Heswayed，brokeintoafitofcoughing，andsankbackuponthesofa，tremblingalloverandstillmutteringthathewasready。
Therewasahushedsilenceforamomentortwo，andthenastormofhallelujahsandshouts。Mr。Perleystartedanotherhymn，anditwassungwithtremendousenthusiasm。
Justbehindthenervousyoungmanwiththecelluloidcollarsatastoutindividualwithabaldhead。ThiswasAbijahThompson，knownbytheirreverentas”Barking”Thompson，anicknamebestowedbecauseofhispeculiarhabitofgraduallypuffingup，likeafrog，underreligiousexcitement，andthenburstingforthinaninarticulateshout，disconcertingtotheuninitiated。DuringBaxter’sspeechandthesingingofthehymnhisexpansiveredcheekshadbeendistendedlikeballoons，andhisbreathcameshorterandshorter。Mr。Perleyhadarisenandwasholdinguphishandforsilence，whenwithoneterrific”Boo！””Barking”
Thompson’sspiritualexaltationexplodeddirectlyintheearofthenervousstranger。
TheyoungmanshotoutofhischairasifMr。Thompsonhadfiredadynamitechargebeneathhim。”Oh，theDevil！”heshrieked，andthensubsided，blushingtothebackofhisneck。
Somehowthisinterruptiontookthespiritoutofthemeeting。
GigglesfromLutherandtheyoungerelementinterferedwiththesolemnityofMr。Perley’sclosingremarks，andnooneelsewasbraveenoughto”testify”underthecircumstances。Theysangagain，andthemeetingbrokeup。Thenervousyoungmanwasthefirstonetoleave。
CaptainErigothisfriendoutoftheclutchesofthe”Come-Outers”
asquicklyaspossible，andpilotedhimdowntheroadtowardhishome。JohnBaxterwassilentandabsent-minded，andmostoftheCaptain’scheerfulremarksconcerningOrhamaffairsingeneralwentunanswered。Astheyturnedinatthegatetheeldermansaid:”Eri，doyoubelievethatman’slawoughttobeallowedtointerferewithGod’slaw？””Well，John，inmostcasesit’smyjedgmentthatitpaystosteerprettyclosetobothof’em。””S’poseGodcalledyoutobreakman’slawandkeepHis；whatwouldyoudo？””Guessthefustthingwouldbetomakesure’twastheAlmightythatwascallin’。Idon’twanttosaynothin’tohurtyourfeelin’s，butIshouldadvisethefellerthatthoughtthathehadthatkindofacallto’bewareofimitations，’asthesoapfolksadvertise。””Eri，I’vegotacall。””Now，JohnBaxter，youlisten。Youandmehavebeensailin’
together，asyoumightsay，forfortyoddyears。Iain’tareligiousman’cordin’toyourwayofthinkin’，butI’vegenerallyfoundthattheLordrunsthingsmostaswellasusfolkscouldrun’em。Whenthere’saleakatoneendoftheschooneritdon’tpaytoboreaholeattheotherendtoletthewaterout。Don’tyouworrynomoreaboutWebSaundersandthatbilliardsaloon。Thes’lectmen’llattendtothemaforeverylong。Whydon’tyougouptoBostonforacoupleofweeks？’Twilldoyougood。””Doyouthinkso，Eri？Well，maybe’twould——maybe’twould。
SometimesIfeelasifmyheadwaskindofwearin’out。I’llthinkaboutit。””Betternotthinkanymore；bettergorightahead。””Well，I’llsee。Good-night。””Good-night，John。””Perez，”saidCaptainEri，nextday，”seemstomesomekindsofreligionislikewhisky，mightybadforaweakhead。Iwishsomebody’dinventagoldcureforCome-Outers。”
CHAPTERIV
APICTURESENTANDACABLETESTED
SomethingoverafortnightwentbyandthethreecaptainshadreceivednoanswersfromtheadvertisementintheNuptialChime。
Thesuspenseaffectedeachoftheminadifferentmanner。CaptainJerrywasnervousandapprehensive。Hesaidnothing，andaskednoquestions，butitwasnoticeablethathewasthefirsttogreetthecarrierofthe”mailbox”whenthatindividualcamedowntheroad，and，asthedayspassedandnothingmoreimportantthantheCapeCodItemandapatent-medicinecircularcametohand，alookthatasuspiciouspersonmighthavedeemedexpressiveofhopebegantoappearinhisface。
CaptainPerez，onthecontrary，grewmoreandmoredisgustedwiththedelay。Hespentagooddealoftimewonderingwhytherewerenoreplies，andheevenwentsofarastosuggestwritingtotheeditoroftheChime。HewasdisposedtolaytheblameuponCaptainEri’sadvertisement，andhintedthatthelatterwasnot”catchy”
enough。
CaptainEri，aloneofthetrio，gotanyamusementoutofthesituation。HepretendedtoseeinCaptainJerryanimpatientbridegroomandadministeredcomfortinlargedosesbysuggestingthat，inallprobability，therehadbeensomanyrepliesthatithadbeenfoundnecessarytocharterafreight-cartobringthemdown。”Cheerup，Jerry！”hesaid。”It’stoughonyou，Iknow，butthinkofallthempoorsufferin’femalesthat’ssettin’upnightsandworryin’forfeartheywon’tbepickedout。Why，say，whenyoumakeyourch’iceyou’llhavetolettherestknowrightoff；
’twouldbecrueltytoanimalsnotto。Yououghttoput’emoutoftheirmiseryquick’spossible。”
CaptainJerry’slaughwasalmostdismal。
ThefirstbatchofanswersfromtheChimecamebyaneveningmail。
CaptainErihappenedtobeatthepost-officethatnightandbroughtthemhomehimself。Theyfilledthreeofhispocketstooverflowing，andhedumpedthembyhandfulsonthediningtable，underthenoseofthepallidJerry。”WhatdidItellyou，Jerry？”hecrowed。”Iknewtheywasontheway。Whathaveyougottosayaboutmyadvertisementnow，Perez？”
Thereweretwenty-sixlettersaltogether。Itwassurprisinghowmanywomenwerewilling，evenanxious，toallythemselveswith”anex-seafaringmanofsteadyhabbits。”Butmostoftheapplicantswereofunsatisfactorytypes。AsCaptainPerezexpressedit，”There’stoomanyofthemeverlastin’’blondes’andthings。”
Therewasonenote，however，thatevenCaptainEriwasdisposedtoconsiderseriously。ItwaspostmarkedNantucket，waswrittenonhalfasheetofblue-linedpaper，andreadasfollows:”MR。SKIPPER:”Sir:Isawyouradvertisementsinthepaperandthinkperhapsyoumightsuitme。Pleaseanswerthesequestionsbyreturnmail。Whatisyourreligiousbelief？Doyoudrinkliquor？Areyouaprofaneman？Ifyouwantto，youmightsendmeyourrealnameandaphotograph。IfIthinkyouwillsuitmaybewemightsignarticles。
Yourstruly，”MARTHAB。SNOW。”NANTUCKET，MASS。””WhatIlikeaboutthatistheshipshapewaysheputsit，”
commentedCaptainPerez。”Shedon’tsaythatshe’jestadorestheocean。’””She’smightyhandyabouttakin’holdandbossin’things；thereain’tnodoubtofthat，”saidCaptainEri。”Noticeit’susthat’sgottosuither，notherus。Ikindoflikethat’signin’
