”Goodevening，Captain，”hailedtheyoungman，cheerily。”Didn’texpectme，didyou？IdroppedinforamomenttoshakehandswithyouandtooffercongratulationstoMissWarren。”Then，noticingtheexpressiononhisfriend’sface，headded，”What’sthematter？Anythingwrong？AmIintruding？””No，no！Coursenot。You’reaswelcomeasanotheregginapoorman’shen-house。Comerightinandtakeoffyourthings。I’mgladtoseeyou。Only——well，thefactisIthought’twasCarolinecomin’home。SheandSteviewastobehereovertwohoursago，andIcan’timaginewhat’skeepin，’em。”
Heinsisteduponhisvisitor’sremaining，althoughthelatter，whenheunderstoodthesituation，wasreluctanttodoso。”Caroline’llberealgladtoseeyou，Jim，Iknow，”thecaptainsaid。”AndIwantyoutostayformysake。Betweenpacifyin’theCommodoreandfrettin’overwhatcouldn’tpossiblyhappen，Iwashalfdeadofthefidgets。Stayandcheermeup，there’sagoodfeller。I’djustaboutreachedthestagewhereIhadthegirlandboystovetoflindersunderthatpeskyauto。I’devenbeguntofiggeronnotifyin’theundertaker。TellmeI’manoldfoolandthentalkaboutsomethin’else。They’llbehereanyminute。”
Butagoodmanyminutespassed，andstilltheydidnotcome。
Pearson，awareofhiscompanion’sgrowinganxiety，chattedofthenovel，ofthepeopleattheboardinghouse，ofanythingandeverythinghecouldthinkoflikelytodivertattentionfromtheoneimportanttopic。Theanswershereceivedweremoreandmorebriefandabsent。Atlast，whenEdwardsagainappeared，appealinglymute，attheentrancetothediningroom，CaptainElisha，withasighwhichwasalmostagroan，surrendered。”Iguess，”hesaid，reluctantly，”Iguess，Jim，thereain’tanyusewaitin’anylonger。Somethin’skept’em，andtheywon’tbeherefordinner。YouandI’llsetdownandeat——thoughIain’tgottheappetiteIcal’latedtohave。”
Pearsonhaddinedhoursbefore，buthefollowedhisfriend，resolvedtopleasethelatterbygoingthroughtheformofpretendingtoeat。