherheadinplayfulmockery。Thensheadded，”But，atallevents，itcannotbesoverydisagreeable——now。Ihavenodoubtitwas——well，notcomfortableforyouatfirst。SteveandCarolinewerequiteimpossible——reallyquitefurious。Yoursuddenappearanceinthecapacityofguardianwastoomuchforthem。Theyweresureyoumustbeaperfectogre，Captain。Ihadtouseallmyeloquencetoconvincethemtheywouldnotbedevouredalive。Butnow——whatachange！Why，alreadyCarolineacceptsyouas——well，almostlikeanoldfriend，likemyself。Inthelastfewdaysthischangeinherattitudeisquitemarked。WhatHAVEyoudone？Areyouawizard？Dotellme！”
　　Thisappeal，deliveredwitheloquenceandmostengagingplayofbrowandeye，shouldhavebeenirresistible。Unfortunatelythecaptaindidnotappeartohaveheardit。Leaningforward，hishandsclaspedbetweenhisknees，hewasgazingintothefire。
　　Andwhenhespoke，itwasasifhewerethinkingaloud。”Is’pose’tisasortofdisease，thisdutybusiness，”hemused。”Andmostdiseasesain’tcheerfulvisitations。Stillafelleroughtnottogrowlaboutitinpublic。Ialwaysdidhateforamantobegoin’aboutforevercomplainin’ofhissufferin’s——whethertheywasfromdutyorrheumatiz。”
　　Mrs。Dunn’slipssnappedshut。Shepressedthemtogetherimpatiently。Evidentlyherquestions，andtheirdiplomaticprelude，hadbeenunheardandwasted。However，shedidnotintendtobesidetrackedordiscouraged。”Oneshouldnotprateofone’sduty，ofcourse，”sheagreed。”Notthatyoudo——farfromit。But，asIwassaying，ourdearCarolinehas——””Thankyou，ma’am。IhopeIdon’tgroantooloud。Doyouknow，Ibelieveclimatehasabearin’onduty，sameasithasonrheumatics。Is’poseyoucityfolks——”andtherewasalmostcontemptinthewords——”aresortofChristianScience，andfiggerit’san’error’——hey？Somethin’tobeforgot。”
　　Theladyresentedtheinterruption，andthecontemptnettledher。”Notatall！”sheretorted。”Wecitydwellershaveourduties，also。””Isthatafact？Iwanttoknow！””Certainlyitisafact，”tartly。”Ihavemydutiesandmanyofthem。””Um！So？Well，Is’poseyoudofeelyoumustdressjustso，andlivejustso，anddojustsuchandsuchthings。Ifyoucallthoseduties，why——””Ido。Whatelsearethey，pray？”
　　Mrs。Dunnwasfindingitdifficulttokeephertemper。Tobecatechisedinthiscontemptuouslyloftymannerbyonetowhomsheconsideredherselfsoimmenselysuperior，wastoomuch。Sheforgotthecarefulplanofcampaignwhichshehadintendedtofollowinthisinterview，andnowinterruptedinherturn。AndCaptainElisha，whoalsowassomethingofastrategist，smiledatthefire。”Wedohaveoursocialduties，ourdutiestosociety，”snappedthewidow，hotly。”Theyarenecessaryones。Havingbeenborn——orrisento——acertaincircle，werecognizetheresponsibilitiesattachedtoit。WeAREcarefulwithwhomweassociate；wehavetobe。Asfordress，wedressasothersofourfriendsdo。””Andmaybealittlebetter，ifyoucan，hey？””Ifwecan——yes。Ipresume——”withcrushingirony——”dressinSouthDenborocountsbutlittle。””Youwouldn’tsaythatifyoueverwenttosewin’circle，”withachuckle。”Still，comparedtothefolksatyourmeetin’-housethismorning，ourcongregationwouldlooklikeaflockofblackbirdsalongsideofacagefullofBirdsofParadise。Butmostofus——thewomenfolksespecial——dressaswellaswecan。””Aswellasyoucan！”triumphantly。”There！yousee？Andyouliveaswellasyoucan，don’tyou？””Ifyoumeanstyle，why，wedon’tsetasmuchstorebyitasyoudo。””Nonsense！Weareobligedtobe，”withaslightshudderatthevulgarism，”STYLISH。Ifweshouldlapse，ifweshouldbecomeshabbyandbehindthefashionorliveinthatway，peoplewouldwonderandbelieveitwasbecausewecouldnotaffordtodootherwise。””Well，s’posetheydid，you’dknowbetteryourselves。Can’tyoubeindependent？””No。Notunlessyouarevery，veryrich；thenitmightbeconsideredaneccentricity。Independenceisacostlyluxury，andfewcanaffordit。””Butsupposeyoucan’taffordtheotherthing？””Thenwemustpretendwecan。Oh，youDON’Tunderstand！SoMUCH
　　dependsuponaproperappearance。Everythingdependsuponit——