articles，’too。Youbetshe’sbeenbroughtupinaseagoin’
family。””IusedtoknowaJubalSnowthathailedfromNantucket，”suggestedPerez；”maybeshe’ssomeofhisfolks。”
’Tain’tlikely，”sniffedCaptainJerry。”There’smoreSnowsinNantucketthanyoucanshakeastickat。Youcan’theavearockwithouthittin’one。””Ib’lieveshe’sjestthekindwewant，”saidCaptainPerezwithconviction。”Whatdoyousay，Jerry？”askedCaptainEri。”You’regoin’tobetheluckyman，youknow。””Oh，Idon’tknow。What’stheuseofhurryin’？More’nlikelythenextlotofletters’llhavesomethin’betteryit。””Now，that’sjestlikeyou，JerryBurgess！”exclaimedPerezdisgustedly。”Wanttoputoffandputoffandputoff。Andthehousegittin’morelikethefo’castleonacattleboateveryday。””Idon’tb’lievemyselfyou’ddomuchbetter，Jerry，”saidCaptainEriseriously。”Ilikethatlettersomehow。Seemstomeit’sworthatry。””Oh，allright！Haveityourownway。Ofcourse，_I_ain’tgotnothin’tosay。I’monlythedivilishfoolthat’sgottogitmarriedandkeepboarders；that’sall_I_am！””Becareful！Sheaskedifyouwasaprofaneman。””Aw，shutup！Youfellersareenoughtomakeaministerswear。
_I_don’tcarewhatyoudo。Goaheadandwritetoherifyouwantto，onlyIgiveyoufairwarnin’，Iain’tgoin’tohaveherifshedon’tsuit。Iain’tgoin’tomarrynoscarecrow。”
Betweenthem，andwithmuchdiplomacy，theysoothedtheindignantcandidateformatrimonyuntilheagreedtosignhisnametoalettertotheNantucketlady。ThenCaptainPerezsaid:”But，Isay，Jerry；shewantsyourpicture。Haveyougotonetosendher？””I’vegotthatdaguerreotypeIhadtookwhenIwasmarriedafore。”
Herummageditoutofhischestanddisplayeditratherproudly。
Itshowedhimasashort，sandy-hairedyouth，whosesunburnedfacebeamedfromthedepthsofanenormouschoker，andwhoseheadwascrownedwithatall，flat-brimmedsilkhatofaforgottenstyle。”Is’posethatmightdo，”saidCap’nPerezhesitatingly。”Do！’TwillHAVEtodo，seein’it’sallhe’sgot，”saidCaptainEri。”Goodland！”hechuckled；”lookatthathat！Say，Jerry，she’llthinkyoudoneyourseafarin’inNoah’sark。”
ButCaptainJerrywasoblivioustosarcasmjustthen。Hewasgazingatthedaguerreotypeinasentimentalsortofway，blowingthedustfromtheglass，andtiltingitupanddownsoastobringittothemosteffectivelight。”Iswan！”hemused，”Idon’tknowwhenI’velookedatthatafore。
IrememberwhenIboughtthathat，jestaswell。Tookcareofitandbrushedit——my！my！Idon’tknowbutit’ssomewheresaroundnow。IthoughtIwasjestabouttheticketthen，and——andIwa’n’tBADlookin’，that’safact！”
Thislastwithaburstofenthusiasm。”Ho，ho！Perez，”roaredCaptainEri；”Jerry’sfallin’inlovewithhisownpicture。Awfulthingforonesoyoung，ain’tit？””Iain’tsuchaturriblesightolder’nyoube，EriHedge，”
sputteredtheprospectivebridegroomwithrighteousindignation。
Thenheaddedinarathercrestfallentone，”ButIamaheapolder’nIwaswhenIhadthatdaguerreotypetook。Seehere；ifIsendthatNantucketwomanthispicturewon’tshenoticethedifferencewhensheseesme？””Whatifshedoes？”brokeinCaptainPerez。”Youcantellherhow’twas。Talkherover。Afellerthat’sbeenmarried，likeyou，oughttobeabletotalkANYwomanover。”
CaptainJerrydidn’tappearsanguineconcerninghisabilityto”talkherover，”buthisfellow-conspiratorsmadelightofhisfeebleobjections，andthedaguerreotype，carefullywrapped，wasmailedthenextmorning，accompaniedbyabriefbiographicalsketchoftheoriginalandhisavowedadherencetotheBaptistcreedandtheGoodTemplar’sabstinence。”Ihopeshe’llhurryupandanswer，”saidtheimpatientCaptainPerez。”Iwanttogetthisthingsettledonewayoranother。
Don’tyou，Jerry？””Yes，”wasthehesitatingreply。”Onewayoranother。”
CaptainErihadseenJohnBaxterseveraltimessincetheeveningofthe”Come-Outers’”meeting。Theoldmanwascalmerapparently，andwasdisposedtotakethebilliard-saloonmatterlessseriously，particularlyasitwasreportedthatthetownselectmenweretoholdaspecialmeetingtoconsiderthequestionofallowingMr。
Saunderstocontinueinbusiness。Thelast-namedgentlemanhadgivenwhathewaspleasedtocalla”blow-out”tohisregularpatronsincelebrationofthegrantingofthelicense，and”Squealer”Wixonandoneortwomorespentadrearydayandnightinthetownlock-upinconsequence。BaxtertoldtheCaptainthathehadnotyetmadeuphismindconcerningtheproposedBostontrip，buthethought”more’nlikely”heshouldgo。
CaptainEriwasobligedtobecontentwiththisassurance，buthedeterminedtokeepaclosewatchonhisfriendjustthesame。
HehadmetRalphHazeltineonceortwicesincethelatter’sarrivalinOrham，and，inresponsetoquestionsastohowhewasgettingonatthestation，thenewelectricianinvariablyresponded，”First-
rate。”Gossip，however，inthepersonofMissBusteed，reportedthattheoperatorsweredoingtheirbesttokeepMr。Hazeltine’slotfrombeingaltogetherabedofroses，andthereweredarkhintsofsomethingmoretocome。
OnthemorningfollowingthereceiptoftheletterfromtheNantucketlady，CaptainEriwasbusyathisfishshanty，puttinghislinesinorderandsewingapatchonthemainsailofhiscatboat。Thesenecessaryrepairshadpreventedhistakingtheusualtriptothefishinggrounds。Lookingupfromhiswork，hesaw，throughtheopendoor，RalphHazeltinejuststeppingoutofthecable-stationskiff。Hetuckedhissailneedleintothecanvasandhailedtheyoungmanwithashouted”Good-morning！””Howdoyoudo，Cap’nHedge？”saidHazeltine，walkingtowardtheshanty。”Goodweather，isn’tit？””Tip-top。Long’sthewindstayswesterlyandthereain’tnoSunday-schoolpicnicson，wedon’tsquabblewiththeweatherfolks。
Theonlythingthat’llfetchasquallwithawesterlywindisaSunday-schoolpicnic。That’lldoit，sureasdeath。Busyoveracross？””Prettybusyjustnow。Thecableparteddaybeforeyesterday，andI’vebeengettingthingsreadyfortherepairship。Shewasduethismorning，andwe’relikelytohearfromheratanytime。””Youdon’tsay！Cablebroke，hey？Nowit’saqueerthing，butI’veneverbeeninsidethatstationsince’twasbuilt。Toohandy，Iguess。I’vegotasecondcousinupinCharlestown，livedthereallhislife，andhe’sneverbeenupinBunkerHillmonumentyit。
FusttimeIlandedinBostonIdugforthatmonument，andIcantellyouhowmanystepsthereisinittothisday。IfthatcablestationwasfiftymileoffI’dhavebeenthroughittwoweeksafteritstartedup，butbein’jestoverthere，Iain’teverdoneit。
