WhenthelittlemiteofbusinesshadbeentransactedandthepairreturnedtotheWyethhousetheyfoundMrs。WyethandMary-’Gustaawaitingthemintheparlor。Thegirlhadthefeelingthatshehadbeenundergoingarathervigorouscross-examination。Mrs。Wyethhadnottalkedagreatdealherselfandhermanner，thoughbrusqueandmatteroffact，waskind；butshehadaskedquestionsaboutMary-
’Gusta’shomelife，aboutCaptainGouldandMr。Hamilton，aboutschoolandfriendsandacquaintances。Andhercomments，whenshemadeany，weredirectandtothepoint。
SheandMr。Keithexchangedlookswhenthelatterenteredtheroom。
Keithraisedhiseyebrowsinquiringly。Shenoddedasifgivingemphaticassenttohisunspokenquestion。
ShadrachandMary-’Gustaleftthehousesoonafterward。WhiletheCaptainandMr。Keithwerewhisperingtogetherinthehall，Mrs。
Wyethbadethegirlgood-by。
“Ilikeyou，mydear，“saidthelady。“Youseemtobeasweet，sensiblegirl，andIdon’tmeetasmanyofthatkindnowadaysasI
couldwish。Iamsureweshallbegoodfriends。“
“AndWHATdidshemeanbythat？“demandedMary’-Gusta，assheandtheCaptainwalkedalongPinckneyStreettogether。“Whyshouldwebegoodfriends？ProbablyI’llnevermeetheragain。“
Shadrachsmiled。“Oh，youcan’talwaystell，“hesaid。“Sometimesyoumeetfolksoftener’nyouthinkinthisworld。“
Mary-’Gustalookedathim。“UncleShad，“shesaid，“whatdoesallthismean，anyway？Whydidyougotoherhouse？AndwhatwasthemysteriousbusinessofyourswithMr。Keith？“
TheCaptainshookhishead。“We’vegotahenon，sameasItoldyou，“hedeclared。“Whenit’stimeforthecrittertocomeoffthenestyou’llseewhat’sbeenhatchedsameastherestofus。How’dyoulikethatMrs。Wyeth？Hadaprettysharpedgeonhertongue，didn’tshe？“
Mary-’Gustaconsidered。“Yes，“sheanswered；“shewasoutspokenandblunt，ofcourse。Butsheisalady——areallady，Ithink——andI’msureIshouldlikeherverymuchwhenIknewherbetter。Ithink，though，thatshewouldexpectapersontobehave——behaveinherway，Imean。“
“Judas！Ishouldsayso。Don’ttalk！Iain’tfeltsomuchasifI
waskeepin’mytoesonachalkmarksinceIwenttoschool。Idon’tknowwhatherhusbanddiedof，butI’llbet’twasn’tcurvatureofthespine。Ifhedidn’tstandupstraight’twasn’thiswife’sfault。“
Mary-’Gusta’scuriosityconcerningthemysteriousbusinesswhichhadbroughtthemtothecitybecamegreaterthaneverbeforeitwastimetotakethetrainforhome。Apparentlyallofthatbusiness，whateveritmightbe，hadbeentransactedwhenheruncleandMr。
Keithtooktheirshortwalktogetherafterluncheon。CaptainShadrachseemedtoconsiderhisBostonerranddoneandthepairspenthalfofthehourbeforetraintimewanderingalongTremontandWashingtonStreetslookingintoshopwindows，andtheotherhalfinthewaitingroomoftheSouthStation。
Greatandgrowingaswashercuriosity，thegirlaskednomorequestions。Shewasdeterminednottoaskthem。AndtheCaptain，neitherwhileinthecitynorduringthehomewardjourney，referredtothe“hen“inwhichheandhisfriendfromChicagoweremutuallyinterested。Itwasnotuntilnineo’clockthatevening，whensupperwasoverandZoeth，havinglockedupthestore，waswiththeminthesitting-room，thatthehithertosecretivefowlcameoffthenest。
ThenShadrach，havinggivenhispartneralookandreceivedoneinreturn，clearedhisthroatandspoke。
“Mary-’Gusta，“hesaid，“meandyourUncleZoethhavegotsomenewsforyou。Ical’lateyou’vebeenwonderin’alittlemitewhatthatbusinessofMr。Keith’sandminewas，ain’tyou？“
Mary-’Gustasmiled。“Ihavewondered——justalittle，“sheobserved，withmildsarcasm。
“Yes——yes，Iain’tsurprised。Well，thebusinessisdoneandit’ssettled，andit’saboutyou。“
“Aboutme？Why，UncleShad！Howcanitbeaboutme？“
“’Causeitcananditis，that’swhy。Mary-’Gusta，meandZoethhavebeenthinkin’aboutyouagooddeallatelyandwe’vecometotheconclusionthatweain’ttreatedyoujustright。“
“Haven’ttreatedmeright？YOU？“
“Yes，us。You’reagoodgirlandasmartgirl——thesmartestandbestgirlthereisinthistown。Agirllikethatoughttodosomethin’better’nthanstayhereinSouthHarnissandkeepstore。
