EvenZoethsmilednowandMarylaughedaloud。
“Butyouhaven’tobjected；youhaven’tmindedbeing——whatshallI
callit？——skipped——byme，haveyou？“sheasked。
TheCaptaingrinned。“Mindit！“heexclaimed。“Umph！Theonlytimewhenwereallymindeditwastheselasttwoyearswhenweain’thadit。Wemindedmissin’it，that’swhatweminded。“
“Well，youwon’tmissitanymore。Nowhelpmeputthesethingsbackinthesafeandwe’llgohome。Yes，home！Tomorrowmorning——
thismorning，Imean——we’lltalkandI’lltellyousomeofmyplans。
Oh，yes！IhaveplansandIaminhopestheymaydogreatthingsforHamiltonandCompany。Butnomoretalktonight。Remember，theskipperisbackonboard！“
Sotothehousetheywentandtobed，theCaptainandMr。Hamiltonunderprotest。
CHAPTERXX
NeitherMarynortheCaptainnorMr。Hamiltonsleptmuchofthefewhoursuntildaylight，andCaptainShadrach，whowasdevouredwithcuriosityconcerningtheplans，wouldhaveaskedparticularsbeforebreakfast，butMarywouldnotlistentoquestions。Itwasnotuntilbreakfastwasoverandtheywerebackinthestorethatsheconsentedtodiscussthesubject。
Thesafewasreopenedandthebooksandpapersspreadoutuponthedesk。Marytookuponeofthesheetsofpaper；itwascoveredwithrowsoffiguresinherhandwriting。
“Now，“shesaid，“itseemstomethatthefirstthingistofindoutexactlywherewestand。WhenIsay’we，’“sheadded，withanodofgreatimportance，“Imean’we，’because，asItoldyoulastnight，I
amasilentpartnerinthebusinessnow。“
“Don’tseemtobesoterriblemuchsilence，“observedShadrachdryly。
“Hush！AnotherremarkofthatkindandIshallsetyoutosweepingout，UncleShad。Now，UncleZoeth，accordingtothebooksthisiswhatweowe。“
Shereadfromthepaperinherhand。
“Thatisthetotal，UncleZoeth，isn’tit？“sheasked。Zoethgroanedandadmittedthathecal’lateditwasnighenough。
“Yes。Butthis，“holdingupanothersheetofpaper，“iswhatisowedus，anditisalmostasmuchastheother。“
ItwasShadrach’sturntogroan。“’Tisifwecouldgeta-holdofit，“hemuttered。“Theheftofthegangonthatlistain’tgotacentandthebulkoftherestof’emwouldn’thaveiftheypaidwhattheyowed。“
Marynoddeddeterminedly。
“Therearesomethatcanpay，“shesaid。“JeremiahClifford，forinstance。Accordingtothebooksheowesusoverahundredandtendollarsandpartoftheaccountisthreeyearsold。Mr。Cliffordownsproperty。Hecan’tbeapoorman。“
TheCaptainsniffed。“Hiswifeownstheproperty，“hesaid。“Everystick’sinhername。JerryClifford’sgotenough，buthelovesittoowelltoletgoofit。Mean！Why，say！Intheolddays，whenfishin’schoonersusedtorunfromSouthHarnisshere，JerryhewasownerandskipperofalittlehookerandSolonBlackwentonev’yagewithhim。Therewasanotherfo’masthandbesidesJerryandSolonaboardandSolonswearsthatalltheheartyprovisionJerryputonboardforafour-daytripwastwosticksofsmokedherrin’。Fortwodays，soSolonvows，theyatetheherrin’andtheothertwotheychewedthesticks。Thatmaybestretchin’itamite，butanyhowitgoestoshowthatJerryClifforddon’tshedmoneysameasacatdoesitshair。“
Zoethputinaword。
“Hesayshe’llpayprettysoon，“heobservedplaintively。“He’sbeensayin’itforoverayear，though。“
