"Theideeofleavin’Kittysosoonarterourmarriagewentaginmygrainconsiderable。Icruisedalongthedocksforsome—thin’todointhewayofstevedore：an’thoughIpickedupastrayjobhereandthere，Ididn’tamenoughtobuyship—bisketforarat;letalonefeedin’twohumanmouths。
Therewasn’tnothin’honestIwouldn’thaveturnedahandto;butthe’longshoremengobbledupallthework，an’aoutsiderlikemedidn’tstandashow。
"Thingsgotfrombadtoworse;themonth’srenttookallourcashexceptadollarorso，an’theskylookedkindo’squallyforean’aft。Well，Isetoutonemornin’—thatidenticalunluckymornin’—determinedtocomebackan’
tosssomepayintoKitty’slap，ifIhadtosellmyjacketforit。Ispiedabrigunloadin’coalatpierNo。47—howwellIremembersit！Ihailedthemate，an’offeredmyselfforacoal—heaver。ButIwasn’twanted，ashetoldmecivillyenough，whichwasbettertreatmentthanusual。AsIturnedoffratherglumIwassignalledbyoneofthemsleek，smooth—spokenrascalswithawhitehatan’aweedonit，asisalwaysgoin’aboutthepiersa—seekin’whotheymaydevower。
"Wesailorsknow’emforrascalsfromstemtostarn，butsomehoweveryfreshonefleecesusjestashismatedidaforehim。Wedon’tlamnothin’byexper’ence;we’rejestnobetterthanalotofbabyswithnobrains。
"’Goodmornin’，myman，’sezthechap，asileyasyouplease。
"’Mornin’，sir，’sezI。
"’Lookin’forajob？’sezhe。
"’Throughthebigendofatelescope，’sez1—meanin’thatthechancesforajoblookedverysmallfrommypintofview。
"’You’rethemanformymoney，’sezthesharper，smilin’asinnocentasacherubim;’jeststepinhere，tillwetalkitover。’
"SoIgoeswithhimlikeanat’ral—bornidiot，intoalittlegrocery—shopnearby，wherewesetsdownatatablewithabottleatweenus。ThenitcomesoutasthereisaNewBedfordwhalerabouttostartforthefishin’
grounds，an’jestoneable—bodiedsailorlikemeiswantedtomakeupthecrew。WouldIgo？Yes，Iwouldn’tonnoterms。
"’I’llbetyoufiftydollars，’sezhe，’thatyou’llcomebackfustmate。’
"’I’llbetyouahundred，’sezI，’thatIdon’t，forI’vesignedpapersaskeepsmeashore，an’theparsonhaswitnessedthedeed。’
"Sowesatthere，heurgin’metoship，an’Ichaffin’himcheerfuloverthebottle。
"ArterawhileIbeguntofeelalittlequeer;thingsgotfoggyinmyupperworks，an’Iremembers，faint—like，ofsignin’apaper;thenIremembersbein’inasmallboat;an’thenIremembersnothin’untilIheardthemate’swhistlepipin’allhandsondeck。Itumbledupwiththerest;an’
thereIwas—onboardofawhaleroutwardboundforathreeyears’cruise，an’mydearlittlelassashoreawaitin’forme。"
"Miserablewretch！"saidMissAbigail，inavoicethatvibratedamongthetinplattersonthedresser。ThiswasMissAbigail’swayoftestifyinghersympathy。
"Thankee，marm，"returnedSailorBen，doubtfully。
"Notalkingtothemanatthewheel，"criedtheCaptain。Uponwhichwealllaughed。"Spin！"addedmygrandfather。
SailorBenresumed：
"Ileaveyoutoguessthewretchednessasfelluponme，forI’venotgotthegifttotellyou。ThereIwasdownontheship’sbooksforathreeyears’
viage，an’nohelpforit。IfeelnightosixhundredyearsoldwhenI
thinkhowlongthatviagewas。Thereisn’tnohour—glassasrunsslowenoughtokeepatallyoftheslownessofthemfusthours。ButIdonemydutylikeaman，seem’therewasn’tnowayofgettin’outofit。Itoldmyshipmatesofthetrickashadbeenplayedonme，antheytriedtocheermeupabit;butIwassoresorrowfulforalongspell。ManyanightonwatchIputmyfaceinmyhandsandsobbedforthinkin’ofthelittlewomanleftamongtheland—sharks，an’nomantohaveaneyeonher，Godblessher！"
HereKittysoftlydrewherchairnearertoSailorBen，andrestedonehandonhisarm。
"Ouradventuresamongthewhales，Itakeit，doesn’tconsarnthepresentcompanyhereassembled。SoIgivethatthegoby。There’sanendtoeverythin’，eventoawhalin’viage。MyheartallbutchokedmethedayweputintoNewBedfordwithourcargoofile。Igotmythreeyears’payinalump，an’madeforNewYorklikeaflashoflightuin’。Thepeoplehovetoandlookedatme，asIrushedthroughthestreetslikeamadman，untilI
cametothespotwherethelodgin’—housestoodonWestStreet。But，Lordloveye，therewasn’tnosechlodgin’—housethere，butagreatnewbrickshop。
"Imadeboldtogoinan’askartertheoldplace，butnobodyknowednothin’
aboutit，saveasithadbeentorndowntwoyearsormore。Iwasadriftnow，forIhadreckonedallthemdaysandnightsongittin’wordofKittyfromDanShackford，themanaskeptthelodgin’。
"AsIstoodtherewithallthewindknockedoutofmysails，theideeofrunnin’alongsidetheperlice—stationpoppedintomyhead。TheperlicewaslikelytoknowthelatitudeofamanlikeDanShackford，whowasn’toveran’aboverespecktible。Theydidknow—hehaddiedintheTombsjailthatdaytwelvemonth。Acoincydunce，wasn’tit？Iwasreadytodropwhentheytoldmethis;howsomever，Iboreupan’givethechiefanotionofthefixIwasin。HewritanoticewhichIputintothenewspaperseverydayforthreemonths;butnothin’comeofit。IcruisedoverthecityweekinandweekoutIwenttoeverysortofplacewheretheyhiredwomenhands;I
didn’tleaveathinkundonethatauneddicatedmancoulddo。Butnothin’
comeofit。Idon’tbelievetherewasawretchedersoulinthatbigcityofwretchednessthanme。SometimesIwantedtolaydowninthesheetsanddie。
"Driftin’disconsolateonedayamongtheshippin’，whoshouldIoverhaulbuttheidenticalsmooth—spokenchapwithawhitehatan’aweedonit！I
didn’tknowiftherewasanyspentleftinme，tillIclappedeyeonhisveryonpleasantcountenance。’Youvillain！’sezI，’where’smylittleIrishlassasyoudraggedmeawayfrom？’an’Ilightedonhim，hatandall，likethat！"
HereSailorBenbroughthisfistdownonthedealtablewiththeforceofasledge—hammer。MissAbigailgaveastart，andthealeleapedupinthepitcherlikeaminiaturefountain。
