Mr。Sharon，theminister，enteredandshookhandswiththeJudgeandMrs。BaxterandwithMrs。HobbsandMary-’Gusta。Healsopattedthechild’shand。Mrs。Hobbswhisperedtohim，withevidentpride，thatitwas“goin’tobeoneofthebiggestfuneralsevergiveninOstable。“Mr。Sharonnodded。Then，afterwaitingamomentortwo，hetiptoedalongthefronthallandtookuphisstandbytheparlordoor。Therewasafinalrustleofgowns，afinalcrackleofSundayshirtfronts，andthenahushedsilence。
　　Thesilencewasbrokenbytherattleofwheelsintheyard。Mr。
　　Hallettatthedoorheldupawarninghand。Amomentlaterheusheredtwopeopleinatthefrontdoorandledthemthroughtheparlorintothe“bigsettin’-room。“Mary-’Gustacouldseethelatecomersplainly。Theywerebothmen，onebigandred-facedandbearded，theothersmall，andthin，andwhite-haired。Arustlepassedthroughthecrowdandeveryoneturnedtolook。Somelookedasiftheyrecognizedthepair，buttheydidnotbow；evidentlyitwasnotpropertobowatfunerals。
　　Mr。Hallett，ontiptoe，ofcourse，glidedintothelittleroomfromthebigoneandlookedabouthim。Then，totheabsolutestupefactionofMary-’Gusta，hetooktherush-seatedchairinonehandandthemusicchairintheotherandtiptoedout。Heplacedthetwochairsinthebackrowclosetothedoorofthesmallerroomandmotionedtothetwomentosit。
　　Mary-’Gustacouldstanditnolonger。ShewasafraidofMrs。Hobbs，afraidofMr。Hallett，afraidoftheBaxtersandallthestaringcrowd；butshewasmoreafraidofwhatwasgoingtohappen。Shetuggedatthehousekeeper’ssleeve。
　　“Mrs。Hobbs！“shewhispered，quiveringly。“Oh，Mrs。Hobbs！“
　　Mrs。Hobbsshookofftheclutchathersleeve。
　　“Sshh！“shewhispered。“Sshh！“
　　“But——butplease，Mrs。Hobbs——“
　　“Sshh！Youmustn’ttalk。Bestill。Bestill，Itellyou。“
　　Thesmall，white-hairedmansatdownintherush-seatedchair。Thebigmanhesitated，separatedhiscoattails，andthenhe，too，satdown。
　　AndthemusicboxundertheseatofthechairhesatininformedeveryonewithcheerfulvigorthattheCampbellswerecoming，Hurrah！
　　Hurrah！
　　CaptainShadrachGouldarosefromthatchair，arosepromptlyandwithouthesitation。Mr。ZoethHamiltonalsorose；sodidmanyothersinthevicinity。Therewasastirandarustleandwhisperedexclamations。AndstillthenewsoftheimminentarrivaloftheCampbellswastinkledabroadandcontinuedtotinkle。Someonegiggled，sodidsomeoneelse。Otherssaid，“Hush！“
　　Mrs。JudgeBaxtersaid，“Heavensandearth！“
　　Mrs。Hobbslookedasifshewishedtosaysomethingverymuchindeed。
　　CaptainShadrach’sbaldspotblazedafieryredandheglaredabouthimhelplessly。
　　Mr。Hallett，whowasusedtounexpectedhappeningsatfunerals——
　　though，todohimjustice，hehadneverbeforehadtodealwithanythingquitelikethis——rushedtothecenterofthedisturbance。
　　Mrs。Hobbshastenedtohelp。Togetherandwithwhisperings，theyfidgetedwiththerefractorycatch。Andstillthemusicboxplayed——
　　andplayed——andplayed。
　　AtlastMr。Hallettgaveitup。Heseizedthechairandwithitinhisarmsrushedoutintothedining-room。CaptainShadrachGouldmoppedhisfacewithahandkerchiefandstood，becausetherewasnowhereforhimtosit。Mrs。Hobbs，almostasredinthefaceasCaptainShadhimself，hastenedbackandcollapseduponthesofa。
　　Mr。Sharonclearedhisthroat。
　　Andstill，frombehindthecloseddoorofthedining-roomthemusicchairtinkledon：
　　“TheCampbellsarecoming！Hurrah！Hurrah！“Poorlittleguilty，frightenedMary-’Gustacoveredherfacewithherhands。
　　CHAPTERII
　　“Andnow，gentlemen，“saidJudgeBaxter，“hereweare。Sitdownandmakeyourselvescomfortable。IshallhaveagooddealtosayandI
　　expecttosurpriseyou。Sitdown。“
　　CaptainGouldandMr。HamiltonwereintheJudge’slibraryathishome。Thefuneralwasover，allthatwasmortalofMarcellusHallhadbeenlaidtorestintheOstablecemetery，andhistwofriendsandformerpartnershad，ontheirreturnfromthatcemetery，stoppedattheJudge’s，atthelatter’srequest。Hewished，sohesaid，tospeakwiththemonanimportantmatter。