　　one’sfuture，one’schildren’sfuture——everything。””Humph！”withthesameirritatingsmile，”Ishouldthinkthatmightmeansomeplannin’。Andplans，thebestof’em，arelikelytogowrong。Youtalkaboutthechildreninyour——inwhatyoucallyour’circle。’Howcanyouplanwhatthey’lldo？Youmightwhentheywaslittle，perhaps；butwhentheygrowupit’sdifferent。””Itisnot。ItCAN’Tbe！And，iftheyhavebeenproperlyrearedandunderstandtheirresponsibilities，theyplanwithyou。””Landsakes！Youmean——why，s’posetheytakeanotiontogetmarried？I’manoldbach，ofcourse，buttheaverageyounggirlorfellerissubjecttothatsortofailment，’cordin’totherecords。
　　S’poseoneofyourcircle’sdaughtersgetstokeepin’companywithachapwho’soutsidethering？Apromisin’，niceboyenough，butpoor，andarankoutsider？Meantosayshesha’n’tmarryhimifshewantsto。””Certainly！Thatsortofmarriageisneverahappyone，unless，ofcourse，thegirliswealthyenoughnottocare。Andeventhenitisnotadvisable。Alltheircustomsandhabitsofthoughtaredifferent。No！Emphatically，no！Andthegirl，ifsheissensibleandwellreared，asIhavesaid，willunderstanditisimpossible。””Mysoulandbody！ThenyoumeantotellmethatsheMUSTlookoutforsomechapinhercrowd？Ifsheain’tgotbutjustenoughtokeepinsidethecircle——thisgrandwhirlamagigyou’retellin’meabout——ifshe’spretendin’uptothelimitofherincomeorover，thenit’sherduty，andhermaandpa’sduty，tosethercapforamanwho’snigherthecenterpoleinthetentandgorightafterhim？Doyoutellmethat？That’sanote，Imustsay！”
　　Mrs。Dunn’sfootbeatalivelytattooontherug。”Idon’tknowwhatyoumeanbya’note，’”shecommented，withmajesticindignation。”IhavenotlivedinSouthDenboro，andperhapsmyunderstandingofEnglishisdefective。Butmarriagesamongcultivatedpeople，SOCIETYpeople，intelligent，ambitiouspeopleare，orshouldbe，theresultofthoughtandplanning。Othersareimpossible！””Howaboutthisthingwereadsomuchaboutinnovels？——Love，I
　　believetheycallit。””Love！Loveiswellenough，butitdoesnot，ofitself，payforproperclothes，oraproperestablishment，orseatsattheopera，oranyofthepractical，necessarythingsofmodernlife。Youcan’tkeepupapresentableappearanceonLOVE！IfIhadadaughterwholackedthebrainstounderstandwhatIhadtaughther，thatis，herdutyasamemberofgoodsociety，andtalkedofmakingalovematch，Iwould……Butthere！Youcan’tunderstand，I
　　suppose。”
　　Sheroseandshookthewrinklesfromhergown。CaptainElishastraightenedinhischair。”Why，yes，ma’am，”hedrawled，quietly；”yes，ma’am，IguessIunderstandfust-rate。”
　　AndsuddenlyMrs。Dunnalsounderstood。Herface，whichhadgrownalmosttooredforoneattachedtoamemberofpolitesociety，grewredderstill。Sheturnedawayandwalkedtothewindow。”Whatnonsensewe’vebeentalking！”shesaid，afteramoment’ssilence。”Idon’tseewhatledusintothissillydiscussion。
　　Malcolmandyourniecemustbehavingadelightfulride。IalmostwishIhadgonewiththem。”
　　Shedidwishit，devoutly。CaptainElishastillremainedbythefire。”Automobilesaregreatthingsforhustlin’aroundin，”heobserved。”Pitythey’resuchdangerousplaythings。YetIs’posethey’reoneofthenecessitiesofup-to-datefolks，sameasyousaid，Mrs。
　　Dunn。””Surely，”sheaskedcoldly，”youdon’tcondemnautomobiles，CaptainWarren？Whatwouldyou——returntostagecoaches？””Notamite！ButIwasthinkin’ofthatpoorMoriartyman。””Hisdeathwasduetoanaccident。Andaccidents，”sheturnedandlookeddirectlyathim，”whentheyinvolvefinancialdamages，maybepaidfor。”
　　Thecaptainnodded。”Yes，”hesaid。”Andwhenarrangementsforsuchpaymentismade，HONORABLEpeople——
　　atleast，inthecircleofwhichyouandIhavebeenspeaking——
　　considerthemattersettledanddonotrefertoitagain，eitheramongthemselves——orelsewhere。””Yes，ma’am。”Henoddedagain。Shedidknow；Malcolm，evidently，hadtoldher。”Yes，ma’am。That’sthewayanydecentpersonwouldfeel——andact——ifsuchathinghappened——eveniftheyhailedfromSouthDenboro。”