"Ibegsyourparden，ladiesandgentlemenall;butthethoughtofthatfellerwithhisringan’hiswatch—chainan’hiswalrusface，isalustoomanyforme。Iwasforpitchin’himintotheNorthRiver，whenaperlicemanpreventedmefrombenefitin’thehumanfamily。Ihadtopayfivedollarsforhittin’thechap（theysaiditwassaltandbuttery），an’that’swhatI
callaneat，genteelluxury。Itwasworthdoublethemoneyjesttoseethatwhitehat，withaweedonit，layin’onthewharflikeabustedaccordiun。
"Artermonthsofuselesssarch，Iwenttoseaagin。InevergotintoaforenportbutIkeptawatchoutforKitty。OnceIthoughtIseedherinLiverpool，butitwasonlyagalaslookedlikeher。Thenumbersofwomenindifferentpartsoftheworldaslookedlikeherwasamazin’。Soagoodmanyyearscrawledby，an’Iwanderedfromplacetoplace，nevergivin’upthesarch。Imighthavebeenchiefmatescoresoftimes，maybemaster;butIhadn’tnoambition。Iseedmanystrangethingsinthemyears—outlandishpeoplean’cities，storms，shipwracks，an’battles。Iseedmanyatruemategodown，an’sometimesIenviedthemwhatwenttotheirrest。Butthesethingsisneitherherenorthere。
"AboutayearagoIshippedonboardtheBelphcebeyonder，an’ofallthestrangewindsaseverblowed，thestrangestan’thebestwasthewindasblowedmetothishereblessedspot。Ican’tbetoothankful。ThatI’masthankfulasitispossibleforanuneddicatedmantobe，Heknowsasreadstheheartofall。"
HereendedSailorBen’syarn，whichIhavewrittendowninhisownhomelywordsasnearlyasIcanrecallthem。Afterhehadfinished，theCaptainshookhandswithhimandservedouttheale。
AsKittywasabouttodrink，shepaused，restedthecuponherknee，andaskedwhatdayofthemonthitwas。
"Thetwenty—seventh，"saidtheCaptain，wonderingwhatshewasdrivingat。
"Then，"criedKitty，"it’stenyearsthisnightsence—"
"Sincewhat？"askedmygrandfather。
"SencethelittlelassandIgotspliced！"roaredSailorBen。"There’sanothercoincydunceforyou！"
Onhearingthisweallclappedhands，andtheCaptain，withadegreeofceremonythatwasalmostpainful，drankabumpertothehealthandhappinessofthebrideandbridegroom。
Itwasapleasantsighttoseethetwooldloverssittingsidebyside，inspiteofall，drinkingfromthesamelittlecup—abatteredzincdipperwhichSailorBenhadunslungfromastraproundhiswaist。IthinkIneversawhimwithoutthisdipperandasheath—knifesuspendedjustbackofhiship，readyforanyconvivialoccasion。
Wehadamerrytimeofit。TheCaptainwasingreatforcethisevening，andnotonlyrelatedhisfamousexploitintheWarof1812，butregaledthecompanywithadashingsea—songfromMr。Shakespeare’splayofTheTempest。
Hehadamellowtenorvoice（notShakespeare，buttheCaptain），androlledouttheversewithawill：
"Themaster，theswabber，theboatswain，andI，Thegunner，andhismate，Lov’dMall，Meg，andMarian，andMargery，Butnoneofuscar’dforKate。"
"Averygoodsong，andverywellsung，"saysSailorBen;"butsomeofusdoescareforKate。IsthisMr。Shawkspearaseafarm’man，sir？"
"Notatpresent，"repliedtheCaptain，withamonstroustwinkleinhiseye。
Theclockwasstrikingtenwhenthepartybrokeup。TheCaptainwalkedtothe"Mariner’sHome"withhisguest，inordertoquestionhimregardinghisfuturemovements。
"Well，sir，"saidhe，"Iain’tasyoungasIwas，an’Idon’tcal’ulatetogotoseanomore。Iproposestodropanchorhere，an’hugthelanduntiltheoldhulkgoestopieces。I’vegottwoorthreethousanddollarsinthelocker，an’expectstogetonuncommoncomfortablewithoutaskin’nooddsfromtheAssylumforDecayedMariners。"
Mygrandfatherindorsedtheplanwarmly，andSailorBendiddropanchorinRivermouth，wherehespeedilybecameoneoftheinstitutionsofthetown。
Hisfirststepwastobuyasmallone—storycottagelocatedattheheadofthewharf，withingun—shotoftheNutterHouse。Tothegreatamusementofmygrandfather，SailorBenpaintedthecottagealightsky—blue，andranabroadblackstripearounditjustundertheeaves。Inthisstripehepaintedwhiteport—holes，atregulardistances，makinghisresidencelookasmuchlikeaman—of—waraspossible。Withashortflag—staffprojectingoverthedoorlikeabowsprit，theeffectwasquitemagical。MydescriptionoftheexteriorofthispalatialresidenceiscompletewhenIaddthattheproprietornailedahorseshoeagainstthefrontdoortokeepoffthewitches—averynecessaryprecautionintheselatitudes。
TheinsideofSailorBen’sabodewasnotlessstrikingthantheoutside。Thecottagecontainedtworooms;theoneopeningonthewharfhecalledhiscabin;hereheateandslept。Hisfewtumblersandafrugalcollectionofcrockeryweresetinaracksuspendedoverthetable，whichhadacleatofwoodnailedroundtheedgetopreventthedishesfromslidingoffincaseofaheavysea。Hangingagainstthewallswerethreeorfourhighlycoloredprintsofcelebratedfrigates，andalithographpictureofarosyyoungwomaninsufficientlycladintheAmericanflag。Thiswaslabelled"Kitty，"
thoughI’msureitlookednomorelikeherthanIdid。Awalrus—toothwithanEsquimauxengravedonit，ashark’sjaw，andthebladeofasword—fishwereamongtheenviabledecorationsofthisapartment。Inonecornerstoodhisbunk，orbed，andintheotherhiswell—wornsea—chest，aperfectPandora’sboxofmysteries。Youwouldhavethoughtyourselfinthecabinofarealship。
Thelittleroomaft，separatedfromthecabinbyaslidingdoor，wasthecaboose。Itheldacooking—stove，pots，pans，andgroceries;alsoalotoffishing—linesandcoilsoftarredtwine，whichmadetheplacesmelllikeaforecastle，andadelightfulsmellitis—tothosewhofancyit。
Kittydidn’tleaveourservice，butplayedhousekeeperforbothestablishments，returningatnighttoSailorBen’s。Heshortlyaddedawherrytohisworldlygoods，andinthefishingseasonmadeaveryhandsomeincome。Duringthewinterheemployedhimselfmanufacturingcrab—nets，forwhichhefoundnolackofcustomers。