Queer，ain’tit？””Perhapsyou’dliketogooverwithme。I’mgoinguptothepost-
office，andwhenIcomebackIshouldbegladofyourcompany。””Well，now，that’skindofyou。Ical’lateIwill。Youmightsingoutasyougopast。I’vegotaha’f-hourjobonthissailandthenit’smywatchbelow。”
ThecablestationatOrhamisalowwhitewashedbuildingwithmanywindows。Thevegetationaboutitislimitedexclusivelyto”beachgrass”andanoccasionalwild-plumbush。Thenearestbuildingwhichmaybereachedwithoutaboatisthelife-savingstation，twomilesbelow。Theouterbeachchangesitsshapeeverywinter。Thegalesteargreatholesinitssides，andthen，asifinrecompense，throwupnewshoalsandbuildnewpromontories。Fromthecable-
stationdoorwayinfairweathermaybecountedthesailsofoveronehundredvesselsgoingandcomingbetweenBostonandNewYork。
Theycomeandgo，and，alas！sometimesstopbytheway。Thenthelife-savingcrewsarebusyandtheBostonnewspapersreportanotherwreck。Allupanddowntheouterbeacharethesun-whitenedbonesofschoonersandships；andallaboutthem，andpartiallycoveringthem，issand，sand，sand，aswhiteandmuchcoarserthangranulatedsugar。
Hazeltine’spost-officetripandothererrandshadtakenmuchmoretimethanheanticipated，andmorethantwohourshadgonebybeforehecalledforCaptainEri。DuringtherowtothebeachtheelectricianexplainedtotheCaptaintheprocessesbywhichabreakinthecableislocatedandrepaired。”Yousee，”hesaid，”assoonasthelinebreakswesetaboutfindingwhereitisbroken。TodothisweuseaninstrumentcalledtheWheatstonebridge。InthiscasethebreakisaboutsixhundredmilesfromtheAmericanshore。Thenextthingistogetatthecompany’srepairship。Shelies，usually，atHalifaxwhensheisn’tbusy，andthatiswhereshewasthistime。Wewiredherandsheleftforthespotimmediately。Itwasuptometogetreadythetestingapparatus——wegenerallysetupspecialinstrumentsfortesting。Judgingbythedistance，theshipshouldhavebeenoverthebreakearlythismorning。Shewillgrappleforthebrokencableends，andassoonasshecatchesourendshe’llsendusamessage。It’ssimpleenough。””Liketakin’wormwoodtea——easyenoughifyou’vebeenbroughtupthatway。IthinkI’dmakemoremoneycatchin’codfish，myself，”
commentedtheCaptaindryly。
Ralphlaughed。”Well，itreallyisaverysimplematter，”hesaid。”Theonlythingwehavetobesureofisthatourendofthelineisreadybythetimetheshipreachesthebreak。Iftheweatherisbadtheshipcan’twork，andso，whenshedoeswork，sheworksquick。Ihadmyinstrumentsinconditionyesterday，sowe’reallrightthistime。”
Theylandedatthelittlewharfandploddedthroughtheheavysand。”Dismal-lookingplace，isn’tit？”saidHazeltine，asheopenedthebackdoorofthestation。”Well，Idon’tknow；ithasitsgoodp’ints，”repliedhiscompanion。”Yourneighbors’hensdon’tscratchupyourgarden，foronething。Whatdoyoudoinhere？””Thisistheroomwherewereceiveandsend。Thisisthereceiver。”
Thecaptainnoticedwithinteresttherecorder，withitstwobrasssupportsandthelittleglasstube，halffilledwithink，that，whenthecablewasworking，wrotethemessagesuponthepapertapetravelingbeneathit。”Prettynighasfinickyasawatch，ain’tit？”heobserved。”Fullyasdelicateinitsway。Doyouseethislittlescrewonthecenterpiece？Turnthatalittle，onewayortheother，andtheoperatorontheothersidemightsenduntildoomsday，wewouldn’tknowit。I’llshowyouthelivingroomsandthelaboratorynow。”
Justthenthedoorattheotherendoftheroomopened，andaman，whomCaptainErirecognizedasoneoftheoperators，camein。HestartedwhenhesawHazeltineandturnedtogooutagain。Ralphspoketohim:”Peters，”hesaid，”whereisMr。Langley？””Don’tknow，”answeredthefellowgruffly。”Waitaminute。TellmewhereMr。Langleyis。””Idon’tknowwhereheis。Hewentovertothevillageawhileago。””Wherearetherestofthemen？””Don’tknow。”
Theimpudenceandthinlyveiledhostilityintheman’stonewereunmistakable。Hazeltinehesitated，seemedabouttospeak，andthensilentlyledthewaytothehall。”I’llshowyouthelaboratorylateron，”hesaid。”We’llgouptothetestingroomnow。”Thenheadded，apparentlyasmuchtohimselfastohisvisitor，”ItoldthosefellowsthatIwouldn’tbebackuntilnoon。”
Therewasadooratthetopofthestairs。Ralphopenedthisquietly。Astheypassedthrough，CaptainErinoticedthatPetershadfollowedthemintothehallandstoodthere，lookingup。
Theupperhallhadastrawmattingonthefloor。Therewasanotherdoorattheendofthepassage，andthiswasajar。Towardittheelectricianwalkedrapidly。Fromtheroombehindthedoorcameashoutoflaughter；thensomeonesaid:”Bettergiveitanotherturn，hadn’tI，tomakesure？Iftwoturnsfixesitsowedon’thearforacoupleofhours，anotheroneoughttoshutitupforaweek。That’sarithmetic，ain’tit？”
ThelaughthatfollowedthiswascutshortbyHazeltine’sthrowingthedoorwideopen。
CaptainEri，closeattheelectrician’sheels，sawalongroom，emptysaveforafewchairsandatableinthecenter。Uponthistablestoodthetestinginstruments，exactlylikethoseinthereceivingroomdownstairs。Threemenloungedinthechairs，andstandingbesidethetable，withhisfingersupontheregulatingscrewatthecenterpieceoftherecorder，wasanother，abigfellow，witharound，smooth-shavenface。
ThemeninthechairssprangtotheirfeetasHazeltinecamein。
Thefaceoftheindividualbythetableturnedwhiteandhisfingersfellfromtheregulatingscrew，asthoughthelatterwereredhot。TheCaptainrecognizedthemen；theyweredayoperatorswhomhehadmetinthevillagemanytimes。Incidentally，theywereavowedfriendsoftheformerelectrician，Parker。ThenameofthetalleronewasMcLoughlin。
Noonespoke。Ralphstrodequicklytothetable，pushedMcLoughlintoonesideandstoopedovertheinstruments。Whenhestraightenedup，CaptainErinoticedthathisfacealsowaswhite，butevidentlynotfromfear。Heturnedsharplyandlookedatthefouroperators，whoweredoingtheirbesttoappearateaseandnotsucceeding。
Theelectricianlookedthemover，onebyone。Thenhegaveashortlaugh。”Youdamnedsneaks！”hesaid，andturnedagaintothetestingapparatus。
