“Well，I’mgladofthat，“shesaid。“Iain’tgotanygrudgeagainstAnnabel，butneitherhaveIgotoneagainstyou。Anothermaninthatfamilywouldhaveaneasytimeinoneway，hewouldn’thavetodoanythinkin’forhimself——Elkanahandhisdaughterwoulddoallthatwasnecessary。Soyou’renotinlove。ThenIdon’tknowwhatdoesailyou。I’llsaythis，though，forabodythatain’tinloveyoucertainlystaywiththeDanielsesalongtime。
Youwentthererightaftermeetin’thisnoonandnowit’sseveno’clockandyou’vejustgothome。And’twasthesamelastSundayandtheonebefore。Beenthereallthetime，haveyou？“
Sheknewhehadnot，becauseshehadseenhimpasstheparsonage，ontheoppositesideoftheroad，twohoursbefore。Butshewascurioustolearnwhathisreplywouldbe。Itwasnoncommittal。
“No，“hesaidslowly。“Notallthetime。I——er——wentforashortwalk。“
Beforeshecouldinquireconcerningthatwalkhehadenteredthestudyandclosedthedoorafterhim。
Duringtheweekwhichfollowedthisparticularconversationhewasmoreabsent-mindedthanever。Therewereeveningswhenhespokescarcelyaword，butsatsilentinhischair，whileKeziah，lookingupfromhermending，watchedhimandguessedandwondered。Afterhehadgonetohisroomforthenight，shewouldhearhimpacingthefloor，backandforth，backandforth。Sheaskednomorequestions，however；mindingherownbusinesswasaspecialtyofKeziah’s，anditwasararequalityinTrumet。
Sundaywasacloudy，warmday，“muggy，“soCaptainZebdescribedit。AfterthemorningserviceMr。Ellery，asusual，wenthomewithCaptainDanielsandAnnabel。Keziahreturnedtotheparsonage，atealonelydinner，washedthedishes，andsatdowntoreadalibrarybook。Shereadforanhourandthen，findingitdifficulttokeephermindonthestory，gaveitup，closedthebookand，rising，walkedtothewindow。Butthemisty，hotlonelinessoftheafternoon，wasneitherinterestingnorcheerful，sosheturnedawayandwentupstairstoherownroom。Hertrunkwasinonecornerofthisroomandsheunlockedit，takingfromacompartmentofthetrayarosewoodwritingcase，inlaidwithmother-of-pearl，apresentfromherfather，whohadbroughtithomefromseawhenshewasagirl。
Fromthecaseshetookapacketoflettersandadaguerreotype。
Thelatterwastheportraitofayoungman，inhigh-collaredcoat，stock，andfancywaistcoat。Hishair，wornlongovertheears，wassmoothwithashinethatsuggestedoil，andinhisshirtfrontwasalargepin，whichmightpossiblyhavebeenmistakenbyacredulousobserverforadiamond。Mrs。Coffinlookedatthedaguerreotype，sighed，shuddered，andlaiditaside。Thensheopenedthepacketofletters。Selectingonefromthetopofthepile，shereaditslowly。And，assheread，shesighedagain。
Shedidnothearthebackdooroftheparsonageopenandclosesoftly。Nordidshehearthecautiousfootstepsintheroomsbelow。Whatarousedherfromherreadingwasherownname，spokenatthefootofthestairs。
“Keziah！Keziah，areyouthere？“
Shestarted，sprangup，andranoutintothehall，theletterstillinherhand。
“Whoisit？“sheaskedsharply。“Mr。Ellery，isthatyou？“
“No，“wastheanswer。“It’sme——Nat。Areyoubusy，Keziah？I
wanttoseeyouforaminute。“
Thehousekeeperhurriedlythrusttheletterintoherwaist。
“I’llberightdown，Nat，“sheanswered。“I’mcomin’。“
Hewasinthesittingroomwhensheentered。HewaswearinghisSundaysuitofblueandhissoftfelthatwasonthecentertable。
Sheheldoutherhandandheshookitheartily。
“Well！“sheobserved，smiling，“IdeclareifIdon’tbelieveyou’vegotthetiptoehabit。Thisisthesecondtimeyou’vesneakedintothehouseandscaredme’mosttodeath。Iaskedyoubeforeifyouwa’n’tashamedofyourselfandnowIaskitagain。“