“Humph！“gruntedShadrach。“There’sonlyadifferenceofoneletterbetween’sayin’’and’payin’，’butthereain’tbuttwobetween’trust’and’bust。’“
Maryspoke。“Nevermind，“shesaid。“IshallseeMr。Cliffordmyself。AndIshallseesomeoftheseothers，too。Nowaboutourownbills——thoseweowe。Ihavealistoftheprincipalcreditors。
Mr。Green’sfirmisoneofthem；weowethemmostofall，itseems。
IthinkIshallgoandseeMr。Greenmyself。“
“Forthelandsakes，whatfor？“demandedShadrach。“Heknowshowwe’refixed，Zoethwrotehim。“
“Yes，butIwanttotalkwithhim，nevertheless。“
“Butwhatfor？Youain’tgoin’beggin’himto——“
“I’mnotgoingbeggingatall。WhenItalkedwithhimattheHowes’
he，notknowingintheleastwhoIwasorthatIwasyourniece，expressedsympathyforHamiltonandCompanyandwishedthereweresomewayofhelpingusoutofourtrouble——somethinghecoulddo，youknow。I’mnotsurethereisn’tsomethinghecando。Atanyrate，Iamgoingtoseehim。IshallstartforBostonMondaymorning。“
Zoethventuredanobservation。
“He’llbeconsiderablesurprisedtoseeyou，won’the？“hesaid。
Marylaughed。“Ithinkhewill，“shereplied。“Surprisedandalittleembarrassed。ButIimaginehisembarrassmentwillmakehimallthemoreanxioustobeofservicetome，andthat’swhatIwantfromhim——service。“
Ofcoursethepartnersaskedhundredsmorequestionsconcerningtheplans。Mary’sanswerswerestilldisappointinglyvague。Beforeshecouldtelljustwhatshemeanttodo，shesaidshemustbesure，andshewasnotsureyet。AgreatdealwoulddependuponherBostontrip。Theymustbepatientuntilshereturnedfromthat。
Sotheywerepatient——thatistosay，ZoethwasreallysoandCaptainShadrachwasaspatientasitwashisnaturetobe。Marywasabsentnearlyaweek。Whenshereturnedshehadmuchtotell。
ShehadvisitedMr。GreenathisofficeonCommercialStreet。Hissurpriseandembarrassmentwereallthatshehadprophesied。HeofferedprofuseapologiesforhisblunderattheHowes’。
“Ofcourse，ifIhadknownofyourrelationshiptoCaptainGouldandMr。Hamilton，“hebegan，“Ishouldnever——Really，Iam——IassureyouIhadn’ttheslightestidea——“
Hewasflounderinglikeastrandedfish。Maryhelpedhimofftheshoalsbytakingtheremainderofhisapologiesforgranted。
“Ofcourseyouhadn’t，“shesaid。“ButIamverygladyoutoldme，Mr。Green。ItwashightimeIknew。Don’tsayanotherwordaboutit，please。Ihavecometoyoutoaskadviceand，perhaps，helpofasort。MayIhavealittleofyourtime？“
Mr。Greenseizedtheopportunitythusoffered。Indeed，shemighthavetime，allthetimeshewanted。Anythinginhispowertodo——
andsoon。Beingabachelorandsomethingofanelderlybeauwhopridedhimselfuponmakingagoodimpressionwiththesex，ithadannoyedhimgreatly，thememoryofhismistake。AlsohehadbeendistinctlytakenwithMaryandwasanxioustoreinstatehimselfinheropinion。Sohiswillingnesstoatonewaseveneager。
“Asithappens，“hesaid，“Iamnotatallbusythisafternoon。I
cangiveyoutherestoftheday，ifyouwish。NowwhatcanIdoforyou？“
Maryexplainedthatshehadcometospeakwithhimconcerningheruncles’businessaffairs，hishousebeingHamiltonandCompany’slargestcreditor。Shetoldofherinvestigations，oftheconditioninwhichshehadfoundtheaccounts，andofherdeterminationtoremainatSouthHarnissandworkfortheupbuildingoftheconcern。