Hebeganslowlytoturntheregulatingscrewontherecorder。Hehadgivenitbutafewrevolutionswhenthepointofthelittleglasssiphon，thathadbeentracingastraightblacklineontheslidingtape，movedupanddownincurvingzigzags。Hazeltineturnedtotheoperator。”Palmer，”hesaidcurtly，”answerthatcall。”
Themanaddressedseatedhimselfatthetable，turnedaswitch，andclickedoffamessage。Afteramomentthelineonthemovingtapezigzaggedagain。Ralphglancedatthezigzagsandbithislip。”Apologizetothem，”hesaidtoPalmer。”Tellthemweregretexceedinglythattheshipshouldhavebeenkeptwaiting。Tellthemourrecorderwasoutofadjustment。”
Theoperatorcabledthemessage。Thethreemenattheendoftheroomglancedateachother；thisevidentlywasnotwhattheyexpected。
StepssoundedonthestairsandPetershurriedlyentered。”Theoldman’scomin’，”hesaid。
Mr。Langley，thesuperintendentofthestation，hadbeeninthecompany’semployforyears。HehadbeeninchargeoftheCapeCodstationsinceitwasbuilt，andhelikedthejob。Heknewcablework，too，fromAtoZ，and，thoughhewasastrictdisciplinarian，wouldforgiveaman’sgettingdrunkoccasionally，soonerthancondonecarelessness。Hewaseccentric，buteventhosewhodidnotlikehimacknowledgedthathewas”square。”
Hecameintotheroom，tossedacigarstumpoutofthewindow，andnoddedtoCaptainEri。”Howareyou，CaptainHedge？”hesaid。Then，steppingtothetable，hepickedupthetape。”Everythingallright，Mr。Hazeltine？”heasked。”Hello！Whatdoesthismean？Theysaytheyhavebeencallingfortwohourswithoutgettingananswer。Howdoyouexplainthat？”
Itwasveryquietintheroomwhentheelectriciananswered。”Therecorderherewasoutofadjustment，sir，”hesaidsimply。”Outofadjustment！Ithoughtyoutoldmeeverythingwasinperfectorderbeforeyouleftthismorning。””Ithoughtso，sir，butIfindthescrewwastooloose。Thatwouldaccountforthecallnotreachingus。””Tooloose！Humph！”ThesuperintendentlookedsteadfastlyatHazeltine，thenattheoperators，andthenattheelectricianoncemore。”Mr。Hazeltine，”hesaidatlength，”Iwillhearwhatexplanationsyoumayhavetomakeinmyofficelateron。Iwillattendtothetestingmyself。Thatwilldo。”
CaptainErisilentlyfollowedhisyoungfriendtothebackdoorofthestation。Hazeltinehadseenfittomakenocommentonthescenejustdescribed，andthecaptaindidnotfeellikeofferingany。Theywerestandingonthestepswhenthebigoperator，McLoughlin，cameoutofthebuildingbehindthem。”Well，”hesaidgrufflytotheelectrician。”ShallIquitnoworwaituntilSaturday？””What？””ShallIgitoutnoworwaittillSaturdaynight？Isupposeyou’llhavemefired。”
ThenHazeltine’spent-uprageboiledover。”IfyoumeanthatI’lltellMr。Langleyofyourcowardlytrickandhaveyoudischarged——No！Idon’tpaymydebtsthatway。ButI’lltellyouthis，——youandyoursneakingfriends。Ifyoutryanothergamelikethat，——yes，orifyousomuchasspeaktome，otherthanonbusinesswhileI’mhere，IWILLfireyou——outofthewindow。
Clearout！””Mr。Hazeltine，”saidCaptainEriafewmomentslater，”Ihopeyoudon’tmindmysayin’thatIlikeyoufust-rate。MeandPerezandJerryain’tthebiggestbugsintown，butweliketohaveourfriendscomeandseeus。Iwishyou’ddropinonce’nawhile。””Icertainlywill，”saidtheyoungman，andthetwoshookhands。
ThatvigoroushandshakewasenoughofitselftoconvinceRalphHazeltinethathehadmade，atanyrate，onefriendinOrham。
Andwemayaswelladdherethathehadmadetwo。ForthateveningJackMcLoughlinsaidtohisfellowconspirators:”Hesaidhe’dfiremeoutofthewindow，——ME，mindyou！And，bythunder！Ibelievehe’dhaveDONEittoo。Boys，thereain’tanymore’con’gamesplayedonthatkidwhileI’maround——ParkerornoParker。He’swhite，that’swhatHEis！”
CHAPTERV
THEWOMANFROMNANTUCKET
Conversationamongthecaptainswas，forthenexttwodays，confinedtotwotopics，speculationastohowsoontheymightexpectareplyfromtheNantucketfemaleandwhetherornotMr。
LangleywoulddischargeHazeltine。OnthelatterpointCaptainEriwasdecided。”Hewon’tbebounced，”saidtheCaptain；”nowyoujustputthatdowninyourlog。Langleyain’tafool，andhecanputtwoandtwotogetheraswellasthenextfeller。IfIthoughttherewasanyneedofit，I’djustdrophimahintmyself，butthereain’t，soI
shan’tputmyoarin。ButIwishyoutwocouldhaveheardthatyoungstertalktothatMcLoughlincritter；’twouldhavedoneyougood。Thatboy’sallright。”
CaptainJerrywasalonewhentheexpectedlettercame。Heglancedatthepostmark，sawthatitwasNantucket，andstuckthenotebehindtheclock。Hedidhisbesttoforgetit，buthelookedsoguiltywhenCaptainPerezreturnedatsuppertimethatthatindividualsuspectedsomething，madehisfriendconfess，and，alittlelaterwhenCaptainEricamein，theenvelope，bearingmanythumb-prints，wasproppedupagainstthesugarbowlinthemiddleofthetable。”Wedidn’topenit，Eri，”saidPerezproudly。”Wedidwantto，butwethoughtallhandsoughttobeondeckwhenanythingasimportantasthiswasgoin’tobedone。””He’sbeenholdin’ituptothelightforthelastha’fhour，”
sneeredCaptainJerry。”Anybody’dthinkithadamilliondollarsinit。Fortheland’ssake，openit，Eri，’forehehasafit！”
CaptainEripickeduptheletter，lookeditoververydeliberately，andthentoreofftheendoftheenvelope。Theinclosurewasanothersheetofnotepaperlikethefirstepistle。TheCaptaintookouthisspectacles，wipedthem，andreadthefollowingaloud:”CAPTAINJEREMIAHBURGESS。”Sir:Ilikeyourlookswellenough，thoughitdon’tpaytoputtoomuchdependenceinlooks，asnobodyknowsbetterthanme。Besides，Ijudgethatpicturewastookquiteaspellago。Anyway，youlookhonest，andIamwillingtoriskmoneyenoughtocarrymetoOrhamandback，thoughthedearlandknowsIain’tgotnonetothrowaway。
Ifwedon’tagreetosignarticles，Isupposelikelyyouwillbewillingtostandhalfthefare。Thatain’tanymorethanright，thewayIlookatit。IshallcometoOrhamontheafternoontrain，Thursday。Meetmeatthedepot。”Yourstruly，”MARTHAB。SNOW。”P。S——IshouldhavelikeditbetterifyouwasaMethodist，butwecan’thaveeverythingjustaswewantitinthisworld。”
Nobodyspokeforamomentafterthereadingofthisintenselypracticalnote。CaptainEriwhistledsoftly，scratchedhishead，andthenreadtheletteroveragaintohimself。AtlengthCaptainPerezbrokethespell。”Jerusalem！”heexclaimed。”Shedon’tlosenotime，doesshe？””She’sprettyprompt，that’safact，”assentedCaptainEri。
