couldn’tfindbetterpilotsafloatorashore。Shadrachhasbeentoseaandcommandedvesselsandisusedtogivingordersandhavingthemcarriedout。Hesailedmatewithmeforagoodmanyvoyagesandwasmypartnerashore。Iknowhimfromtrucktokeelson。Heishonestandableandcanhandleanycraft。Hewillkeepthegirlonthecoursesheoughttosailinherschoolingandsuchandseeshedoesnotgetontherocksortaketocruisinginbadcompany。Zoethhashadthelandtraining。Heisapiousmanandasgoodoutsidethechurchasheisin，whichisnotalwaysthecaseaccordingtomyexperience。HehasthenameallupanddowntheCapeofbeingasquare，honeststorekeeper。HewilllookoutforMary’sreligiousbringingupandlearnherhowtokeepstraightandthinksquare。
　　Youarebothofyoudifferentfromeachotherinmostwaysbutyouareeachofyouhonestandstraightinhisownway。Idon’tleaveMaryinthecareofonebutinthechargeofboth。IknowIamright。
　　“Hesaidthatverythingtomeagoodmanytimes，“putintheJudge。
　　“Heseemedtofeelthattheveryfactofyourbeingmenofdifferenttrainingandhabitsofthoughtmadethecombinationideal。Betweenyou，soheseemedtothink，thegirlcouldnothelpbutgrowupassheshould。Iamalmostthrough；thereisalittlemore。“
　　Iwantyoufellowstodothisformysake。Iknowyouwill，afteryouhavethoughtitover。YouandIhavebeenthroughgoodtimesandbadtogether。Wehavemademoneyandwehaveseenitgofasterthanitcame。Shadhasseenhissavingstakenawayfromhim，partlybecauseItrustedwherehedidnot，andheneverspokeawordofcomplaintnorfoundamiteoffault。Zoethhasbornemygreatesttroublewithmeandthoughhissharewasfarawaybiggerthanmine，hekeptmefrombreakingunderit。IhavenotseenasmuchofyoulatelyasIusedtosee，butthatwasmyfault。Notmyfaultexactly，maybe，butmymisfortune。IhavenotbeenthemanIwasandseeingyoumademerealizeit。ThatiswhyIhavenotbeentoSouthHarnissandwhyIactedsoqueerwhenyoucamehere。Iwassortofashamed，Iguess。YourememberwhentheoldHallandCompanyfirmstartedbusinesstherewerefourofuswhoagreedtostickbyeachotherthroughfoulweatherandfairtillwedied。Oneofthatfourbrokehispromiseandprettynighwreckedusall，ashedidwreckthefirm。NowIamaskingyoutwotostickbymeandmine。IamtrustingandbelievingthatyouaregoingtodoitasI
　　writethis。WhenyoureaditIshan’tbeonhand。But，ifIamwhereIcanseeandhearIshallstillbebelievingyouwilldothislastfavorforyouroldmessmate。
　　MARCELLUS。
　　JudgeBaxterfoldedthesheetsoffoolscapandlaidthemonthetable。Thenhetookoffhisspectaclesandwipedthemwithhishandkerchief。
　　“Well，gentlemen？“hesaid，afteramoment。
　　CaptainGoulddrewalongbreath。
　　“Idon’tthinkit’swell，“heobserved。“Ithinkit’saboutassickasitcanbe，andIcal’lateZoethfeelsthesame；eh，Zoeth？“
　　Mr。Hamiltondidnotanswer。Heneitherspokenormoved。
　　“Ofcourse，“saidthelawyer，“itisnotnecessarythatyoumakeupyourmindsthisinstant。Youwillprobablywishafewdaystothinkthematteroverinandthenyoucanletmeknowwhatyoudecide。
　　YouhaveheardtheletterandIhaveexplainedthesituation。Arethereanyquestionsyouwouldliketoask？“
　　Shadrachshookhishead。
　　“No，notfar’sI’mconcerned，“hesaid。“Mymindismadeupnow。I
　　didthinktherewasn’tanythingIwouldn’tdoforMarcellus。AndI
　　wouldhavedoneanythinginreason。Butthisain’treason——it’swhatIcalleditinthebeginnin’，craziness。MeandZoethcan’tgocrazyforanybody。“
　　“Thenyoudecline？“
　　“Yes，sir；I’mmightysorrybutofcoursewecan’tdosuchathing。
　　MeandZoeth，oneofusabachallhislife，andt’otheronea——awidowerfortwentyyears，forustotakeachildtobringup！Mysoulandbody！Havin’hungontotheheftofoursensessofar，coursewedecline！Wecan’tdonothin’else。“
　　“Andyou，Mr。Hamilton？“