“OfcourseIamnotabusinesspersonlikeyourself，Mr。Green，“shesaid。“Iamonlyagirl。ButIworkedinmyuncles’storeand，inaway，manageditfortwoyearsormorebeforeIcametoBostontoschool。BesidethatIhavetalkedduringtheselastfewdayswithsomeofSouthHarniss’smostprominentpeople——permanentresidents，notsummerpeople。FromwhattheyandotherstellmeIamconvincedthatthesolereasonwhymyuncles’businesshasfallenbehindisbecauseofalackofkeepinguptothetimesinthefaceofcompetition。EveryonelikesUncleZoethandUncleShadrachandwishesthemwell——theycouldn’thelpthat，youknow。“
ShemadethisassertionwithsuchevidentprideandwithsuchabsoluteconfidencethatMr。Green，althoughinclinedtosmile，feltitmightbepoorjudgmenttodoso。SoheagreedthattherewasnodoubtofShadrach’sandZoeth’suniversalpopularity。
“Yes，“wentonMary，“theyaredears，bothofthem，andtheythinkeveryoneelseisashonestastheyare，whichisamistake，ofcourse。Sosomepeopleimposeonthemanddon’tpaytheirbills。I
intendtostopthat。“
Sheevidentlyexpectedherlistenertomakesomecomment，sohesaid，“Oh，indeed！“
“Yes，“continuedMary。“IintendtostoptheirtrustingeveryoneunderthesunandIshalltrymyhardesttocollectfromthosetheyhavealreadytrusted。Thereisalmostenoughduetopayeverybillweowe，andIbelievetwo-thirdsofthatiscollectibleifonereallygoesafterit。“
“Andyouwillgoafterit，Ipresume？“
“Imostcertainlyshall。Youaresmiling，Mr。Green。Isupposeitsoundslikeajoke，agirllikemyselfmakingsuchstatementsaboutthingsmenaresupposedtounderstandandwomennottounderstandatall。Itisn’tajokeinthiscase，becauseIthinkIunderstandmyunclesbusinessbetterthantheydo。IthinkIcancollectwhatisowedus，paywhatweowe，andmakemoneythereinSouthHarniss。
ButtodothatImusthavetimeand，byandby，credit，forweneedgoods。AndthatiswhatIcametotalktoyouabout。“
ShehadbroughtwithhercopiesoftheHamiltonandCompanytrialbalance，alsoalistofthefirm’sdebtorsandcreditors。ThesesheputuponthedeskbeforeMr。Greenandranafingerdownthepageswithexplanatoryremarkssuchas，“Thisisgood，Iknow，““Thiscanbecollectedbutitmaytakealawyertogetit，“or，asinthecaseof’RastusYoung’slong-standingindebtedness，“Thisisn’tworthanythingandshouldn’tbecounted。“
“Yousee，“shesaid，inconclusion，“wearen’tinsuchaVERYbadstate；itisn’thopeless，anyway。Nowherearetheaccountsweowe。
Yoursisthelargest。Herearetheothers。Allthesebillsaregoingtobepaid，justasIsaid，buttheycan’tbepaidatallunlessIhavetime。Ihavebeenthinking，thinkingveryhard，Mr。
Green——“
Greennodded。“Icanseethat，“heputin，good-naturedly。
“Yes。Well，thisiswhatIwanttoaskyou：Willyougiveussixmonthsmoretopaythewholeofthisbillin？Idon’tthinkweshallneedsomuchtime，butIwanttobesure。Andifattheendoftwomonthswehavepaidhalfofit，willyougiveuscreditforanothersmallbillofgoodsforthesummerseason，sothatwemaybestockedandready？Thesummerisourbestseason，yousee，“sheadded。