’Whomaythemtwomaidsbe？’hewhisperedtohisneighbour。
’ThelittleoneisEmilyHanning；thetalloneJoannaPhippard。’
’Ah!Irecollect’emnow，tobesure。’
Headvancedtotheirelbow，andgeniallystoleagazeatthem。
’Emily，youdon’tknowme？’saidthesailor，turninghisbeamingbrowneyesonher。
’IthinkIdo，Mr。Jolliffe，’saidEmilyshyly。
Theothergirllookedstraightathimwithherdarkeyes。
’ThefaceofMissJoannaIdon’tcalltomindsowell，’hecontinued。
’ButIknowherbeginningsandkindred。’
Theywalkedandtalkedtogether，Jolliffenarratingparticularsofhislatenarrowescape，tilltheyreachedthecornerofSloopLane，inwhichEmilyHanningdwelt，when，withanodandsmile，sheleftthem。SoonthesailorpartedalsofromJoanna，and，havingnoespecialerrandorappointment，turnedbacktowardsEmily’shouse。
Shelivedwithherfather，whocalledhimselfanaccountant，thedaughter，however，keepingalittlestationery-shopasasupplementalprovisionforthegapsofhissomewhatuncertainbusiness。OnenteringJolliffefoundfatheranddaughterabouttobegintea。
’O，Ididn’tknowitwastea-time，’hesaid。’Ay，I’llhaveacupwithmuchpleasure。’
Heremainedtoteaandlongafterwards，tellingmoretalesofhisseafaringlife。Severalneighbourscalledtolisten，andwereaskedtocomein。SomehowEmilyHanninglostherhearttothesailorthatSundaynight，andinthecourseofaweekortwotherewasatenderunderstandingbetweenthem。
OnemoonlighteveninginthenextmonthShadrachwasascendingoutofthetownbythelongstraightroadeastward，toanelevatedsuburbwherethemorefashionablehousesstood——ifanythingnearthisancientportcouldbecalledfashionable——whenhesawafigurebeforehimwhom，fromhermannerofglancingback，hetooktobeEmily。
But，oncomingup，hefoundshewasJoannaPhippard。Hegaveagallantgreeting，andwalkedbesideher。
’Goalong，’shesaid，’orEmilywillbejealous!’
Heseemednottolikethesuggestion，andremained。WhatwassaidandwhatwasdoneonthatwalknevercouldbeclearlyrecollectedbyShadrach；butinsomewayorotherJoannacontrivedtoweanhimawayfromhergentlerandyoungerrival。Fromthatweekonwards，JolliffewasseenmoreandmoreinthewakeofJoannaPhippardandlessinthecompanyofEmily；anditwassoonrumouredaboutthequaythatoldJolliffe’sson，whohadcomehomefromsea，wasgoingtobemarriedtotheformeryoungwoman，tothegreatdisappointmentofthelatter。
Justafterthisreporthadgoneabout，Joannadressedherselfforawalkonemorning，andstartedforEmily’shouseinthelittlecross-
street。IntelligenceofthedeepsorrowofherfriendonaccountofthelossofShadrachhadreachedherearsalso，andherconsciencereproachedherforwinninghimaway。
Joannawasnotaltogethersatisfiedwiththesailor。Shelikedhisattentions，andshecovetedthedignityofmatrimony；butshehadneverbeendeeplyinlovewithJolliffe。Foronething，shewasambitious，andsociallyhispositionwashardlysogoodasherown，andtherewasalwaysthechanceofanattractivewomanmatingconsiderablyaboveher。IthadlongbeeninhermindthatshewouldnotstronglyobjecttogivehimbackagaintoEmilyifherfriendfeltsoverybadlyabouthim。TothisendshehadwrittenaletterofrenunciationtoShadrach，whichlettershecarriedinherhand，intendingtosenditifpersonalobservationofEmilyconvincedherthatherfriendwassuffering。
