Theworthymerchant’shome，oneofthoselarge，substantialbrickmansionsfrequentlyjammedupinold-fashionedtowns，faceddirectlyontheHighStreet，nearlyoppositetothegroceryshopoftheJolliffes，anditnowbecamethepainofJoannatobeholdthewomanwhoseplaceshehadusurpedoutofpurecovetousness，lookingdownfromherpositionofcomparativewealthuponthehumbleshop-windowwithitsdustysugar-loaves，heapsofraisins，andcanistersoftea，overwhichitwasherownlottopreside。Thebusinesshavingsodwindled，Joannawasobligedtoserveintheshopherself；anditgalledandmortifiedherthatEmilyLester，sittinginherlargedrawing-roomovertheway，couldwitnessherowndancingsupanddownbehindthecounteratthebeckandcallofwretchedtwopennycustomers，whosepatronageshewasdriventowelcomegladly：personstowhomshewascompelledtobecivilinthestreet，whileEmilywasboundingalongwithherchildrenandhergoverness，andconversingwiththegenteelestpeopleofthetownandneighbourhood。ThiswaswhatshehadgainedbynotlettingShadrachJolliffe，whomshehadsofaintlyloved，carryhisaffectionelsewhere。
Shadrachwasagoodandhonestman，andhehadbeenfaithfultoherinheartandindeed。TimehadclippedthewingsofhisloveforEmilyinhisdevotiontothemotherofhisboys：hehadquiteliveddownthatimpulsiveearlierfancy，andEmilyhadbecomeinhisregardnothingmorethanafriend。ItwasthesamewithEmily’sfeelingsforhim。Possibly，hadshefoundtheleastcauseforjealousy，Joannawouldalmosthavebeenbettersatisfied。ItwasintheabsoluteacquiescenceofEmilyandShadrachintheresultssheherselfhadcontrivedthatherdiscontentfoundnourishment。
Shadrachwasnotendowedwiththenarrowshrewdnessnecessaryfordevelopingaretailbusinessinthefaceofmanycompetitors。Didacustomerinquireifthegrocercouldreallyrecommendthewondroussubstituteforeggswhichaperseveringbagmanhadforcedintohisstock，hewouldanswerthat’whenyoudidnotputeggsintoapuddingitwasdifficulttotastethemthere’；andwhenhewasaskedifhis’realMochacoffee’wasrealMocha，hewouldsaygrimly，’asunderstoodinsmallshops。’
Onesummerday，whenthebigbrickhouseoppositewasreflectingtheoppressivesun’sheatintotheshop，andnobodywaspresentbuthusbandandwife，JoannalookedacrossatEmily’sdoor，whereawealthyvisitor’scarriagehaddrawnup。TracesofpatronagehadbeenvisibleinEmily’smanneroflate。
’Shadrach，thetruthis，youarenotabusiness-man，’hiswifesadlymurmured。’Youwerenotbroughtuptoshopkeeping，anditisimpossibleforamantomakeafortuneatanoccupationhehasjumpedinto，asyoudidintothis。’
Jolliffeagreedwithher，inthisasineverythingelse。
’NotthatIcarearope’sendaboutmakingafortune，’hesaidcheerfully。’Iamhappyenough，andwecanrubonsomehow。’
Shelookedagainatthegreathousethroughthescreenofbottledpickles。
’Rubon——yes，’shesaidbitterly。’ButseehowwelloffEmmyLesteris，whousedtobesopoor!HerboyswillgotoCollege，nodoubt；
andthinkofyours——obligedtogototheParishSchool!’
Shadrach’sthoughtshadflowntoEmily。
’Nobody，’hesaidgood-humouredly，’everdidEmilyabetterturnthanyoudid，Joanna，whenyouwarnedheroffmeandputanendtothatlittlesimperingnonsensebetweenus，soastoleaveitinherpowertosay“Aye“toLesterwhenhecamealong。’Thisalmostmaddenedher。
’Don’tspeakofbygones!’sheimplored，insternsadness。’Butthink，fortheboys’andmysake，ifnotforyourown，whatarewetodotogetricher？’
’Well，’hesaid，becomingserious，’totellthetruth，Ihavealwaysfeltmyselfunfitforthisbusiness，thoughI’veneverlikedtosayso。Iseemtowantmoreroomforsprawling；amoreopenspacetostrikeoutinthanhereamongfriendsandneighbours。Icouldgetrichaswellasanyman，ifItriedmyownway。’
’Iwishyouwould!Whatisyourway？’
’Togotoseaagain。’
Shehadbeentheveryonetokeephimathome，hatingthesemi-
widowedexistenceofsailors’wives。Butherambitioncheckedherinstinctsnow，andshesaid：’Doyouthinksuccessreallyliesthatway？’
’Iamsureitliesinnoother。’
’Doyouwanttogo，Shadrach？’
’Notforthepleasureofit，Icantell’ee。There’snosuchpleasureatsea，Joanna，asIcanfindinmybackparlourhere。Tospeakhonest，Ihavenoloveforthebrine。Ineverhadmuch。Butifitcomestoaquestionofafortuneforyouandthelads，itisanotherthing。That’stheonlywaytoitforonebornandbredaseafarerasI。’
’Wouldittakelongtoearn？’
’Well，thatdepends；perhapsnot。’
ThenextmorningShadrachpulledfromachestofdrawersthenauticaljackethehadwornduringthefirstmonthsofhisreturn，brushedoutthemoths，donnedit，andwalkeddowntothequay。TheportstilldidafairbusinessintheNewfoundlandtrade，thoughnotsomuchasformerly。
Itwasnotlongafterthisthatheinvestedallhepossessedinpurchasingapart-ownershipinabrig，ofwhichhewasappointedcaptain。Afewmonthswerepassedincoast-trading，duringwhichintervalShadrachworeofftheland-rustthathadaccumulateduponhiminhisgroceryphase；andinthespringthebrigsailedforNewfoundland。
Joannalivedonathomewithhersons，whowerenowgrowingupintostronglads，andoccupyingthemselvesinvariouswaysabouttheharbourandquay。
’Nevermind，letthemworkalittle，’theirfondmothersaidtoherself。’Ournecessitiescompelitnow，butwhenShadrachcomeshometheywillbeonlyseventeenandeighteen，andtheyshallberemovedfromtheport，andtheireducationthoroughlytakeninhandbyatutor；andwiththemoneythey’llhavetheywillperhapsbeasneartogentlemenasEmmyLester’sprecioustwo，withtheiralgebraandtheirLatin!’