Keepin’store’sallrightforoldhulkslikeZoethHamiltonandShadGould，butyouain’tanoldhulk；you’reayoungcraftrightoffthewaysandyououghttohaveachancetocruiseinthebestwaterthereis。“
“UncleShad，whatareyoutalkingabout？Cruiseinthebestwater？“
“That’swhatIsaid。Yououghttomixwiththebestfolksandgetafineeducationandmeetsomebodybesidesdrummersand——andSolHiggins’sson。Sellingcoffinsmaybeagoodjob，Idon’tsay’tain’t；somebody’sgottodoitandwe’llallhavetoinvestinthatkindof——er——furnituresometimeor’nother。AndDanHigginsisagoodenoughboy，too。Butheain’tyourkind。“
“Mykind！UncleShad，whatintheworldhaveIgottodowithDanHigginsandcoffins——andalltherestofit？“
“Nothin’，nothin’atall。That’swhatI’mtryin’totellyouifyou’llgivemeachance。Mary-’Gusta，yourUncleZoethandIhavedecidedthatyoumustgotoschooluptoBoston，attheMissesCabot’sschoolthere。You’llboardalongwiththatMrs。Wyeth，theonewemettoday。She’sagoodwoman，Ical’late，thoughsheissoeverlastin’straightupanddown。You’llboardthereandyou’llgotoschooltothoseCabotwomen。And——“
ButMary-’Gustainterrupted。Thehenwasoffthenestnow，therewasnodoubtofthat，andofallunexpectedandimpossiblehatchingsherswasthemostcomplete。Theabsurdityoftheidea，tothegirl’smind，overshadowedeventhesurpriseofit。
“What？“shesaid。“UncleShad，what——？DoyoumeanthatyouandUncleZoethhavebeeninconspiracytosendmeawaytoschool？TosendmeawaytoBoston？“
Shadrachnodded。
“Noconspiracyaboutit，“hedeclared。“MeandZoethandMr。Keith，we——“
“Mr。Keith？Yes，yes，Isee。ItwasMr。Keithwhoputtheideainyourhead。Howperfectlysilly！“
“Silly？Whyisitsilly？“
“Becauseitis。It’sridiculous。“
“No，itain’t，it’scommonsense。Othergirlsgotocityfinishin’
schools，don’tthey？ThatIreneMullet’sjustgone，forone。Don’tyouthinkwefiggertodoasmuchforourgirlasBeckyMulletcandoforhers？Jumpin’fire！Ifyouain’tworthahogsheadofgirlslikeIreneMulletthenImissmyguess。“
“Hush，UncleShad；whatdifferencedoesthatmake？“
AndnowZoethputinaword。“Mary-’Gusta，“hesaid，“youknowwhatagoodschoolliketheoneShad’sbeenspeakin’ofcandoforagirl。Iknowyouknowit。Now，berightdownhonest；wouldn’tyouliketohaveacoupleofyears，say，ataschoollikethat，ifyoucouldhave’emjustaswellasnot？Didn’tyousaynotmore’nafortni’tagothatyouwasgladIreneMulletwasgoin’tohavesuchachancetoimproveherself？“
Mary-’Gustahadsaidthatverything；shecouldnottruthfullydenyit。
“OfcourseIdid，“sheanswered。“AndIamglad。ButIrene’scaseandminearedifferent。Ireneisn’tneededathome。Iam，and——“
Shadrachbrokein。“Ah，ha！Ah，ha！Zoeth，“hecrowed，triumphantly。“Didn’tItellyoushe’dsaythat？Iknewshe’dsayshewouldn’tgo’causeshe’dthinkshe’doughttostayhereandlookoutforus。Well，Mary’-Gusta，youlistentome。ZoethandIareyourguardians，lawfullyappointed。We’reyourbosses，younglady，foraspellyet。Andyou’regoin’todoaswesay。“
“But——“
“Thereain’tany’buts。’The’buts’areallpastandgone。Mr。
KeithhasarrangedforyoutoboardandroomalongwithMrs。WyethandI’vearrangedforyourschoolin’attheCabotplace。Yes，andI’vedonemore’nthat：Ipaidforyourfirstyear’sschoolin’thisveryafternoon。Sothere！THAT’Sended。“
Itwasnotended，ofcourse。Mary-’Gustawenttoherroomthatnightdeclaringshewouldnotleaveherunclestoattendanyfinishingschool。Theywenttotheirsvowingthatsheshould。TherealendcamethenextdaywhenZoethputthesubjectbeforeherinanewlightbysaying：
“Lookhere，Mary-’Gusta；justlistentomeaminuteandthink。
Supposethebootwasont’otherfoot：supposeyouwantedustodosomethin’topleaseyou，you’dexpectustodoit，wouldn’tyou？
Anyhow，youknowmightywellweWOULDdoit。Nowwewantyoutodothistopleaseus。We’vesetourheartsonit。“
Mary-’Gustawassilentforaminuteormore。Thepartnerswatchedheranxiously。Thensheaskedanunusualquestion，oneconcerningherownfinancialstatus。
“CanIaffordit？“sheasked。“HaveImoneyenoughofmyown？“
Zoethlookedtroubled。Shadrach，however，answeredpromptlyanddiplomatically。