CaptainJerryburstforthinindignation:”IsTHATallyou’vegottosay？”heinquiredwithsarcasm，”aftergittin’meintoascrapelikethis？Wellnow，Itellyouonething，I——””Don’tgoonyourbeamends，Jerry，”interruptedCaptainEri。”Thereain’tnoharmdoneyit。””Ain’tnoharmdone？Whyhowyoutalk，EriHedge！Here’sawomanthatIain’tneverseen，andmightbeahundredyearsold，forallIknow，comin’downhereto-morrownighttomarrymebymainforce，asyoumightsay，andyousethereandtalkabout——””Now，holdon，holdon，Jerry！Sheain’tgoin’tomarryyouunlessyouwantherto，’tain’tlikely。MoreIthinkofit，themoreI
likethewoman’swayofdoin’things。She’sgotsense，there’snodoubtofthat。Youcan’tsellHERacatinabag。She’scomin’
downheretoseeyouandtalkthethingover，andIgloryinherspunk。””Wantsmetopayherfare！Iseemyselfdoin’it！I’vegotwaysenoughtospendmymoneywithoutpayingfaresforNantucketfolks。””Ifyouandshesignarticles，asshecallsit，you’llhavetopaymorethanfares，”saidCaptainPerez，inamatter-of-facttone。”I
thinksameasEridoes；she’sasmartwoman。We’llhavetomeetheratthedepot，ofcourse。””Well_I_won’t！Cheekything！LetherfindoutwhereIam！I
cal’lateshe’llhavetodosomehuntin’。””Now，seehere，Jerry，”saidCaptainEri，”youwasjestasanxioustohaveoneofusgetmarriedasanybodyelse。Youhaven’tgottomarrythewomanunlessyouwantto，butyouhavegottohelpusseethethingthrough。Iwishmyselfthatwehadn’tbeenquitesopeskyanxioustogiveherthelatitudeandlongitude，andhadtooksomesortofanobservationourselves；butwedidn’t，andnowwe’vegottotreatherdecent。You’llbeatthatdepotalongwithPerezandme。”
WhenCaptainErispokeinthattonehistwocroniesusuallyobeyedorders。EventherebelliousJerry，whohadaprofoundrespectforhisyoungerfriend，gaveinaftersomegrumbling。
Theysatupuntillate，speculatingconcerningtheprobableageandappearanceoftheexpectedvisitor。CaptainPerezannouncedthathedidn’tknowwhyitwas，buthehadanotionthatshewasaboutfortyandslim。CaptainJerry，whowasinaframeofmindwhereagreementwithanyonewasoutofthequestion，gaveitashisopinionthatshewasthirtyoddandratherplump。CaptainErididn’thazardaguess，butsuggestedthattheywaitandsee。
ButevenCaptainEri’scalmnesswasmoreorlessassumed，forhedidnotgofishingthenextmorning，butstayedaboutthehouse，whittlingatthemodelofaclippershipandtormentingCaptainJerry。Themodelwasonethathehadbeenatworkuponatoddtimeseversincehegaveupsea-going。IthadneverbeencompletedfortheverygoodreasonthatwhenonepartwasfinishedtheCaptaintoreanotherparttopieces，andbeganoveragain。Itwasasortofbarometerofhisfeelings，andwhenhiscompanionssawhimtakedowntheclipperandgotowork，theyknewhewaseitherthinkingdeeplyuponaperplexingproblemorwastroubledinhismind。
CaptainPerezsangagooddeal，principallyconfininghismusicaleffortstoaballadwithachorusof，”Stormalong，John；
John，stormalong；
Ain’tIgladmyday’swork’sdone！”
Also，heglancedathiswatcheveryfewminutesandthenwenttoconsultthechronometertomakesureofthetime。
CaptainJerrywentuptotheschoolhouseandgaveitsvacantroomsathoroughsweepingfornoparticularreasonexcepttobedoingsomething。Hisappetitewaspoor，andheactuallyforgottofeedLorenzo，ahithertounheard-ofslight，andonethatbroughtdownuponhimalonglecturefromCaptainEri，whovowedthatlossofmemorywasasuresignoflovesickness。
Theystartedfortherailwaystationimmediatelyaftersupper。AstheypassedJohnBaxter’shousetheynoticedalightinanupperchamber，andwonderediftheoldmanwasill。CaptainEriwouldhavestoppedtofindout，butCaptainPerezinsistedthatitcouldbedonejustaswellwhentheycameback，andexpressedafearthattheymightmissthetrain。CaptainJerryhadn’tspokensincetheylefthome，andwalkedgloomilyaheadwithhishandsinhispockets。
Mr。”Web”Saunders，fatandinhispink-stripedshirtsleeves，satuponthestepsofhissaloonastheywentby。Hewishedthemanunctuousgood-evening。TheoilysmoothnessofMr。Saunders’voicecannotbedescribedwithplainpenandink；itgurgledwithsweetness，likemolassespouredfromajug。Thiswasnotaspecialtoneputonfortheoccasion；nooneexcepthiswifeeverheardhimspeakotherwise。
Theresponsefromthethreecaptainswasnotenthusiastic，butMr。
Saunderscontinuedtotalkoftheweather，thefishing，andthecranberrycropuntilacustomercameandgavethemachancetogetaway。”Slick！slick！slick！”commentedCaptainEri，astheyhurriedalong。”Blessedifhedon’tprettynighpurr。Ilikeacatfust-
rate，butI’malwayssuspiciousofacat-man。Youknowhe’sgotclaws，butyoucan’ttellwherehe’sgoin’touse’em。Whenafellerlikethatcomesslidin’aroundandrubbin’hisheadagainstmyshin，Ialwaysfeellikekeepin’t’otherfootreadyforakick。
You’reprettysartintoneeditonetimeoranother。”
Thetrainwasnearlyanhourlatethisevening，owingtoahotbox，andthe”ex-seafaringman”andhistwofriendspeeredanxiouslyoutatitfromaroundthecornerofthestation。Theonecoachstoppeddirectlyunderthelights，andtheycouldseethepassengersastheycamedownthesteps。Twoorthreegotout，buttheseweremen。ThencameanapparitionthatcausedCaptainJerrytogaspandclutchatPerezforsupport。
Downthestepsofthecarcameatall，coal-blacknegress，andinherhandwasacanvasextensioncase，onthesideofwhichwasblazonedintwo-inchlettersthefatefulname，”M。B。Snow，Nantucket。”
CaptainErigazedatthisastoundingspectacleforafullthirtyseconds。Thenhewokeup。”Godfreydomino！”heejaculated。”BLACK！BLACK！Run！Runforyourlives，’foresheseesus！”
Thisorderwassuperfluous。CaptainJerrywasalreadyhalf-waytothefence，andgoingataratewhichbidfairtoestablisharecordforhisage。Theothersfellintohiswake，andtheprocessionmovedacrosscountrylikeasteeplechase。
Theyclimbedoverstonewallsandsplashedintomeadows。Theytookeveryshortcutbetweenthestationandtheirhome。Astheycameinsightofthelatter，CaptainPerez’breathgaveoutalmostentirely。”Heaveto！”hegasped。”Heaveto，orI’llfounder。Iwouldn’trunanotherstepforallthedarkiesintheWestIndies。”