Hispopularityamongtheboyswasimmense。Ajackknifeinhisexperthandwasawholechestoftools。HecouldwhittleoutanythingfromawoodenchaintoaChinesepagoda，orafull—riggedseventy—fourafootlong。ToownashipofSailorBen’sbuildingwastobeexaltedaboveyourfellow—creatures。Hedidn’tcarvemany，andthoseherefusedtosell，choosingtopresentthemtohisyoungfriends，ofwhomTomBailey，youmaybesure，wasone。
Howdelightfulitwasofwinternightstositinhiscoseycabin，closetotheship’sstove（hewouldn’thearofhavingafireplace），andlistentoSailorBen’syarns！Intheearlysummertwilights，whenhesatonthedoor—stepsplicingaropeormendinganet，healwayshadabevyofbloomingyoungfacesalongside。
Thedearoldfellow！Howtenderlytheyearstouchedhimafterthis—allthemoretenderly，itseemed，forhavingroughedhimsocruellyinotherdays！
ChapterSeventeenHowWeAstonishedtheRivermouthiansSailorBen’sarrivalpartlydrovetheNewOrleansprojectfrommybrain。
Besides，therewasjustthenacertainmovementonfootbytheCentipedeClubwhichhelpedtoengrossmyattention。
PepperWhitcombtooktheCaptain’svetophilosophically，observingthathethoughtfromthefirstthegovernorwouldn’tletmego。Idon’tthinkPepperwasquitehonestinthat。
Buttothesubjectinhand。
AmongthefewchangesthathavetakenplaceinRivermouthduringthepasttwentyyearsthereisonewhichIregret。Ilamenttheremovalofallthosevarnishedironcannonwhichusedtododutyaspostsatthecornersofstreetsleadingfromtheriver。Theywerequaintlyornamental，eachsetuponendwithasolidshotsolderedintoitsmouth，andgavetothatpartofthetownapicturesquenessverypoorlyatonedforbytheconventionalwoodenstakesthathavedeposedthem。
Theseguns（"oldsogers"theboyscalledthem）hadtheirstory，likeeverythingelseinRivermouth。Whenthateverlastinglastwar—theWarof1812，Imean—cametoanend，allthebrigs，schooners，andbarksfittedoutatthisportasprivateerswereaseagertogetridoftheiruselesstwelve—poundersandswivelsastheyhadpreviouslybeentoobtainthem。
Manyofthepieceshadcostlargesums，andnowtheywerelittlebetterthansomuchcrudeiron—notsogood，infact，fortheywereclumsythingstobreakupandmeltover。Thegovernmentdidn’twantthem;privatecitizensdidn’twantthem;theywereadruginthemarket。
Buttherewasoneman，ridiculousbeyondhisgeneration，whogotitintohisheadthatafortunewastobemadeoutofthesesameguns。Tobuythemall，toholdontothemuntilwarwasdeclaredagain（ashehadnodoubtitwouldbeinafewmonths），andthenselloutatfabulousprices—thiswasthedaringideathataddledthepateofSilasTrefethen，"DealerinE。&W。
I。GoodsandGroceries，"asthefadedsignoverhisshop—doorinformedthepublic。
Silaswentshrewdlytowork，buyingupeveryoldcannonhecouldlayhandson。Hisback—yardwassooncrowdedwithbroken—downgun—carriages，andhisbarnwithguns，likeanarsenal。WhenSilas’spurposegotwinditwasastonishinghowvaluablethatthingbecamewhichjustnowwasworthnothingatall。
"Ha，ha！"thoughtSilas。"Somebodyelseistryin’higitcontrolofthemarket。ButIguessI’vegotthestartofhim。"
Sohewentonbuyingandbuying，oftentimespayingdoubletheoriginalpriceofthearticle。Peopleintheneighboringtownscollectedalltheworthlessordnancetheycouldfind，andsentitbythecart—loadtoRivermouth。
Whenhisbarnwasfull，Silasbeganpilingtherubbishinhiscellar，theninhisparlor。Hemortgagedthestockofhisgrocerystore，mortgagedhishouse，hisbarn，hishorse，andwouldhavemortgagedhimself，ifanyonewouldhavetakenhimassecurity，inordertocarryonthegrandspeculation。Hewasaruinedman，andashappyasalark。
SurelypoorSilaswascracked，likethemajorityofhisowncannon。Moreorlesscrazyhemusthavebeenalways。Yearsbeforethishepurchasedanelegantrosewoodcoffin，andkeptitinoneofthespareroomsinhisresidence。Heevenhadhisnameengravedonthesilver—plate，leavingablankaftertheword"Died。"
Theblankwasfilledupinduetime，andwellitwasforSilasthathesecuredsostylishacoffininhisopulentdays，forwhenhediedhisworldlywealthwouldnothaveboughthimapinebox，tosaynothingofrosewood。HenevergaveupexpectingawarwithGreatBritain。Hopefulandradianttothelast，hisdyingwordswere，England—war—fewdays—greatprofits！
Itwasthatsweetoldlady，DameJocelyn，whotoldmethestoryofSilasTrefethen;forthesethingshappenedlongbeforemyday。Silasdiedin1817。
AtTrefethen’sdeathhisuniquecollectioncameundertheauctioneer’shammer。Someofthelargergunsweresoldtothetown，andplantedatthecornersofdiversstreets;otherswentofftotheiron—foundry;thebalance，numberingtwelve，weredumpeddownonadesertedwharfatthefootofAnchorLane，where，summeraftersummer，theyrestedattheireaseinthegrassandfungi，peltedinautumnbytherainandannuallyburiedbythewintersnow。Itiswiththesetwelvegunsthatourstoryhastodeal。
Thewharfwheretheyreposedwasshutofffromthestreetbyahighfence—asilentdreamyoldwharf，coveredwithstrangeweedsandmosses。Onaccountofitsseclusionandthegoodfishingitafforded，itwasmuchfrequentedbyusboys。
Therewemetmanyanafternoontothrowout。ourlines，orplayleap—frogamongtherustycannon。Theywerefamousfellowsinoureyes。Whatarackettheyhadmadeintheheydayoftheirunchastenedyouth！Whatstoriestheymighttellnow，iftheirpuffymetalliclipscouldonlyspeak！Oncetheywerelivelytalkersenough;buttherethegrimsea—dogslay，silentandforlorninspiteofalltheirformergrowlings。
Theyalwaysseemedtomelikealotofvenerabledisabledtars，stretchedoutonalawninfrontofahospital，gazingseaward，andmutelylamentingtheirlostyouth。