Beforehecouldreplyshecaughtaglimpseofhisface。
“Whatisit？“sheasked。“Whatisthematter？Isanybodysick？
Isyourfather——“
“No，he’sallright。Thatis，he’saswellashehasbeenlately，thoughthatisn’tsayin’much。“
“IsGrace——“
“No，she’sallright，too，Iguess。Beensortofquietandsorrowfulforthelastfewweeks——orI’veseemedtonoticethatshehas——butIcal’lateit’snothin’serious。Iwouldn’twonderifthesamethingthat’stroublin’heriswhatailsme。“
“Butwhatisit？Whydon’tyoutellme？“
“I’mgoin’totellyou，Keziah。That’swhatIcomeherefor。I——“
“Sitdown，can’tyou？Don’tstanduptherelikealighthouse，shuttin’outthewholebroadsideoftheroom。YouaretheBIGGEST
thing！“
CaptainHammondselectedthemostsubstantialchairintheapartmentandsatdownuponit。Helookedathisfriendandshookhishead。
“Nouse，Keziah，“hesaid。“IfIwasasdeepdowninthebluesasthebottomoftheWhaleDeep，alookatthatfaceofyourswouldpullmetothetopagain。You’reagoodwoman！“
“Thanks！WhenIhavesparetimeonmyhandsI’llpracticetryin’
tobelievethat。Butwhatisthetrouble，Nat？Outwithit。“
“Well，Keziah，it’stroubleenough。DadandIhavehadafallin’
out。“
Mrs。Coffin’smouthandeyesopened。
“What？“shecried，inutterastonishment。
“Yes。It’strue。Wehadwhatwasnextdoortoarealquarrelafterdinnerto-day。ItwouldhavebeenarealoneifIhadn’twalkedoffandlefthim。He’sassetastherockofGibraltar，and——“
“Andyourfoundationsain’tgiventoslippin’much。NatHammond，I’msurprisedatyou！Whatwasitallabout？Religion？“
“No，notasliverofreligioninit。If’twasthat，Icoulddodge，orhauldownmycolors，ifIhadto。Butit’ssomethin’worse，enoughsightworse。Somethin’Ican’tdo——evenfordad——andwon’teither。Keziah，he’sdeadsetonmymarryin’Grace。SaysifI
don’the’llknowthatIdon’treallycareatinnickelforhim，orforhiswishes，orwhatbecomesofthegirlafterhe’sgone。“
“Nat！“
“It’safact。Yousee，dadrealizes，better’nIthoughthedid，thathishealthisprettyshakyandthatheislikelytofounder’mostanytime。Hesaysthatdon’tworryhim；ifheknewGraceandIwereprovidedforhe’dsliphiscablewithacleanmanifest。Butthedreamofhislife，hesays，hasbeenthatweshouldmarry。Andhewantstoseeitdone。“
Keziahwassilentforamoment。Thenshesaidslowly：
“AndGraceherself？Howdoesshefeelaboutit？Hashespokentoher？“
“Idon’tknow。Iguesslikelyhehas。Perhapsthat’swhyshe’sbeensosortofmournfullately。Butnevermindwhetherhehasornot；Iwon’tdoitandItoldhimso。Hegotredhotinajiffy。
Iwasungratefulandstubbornandallsortsofthings。AndI，bein’aHammond，withsomeoftheHammondbalkinessinme，Isetmyfootdownashardashis。Andwehadituntil——until——well，untilIsawhimstaggerandtremblesothatIactuallygotscaredandfearedhewasgoin’tokeeloverwherehestood。
“’Whycan’tyou？’hekeptsayin’。’ButWHYcan’tyou？Ain’tsheagirlanyonewouldbeproudtohaveforawife？’’Coursetherewasnoanswertothatbutyes。Thenbackhecomesagainwith’Thenwhycan’tyou？’Atlast，bein’frightened，asIsaid，thathemighthaveanothershockorsomethin’，IsaidI’dthinkitoverandcomeawayandlefthim。AndIcomestraighttoyou。Keziah，whatshallIdo？Whatcanyousaytohelpme？“
Keziahwassilent。Shewaslooking，notathercompanion，butatthecarpetcenterofoneofthebraidedrugsonthefloor。Herfacewasverygraveandthelinesabouthermouthseemedtodeepen。
Herhands，claspedinherlap，tightenedoneupontheother。Buthervoicewascalmwhen，atlast，shespoke。