　　“Whydon’tyousitdown，Captain？“askedtheJudge，noticingthat，althoughZoethhadseatedhimselfintherockerwhichhishosthadindicated，Shadrachwasstillstanding。
　　CaptainShadrachlaidahandonthebackofthearmchairandregardedthelawyerwithaverygraveface，butwithatwinkleinhiseye。
　　“Totellyouthetruth，Judge，“hesaid，slowly，“Idon’tcal’lateI
　　evershallsetdownagainquitesowhole-heartedasIusedto。Youspokeofasurprise，didn’tyou？I’vehadonesurprisethisafternoonthat’sliabletostaywithmeforaspell。I’manunsuspectin’critter，generallyspeakin’，butafterthat——Say，youain’tgotabrassbandnorfireworkshitchedtoTHISchair，haveyou？“
　　JudgeBaxterlaughedheartily。“No，“hesaid，assoonashecouldspeak。“No，Captain，myfurnitureisn’tloaded。“
　　TheCaptainshookhishead。“Whew！“hewhistled，sittingdowngingerlyinthearmchair。“Well，that’samercy。Iain’tsoyoungasIusedtobeandIcouldn’tstandmanysuchshocks。Whew！Don’ttalktoME！WhenthatdevilishjigtunestartedupunderneathmeI’llbetIhoppedupthreefootstraight。Imaybekindofslowsittin’down，butyou’llbearmeoutthatIcanGETUPsuddenwhenit’snecessary。AndIthoughtthedumthingneverwouldSTOP。“
　　Mr。Hamiltonstirreduneasily。“Hush，hush，Shadrach！“hepleaded。
　　“Don’tbesoprofane。Rememberyou’vejustcomefromthegraveyard。“
　　“Comefromit！Byfire！TherewasatimetherewhenI’dhavebeenwillin’togotoit——yes，andstay。AllIwantedwastogetoutofthatroomandhidesomewhereswherefolkscouldn’tlookatme。I
　　giveyoumywordIcouldfeelmyselfheatin’uplikeanairtightstove。GoodthingIdidn’thaveonacelluloidcollaror’twouldhavebustintoablaze。Ofallthedummedoutragestospringonaman，that——“
　　“Shadrach！“
　　“There，there，Zoeth！I’llcalmdown。Butasforswearin’——well，ifyouknewhowfullofcusswordsIwasthereonespellyouwouldn’tfindfault；you’dthankmeforholdin’’emin。Ihadtobattendownmyhatchestodoit，though；Itellyouthat。“
　　Mr。Hamiltonturnedtotheirhost。“You’llexcuseShadrach，won’tyou，Judge，“hesaid，apologetically。“Hedon’tmeannothin’
　　wicked，really。AndhefeelsasbadasIdoaboutMarcellus’sbein’
　　took。“
　　“CourseIdo！“putintheCaptain。“Zoeth’salwaysscaredtodeathforfearI’mboundtotheeverlastin’brimstone。HeforgetsI’vebeentoseaagoodpartofmylifeandthatafellerhastotalkstrongaboardship。Commonlanguagemaydoforkeepin’store，butitdon’tgetavesselnowheres；thesaltsortoftakesthetangoutofit，seemsso。I’mthroughforthepresent，Zoeth。I’llkeeptheresttillImeettheswabthatloadedupthatchairforme。“
　　TheJudgelaughedagain。Thenheopenedhisdeskandtookfromadrawertwofoldedpapers。
　　“Gentlemen，“hesaid，gravely，“Iaskedyoutocomeherewithmebecausethereisanimportantmatter，averyimportantmatter，whichI，asCaptainHall’slegaladviser，mustdiscusswithyou。“
　　CaptainShadrachandZoethlookedateachother。Theformertuggedathisbeard。
　　“Hum！“hemused。“Somethin’todowithMarcellus’saffairs，isit？“
　　“Yes。“
　　“Wanttoknow！Andsomethin’todowithmeandZoeth？“
　　“Yes，withbothofyou。This，“holdinguponeofthefoldedpapers，“isCaptainHall’swill。Idrewitforhimayearagoandhehasappointedmehisexecutor。“
　　Zoethnodded。“Wesupposedlikelyhewould，“heobserved。
　　“Couldn’tgetabetterman，“addedShadrach，withemphasis。
　　“Thankyou。CaptainHallleavesallhepossessed——practicallyall；
　　thereisamatteroftwohundreddollarsforhishousekeeper，Mrs。
　　Hobbs，andafewotherpersonalgifts——butheleavespracticallyallhepossessedtohisstepdaughter，MaryLathrop。“
　　Bothhishearersnoddedagain。“Weexpectedthat，naturally，“saidtheCaptain。“It’swhathe’doughttohavedone，ofcourse。Well，she’llbeprettywellfixed，won’tshe？“
　　JudgeBaxtershookhishead。“Why，no——shewon’t，“hesaid，soberly。“ThatisapartofthesurprisewhichImentionedatfirst。CaptainHallwas，practically，apoormanwhenhedied。“
　　Thattheprophesiedsurprisewasnowarealitywasmanifest。Bothmenlookedaghast。