Butoncemoretheyweredestinedtoliftuptheirdolorousvoices—oncemoreeretheykeeledoverandlayspeechlessforalltime。Andthisishowitbefell。
JackHarris，CharleyMarden，HarryBlake，andmyselfwerefishingoffthewharfoneafternoon，whenathoughtflasheduponmelikeaninspiration。
"Isay，boys！"Icried，haulinginmylinehandoverhand，"I’vegotsomething！"
"Whatdoesitpulllike，youngster？"askedHarris，lookingdownatthetautlineandexpectingtoseeabigperchatleast。
"O，nothinginthefishway，"Ireturned，laughing;"it’sabouttheoldguns。"
"Whataboutthem？"
"Iwasthinkingwhatjollyfunitwouldbetosetoneoftheoldsogersonhislegsandservehimoutarationofgunpowder。"
Upcamethethreelinesinajiffy。Anenterprisebettersuitedtothedispositionofmycompanionscouldnothavebeenproposed。
Inashorttimewehadoneofthesmallercannonoveronitsbackandwerebusyscrapingthegreenrustfromthetouch—hole。Themouldhadspikedthegunsoeffectually，thatforawhilewefanciedweshouldhavetogiveupourattempttoresuscitatetheoldsoger。
"Alonggimletwouldclearitout，"saidCharleyMarden，"ifweonlyhadone。"
IlookedtoseeifSailorBen’sflagwasflyingatthecabindoor，forhealwaystookinthecolorswhenhewentofffishing。
"WhenyouwanttoknowiftheAdmiral’saboard，jestcastaneyetothebuntin’，myhearties，"saysSailorBen。
SometimesinajocosemoodhecalledhimselftheAdmiral，andIamsurehedeservedtobeone。TheAdmiral’sflagwasflying，andIsoonprocuredagimletfromhiscarefullykepttool—chest。
Beforelongwehadtheguninworkingorder。Anewspaperlashedtotheendofalathservedasaswabtodustoutthebore。JackHarrisblewthroughthetouch—holeandpronouncedallclear。
Seeingourtaskaccomplishedsoeasily，weturnedourattentiontotheotherguns，whichlayinallsortsofposturesintherankgrass。BorrowingaropefromSailorBen，wemanagedwithimmenselabortodragtheheavypiecesintopositionandplaceabrickundereachmuzzletogiveittheproperelevation。Whenwebeheldthemallinarow，likearegularbattery，wesimultaneouslyconceivedanidea，themagnitudeofwhichstruckusdumbforamoment。
Ourfirstintentionwastoloadandfireasinglegun。Howfeebleandinsignificantwassuchaplancomparedtothatwhichnowsentthelightdancingintooureyes！
"Whatcouldwehavebeenthinkingof？"criedJackHarris。"We’llgive’emabroadside，tobesure，ifwedieforit！"
Weturnedtowithawill，andbeforenightfallhadnearlyhalfthebatteryoverhauledandreadyforservice。Tokeeptheartillerydrywestuffedwadsofloosehempintothemuzzles，andfittedwoodenpegstothetouch—holes。
AtrecessthenextnoontheCentipedesmetinacorneroftheschool—yardtotalkovertheproposedlark。Theoriginalprojectors，thoughtheywouldhavelikedtokeepthethingsecret，wereobligedtomakeaclubmatterofit，inasmuchasfundswererequiredforammunition。Therehadbeennorecentdrainonthetreasury，andthesocietycouldwellaffordtospendafewdollarsinsonotableanundertaking。
Itwasunanimouslyagreedthattheplanshouldbecarriedoutinthehandsomestmanner，andasubscriptiontothatendwastakenonthespot。
SeveraloftheCentipedeshadn’tacent，exceptingtheonestrungaroundtheirnecks;others，however，werericher。Ichancedtohaveadollar，anditwentintothecapquickerthanlightning。Whentheclub，inviewofmymunificence，votedtonamethegunsBailey’sBatteryIwasprouderthanI
haveeverbeensinceoveranything。
Themoneythusraised，addedtothatalreadyinthetreasury，amountedtoninedollars—afortuneinthosedays;butnotmorethanwehadusefor。
Thissumwasdividedintotwelveparts，foritwouldnotdoforoneboytobuyallthepowder，norevenforusalltomakeourpurchasesatthesameplace。Thatwouldexcitesuspicionatanytime，particularlyataperiodsoremotefromtheFourthofJuly。
Therewereonlythreestoresintownlicensedtosellpowder;thatgaveeachstorefourcustomers。Nottoruntheslightestriskofremark，oneboyboughthispowderonMonday，thenextboyonTuesday，andsoonuntiltherequisitequantitywasinourpossession。Thisweputintoakegandcarefullyhidinadryspotonthewharf。
Ournextstepwastofinishcleaningtheguns，whichoccupiedtwoafternoons，forseveraloftheoldsogerswereinaverycongestedstateindeed。Havingcompletedthetask，wecameuponadifficulty。Tosetoffthebatterybydaylightwasoutofthequestion;itmustbedoneatnight;
itmustbedonewithfuses，fornodoubttheneighborswouldturnoutafterthefirsttwoorthreeshots，anditwouldnotpaytobecaughtinthevicinity。
Whoknewanythingaboutfuses？Whocouldarrangeitsothegunswouldgooffoneaftertheother，withanintervalofaminuteorsobetween？
Theoreticallyweknewthataminutefuselastedaminute;doublethequantity，twominutes;butpracticallywewereatastand—still。Therewasbutonepersonwhocouldhelpusinthisextremity—SailorBen。TomewasassignedthedutyofobtainingwhatinformationIcouldfromtheex—gunner，itbeinglefttomydiscretionwhetherornottointrusthimwithoursecret。
SooneeveningIdroppedintothecabinandartfullyturnedtheconversationtofusesingeneral，andthentoparticularfuses，butwithoutgettingmuchoutoftheoldboy，whowasbusymakingatwinehammock。Finally，Iwasforcedtodivulgethewholeplot。
TheAdmiralhadasailor’sloveforajoke，andenteredatonceandheartilyintoourscheme。Hevolunteeredtopreparethefuseshimself，andIleftthelaborinhishands，havingboundhimbyseveralextraordinaryoaths—suchas"Hope—Imay—die"and"Shiver—my—timbers"—nottobetrayus，comewhatwould。
ThiswasMondayevening。OnWednesdaythefuseswereready。ThatnightweweretounmuzzleBailey’sBattery。Mr。Grimshawsawthatsomethingwaswrongsomewhere，forwewererestlessandabsent—mindedintheclasses，andthebestofuscametogriefbeforethemorningsessionwasover。WhenMr。