“Nat，“shesaid，“there’sonlyonethingIcansay。Andthat’swhatyourfathersaid：Whycan’tyou？“
Thecaptainsprangfromhischair。
“What？“hecriedincredulously。“Whatareyousayin’？“
“Justwhatyourfathersaid，Nat。Whycan’tyoumarryGrace？
She’sadear，goodgirland——“
“Thatbe——keelhauled！KeziahCoffin，yousitthereandaskmewhyIcan’tmarryher！YOUdo？“
“Yes，Nat。“
“Keziah，you’recrazy！Don’ttalktomelikethat。We’renotjokin’now。YouknowwhyIcan’tmarryher，noranyoneelseinthisroundworldbutyou。“
“Nat，Ican’tmarryyou。“
“Iknow，Iknow。You’realwayssayin’that。Butyoudon’tmeanit。Youcan’tmeanit。Why，youandmehavebeenpickedoutforeachotherbytheAlmighty，Keziah。IswearIbelievejustthat。
Wewenttogetherwhenwewereboyandgirl，topartiesandsuch。
WewaspromisedwhenIfirstwenttosea。Ifithadn’tbeenforthatfoolrowwehad——and’twasallmyfaultandIknowit——youneverwouldhaveletthatda——thatmiserableAnseCoffincomenearyou。Andwhen’twastoolateandyou’dmarriedhim，themean，drunken，cruel——“
“Hush，Nat！hush！Stopit！“
“Hewas，andyouknowhewas。Yes，andworsebesides。Runnin’offandleavin’awifelikeyouto——Oh，myGod！whenIthinkImighthavebeenyourhusbandtolookoutforyouandtakecareofyou！
Thatyoumighthavebeenwithmeonboardmyships。That，whenI
comedownthecompaniononstormynightsImighthavefoundyoutheretocomfortmeand——OKeziah！wearen’tyounganymore。
What’stheuseoffoolin’？Iwantyou。I’mgoin’tohaveyou。
Coffinisdeadthesetenyears。WhenIheardhewasdrownedoffthereinSingapore，allIcouldsaywas：’Servehimright！’AndI
sayitnow。Icomehomethenmoredeterminedtogetyou。Sayyes，andlet’sbehappy。Do！“
“Ican’t，Nat。“
“Whynot？ForHeavensakes！whynot？Don’tyoucareforme？
You’veletmethink——well，atanyrate，Ihavethoughtyoudid。
Youusedto。Don’tyou？“
“Nat，I——Icareforyoumorethananybodyelseonearth。ButI
can’tmarryyou。Oh，don’tkeepaskin’it！Pleasedon’t。Ican’tmarryyou，Nat。No！“
“Well，notnow，maybe。Notthismonth，oreventhisyear，perhaps，butsomeday——“
“No，Nat。Youmustlisten。There’snouseofthisgoin’onanylonger。Imeanit。Ican’tmarryyou。“
“Youwon’t，youmean。“
“Well，ifyouwishtothinkso。ThenIwon’t。“
“Butbyandby——“
“No，notbyandby。Never，Nat。Never。“
Hedrewhishandacrosshisforehead。
“Never！“herepeated，moretohimselfthantoher。
“Never。Yes，Nat。“
“Then，bytheeverlastin’！I’lldosomethin’——“
“No，no，youwon’t。NatHammond，Iknowyou。You’reagreatbig，brave-hearted，sensibleman。Youwon’tbefoolish。You’lldo——
yes，Ithinkyou’dbetterdojustwhatyourfatherasksyoutodo。
MarryGrace，ifshewantsyouandwillhaveyou。She’llmakeyouagoodwife；you’lllearntocareforher，andIknowshe’llhavethebesthusbandthatagirlcouldhopefor。AndyouandIwillbefriends，justaswe’vealwaysbeen，and——“
“Keziah，stopthat！Stopit，doyouhear！Idon’twanttolistentosuchstuff。ItellyouI’mpastsoftsoap，andIdidn’tthinkyou’dgiveittome。“
“Nat！“
“Oh，yes，’Nat’！Alotyoucarefor’Nat’！NotareasononGod’sfootstoolwhyyouwon’thaveme——exceptone，andthatonethatyoudon’twantme。“
“Please，Nat！Icanhardlybelievethisisyou。Thistroublewithyourfatherhasupsetyou。Youdon’tmeanwhatyousay。You’renottalkin’likeyourselfand——“
“Stopit，Itellyou。Idon’tfeellikemyself。Ibankedonyou，Keziah。I’velivedforyou。Andnow——OKeziah，takeitback！
Givemealittlehope，justenoughtokeepmyheadabovewater。“
“I’dliketo，Nat。IonlywishIcould。But’twouldn’tbeanyuse。Ican’tdoit。“