CaptainEripaused，butitwasonlyafterastrugglethatCaptainJerrywaspersuadedtohalt。”Ishan’tdoit，Eri！”hevowedwildly。”Ishan’tdoit！Thereain’tnouseaskin’me；Iwon’tmarrythatblackwoman！Iwon’t，bythunder！””There！there！Jerry！”saidCaptainErisoothingly。”Nobodywantsyouto。Thereain’tnodangernow。Shedidn’tseeus。””Ain’tnodanger！Thereyougoagain，EriHedge！She’llaskwhereIliveandcomerightdowninthedepotwagon。Oh！Lordy！Lordy！”
Thefranticsacrificewasabouttoboundawayagain，whenCaptainEricaughthimbythearm。”I’lltellyouwhat，”hesaid，”we’llscootforEldredge’sshantyandhidetheretillshegitstiredandgoesaway。P’rapsshewon’tcome，anyhow。”
Thedesertedfishshanty，propertyoftheheirsofthelateNathanielEldredge，wassituatedinahollowclosetothehouse。
Inafewmomentsthethreewereinside，withasawhorseagainstthedoor。ThenCaptainEripantinglysatdownonanoverturnedbucketandlaugheduntilthetearscameintohiseyes。”That’sit，laff！”almostsobbedCaptainJerry。”Setthereandtee-heelikeaBedlamite。It’swhatyoumightexpect。Waittilltherestofthetownfindsoutaboutthis；they’lldothelaffin’
then，andyouwon’tfeelsofunny。We’llneverhearthelastofitinthisworld。Ifthatdarkycomesdownhere，I’ll——I’lldrownher；Iwill——””Idon’tblameJerry，”saidPerezindignantly。”Idon’tseemuchtolaffat。Oh，mysoulandbodythereshecomesnow。”
Theyheardtherattleofaheavycarriage，and，crowdingtogetheratthecobwebbedwindow，sawtheblackshapeofthe”depotwagon”
rockpast。Theywaited，breathless，untiltheysawitgobackagainuptheroad。”Didyoulockthedining-roomdoor，Perez？”askedCaptainEri。”CourseIdidn’t。WhyshouldI？”
Itwasarathersenselessquestion。NobodylocksdoorsinOrhamexceptatbedtime。”Humph！”gruntedCaptainEri。”She’llseethelightinthediningroom，andgoinsideandwait，more’nlikely。Well，there’snothin’forustodobuttostayhereforawhile，andthen，ifsheain’tgone，oneofus’llhavetogoupandtellhershewon’tsuitandpayherfarehome，that’sall。IthinkJerryoughttobetheone，”headdedmischievously。”Hebein’thebridegroom，asyoumightsay。””Me！”almostshoutedthefranticCaptainJerry。”Yougotograss！
Youfellersgotmeintothisscrape，andnowlet’sseeyougitmeoutofit。Idon’tstironestep。”
Theysatthereindarkness，thesilenceunbroken，saveforanoccasionalchucklefromtheprovokingEri。Perez，however，wasmeditating，andobserved，afterawhile:”Snow！That’saqueernameforadarky，ain’tit？””ThatcoloredmanupatBarry’splacewasnamedWhite，”saidCaptainJerry，”andhewasblackasyourhat。Namesdon’tcount。””Theysaycoloredfolksmakegoodcooks，Jerry，”slylyremarkedEri。”Maybeyou’dbetterthinkitover。”
Theunluckyvictimofchancedidnotdeignananswer，andtheminutescreptslowlyby。Afteralongwhiletheyheardsomeonewhistling。Perezwenttothewindowtotakeanobservation。”It’saman，”hesaiddisappointedly。”He’sbeentoourhouse，too。Myland！Ihopehedidn’tgoin。It’sthatfellerHazeltine；that’swho’tis。””Isit？”exclaimedErieagerly。”That’sso！so’tis。Let’sgivehimahail。”
Beforehecouldbestoppedhehadpulledthesaw-horsefromthedoor，hadopenedthelatteralittleway，and，withhisfaceattheopening，waswhistlingshrilly。
Theelectricianlookedupanddownthedarkroadinapuzzledsortofway，butevidentlycouldnotmakeuphismindfromwhatquarterthewhistlescame。”Mr。Hazeltine！”hailedtheCaptain，inwhatmightbecalledawhisperedyellorashoutedwhisper。”Mr。Hazeltine！Here，onyourleebow。Intheshanty。”
Theword”shanty”wastheonlypartofthespeechthatbroughtlighttoRalph’smind，butthatwassufficient；hecamedownthehill，lefttheroad，andplungedthroughtheblackberryvinestothedoor。”Whoisit？”heasked。”Why，hello，Captain！Whatonearth——”
CaptainErisignaledhimtosilence，andthen，catchinghisarm，pulledhimintotheshantyandshutthedoor。CaptainJerryhastenedtosetthesaw-horseinplaceagain。”Mr。Hazeltine，”saidCaptainEri，”letmemakeyouacquaintedwithCap’nPerezandCap’nJerry，shipmatesofmine。You’veheardmespeakof’em。”
Ralph，inthedarkness，shooktwobighandsandheardwhisperedvoicesexpressthemselvesasgladtoknowhim。”Yousee，”continuedEriinasomewhatembarrassedfashion，”we’resortoflayin’to，asyermightsay，waitin’togitourbearin’s。
Weain’toutofourheads；Itellyouthat，’causeIknowthat’swhatitlookslike。”
ThebewilderedHazeltinelaughedandsaidhewasgladtohearit。
Totellthetruth，hehadbeguntothinkthatsomethingorotherhadsuddenlydrivenhisnearestneighborscrazy。”I——I——Idon’tknowhowtoexplainittoyou，”theCaptainstumbledon。”Factis，IguessIwon’tjestyit，ifyoudon’tmind。Itdoessoundsopeskyridic’lous，althoughitain’t，whenyouunderstandit。Whatwewanttoknowis，haveyoubeentoourhouseandisthereanybodythere？””Why，yes，I’vebeenthere。Irowedoveranddroppedinforaminute，asyousuggestedtheotherday。Thehousekeeper——Isupposeitwasthehousekeeper——thatopenedthedoor，saidyouwereout，andI——”
Hewasinterruptedbyahopelessgroan。”Iknewit！”wailedCaptainJerry。”Iknewit！Andyousaidtherewa’n’tnodanger，Eri！””Hushup，Jerry，aminute，fortheloveofgoodness！Whatwasshedoin’，Mr。Hazeltine，thiswomanyouthoughtwasthehousekeeper？
Didshelookasifshewasgettin’readytogoout？Didshehaveherbunniton？””No。Sheseemedtobeverymuchathome。That’swhyIthought——”
ButagainCaptainJerrybrokein，”Well，bymighty！”heejaculated。”That’snice，now，ain’tit！SHEgoin’away！Youbetsheain’t！
She’sgoin’tostaythereandwait，ifit’sforever。She’sgottoogoodathing。Jestaslike’snot，M’lissyBusteed，orsomeothergabmachinelikeher，’llbethenextonetocall，andiftheyseethatgreatblackcritter！Oh！mysoul！””Black！”saidRalphamazedly。”Why，thewomanatyourhouseisn’tblack。She’saswhiteasIam，andnotbad-lookingforawomanofherage。””WHAT？”Thiswasthetrioinchorus。ThenCaptainErisaid:”Mr。Hazeltine，now，honestandtrue，isthatafact？””Ofcourseit’safact。”
TheCaptainwipedhisforehead。”Mr。Hazeltine，”hesaid，”ifanybodyhadtoldmeafortn’tagothatIwasoneofthethreebiggestfoolsinOrham，I’dhaveprob’lyraredupsome。As’tisnow，Ical’lateI’dthankhimforlettin’meoffsoeasy。You’llhavetoexcuseusto-night，I’mafraid。We’reinaridic’lousscrapethatwe’vegottogitoutofallalone。I’lltellyou’boutitsomeday。Jestnowwishyou’dkeepthiskindofquiettoobligeme。”