Grimshawannounced"GuyFawkes"asthesubjectforournextcomposition，youmighthaveknockeddowntheMysticTwelvewithafeather。
Thecoincidencewascertainlycurious，butwhenamanhascommitted，orisabouttocommitanoffence，ahundredtrifles，whichwouldpassunnoticedatanothertime，seemtopointathimwithconvictingfingers。NodoubtGuyFawkeshimselfreceivedmanyastartafterhehadgothiswickedkegsofgunpowderneatlypiledupundertheHouseofLords。
Wednesday，asIhavementioned，wasahalf—holiday，andtheCentipedesassembledinmybarntodecideonthefinalarrangements。Thesewereassimpleascouldbe。Asthefuseswereconnected，itneededbutonepersontofirethetrain。Hereuponaroseadiscussionastowhowastheproperperson。SomearguedthatIoughttoapplythematch，thebatterybeingchristenedafterme，andthemainidea，moreover，beingmine。OthersadvocatedtheclaimofPhilAdamsastheoldestboy。Atlastwedrewlotsforthepostofhonor。
Twelveslipsoffoldedpaper，upononeofwhichwaswritten"Thouarttheman，"wereplacedinaquartmeasure，andthoroughlyshaken;theneachmembersteppedupandliftedouthisdestiny。Atagivensignalweopenedourbillets。"Thouarttheman，"saidtheslipofpapertremblinginmyfingers。Thesweetsandanxietiesofaleaderwereminetherestoftheafternoon。
DirectlyaftertwilightsetinPhilAdamsstoledowntothewharfandfixedthefusestotheguns，layingatrainofpowderfromtheprincipalfusetothefence，throughachinkofwhichIwastodropthematchatmidnight。
Atteno’clockRivermouthgoestobed。Ateleveno’clockRivermouthisasquietasacountrychurchyard。Attwelveo’clockthereisnothingleftwithwhichtocomparethestillnessthatbroodsoverthelittleseaport。
InthemidstofthisstillnessIaroseandglidedoutofthehouselikeaphantombentonanevilerrand;likeaphantom。Iflittedthroughthesilentstreet，hardlydrawingbreathuntilIkneltdownbesidethefenceattheappointedplace。
Pausingamomentformyhearttostopthumping，Ilightedthematchandshieldeditwithbothhandsuntilitwaswellunderway，andthendroppedtheblazingsplinterontheslenderthreadofgunpowder。
Anoiselessflashinstantlyfollowed，andallwasdarkagain。Ipeepedthroughthecreviceinthefence，andsawthemainfusespittingoutsparkslikeaconjurer。Assuredthatthetrainhadnotfailed，Itooktomyheels，fearfullestthefusemightburnmorerapidlythanwecalculated，andcauseanexplosionbeforeIcouldgethome。This，luckily，didnothappen。
There’saspecialProvidencethatwatchesoveridiots，drunkenmen，andboys。
Idodgedtheceremonyofundressingbyplungingintobed，jacket，boots，andall。IamnotsureItookoffmycap;butIknowthatIhadhardlypulledthecoverlidoverme，when"BOOM！"soundedthefirstgunofBailey’sBattery。
Ilayasstillasamouse。Inlessthantwominutestherewasanotherburstofthunder，andthenanother。Thethirdgunwasatremendousfellowandfairlyshookthehouse。
Thetownwaswakingup。Windowswerethrownopenhereandthereandpeoplecalledtoeachotheracrossthestreetsaskingwhatthatfiringwasfor。
"BOOM！"wentgunnumberfour。
Isprungoutofbedandtoreoffmyjacket，forIheardtheCaptainfeelinghiswayalongthewalltomychamber。Iwashalfundressedbythetimehefoundtheknobofthedoor。
"Isay，sir，"Icried，"doyouhearthoseguns？"
"Notbeingdeaf，Ido，"saidtheCaptain，alittletartly—anyreflectiononhishearingalwaysnettledhim;"butwhatonearththeyareforIcan’tconceive。Youhadbettergetupanddressyourself。"
"I’mnearlydressed，sir。"
"BOOM！BOOM！"—twoofthegunshadgoneofftogether。
ThedoorofMissAbigail’sbedroomopenedhastily，andthatpinkofmaidenlyproprietysteppedoutintothehailinhernight—gown—theonlyindecorousthingIeverknewhertodo。SheheldalightedcandleinherhandandlookedlikeaveryagedLadyMacbeth。
"ODan’el，thisisdreadful！Whatdoyousupposeitmeans？"
"Ireallycan’tsuppose，"saidtheCaptain，rubbinghisear;"butIguessit’sovernow。"
"BOOM！"saidBailey’sBattery。
Rivermouthwaswideawakenow，andhalfthemalepopulationwereinthestreets，runningdifferentways，forthefiringseemedtoproceedfromoppositepointsofthetown。Everybodywaylaideverybodyelsewithquestions;butasnooneknewwhatwastheoccasionofthetumult，peoplewhowerenotusuallynervousbegantobeoppressedbythemystery。
Somethoughtthetownwasbeingbombarded;somethoughttheworldwascomingtoanend，asthepiousandingeniousMr。Millerhadpredicteditwould;
butthosewhocouldn’tformanytheorywhateverwerethemostperplexed。
InthemeanwhileBailey’sBatterybellowedawayatregularintervals。Thegreatestconfusionreignedeverywherebythistime。Peoplewithlanternsrushedhitherandthither。Thetownwatchhadturnedouttoaman，andmarchedoff，inadmirableorder，inthewrongdirection。Discoveringtheirmistake，theyretracedtheirsteps，andgotdowntothewharfjustasthelastcannonbelchedforthitslightning。
AdensecloudofsulphuroussmokefloatedoverAnchorLane，obscuringthestarlight。Twoorthreehundredpeople，invariousstagesofexcitement，crowdedabouttheupperendofthewharf，notlikingtoadvancefartheruntiltheyweresatisfiedthattheexplosionswereover。Aboardwashereandthereblownfromthefence，andthroughtheopeningsthusaffordedafewofthemoredaringspiritsatlengthventuredtocrawl。
Thecauseoftheracketsoontranspired。AsuspicionthattheyhadbeensoldgraduallydawnedontheRivermouthians。Manywereexceedinglyindignant，anddeclaredthatnopenaltywassevereenoughforthoseconcernedinsuchaprank;others—andtheseweretheverypeoplewhohadbeenterrifiednearlyoutoftheirwits—hadtheassurancetolaugh，sayingthattheyknewallalongitwasonlyatrick。
Thetownwatchboldlytookpossessionoftheground，andthecrowdbegantodisperse。Knotsofgossipslingeredhereandthereneartheplace，indulginginvainsurmisesastowhotheinvisiblegunnerscouldbe。