ThedateforShadrach’sreturndrewnearandarrived，andhedidnotappear。Joannawasassuredthattherewasnocauseforanxiety，sailing-shipsbeingsouncertainintheircoming；whichassuranceprovedtobewellgrounded，forlateonewetevening，aboutamonthafterthecalculatedtime，theshipwasannouncedasathand，andpresentlytheslip-slopstepofShadrachasthesailorsoundedinthepassage，andheentered。Theboyshadgoneoutandhadmissedhim，andJoannawassittingalone。
Assoonasthefirstemotionofreunionbetweenthecouplehadpassed，Jolliffeexplainedthedelayasowingtoasmallspeculativecontract，whichhadproducedgoodresults。
’Iwasdeterminednottodisappoint’ee，’hesaid；’andIthinkyou’llownthatIhaven’t!’
Withthishepulledoutanenormouscanvasbag，fullandrotundasthemoney-bagofthegiantwhomJackslew，untiedit，andshookthecontentsoutintoherlapasshesatinherlowchairbythefire。A
massofsovereignsandguineastherewereguineasontheearthinthosedaysfellintoherlapwithasuddenthud，weighingdownhergowntothefloor。
’There!’saidShadrachcomplacently。’Itold’ee，dear，I’ddoit；
andhaveIdoneitorno？’
Somehowherface，afterthefirstexcitementofpossession，didnotretainitsglory。
’Itisalotofgold，indeed，’shesaid。’And——isthisALL？’
’All？Why，dearJoanna，doyouknowyoucancounttothreehundredinthatheap？Itisafortune!’
’Yes——yes。Afortune——judgedbysea；butjudgedbyland——’
However，shebanishedconsiderationsofthemoneyforthenonce。
Soontheboyscamein，andnextSundayShadrachreturnedthankstoGod——thistimebythemoreordinarychanneloftheitalicsintheGeneralThanksgiving。Butafewdaysafter，whenthequestionofinvestingthemoneyarose，heremarkedthatshedidnotseemsosatisfiedashehadhoped。
’Wellyousee，Shadrach，’sheanswered，’WEcountbyhundreds；THEY
countbythousands’noddingtowardstheothersideoftheStreet。
’Theyhavesetupacarriageandpairsinceyouleft。’
’O，havethey？’
’MydearShadrach，youdon’tknowhowtheworldmoves。However，we’lldothebestwecanwithit。Buttheyarerich，andwearepoorstill!’
Thegreaterpartofayearwasdesultorilyspent。Shemovedsadlyaboutthehouseandshop，andtheboyswerestilloccupyingthemselvesinandaroundtheharbour。
’Joanna，’hesaid，oneday，’Iseebyyourmovementsthatitisnotenough。’
’Itisnotenough，’saidshe。’MyboyswillhavetolivebysteeringtheshipsthattheLestersown；andIwasonceaboveher!’
Jolliffewasnotanargumentativeman，andheonlymurmuredthathethoughthewouldmakeanothervoyage。
Hemeditatedforseveraldays，andcominghomefromthequayoneafternoonsaidsuddenly：
’Icoulddoitfor’ee，dear，inonemoretrip，forcertain，if——if——
’
’Dowhat，Shadrach？’
’Enable’eetocountbythousandsinsteadofhundreds。’
’Ifwhat？’
’IfImighttaketheboys。’
Sheturnedpale。
’Don’tsaythat，Shadrach，’sheansweredhastily。
’Why？’
’Idon’tliketohearit!There’sdangeratsea。Iwantthemtobesomethinggenteel，andnodangertothem。Icouldn’tletthemrisktheirlivesatsea。O，Icouldn’tever，ever!’
’Verywell，dear，itshan’tbedone。’
Nextday，afterasilence，sheaskedaquestion：
’Iftheyweretogowithyouitwouldmakeagreatdealofdifference，Isuppose，totheprofit？’
’’TwouldtreblewhatIshouldgetfromtheventuresingle-handed。
Undermyeyetheywouldbeasgoodastwomoreofmyself。’
Lateronshesaid：’Tellmemoreaboutthis。’
’Well，theboysarealmostascleverasmaster-marinersinhandlingacraft，uponmylife!Thereisn’tamorecrankyplaceintheNorthernSeasthanaboutthesandbanksofthisharbour，andthey’vepractisedherefromtheirinfancy。Andtheyaresosteady。Icouldn’tgettheirsteadinessandtheirtrustworthinessinhalfadozenmentwicetheirage。’
’AndisitVERYdangerousatsea；now，too，therearerumoursofwar？’sheaskeduneasily。