JoannaenteredSloopLaneandsteppeddownintothestationery-shop，whichwasbelowthepavementlevel。Emily’sfatherwasneverathomeatthishouroftheday，anditseemedasthoughEmilywerenotathomeeither，forthevisitorcouldmakenobodyhear。Customerscamesoseldomhitherthatafiveminutes’absenceoftheproprietorcountedforlittle。Joannawaitedinthelittleshop，whereEmilyhadtastefullysetout——aswomencan——articlesinthemselvesofslightvalue，soastoobscurethemeagrenessofthestock-in-trade；
tillshesawafigurepausingwithoutthewindowapparentlyabsorbedinthecontemplationofthesixpennybooks，packetsofpaper，andprintshungonastring。ItwasCaptainShadrachJolliffe，peeringintoascertainifEmilyweretherealone。MovedbyanimpulseofreluctancetomeethiminaspotwhichbreathedofEmily，Joannaslippedthroughthedoorthatcommunicatedwiththeparlourattheback。Shehadfrequentlydonesobefore，forinherfriendshipwithEmilyshehadthefreedomofthehousewithoutceremony。
Jolliffeenteredtheshop。ThroughthethinblindwhichscreenedtheglasspartitionshecouldseethathewasdisappointedatnotfindingEmilythere。Hewasabouttogooutagain，whenEmily’sformdarkenedthedoorway，hasteninghomefromsomeerrand。AtsightofJolliffeshestartedbackasifshewouldhavegoneoutagain。
’Don’trunaway，Emily；don’t!’saidhe。’Whatcanmakeyeafraid？’
’I’mnotafraid，CaptainJolliffe。Only——onlyIsawyouallofasudden，and——itmademejump!’Hervoiceshowedthatherhearthadjumpedevenmorethantherestofher。
’IjustcalledasIwaspassing，’hesaid。
’Forsomepaper？’Shehastenedbehindthecounter。
’No，no，Emily；whydoyegetbehindthere？Whynotstaybyme？Youseemtohateme。’
’Idon’thateyou。HowcanI？’
’Thencomeout，sothatwecantalklikeChristians。’
Emilyobeyedwithafitfullaugh，tillshestoodagainbesidehimintheopenpartoftheshop。
’There’sadear，’hesaid。
’Youmustn’tsaythat，CaptainJolliffe；becausethewordsbelongtosomebodyelse。’
’Ah!Iknowwhatyoumean。But，Emily，uponmylifeIdidn’tknowtillthismorningthatyoucaredonebitaboutme，orIshouldnothavedoneasIhavedone。IhavethebestoffeelingsforJoanna，butIknowthatfromthebeginningshehasn’tcaredformemorethaninafriendlyway；andIseenowtheoneIoughttohaveaskedtobemywife。Youknow，Emily，whenamancomeshomefromseaafteralongvoyagehe’sasblindasabat——hecan’tseewho’swhoinwomen。
Theyareallaliketohim，beautifulcreatures，andhetakesthefirstthatcomeseasy，withoutthinkingifsheloveshim，orifhemightnotsoonloveanotherbetterthanher。FromthefirstI
inclinedtoyoumost，butyouweresobackwardandshythatIthoughtyoudidn’twantmetobother’ee，andsoIwenttoJoanna。’
’Don’tsayanymore，Mr。Jolliffe，don’t!’saidshe，choking。’YouaregoingtomarryJoannanextmonth，anditiswrongto——to——’
’O，Emily，mydarling!’hecried，andclaspedherlittlefigureinhisarmsbeforeshewasaware。
Joanna，behindthecurtain，turnedpale，triedtowithdrawhereyes，butcouldnot。
’ItisonlyyouIloveasamanoughttolovethewomanheisgoingtomarry；andIknowthisfromwhatJoannahassaid，thatshewillwillinglyletmeoff!ShewantstomarryhigherIknow，andonlysaid“Yes“tomeoutofkindness。Afine，tallgirllikeherisn’tthesortforaplainsailor’swife：youbethebestsuitedforthat。’
Hekissedherandkissedheragain，herflexibleformquiveringintheagitationofhisembrace。
’Iwonder——areyousure——Joannaisgoingtobreakoffwithyou？O，areyousure？Because——’
’Iknowshewouldnotwishtomakeusmiserable。Shewillreleaseme。’
’O，Ihope——Ihopeshewill!Don’tstayanylonger，CaptainJolliffe!’