Therewasnomorenoisethatnight，butmanyatimidpersonlayawakeexpectingarenewalofthemysteriouscannonading。TheOldestInhabitantrefusedtogotobedonanyterms，butpersistedinsittingupinarocking—chair，withhishatandmittenson，untildaybreak。
IthoughtIshouldnevergettosleep。ThemomentIdriftedoffinadozeI
felltolaughingandwokemyselfup。Buttowardsmorningslumberovertookme，andIhadaseriesofdisagreeabledreams，inoneofwhichIwaswaiteduponbytheghostofSilasTrefethenwithanexorbitantbillfortheuseofhisguns。Inanother，Iwasdraggedbeforeacourt—martialandsentencedbySailorBen，inafrizzledwigandthree—corneredcockedhat，tobeshottodeathbyBailey’sBattery—asentencewhichSailorBenwasabouttoexecutewithhisownhand，whenIsuddenlyopenedmyeyesandfoundthesunshinelyingpleasantlyacrossmyface。ItellyouIwasglad！
ThatunaccountablefascinationwhichleadstheguiltytohoveraboutthespotwherehiscrimewascommitteddrewmedowntothewharfassoonasI
wasdressed。PhilAdams，JackHarris，andothersoftheconspiratorswerealreadythere，examiningwithamingledfeelingofcuriosityandapprehensionthehavocaccomplishedbythebattery。
Thefencewasbadlyshatteredandthegroundploughedupforseveralyardsroundtheplacewherethegunsformerlylay—formerlylay，fornowtheywerescatteredeverywhichway。Therewasscarcelyagunthathadn’tburst。Herewasonerippedopenfrommuzzletobreech，andtherewasanotherwithitsmouthblownintotheshapeofatrumpet。Threeofthegunshaddisappearedbodily，butonlookingovertheedgeofthewharfwesawthemstandingonendinthetide—mud。Theyhadpoppedoverboardintheirexcitement。
"Itellyouwhat，fellows，"whisperedPhilAdams，"itisluckywedidn’ttrytotouch’emoffwithpunk。They’dhaveblownusalltofinders。"
ThedestructionofBailey’sBatterywasnot，unfortunately，theonlycatastrophe。AfragmentofoneofthecannonhadearnedawaythechimneyofSailorBen’scabin。Hewasverymadatfirst，buthavingpreparedthefusehimselfhedidn’tdarecomplainopenly。
"I’dhavetakenareefintheblessedstove—pipe，"saidtheAdmiral，gazingruefullyatthesmashedchimney，"ifIhadknownashowtheFlagshipwasagoin’tobeunderfire。"
Thenextdayheriggedoutanironfunnel，which，beinginsections，couldbedetachedandtakeninatamoment’snotice。Onthewhole，Ithinkhewasresignedtothedemolitionofhisbrickchimney。Thestove—pipewasagreatdealmoreshipshape。
Thetownwasnotsoeasilyappeased。Theselectmendeterminedtomakeanexampleoftheguiltyparties，andofferedarewardfortheirarrest，holdingoutapromiseofpardontoanyoneoftheoffenderswhowouldfurnishinformationagainsttherest。ButtherewerenofaintheartsamongtheCentipedes。Suspicionrestedforawhileonseveralpersons—onthesoldiersatthefort;onacrazyfellow，knownabouttownas"BottleNose";
andatlastonSailorBen。
"Shivermytimbers！"criesthatdeeplyinjuredindividual。"Doyousuppose，sir，asIhavelivedtosixtyyear，an’ain’tgotnomoresensethantogofortoblazeawayatmyownupperriggin’？Itdoesn’tstandtoreason。"
ItcertainlydidnotseemprobablethatMr。Watsonwouldmaliciouslyknockoverhisownchimney，andLawyerHackett，whohadthecaseinhand，’bowedhimselfoutoftheAdmiral’scabinconvincedthattherightmanhadnotbeendiscovered。
Peoplelivingbytheseaarealwaysmoreorlesssuperstitious。Storiesofspectreshipsandmysteriousbeacons，thatlurevesselsoutoftheircourseandwreckthemonunknownreefs，wereamongthestocklegendsofRivermouth;andnotafewpeopleinthetownwerereadytoattributethefiringofthosegunstosomesupernaturalagency。TheOldestInhabitantrememberedthatwhenhewasaboyadim—lookingsortofschoonerhovetointheoffingonefoggyafternoon，firedoffasinglegunthatdidn’tmakeanyreport，andthencrumbledtonothing，spar，mast，andhulk，likeapieceofburntpaper。
Theauthorities，however，wereoftheopinionthathumanhandshadsomethingtodowiththeexplosions，andtheyresortedtodeep—laidstratagemstogetholdofthesaidhands。Oneoftheirtrapscameverynearcatchingus。Theyartfullycausedanoldbrassfieldpiecetobeleftonawharfnearthesceneofourlateoperations。Nothingintheworldbutthelackofmoneytobuypowdersavedusfromfallingintotheclutchesofthetwowatchmenwholaysecretedforaweekinaneighboringsail—loft。
Itwasmanyadaybeforethemidnightbombardmentceasedtobethetown—talk。Thetrickwassoaudaciousandonsograndascalethatnobodythoughtforaninstantofconnectingusladswithit。Suspicionatlengthgrewwearyoflightingonthewrongperson，andasconjecture—likethephysiciansintheepitaph—wasinvain，theRivermouthiansgaveuptheideaoffindingoutwhohadastonishedthem。
Theyneverdidfindout，andneverwill，unlesstheyreadthisveracioushistory。Iftheselectmenarestilldisposedtopunishthemalefactors，I
cansupplyLawyerHackettwithevidenceenoughtoconvictPepperWhitcomb，PhilAdams，CharleyMarden，andtheotherhonorablemembersoftheCentipedeClub。ButreallyIdon’tthinkitwouldpaynow。
Chapter18
AFrogHeWouldA—WooingGoIfthereadersupposesthatIlivedallthiswhileinRivermouthwithoutfallingavictimtooneormoreoftheyoungladiesattendingMissDorothyGibbs’sFemaleInstitute，why，then，allIhavetosayisthereaderexhibitshisignoranceofhumannature。
MissGibbs’sseminarywaslocatedwithinafewminutes’walkoftheTempleGrammarSchool，andnumberedaboutthirty—fivepupils，themajorityofwhomboardedattheHall—PrimroseHall，asMissDorothyprettily20calledit。
ThePrim—roses，aswecalledthem，rangedfromsevenyearsofagetosweetseventeen，andaprettiergroupofsirensnevergottogethereveninRivermouth，forRivermouth，youshouldknow，isfamousforitsprettygirls。
