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BY SHORE AND SEDGE
ole woman stepped into it； and left me and Rosey to creep on in the old
wagon alone。 It's them kind o' things；〃 added Mr。 Nott thoughtfully； 〃that
seem to pint to my killin' you on sight ez the best thing to be done。 And
yet Rosey mightn't like it。〃
He had slipped one of his feet out of his huge carpet slippers； and； as
he reached down to put it on again； he added calmly： 〃And ez to yer
marrying HER it ain't to be done。〃
The utterly bewildered expression which transfigured de Ferrieres's
face at this announcement was unobserved by Nott's averted eyes； nor did
he perceive that his listener the next moment straightened his erect figure
and adjusted his cravat。
〃Ef Rosey；〃 he continued； 〃hez read in vy'ges and tracks in Eyetalian
and French countries of such chaps ez you and kalkilates you're the right
kind to tie to； mebbee it mout hev done if you'd been livin' over thar in a
pallis； but somehow it don't jibe in over here and agree with a shipand
that ship lying comf'able ashore in San Francisco。 You don't seem to suit
the climate； you see； and your general gait is likely to stampede the other
cattle。 Agin；〃 said Nott； with an ostentation of looking at his companion
but really gazing on vacancy； 〃this fixed up； antique style of yours goes
better with them ivy kivered ruins in Rome and Palmyry that Rosey's
mixed you up with； than it would yere。 I ain't saying；〃 he added as de
Ferrieres was about to speak； 〃I ain't sayin' ez that child ain't smitten with
ye。 It ain't no use to lie and say she don't prefer you to her old father； or
young chaps of her own age and kind。 I've seed it afor now。 I suspicioned
it afor I seed her slip out o' this place to…night。 Thar！ keep your hair on；
such ez it is！〃 he added as de Ferrieres attempted a quick deprecatory
gesture。 〃I ain't askin yer how often she comes here； nor what she sez to
you nor you to her。 I ain't asked her and I don't ask you。 I'll allow ez
you've settled all the preliminaries and bought her the ring and sich； I'm
only askin' you now； kalkilatin you've got all the keerds in your own hand；
what you'll take to step out and leave the board？〃
The dazed look of de Ferrieres might have forced itself even upon
Nott's one…idead fatuity； had it not been a part of that gentleman's system
delicately to look another way at that moment so as not to embarrass his
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adversary's calculation。 〃Pardon；〃 stammered de Ferrieres； 〃but I do not
comprehend！〃 He raised his hand to his head。 〃I am not wellI am stupid。
Ah； mon Dieu！〃
〃I ain't sayin'；〃 added Nott more gently； 〃ez you don't feel bad。 It's
nat'ral。 But it ain't business。 I'm asking you；〃 he continued； taking from his
breast…pocket a large wallet； 〃how much you'll take in cash now； and the
rest next steamer day； to give up Rosey and leave the ship。〃
De Ferrieres staggered to his feet despite Nott's restraining hand。 〃To
leave Mademoiselle and leave the ship？〃 he said huskily； 〃is it not？〃
〃In course。 Yer can leave things yer just ez you found 'em when you
came； you know；〃 continued Nott； for the first time looking around the
miserable apartment。 〃It's a business job。 I'll take the bales back ag'in； and
you kin reckon up what you're out； countin' Rosey and loss o' time。〃
〃He wishes me to gohe has said；〃 repeated de Ferrieres to himself
thickly。
〃Ef you mean ME when you say HIM； and ez thar ain't any other man
around； I reckon you do'yes！'〃
〃And he asks mehethis man of the feet and the daughterasks me
de Ferriereswhat I will take；〃 continued de Ferrieres； buttoning his coat。
〃No！ it is a dream！〃 He walked stiffly to the corner where his portmanteau
lay； lifted it； and going to the outer door； a cut through the ship's side that
communicated with the alley； unlocked it and flung it open to the night。 A
thick mist like the breath of the ocean flowed into the room。
〃You ask me what I shall take to go；〃 he said as he stood on the
threshold。 〃I shall take what YOU cannot give； Monsieur； but what I
would not keep if I stood here another moment。 I take my Honor；
Monsieur； andI take my leave！〃
For a moment his grotesque figure was outlined in the opening； and
then disappeared as if he had dropped into an invisible ocean below。
Stupefied and disconcerted at this complete success of his overtures；
Abner Nott remained speechless； gazing at the vacant space until a cold
influx of the mist recalled him。 Then he rose and shuffled quickly to the
door。
〃Hi！ Ferrers！ Look yerSay！ Wot's your hurry； pardner？〃
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But there was no response。 The thick mist； which hid the surrounding
objects； seemed to deaden all sound also。 After a moment's pause he
closed the door； but did not lock it； and retreating to the centre of the room
remained blinking at the two candles and plucking some perplexing
problem from his beard。 Suddenly an idea seized him。 Rosey！ Where was
she？ Perhaps it had been a preconcerted plan； and she had fled with him。
Putting out the lights； he stumbled hurriedly through the passage to the
gangway above。 The cabin…door was open； there was the sound of voices
Renshaw's and Rosey's。 Mr。 Nott felt relieved but not unembarrassed。 He
would have avoided his daughter's presence that evening。 But even while
making this resolution with characteristic infelicity he blundered into the
room。 Rosey looked up with a slight start； Renshaw's animated face was
changed to its former expression of inward discontent。
〃You came in so like a ghost； father；〃 said Rosey with a slight
peevishness that was new to her。 〃And I thought you were in town。 Don't
go； Mr。 Renshaw。〃
But Mr。 Renshaw intimated that he had already trespassed upon Miss
Nott's time； and that no doubt her father wanted to talk with her。 To his
surprise and annoyance； however； Mr。 Nott insisted on accompanying him
to his room； and without heeding Renshaw's cold 〃Good…night；〃 entered
and closed the door behind him。
〃P'rap's；〃 said Mr。 Nott with a troubled air； 〃you disremember that
when you first kem here you asked me if you could hev that 'er loft that
the Frenchman had down stairs。〃
〃No； I don't remember it；〃 said Renshaw almost rudely。 〃But；〃 he
added； after a pause； with an air of a man obliged to revive a stale and
unpleasant memory； 〃if I didwhat about it？〃
〃Nuthin'； only that you kin hev it to…morrow； ez that 'ere Frenchman is
movin' out；〃 responded Nott。 〃I thought you was sorter keen about it when
you first kem。〃
〃Umph！ we'll talk about it to…morrow。〃 Something in the look of
wearied perplexity with which Mr。 Nott was beginning to regard his own
mal a propos presence； arrested the young man's attention。 〃What's the
reason you didn't sell this old ship long ago； take a decent house in the
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town； and bring up your daughter like a lady？〃 he asked with a sudden
blunt good humor。 But even this implied blasphemy against the habitation
he worshiped did not prevent Mr。 Nott from his usual misconstruction of
the question。
〃I reckon； now； Rosey's got high…flown ideas of livin' in a castle with
ruins； eh？〃 he said cunningly。
〃Haven't heard her say；〃 returned Renshaw abruptly。 〃Good…night。〃
Firmly convinced that Rosey had been unable to conceal from Mr。
Renshaw the influence of her dreams of a castellated future with de
Ferrieres； he regained the cabin。 Satisfying himself that his daughter had
retired； he sought his own couch。 But not to sleep。 The figure of de
Ferrieres； standing in the ship side and melting into the outer darkness；
haunted him； and compelled him in dreams to rise and follow him through
the alleys and by…ways of the crowded city