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〃That's so；〃 he said； drawing a long breath； 〃there's suthin' in that。〃
〃What did he SAY？〃 continued the young girl； impatiently。
〃Not much。 'You've got the Pontiac； Nott；' sez he。 'You bet！' sez I。
'What'll you take for her and the lot she stands on？' sez he； short and sharp。
Some fellers； Rosey；〃 said Nott； with a cunning smile； 〃would hev blurted
out a big figger and been cotched。 That ain't my style。 I just looked at him。
'I'll wait fur your figgers until next steamer day；' sez he； and off he goes
like a shot。 He's awfully sharp； Rosey。〃
〃But if he is sharp； father； and he really wants to buy the ship；〃
returned Rosey； thoughfully； 〃it's only because he knows it's valuable
property； and not because he likes it as we do。 He can't take that value
away even if we don't sell it to him； and all the while we have the comfort
of the dear old Pontiac； don't you see？〃
This exhaustive commercial reasoning was so sympathetic to Mr。
Nott's instincts that he accepted it as conclusive。 He； however； deemed it
wise to still preserve his practical attitude。 〃But that don't make it pay by
the month； Rosey。 Suthin' must be done。 I'm thinking I'll clean out that
photographer。〃
〃Not just after he's taken such a pretty view of the cabin front of the
Pontiac from the street； father！ No！ he's going to give us a copy； and put
the other in a shop window in Montgomery Street。〃
〃That's so；〃 said Mr。 Nott； musingly； 〃it's no slouch of an
advertisement。 'The Pontiac；' the property of A。 Nott； Esq。； of St。 Jo；
Missouri。 Send it on to your Aunt Phoebe； sorter make the old folks open
their eyesoh？ Well； seein' he's been to some expense fittin' up an
entrance from the other street； we'll let him slide。 But as to that dd old
Frenchman Ferrers； in the next loft； with his stuck…up airs and high…falutin
style； we must get quit of him； he's regularly gouged me in that ere
horsehair spekilation。〃
〃How can you say that； father！〃 said Rosey； with a slight increase of
color。 〃It was your own offer。 You know those bales of curled horsehair
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were left behind by the late tenant to pay his rent。 When Mr。 de Ferrieres
rented the room afterwards； you told him you'd throw them in in the place
of repairs and furniture。 It was your own offer。〃
〃Yes； but I didn't reckon ther'd ever be a big price per pound paid for
the darned stuff for sofys and cushions and sich。〃
〃How do you know HE knew it； father？〃 responded Rosey。
〃Then why did he look so silly at first； and then put on airs when I
joked him about it； eh？〃
〃Perhaps he didn't understand your joking； father。 He's a foreigner； and
shy and proud； andnot like the others。 I don't think he knew what you
meant then； any more than he believed he was making a bargain before。
He may be poor； but I think he's beena agentleman。〃
The young girl's animation penetrated even Mr。 Nott's slow
comprehension。 Her novel opposition； and even the prettiness it enhanced；
gave him a dull premonition of pain。 His small round eyes became
abstracted； his mouth remained partly open； even his fresh color slightly
paled。
〃You seem to have been takin' stock of this yer man； Rosey；〃 he said；
with a faint attempt at archness； 〃if he warn't ez old ez a crow； for all his
young feathers； I'd think he was makin' up to you。〃
But the passing glow had faded from her young cheeks； and her eyes
wandered again to her book。 〃He pays his rent regularly every steamer
night；〃 she said； quietly； as if dismissing an exhausted subject； 〃and he'll
be here in a moment； I dare say。〃 She took up her book； and leaning her
head on her hand； once more became absorbed in its pages。
An uneasy silence followed。 The rain beat against the windows； the
ticking of a clock became audible； but still Mr。 Nott sat with vacant eyes
fixed on his daughter's face； and the constrained smile on his lips。 He was
conscious that he had never seen her look so pretty before； yet he could
not tell why this was no longer an unalloyed satisfaction。 Not but that he
had always accepted the admiration of others for her as a matter of course；
but for the first time he became conscious that she not only had an interest
in others； but apparently a superior knowledge of them。 How did she know
these things about this man； and why had she only now accidentally
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spoken of them？ HE would have done so。 All this passed so vaguely
through his unreflective mind； that he was unable to retain any decided
impression； but the far…reaching one that his lodger had obtained some
occult influence over her through the exhibition of his baleful skill in the
horsehair speculation。 〃Them tricks is likely to take a young girl's fancy。 I
must look arter her；〃 he said to himself softly。
A slow regular step in the gangway interrupted his paternal reflections。
Hastily buttoning across his chest the pea…jacket which he usually wore at
home as a single concession to his nautical surroundings； he drew himself
up with something of the assumption of a ship…master； despite certain
bucolic suggestions of his boots and legs。 The footsteps approached nearer；
and a tall figure suddenly stood in the doorway。
It was a figure so extraordinary that even in the strange masquerade of
that early civilization it was remarkable； a figure with whom father and
daughter were already familiar without abatement of wonderthe figure of
a rejuvenated old man； padded； powdered； dyed； and painted to the verge
of caricature； but without a single suggestion of ludicrousness or humor。 A
face so artificial that it seemed almost a mask； but； like a mask； more
pathetic than amusing。 He was dressed in the extreme of fashion of a
dozen years before； his pearl gray trousers strapped tightly over his
varnished boots； his voluminous satin cravat and high collar embraced his
rouged cheeks and dyed whiskers； his closely…buttoned frock coat clinging
to a waist that seemed accented by stays。
He advanced two steps into the cabin with an upright precision of
motion that might have hid the infirmities of age； and said deliberately
with a foreign accent：
〃You…r…r ac…coumpt？〃
In the actual presence of the apparition Mr。 Nott's dignified resistance
wavered。 But glancing uneasily at his daughter and seeing her calm eyes
fixed on the speaker without embarrassment； he folded his arms stiffly；
and with a lofty simulation of examining the ceiling； said；
〃Ahem！ Rosa！ The gentleman's account。〃
It was an infelicitous action。 For the stranger； who evidently had not
noticed the presence of the young girl before； started； took a step quickly
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forward； bent stiffly but profoundly over the little hand that held the
account； raised it to his lips； and with 〃a thousand pardons；
mademoiselle；〃 laid a small canvas bag containing the rent before the
disorganized Mr。 Nott and stiffly vanished。
That night was a troubled one to the simple…minded proprietor of the
good ship Pontiac。 Unable to voice his uneasiness by further discussion；
but feeling that his late discomposing interview with his lodger demanded
some marked protest； he absented himself on the plea of business during
the rest of the evening； happily to his daughter's utter obliviousness of the
reason。 Lights were burning brilliantly in counting…rooms and offices； the
feverish life of the mercantile city was at its height。 With a vague idea of
entering into immediate negotiations with Mr。 Sleight for the sale of the
shipas a direct way out of his present perplexity； he bent his steps
towards the financier's office； but paused and turned back before reaching
the door。 He made his way to the wharf and gazed abstractedly at the
lights r