Thereweretallgirlsandshortgirls，rosygirlsandpalegirls，andgirlsasbrownasberries;girlslikeAmazons，slendergirls，weirdandwinninglikeUndine，girlswithblacktresses，girlswithauburnringlets，girlswitheverytingeofgoldenhair。TobeholdMissDorothy’syoungladiesofaSundaymorningwalkingtochurchtwobytwo，thesmallesttoddlingattheendoftheprocession，likethebobsatthetailofakite，wasaspectacletofillwithtenderemotiontheleastsusceptibleheart。ToseeMissDorothymarchinggrimlyattheheadofherlightinfantry，wastofeelthehopelessnessofmakinganattackonanypartofthecolumn。
Shewasaperfectdragonofwatchfulness。Themostunguardedliftingofaneyelashintheflutteringbattalionwassufficienttoputheronthelookout。Shehadhadexperienceswiththemalesex，thisMissDorothysoprimandgrim。Itwaswhisperedthatherheartwasatatteredalbumscrawledoverwithlove—lines，butthatshehadshutupthevolumelongago。
Therewasatraditionthatshehadbeencrossedinlove;butitwasthefaintestoftraditions。Agayyounglieutenantofmarineshadflirtedwithheratacountryball（A。D。1811），andthenmarchedcarelesslyawayattheheadofhiscompanytotheshrillmusicofthefife，withoutsomuchasasighforthegirlheleftbehindhim。Theyearsrolledon，thegallantgayLothario—whichwasn’thisname—married，becameafather，andthenagrandfather;andattheperiodofwhichIamspeakinghisgrandchildwasactuallyoneofMissDorothy’syoungladies。So，atleast，ranthestory。
Thelieutenanthimselfwasdeadthesemanyyears;butMissDorothynevergotoverhisduplicity。Shewasconvincedthatthesoleaimofmankindwastowintheunguardedaffectionofmaidens，andthenmarchofftreacherouslywithflyingcolorstotheheartlessmusicofthedrumandfife。ToshieldtheinmatesofPrimroseHallfromthebitterinfluencesthathadblightedherownearlyaffectionswasMissDorothy’smissioninlife。
"Nowolvesprowlingaboutmylambs，ifyouplease，"saidMissDorothy。"Iwillnotallowit。"
Shewasasgoodasherword。Idon’tthinktheboyliveswhoeversetfootwithinthelimitsofPrimroseHallwhiletheseminarywasunderhercharge。
PerhapsifMissDorothyhadgivenheryoungladiesalittlemoreliberty，theywouldnothavethoughtit"suchfun"tomakeeyesoverthewhitelatticefenceattheyounggentlemenoftheTempleGrammarSchool。Isayperhaps;foritisonethingtomanagethirty—fiveyoungladiesandquiteanotherthingtotalkaboutit。
ButallMissDorothy’svigilancecouldnotpreventtheyoungfolksfrommeetinginthetownnowandthen，norcouldherutmostingenuityinterruptpostalarrangements。TherewasnoendofnotespassingbetweenthestudentsandthePrimroses。Notestiedtotheheadsofarrowswereshotintodormitorywindows;notesweretuckedunderfences，andhiddeninthetrunksofdecayedtrees。Everythickplaceintheboxwoodhedgethatsurroundedtheseminarywasapossiblepost—office。
ItwasaterribleshocktoMissDorothythedaysheunearthedanestoflettersinoneofthehugewoodenurnssurmountingthegatewaythatledtoherdovecot。ItwasabittermomenttoMissPhoebeandMissCandaceandMissHesba，whentheyhadtheirlocksofhairgrimlyhandedbacktothembyMissGibbsinthepresenceofthewholeschool。Girlswhoselocksofhairhadruntheblockadeinsafetywereparticularlysevereontheoffenders。
Butitdidn’tstopothernotesandothertresses，andIwouldliketoknowwhatcanstopthemwhiletheearthholdstogether。
NowwhenIfirstcametoRivermouthIlookedupongirlsasrathertamecompany;Ihadn’tasparkofsentimentconcerningthem;butseeingmycomradessendingandreceivingmysteriousepistles，wearingbitsofribbonintheirbutton—holesandleavingpackagesofconfectionery（generallylemon—drops）inthehollowtrunksoftrees—why，Ifeltthatthiswastheproperthingtodo。Iresolved，asamatterofduty，tofallinlovewithsomebody，andIdidn’tcareintheleastwhoitwas。InmuchthesamemoodthatDonQuixoteselectedtheDulcineadelTobosoforhislady—love，I
singledoutoneofMissDorothy’sincomparableyoungladiesformine。
IdebatedalongwhilewhetherIshouldnotselecttwo，butatlastsettleddownonone—apalelittlegirlwithblueeyes，namedAlice。Ishallnotmakealongstoryofthis，forAlicemadeshortworkofme。ShewassecretlyinlovewithPepperWhitcomb。ThisoccasionedatemporarycoolnessbetweenPepperandmyself。
Notdisheartened，however，IplacedLauraRice—IbelieveitwasLauraRice—inthevacantniche。Thenewidolwasmorecruelthantheold。Theformerfranklysentmetotherightabout，butthelatterwasadeceitfullot。Sheworemynosegayinherdressattheeveningservice（thePrimrosesweremarchedtochurchthreetimeseverySunday），shepennedmethedaintiestofnotes，shesentmetheglossiestofringlets（cut，asI
afterwardsfoundout，fromthestupidheadofMissGibbs’schamber—maid），andatthesametimewasholdingmeandmyponyuptoridiculeinaseriesofletterswrittentoJackHarris。ItwasHarrishimselfwhokindlyopenedmyeyes。
"Itellyouwhat，Bailey，"saidthatyounggentleman，"Lauraisanoldveteran，andcarriestoomanygunsforayoungster。Shecan’tresistaflirtation;Ibelieveshe’dflirtwithaninfantinarms。There’shardlyafellowintheschoolthathasn’twornhercolorsandsomeofherhair。Shedoesn’tgiveoutanymoreofherownhairnow。It’sbeenprettywellusedup。Thedemandwasgreaterthanthesupply，yousee。It’sallverywelltocorrespondwithLaura，butastolookingforanythingseriousfromher，theknowingonesdon’t。HopeIhaven’thurtyourfeelings，oldboy，"（thatwasasoothingstrokeofflatterytocallme"oldboy，"）"butitwasmydutyasafriendandaCentipedetoletyouknowwhoyouweredealingwith。"
Suchwastheadvicegivenmebythattime—stricken，careworn，andembitteredmanoftheworld，whowassixteenyearsoldifhewasaday。
