Captain Hap, penitent, but with no idea of saying so, came up the tenement stairs. Mari and Joey sat beside the fire. Mari was frying chunks of haddock for supper. Joey was singing in a contented little voice something that he had caught in the mission:-- “Veresawidenessin Godsmer--_cy_ Likevewidenessof vesea.... ForveloveofGod is bwoard--_er_ Vanvemeazzerof mansmine Anve heartof veE--ter--nal Ismoswonderfully kine.” “Hear the boy!” cried Mari, laughing for the first time for many black days. “What in the world is he singin’?” asked Joey’s father. “Why, I’m sure it’s as plain as can be,” said Joey’s mother,-- “‘There’s a wideness in God’s mercy, Like the wideness of the sea.’ Then he says:-- “‘For the love of God is broader Than the measure of man’s mind, And the heart of the Eternal Is most wonderful and kind.’ Oh, ain’t he the clever boy?” “We’ll see,” said Job unexpectedly, putting his feet to the floor. “I ain’t a-goin’ to have the little fellar ashamed of his father, see if I be!” “All the same,” observed Captain Hap dryly, “I wouldn’t go on the street to-night, if I was you. I’ll stay along of you a spell. The minister’s beat out. There’s enough goin’ on yet to capsize a soberer man than you be, Job. The fellar that did this here ain’t a-goin’ to stop at rims of dippers. No, sir!... Job Slip! Don’t you tech nothin’; not _nothin’_ outside of your own house, this six month to come! Not a soda, Job! Not a tumbler o’ milk! Not a cup o’ coffee! Not a swaller o’ water! No, nor a bite of victuals. You’ll be hunted down like a rat. There’s bread buttered with phosphorus layin’ round loose for ye most anywheres. Everybody knows who done this. ’T ain’t no use to spile good English callin’ bad names. He won’t stop at nothin’ partikkelar to drawr you under.” “But why?” asked Bayard. “Why should he hound down poor Job so?” “To spite you, sir,” replied the captain without hesitation. In the dead silence which followed the captain’s words, Joey’s little voice piped up again:-- “Be hushed my dark spew--it Ve wussvatcancome But shortens vy zhour--_nee_ Anhastingsme home.” Joey stole up merrily, and patted out the tune with his little fingers on the minister’s pale cheek. “He says,” began Mari proudly, “‘Be hushed, my dark spirit, _The worst that can come_’”-- But Captain Hap, who was not in a pious mood, interrupted the maternal translation.