　　Zoethappearedtohesitate。Thenheasked：
　　“Whatsortofagirlisshe？“
　　“Mary-’Gusta？She’sabrightchild，andawell-behavedone，generallyspeaking。Ratheroldforheryears，andalittle——well，peculiar。Thatisn’tstrange，consideringthelifeshehasledsincehermother’sdeath。Butsheisagoodgirlandaprettylittlething。Ilikeher；sodoesmywife。“
　　“Thatwasheratthecemetery，wasn’tit？ShewaswiththatHobbswoman？“
　　“Yes。“
　　“Ithoughtso。ShadrachandImetherwhenwewasoverheretwoyearsago。Ithoughttheoneatthegraveyardwasher。Poorlittlecritter！Whereisshenow；atthehouse——atMarcellus’s？“
　　“Yes；thatis，Isupposesheis。“
　　“Doyou——doyoucal’latewecouldseeherifwewenttherenow？“
　　“Yes，Iamsureyoucould。“
　　Zoethrose。
　　“Comeon，Shadrach，“hesaid，“let’sgo。“
　　TheCaptainstaredathim。
　　“Go？“herepeated。“Where？Home，doyoumean？“
　　“No，notyet。ImeanovertoMarcellus’stoseethatlittlegirl。“
　　“ZoethHamilton！Doyoumeantotellme——Whatdoyouwanttoseeherfor？Doyouwanttomakeitharderforherandforusandforallhands？Whatgoodisseein’hergoin’todo？Ain’tittwiceaseasytosaynonowandbedonewithit？“
　　“Isupposelikely’twouldbe，butitwouldn’tberightMarcellusaskedustodothisthingforhimand——“
　　“Jumpin’Judas！ASKEDus！Doyoumeantosayyou’rethinkin’ofdoin’whatheasked？Areyouloony，too？Areyou——“
　　“Shh，Shadrach！Heaskedus，asalastfavor，totakechargeofhisgirl。Ifeelasyoudothatwecan’tdoit，’tain’tsensiblenorpossibleforustodoit，but——“
　　“Thereain’tanybuts。“
　　“Buttheveryleastwecandoisgoandseeherandtalktoher。“
　　“Whatfor？Sowe’llfeelmeanerandmoresneakywhenweHAVEtosayno？Ishan’tgotoseeher。“
　　“Allright。ThenIshall。YoucanwaithereformetillIcomeback。“
　　“Holdon，Zoeth！Holdon！Don’t——“
　　ButMr。Hamiltonwasatthedooranddidnotturnback。JudgeBaxter，whowasfollowinghim，spoke。
　　“Sitrighthere，Captain，“hesaid。“Makeyourselfascomfortableasyoucan。Weshan’tbelong。“
　　ForaninstantShadrachremainedwherehewas。Thenhe，too，sprangtohisfeet。Heovertookthelawyerjustasthelatterreachedthesidedoor。
　　“Hello，Captain，“exclaimedBaxter，“changedyourmind？“
　　“Changednothin’。Zoeth’smakin’afoolofhimselfandIknowit，butheain’tgoin’tobeafoolALLbyhimself。I’veseenhimtryitaforeand’tain’tsafe。“
　　“Whatdoyoumean？“
　　TheCaptaingruntedscornfully。
　　“Imeanthere’ssafetyinnumbers，whetherit’sthenumberoffoolsoranythingelse，“hesaid。“Oneidiot’sariskyproposition，buttwoorthreeinabunchcanwatcheachother。Comeon，Judge，andbethethird。“
　　CHAPTERIII
　　ThewhitehouseonPhinney’sHilllookeddesolateandmournfulwhenthebuggycontainingJudgeBaxterandhistwocompanionsdroveintotheyard。ThewagonbelongingtoMr。Hallett，theundertaker，wasatthefrontdoor，andHallettandhisassistantwereloadinginthefoldingchairs。Mr。Hallettwaswhistlingapopularmelody，but，somehoworother，themusiconlyemphasizedthelonesomeness。Thereislittlecheerinanundertaker’swhistle。
　　CaptainGould，actingundertheJudge’sorders，pilotedhishorseupthedrivewayandintothebackyard。Theanimalwasmadefasttothebackfenceandthethreemenalightedfromthebuggyandwalkeduptothesidedoorofthehouse。
　　“Say，Judge，“whisperedtheCaptain，astheyhaltedbythestep，“youdon’tcal’lateIcanfindoutwholoadedupthatmusic-boxchaironme，doyou？IfIcouldmeetthatfellerfortwoorthreeminutesImightfeelmorereconciledatbein’foolenoughtocomeoverhere。“
　　Mrs。Hobbsansweredtheknockatthedoor——sheinvitedthemin。
　　WhentoldthattheyhadcometoseeMary-’Gustashesniffed。
　　“She’sinherroom，“shesaid，rathersharply。“Shehadn’toughttobeletout，butofcourseifyouwanttoseeher，JudgeBaxter，I