Hazeltinesawthatthiswasmeantasagentlehintforhisimmediatedeparture，andalthoughhehadafairshareofcuriosity，felttherewasnothingelsetodo。Hepromisedsecrecy，promisedfaithfullytocallagainlaterintheweek，andthen，thesawhorsehavingbeenremovedbyCaptainPerez，——CaptainJerrywasapparentlysufferingfromasortofdazedparalysis，——hewentaway。Assoonashehadgone，CaptainEribegantolaydownthelaw。”Nowthen，”hesaid，”there’sbeensomesortofamistake；that’splainenough。More’nlikely，thedarkytookthewrongsatchelwhenshegotuptocomeoutofthecar。ThatwomanatthehouseistherealMarthySnowallright，andwe’vegottogorightupthereandseeher。Comeon！”
ButCaptainJerrymutiniedoutright。Hedeclaredthatthesightofthatdarkyhadsickenedhimofmarryingforever，andthathewouldnotseethecandidatefromNantucket，noranyothercandidate。Nopersuasioncouldbudgehim。Hesimplywouldnotstirfromthatshantyuntilthehousehadbeenclearedoffemalevisitors。”Goandseeheryourself，ifyou’resosetonit，”hedeclared。”I
shan’t！””Allright，”saidCaptainEricalmly。”Iwill。I’lltellheryou’rebashful，butjestdyin’tobemarried，andthatshecanhaveyouifsheonlywaitslongenough。”
Withthisheturnedonhisheelandwalkedout。”Holdon，Eri！”shoutedthefranticJerry。”Don’tyoudoit！
Don’tyoutellherthat！Landoflove，Perez，doyous’posehewill？””Idon’tknow，”wastheanswerinadisgustedtone。”Youhadn’toughttohavebeensopig-headed，Jerry。”
CaptainEri，withsetteethanddeterminationwrittenonhisface，walkedstraighttothedining-roomdoor。Drawingalongbreath，heopeneditandsteppedinside。Awoman，whohadbeensittinginCaptainPerez’rocker，roseasheentered。
ThewomanlookedattheCaptainandtheCaptainlookedather。Shewasofmiddleage，inclinedtostoutness，withapairofkeeneyesbehindbrass-rimmedspectacles，andwasdressedinablack”alpaca”
gownthatwasfadedalittleinplacesandhadbeenneatlymendedinothers。Shespokefirst。”You’renotCap’nBurgess？”shesaid。”No，ma’am，”saidtheCaptainuneasily。”MynameisHedge。I’masortofmessmateofhis。You’reMissSnow？””Mrs。Snow。I’mawidow。”
Theyshookhands。Mrs。Snowcalmlyexpectant；theCaptainverynervousandnotknowinghowtobegin。”IfeelasifIknewyou，Cap’nHedge，”saidthewidow，astheCaptainslidintohisownrocker。”TheboyonthedepotwagontoldmealotaboutyouandCap’nRyderandCap’nBurgess。””Did，hey？”TheCaptaininwardlyvowedvengeanceonhischum’sgrandnephew。”Hopehegaveusacleanbill。””Well，hedidn’tsaynothin’againstyou，ifthat’swhatyoumean。
Ifhehad，Idon’tthinkitwouldhavemademuchdiff’rence。I’velivedlongenoughtowanttofindoutthingsformyself，andnottakefolks’say-so。”
Theladyseemingtoexpectsomesortofanswertothisstatement，CaptainEriexpressedhisopinionthattheplanoffindingoutthingsforone’sselfwasagood”idee。”Then，afteranotherfidgetysilence，heobservedthatitwasafineevening。Therebeingnodisputeonthispoint，heendeavoredtothinkofsomethingelsetosay。Mrs。Snow，however，savedhimthetrouble。”Cap’nHedge，”shesaid，”asI’mhereonwhatyoumightcallabus’nesserrand，andasI’vebeenwaitin’prettynightwohoursalready，p’rapswe’dbettertalkaboutsomethin’besidesfineevenin’s。I’vegottobelookin’upahotelorboardin’houseorsomewherestostayto-night，andIcan’twaitmuchlonger。Ijedgeyougotmyletterandwasexpectin’me。Now，ifitain’taskin’
toomuch，I’dliketoknowwhereCap’nBurgessis，andwhyhewa’n’tatthedepottomeetme。”
Thiswasaleadingquestion，andtheCaptainwasmoreembarrassedthanever。However，hefeltthatsomethinghadtobedoneandthatitwaswisesttogetitoverwithassoonaspossible。”Well，ma’am，”hesaid，”we——wegotyourletterallright，and，totellyouthetruth，wewasatthedepot——PerezandmeandJerry。””YouWAS！Well，then，forthelandofgoodness，whydidn’tyouletmeknowit？SuchatimeasIhadtryin’tofindoutwhereyoulivedandall！”
TheCaptainsawbutoneplausibleexplanation，andthatwastheplaintruth。Slowlyhetoldthestoryofthecoloredwomanandtheextensioncase。Thewidowlaugheduntilherspectaclesfelloff。”Well，there！”sheexclaimed。”Ifthatdon’tbeatall！Idon’tblameCap’nBurgessamite。Poorthing！IguessI’dhaverun，too，ifI’dhaveseenthatdarky。Shewassettin’rightinthenextseattome，andshehadashut-overbagconsid’rablelikemine，andwhenshegotuptogitout，shetookminebymistake。I
wasagooddealputoutaboutit，andIexpectItalkedtoherlikeaDutchunclewhenIcaughtupwithher。Dear！dear！WhereisCap’nBurgess？””He’sshutupinafishshantydowntheroad，andhe’ssoupsotthatIdunno’she’llstirfromtheretonight。Jerryain’tprejudiced，butthatdarkywastoomuchforhim。”
Andthentheybothlaughed，thewidowbecauseoftheludicrousnatureoftheaffairandtheCaptainbecauseofthereliefthatthelady’sacceptanceofitaffordedhismind。
Mrs。Snowwasthefirsttobecomegrave。”Cap’nHedge，”shesaid，”there’soneortwothingsImustsayrighthere。Inthefirstplace，Iain’tinthehabitofanswerin’advertisementsfromfolksthatwantstogitmarried；Iain’tsohardupforamanasallthatcomesto。Nextthing，Ididn’tcomedownherewithmymindmadeuptomarryCap’nBurgess，notbynomeans。Iwantedtoseehimandtalkwithhim，andtellhimjestallabouthowthingswaswithmeandfindoutabouthimandthen——why，ifeverythingwasshipshape，Imight，p’raps，thinkabout——””Jestso，ma’am，jestso，”brokeinhercompanion。”That’saboutthewaywefelt。Yousee，there’sprob’lyalongstoryonbothsides，andifyou’llexcusemeI’llgodowntotheshantyandseeifIcan’tgitJerryuphere。It’llbeajob，I’m’fraid，but——””No，youshan’teither。I’lltellyouwhatwe’lldo。It’sawfullatenowandImustbegittin’uptothetavern。S’pose，if’tain’ttoomuchtrouble，youwalkuptherewithmeandI’llstaythereto-nightandto-morrerI’llcomedownhere，andwe’llallhaveacommon-sensetalk。P’rapsbythattimeyourfriend’llhavethedarkywomansomeoffhismind，too。”
NeedlesstosayCaptainEriagreedtothisplanwithalacrity。Thewidowcarefullytiedonablack，old-fashionedbonnet，pickedupafat，wooden-handledumbrellaandtheextensioncase，andsaidthatshewasready。
Theywalkeduptheroadtogether，theCaptaincarryingtheextensioncase。Theytalked，butnotofmatrimonialprospects。