Helingered，however，tillacustomercameforapennystickofsealing-wax，andthenhewithdrew。
GreenenvyhadoverspreadJoannaatthescene。Shelookedaboutforawayofescape。TogetoutwithoutEmily’sknowledgeofhervisitwasindispensable。Shecreptfromtheparlourintothepassage，andthencetothefrontdoorofthehouse，wheresheletherselfnoiselesslyintothestreet。
Thesightofthatcaresshadreversedallherresolutions。ShecouldnotletShadrachgo。Reachinghomesheburnttheletter，andtoldhermotherthatifCaptainJolliffecalledshewastoounwelltoseehim。
Shadrach，however，didnotcall。Hesentheranoteexpressinginsimplelanguagethestateofhisfeelings；andaskedtobeallowedtotakeadvantageofthehintsshehadgivenhimthatheraffection，too，waslittlemorethanfriendly，bycancellingtheengagement。
Lookingoutupontheharbourandtheislandbeyondhewaitedandwaitedinhislodgingsforananswerthatdidnotcome。ThesuspensegrewtobesointolerablethatafterdarkhewentuptheHighStreet。
HecouldnotresistcallingatJoanna’stolearnhisfate。
Hermothersaidherdaughterwastoounwelltoseehim，andtohisquestioningadmittedthatitwasinconsequenceofaletterreceivedfromhimself；whichhaddistressedherdeeply。
’Youknowwhatitwasabout，perhaps，Mrs。Phippard？’hesaid。
Mrs。Phippardownedthatshedid，addingthatitputtheminaverypainfulposition。ThereuponShadrach，fearingthathehadbeenguiltyofanenormity，explainedthatifhisletterhadpainedJoannaitmustbeowingtoamisunderstanding，sincehehadthoughtitwouldbearelieftoher。Ifotherwise，hewouldholdhimselfboundbyhisword，andshewastothinkoftheletterasneverhavingbeenwritten。
Nextmorninghereceivedanoralmessagefromtheyoungwoman，askinghimtofetchherhomefromameetingthatevening。Thishedid，andwhilewalkingfromtheTownHalltoherdoor，withherhandinhisarm，shesaid：
’Itisallthesameasbeforebetweenus，isn’tit，Shadrach？Yourletterwassentinmistake？’
’Itisallthesameasbefore，’heanswered，’ifyousayitmustbe。’
’Iwishittobe，’shemurmured，withhardlineaments，asshethoughtofEmily。
Shadrachwasareligiousandscrupulousman，whorespectedhiswordashislife。Shortlyafterwardstheweddingtookplace，JolliffehavingconveyedtoEmilyasgentlyaspossibletheerrorhehadfallenintowhenestimatingJoanna’smoodasoneofindifference。
AmonthafterthemarriageJoanna’smotherdied，andthecouplewereobligedtoturntheirattentiontoverypracticalmatters。Nowthatshewasleftwithoutaparent，Joannacouldnotbearthenotionofherhusbandgoingtoseaagain，butthequestionwas，Whatcouldhedoathome？Theyfinallydecidedtotakeonagrocer’sshopinHighStreet，thegoodwillandstockofwhichwerewaitingtobedisposedofatthattime。Shadrachknewnothingofshopkeeping，andJoannaverylittle，buttheyhopedtolearn。
Tothemanagementofthisgrocerybusinesstheynowdevotedalltheirenergies，andcontinuedtoconductitformanysucceedingyears，withoutgreatsuccess。Twosonswereborntothem，whomtheirmotherlovedtoidolatry，althoughshehadneverpassionatelylovedherhusband；andshelavisheduponthemallherforethoughtandcare。
Buttheshopdidnotthrive，andthelargedreamsshehadentertainedofhersons’educationandcareerbecameattenuatedinthefaceofrealities。Theirschoolingwasoftheplainest，but，beingbythesea，theygrewalertinallsuchnauticalartsandenterprisesaswereattractivetotheirage。
ThegreatinterestoftheJolliffes’marriedlife，outsidetheirownimmediatehousehold，hadlaininthemarriageofEmily。Byoneofthoseoddchanceswhichleadthosethatlurkinunexpectedcornerstobediscovered，whiletheobviousarepassedby，thegentlegirlhadbeenseenandlovedbyathrivingmerchantofthetown，awidower，someyearsolderthanherself，thoughstillintheprimeoflife。AtfirstEmilyhaddeclaredthatshenever，nevercouldmarryanyone；
butMr。Lesterhadquietlypersevered，andhadatlastwonherreluctantassent。Twochildrenalsowerethefruitsofthisunion，and，astheygrewandprospered，Emilydeclaredthatshehadneversupposedthatshecouldlivetobesohappy。