第51章 IN WHICH CAPTAIN EBEN RECEIVES A CALLER(4)

It is.I tell you it is.Don't waste time rolling your eyes and talking stuff.We've got to work and you've got to work first.Idon't know whether you're only making believe or not.I realize that 'twould be a good thing for your girl to marry a promising young chap like him,but--Hush!let me go on.I tell you,Hammond,it can't be.We won't let her.I won't let her.I'm a man of influence in this town,and outside of it,too.I'm head of the parish committee and a member of the National Regular Society.

I can't reach your precious ward,maybe,but I can reach the fellow she's after,and if he marries her,I'll drive 'em both to the poorhouse.

Here's where you come in,Hammond.It may be she does really care for him.Or maybe she's after position and money.Well,you talk to her.You tell her that if she keeps on going with him,if she doesn't break off this damnable business now,tomorrow,I'll ruin John Ellery as sure as I'm a living man.He'll be ruined in Trumet,anyhow.He'll be thrown out by the parish committee.I'm not sure that his church people won't tar and feather him.

Marrying a low-down Come-Outer hussy!As if there wa'n't decent girls of good families he might have had!But losing this church won't be the only thing that'll happen to him.The committee'll see that he doesn't get another one.I'll use my influence and have him thrown out of the Regular ministry.Think I can't?What sort of yarns do you suppose will be told about him and her,meeting the way they did?Won't the county papers print some fine tales?Won't the Boston ones enjoy such a scandal?I tell you,Eben Hammond,that young chap's name will be dragged so deep in the mud it'll never get clean again.He stopped for breath.His companion was silent.After a moment,he continued:

You tell her that,Hammond,he went on.If she really cares for him,it'll be enough.She won't let him ruin his life.And I'll keep quiet till I hear from you.If she's sensible and really decent,then she can give him his clearance papers without his knowing why she did it and everything will be a secret and kept so.

Nobody else'll ever know.If she won't do that,then you tell me and I'll have a session with HIM.If THAT'S no good,then out he goes and she with him;and it's ruination for both of 'em,reputations and all.Why am I doing this?I'll tell you.I like him.He isn't orthodox enough to suit me,but I have liked him mighty well.And Annab--Humph!that's neither here nor there.

What I'm fighting for is the Trumet Regular church.That's MYchurch and I'll have no dirty scandal with Come-Outers dragging it down.Now you understand.Will you tell her what I've said?The chair creaked.Evidently,Captain Eben was rising slowly to his feet.

Well?repeated Elkanah.

Elkanah Daniels,said Eben slowly,his voice shaking from nervous exhaustion and weakness,but with a fine ring of determination in every word,Elkanah Daniels,you listen to me.I've heard you through.If your yarn is true,then my heart is broke,and I wish I might have died afore I heard it.But I didn't die and I have heard it.Now listen to me.I love that girl of mine better'n the whole wide world and yet I'd ruther see her dead afore me than married to a Reg'lar minister.Disgrace to HIM!Disgrace to your miser'ble church!What about the disgrace to MINE?And the disgrace to HER?Ruin to your minister!Ruin to my girl here and hereafter is what I'm thinkin'of;that and my people who worship God with me.I'll talk to Grace.I'll talk to her.But not of what'll happen to him or you--or any of your cantin',lip-servin'

crew.I'll tell her to choose between him and me.And if she chooses him,I'll send her out of that door.I'll do my duty and read her out of my congregation.And I'll know she's gone to everlastin'hell,and that's worse'n the poorhouse.That's all to-night,Elkanah.Now you better go.

Humph!Well,I declare!you ARE a bigoted--Stop it!I've kept my hands off you so fur,because I'm the Lord's servant.But I'm fightin'hard to keep down my old salt-water temper.You go!There's the door.

All right,all right!I don't care what you say,so long as it's said so as to stop her from getting him--and said soon.It'll be said to-night.Now go!My people are waitin'at the chapel.You're not going to that prayer meeting after THIS?Where else should I go?'Come unto Me all ye that labor and are heavy laden.'And--and--his voice broke--He knows that I AMheavy laden.Lord!Lord!do help me,for this is more'n I can bear alone.The lock turned;the door opened and closed.Grace,clinging to the balusters,heard Captain Hammond cross the room,slowly and feebly.She heard him enter the sitting room.Then she heard nothing more,not another sound,though the minutes dragged on and on,endlessly,eternally,and each with a message,a sentence repeated over and over again in her brain.If she really cares for him,she won't let him ruin his life.By and by,pale,but more composed,and with her mind made up,she came down into the hall.Drawing a long breath,she turned into the sitting room to face her uncle.By the light shining through the dining-room door she saw him on his knees by the haircloth sofa.She spoke his name.He did not answer nor look up.

Alarmed,she touched him on the shoulder.At her touch his arm slid from the couch and he fell gently over upon his side on the carpet.