Mrs。Snowknewalmostasmuchabouttheseaandthegoingsandcomingsthereonasdidherescort，andtheconversationwassaltyintheextreme。ItdevelopedthattheNantucketladyhadadistantrelativewhowasinthelife-savingserviceatCuttyhunkstation，andastheCaptainkneweverystationmanfortwentymilesupanddownthecoast，wrecksandmaritimedisastersofallkindswerediscussedindetail。
AttheTraveler’sRestMrs。SnowwasintroducedbytheunblushingEriasacousinfromProvincetown，and，aftersomecontroversyconcerningthepriceofboardandlodging，shewasshownuptoherroom。CaptainEriwalkedhome，absorbedinmeditation。Whateverhisthoughtsweretheywerenotdisagreeable，forhesmiledandshookhisheadmorethanonce，asifwithsatisfaction。AshepassedJohnBaxter’shousehenoticedthatthelightintheupperwindowwasstillburning。
CaptainPerezwashalfasleepwhenEriopenedthedooroftheshanty。CaptainJerry，however，wasverymuchawakeanddemandedtobetoldthingsrightaway。Hisfriendbrieflyexplainedthesituation。”Idon’tcareifshestaysheretilldoomsday，”emphaticallydeclaredthedisgruntledone，”Ishan’tmarryher。What’sshelike，anyhow？”
HewassurprisedattheenthusiasmofCaptainEri’sanswer。”She’samightygoodwoman；that’swhatIthinksheis，andshe’dmakeafust-classwifeforanyman。Ihopeyou’llsayso，too，whenyouseeher。Thereain’tnothin’hity-tityabouther，butshe’sgotmorecommon-sensethananywomanIeversaw。Butthere！
Ishan’ttalkanotherbitaboutherto-night。Comeonhomeandturnin。”
Andgohomeandturnintheydid，butnotwithoutprotestationfromthepairwhohadyettomeetthewomanfromNantucket。
CHAPTERVI
THESCHOOLHOUSEBELLRINGS”Allhandsondeck！Turnoutthere！Turnout！”
CaptainErigruntedandrolledoverinhisbed；foramomentortwohefanciedhimselfbackinthefo’castleoftheSeaMist，thebarkinwhichhehadmadehisfirstvoyage。Then，ashegrewwiderawake，heheard，somewhereinthedistance，abellringingfuriously。”Turnout，allhands！Turnout！”
CaptainErisatup。Thatvoicewasnopartofadream。ItbelongedtoCaptainJerry，andthetoneofitmeantbusiness。Thebellcontinuedtoring。”Aye，aye，Jerry！What’sthematter？”heshouted。”Fire！There’sabigfireupinthevillage。Lookoutofthewindow，andyoucansee。They’reringingtheschoolhousebell；
don’tyouhearit？”
TheCaptain，wideawakeenoughbythistime，jumpedoutofbed，carryingtheblanketswithhim，andrantothewindow。Openingit，hethrustouthishead。Thewindhadchangedtotheeastward，andathickfoghadcomeinwithit。Thehousewassurroundedbyawet，blackwall，butofftothewestaredglowshonethroughit，nowbrighterandnowfainter。Theschoolhousebellwasturningsomersaultsinitsexcitement。
Onlyonce，sinceCaptainJerryhadbeenjanitor，hadtheschoolhousebellbeenrungexceptintheperformanceofitsregularduties。ThatoncewasonanightbeforetheFourthofJuly，whensomemischievousyoungstersclimbedinatawindowandproclaimedtosleepingOrhamthatYoungAmericawascelebratingtheanniversaryofitsbirth。Sincethen，onnightsbeforetheFourth，CaptainJerryhadsleptintheschoolhouse，armedwithahorsewhipandanancientnavyrevolver。Therevolverwasstrictlyforshow，andthehorsewhipforuse，butneitherwascalledintoservice，forevenifsomedare-devilspiritsdidventurenearthebuilding，theCaptain’ssnores，asheslumberedbythefrontdoor，weredangersignalsthatcouldnotbedisregarded。
ButtherewasnoflavoroftheFourthinthebell’snotethisnight。Whoevertheringermightbe，hewasringingasthoughitwashisonlyhopeforlife，andthebellswungbackandforthwithoutapause。TheredglowinthefogbrightenedagainastheCaptaingazedatit。
CaptainJerrycametumblingupthestairs，breathlessandhalfdressed。”Wheredoyoumakeitouttobe？”hepanted。”Somewhere’snighthepost-office。Looks’sifitmightbeWeeks’sstore。Where’sPerez？”
CaptainErihadlightedalampandwaspullingonhisboots，ashespoke。”HereIbe！”shoutedthemissingmemberofthetriofromthediningroombelow。”I’mallready。Hurryup，Eri！”
CaptainErijumpedintohistrousers，slippedintoafadedpea-
jacketandclattereddownstairs，followedbythewildlyexcitedJerry。”Goodland，Perez！”hecried，ashecameintothediningroom，”I
thoughtyousaidyouwasallready！”
CaptainPerezpausedinthevainattempttomakeCaptainJerry’shatcoverhisowncraniumandrepliedindignantly，”Well，Iam，ain’tI？””SeemstomeI’dputsomethin’onmyfeetbesidesthemsocks，ifI
wasyou。Youmightcatchcold。”
Perezglanceddownathisblue-yarnextremitiesinblankastonishment。”Well，now，”heexclaimed，”ifIhain’tforgotmyboots！””Well，git’emon，andbequick。There’syourhat。GiveJerryhis。”
TheexcitedPerezvanishedthroughthedoorofhischamber，andCaptainEriglancedatthechronometer；thetimewasaquarteraftertwo。
Theyhurriedoutofthedoorandthroughtheyard。Thewind，ashasbeensaid，wasfromtheeast，buttherewaslittleofitand，exceptfortheclangingofthebell，thenightwasverystill。Thefogwasheavyandwet，andthetreesandbushesdrippedasiffromashower。Therewasthesaltsmellofthemarshesintheair，andthehissingandsplashingofthesurfontheouterbeachwereplainlytobeheard。Alsotherewastheclickingsoundofoarsinrow-locks。”Somebodyiscomin’overfromthestation，”gaspedCaptainJerry。”Don’trunso，Eri。It’stoodark。I’veprettynighbrokemyneckalready。”
Theypassedthelilypond，wherethefrogshadlongsinceadjournedtheirconcertandgonetobed，dodgedthroughtheyardofthetightlyshutteredsummerhotel，andcameoutatthecorneroftheroad，havingsavedsomedistancebythe”short-cut。””Thatain’tWeeks’sstore，”declaredCaptainPerez，whowasinthelead。”It’sWebSaunders’splace；that’swhatitis。”
CaptainEripausedandlookedovertotheleftinthedirectionoftheBaxterhomestead。Thelightinthewindowwasstillburning。
Theyturnedintothe”mainroad”atadogtrotandbecamepartofacrowdofoddlydressedpeople，allrunninginthesamedirection。”Web’splace，ain’tit？”askedEriofSethWingate，whowaslumberingalongwithawoodenbucketinonehandandthepitcherofhiswife’sbestwashstandsetintheother。”Yes，”breathlesslyansweredMr。Wingate，”andit’sagoner，theytellme。Everyman’sgottodohispartifthey’regoingtosaveit。Iallerssaidweoughttohaveafiredepartmentinthistown。”
ConsideringthatSethhad，forthepasteightyears，persistentlyopposedintown-meetinganyattempttopurchaseahandengine，thiswasarathersurprisingspeech，butnoonepaidanyattentiontoitthen。