IdroppedLaura。InthecourseofthenexttwelvemonthsIhadperhapsthreeorfoursimilarexperiences，andtheconclusionwasforceduponmethatI
wasnotaboylikelytodistinguishmyselfinthisbranchofbusiness。
IfoughtshyofPrimroseHallfromthatmoment。Smilesweresmiledovertheboxwoodhedge，andlittlehandswereoccasionallykissedtome;butIonlywinkedmyeyepatronizingly，andpassedon。IneverrenewedtenderrelationswithMissGibbs’syoungladies。AllthisoccurredduringmyfirstyearandahalfatRivermouth。
Betweenmystudiesatschool，myout—doorrecreations，andthehurtsmyvanityreceived，Imanagedtoescapeforthetimebeinganyveryseriousattackofthatlovefeverwhich，likethemeasles，isalmostcertaintoseizeuponaboysoonerorlater。Iwasnottobeanexception。Iwasmerelybidingmytime。TheincidentsIhavenowtorelatetookplaceshortlyaftertheeventsdescribedinthelastchapter。
InalifesotranquilandcircumscribedasoursintheNutterHouse，avisitorwasanoveltyofnolittleimportance。ThewholehouseholdawokefromitsquietudeonemorningwhentheCaptainannouncedthatayoungnieceofhisfromNewYorkwastospendafewweekswithus。
Theblue—chintzroom，intowhicharayofsunwasneverallowedtopenetrate，wasthrownopenanddusted，anditsmouldyairmadesweetwithabouquetofpot—rosesplacedontheold—fashionedbureau。Kittywasbusyalltheforenoonwashingoffthesidewalkandsand—paperingthegreatbrassknockeronourfront—door;andMissAbigailwasuptoherelbowsinapigeon—pie。
Ifeltsureitwasfornoordinarypersonthatallthesepreparationswereinprogress;andIwasright。MissNellyGlentworthwasnoordinaryperson。
Ishallneverbelieveshewas。Theremayhavebeenlovelierwomen，thoughI
haveneverseenthem;theremayhavebeenmorebrilliantwomen，thoughithasnotbeenmyfortunetomeetthem;butthattherewaseveramorecharmingonethanNellyGlentworthisapropositionagainstwhichI
contend。
Idon’tlovehernow。Idon’tthinkofheronceinfiveyears;andyetitwouldgivemeaturnifinthecourseofmydailywalkIshouldsuddenlycomeuponhereldestboy。ImaysaythathereldestboywasnotplayingaprominentpartinthislifewhenIfirstmadeheracquaintance。
Itwasadrizzling，cheerlessafternoontowardstheendofsummerthatahackdrewupatthedooroftheNutterHouse。TheCaptainandMissAbigailhastenedintothehallonhearingthecarriagestop。InamomentmoreMissNellyGlentworthwasseatedinoursitting—roomundergoingacriticalexaminationatthehandsofasmallboywholoungeduncomfortablyonasetteebetweenthewindows。
Thesmallboyconsideredhimselfajudgeofgirls，andherapidlycametothefollowingconclusions：ThatMissNellywasaboutnineteen;thatshehadnotgivenawaymuchofherbackhair，whichhungintwomassivechestnutbraidsoverhershoulders;thatshewasashadetoopaleandatrifletootall;thatherhandswerenicelyshapedandherfeetmuchtoodiminutivefordailyuse。Hefurthermoreobservedthathervoicewasmusical，andthatherfacelightedupwithanindescribablebrightnesswhenshesmiled。
Onthewhole，thesmallboylikedherwellenough;and，satisfiedthatshewasnotapersontobeafraidof，but，onthecontrary，onewhomightbemadequiteagreeable，hedepartedtokeepanappointmentwithhisfriendSirPepperWhitcomb。
ButthenextmorningwhenMissGlentworthcamedowntobreakfastinapurpledress，herface20asfreshasoneofthemoss—rosesonthebureauupstairs，andherlaughascontagiousasthemerrimentofarobin，thesmallboyexperiencedastrangesensation，andmentallycomparedherwiththeloveliestofMissGibbs’syoungladies，andfoundthoseyoungladieswantinginthebalance。
Anight’sresthadwroughtawonderfulchangeinMissNelly。Thepallorandwearinessofthejourneyhadpassedaway。Ilookedatherthroughthetoast—rackandthoughtIhadneverseenanythingmorewinningthanhersmile。
AfterbreakfastshewentoutwithmetothestabletoseeGypsy，andthethreeofusbecamefriendsthenandthere。NellywastheonlygirlthatGypsyevertooktheslightestnoticeof。
Itchancedtobeahalf—holiday，andabaseballmatchofunusualinterestwastocomeoffontheschoolgroundthatafternoon;but，somehow，Ididn’tgo。Ihungaboutthehouseabstractedly。TheCaptainwentuptown，andMissAbigailwasbusyinthekitchenmakingimmortalgingerbread。Idriftedintothesitting—room，andhadourguestalltomyselfforIdon’tknowhowmanyhours。Itwastwilight，Irecollect，whentheCaptainreturnedwithlettersforMissNelly。
ManyatimeafterthatIsatwithherthroughthedreamySeptemberafternoons。IfIhadplayedbaseballitwouldhavebeenmuchbetterforme。
ThosefirstdaysofMissNelly’svisitareverymistyinmyremembrance。I
tryinvaintorememberjustwhenIbegantofallinlovewithher。
’Whetherthespellworkeduponmegraduallyorfelluponmeallatonce，I
don’tknow。IonlyknowthatitseemedtomeasifIhadalwayslovedher。
Thingsthattookplacebeforeshecameweredimtome，likeeventsthathadoccurredintheMiddleAges。
Nellywasatleastfiveyearsmysenior。Butwhatofthat？AdamistheonlymanIeverheardofwhodidn’tinearlyyouthfallinlovewithawomanolderthanhimself，andIamconvincedthathewouldhavedonesoifhehadhadtheopportunity。
Iwonderifgirlsfromfifteentotwentyareawareoftheglamourtheycastoverthestraggling，awkwardboyswhomtheyregardandtreatasmerechildren？Iwonder，now。Youngwomenaresokeeninsuchmatters。IwonderifMissNellyGlentworthneversuspecteduntiltheverylastnightofhervisitatRivermouththatIwasoverearsinlovewithherprettyself，andwassufferingpangsaspoignantasifIhadbeentenfeethighandasoldasMethuselah？For，indeed，Iwasmiserablethroughoutallthosefiveweeks。IwentdownintheLatinclassattherateofthreeboysaday。Herfreshyoungeyescamebetweenmeandmybook，andtherewasanendofVirgil。