This question was asked in the most casual fashion. Mr. Phillips did not answer at once. He coughed, changed his position, and then smiled graciously. "Yes," he said. "Yes, I--I did something of the sort, for a time. Music has always been a--one might call it a--ah--hobby of mine. But, regarding your duties as--well, whatever those duties are, Captain Kendrick: You say they are not arduous. And your--ah--compensation? That, I understand, is not large? Pardon my referring to it, but as Mrs. Phillips was the owner and benefactress of the Fair Harbor, and as I am--shall I say heir--to her interests, why, perhaps my excuse for asking for information is--ah--a reasonable one." He paused, and with another smile and wave of the hand, awaited his host's reply. Sears looked at him. "I guess you know what my wages are, Mr. Phillips," he observed. "Don't you?" "Why--why--ah--ah----" "Didn't Cordelia tell you? She knows. So does Elizabeth." "Why--why, Mrs. Berry did mention a figure, I believe. I seem to recall--ah--ah--something." "If you remember fifteen hundred a year, you will have it right. That is the amount I'm paid for bein' in general command over there. As you say, it isn't very large, but perhaps it's large enough for what I do." "Oh--ah, _don't_ misunderstand me, Captain Kendrick, please don't. I was not questioning the amount of your salary." "Wasn't you? My mistake. I thought you was." "No; indeed no. My only feeling in regard to it was its--ah--trifling size. It--pardon me, but it seemed such a small sum for you to accept, a man of your attainments." "My attainments, as you call 'em, haven't got me very far I'm a poor man and, just now at any rate, I'm a cripple, a wreck on a lee shore. Fifteen hundred a year isn't so small to me." Mr Phillips apologized. He was sorry he had referred to the subject. But the captain, he was sure, understood his motive for asking, and, now that so much had been said, might he say just a word more. "Our dear Cordelia--Mrs. Berry--" he went on, "intimated that your--ah--compensation was paid by the judge, himself." "Yes it was. Judge Knowles paid it with his own money. It doesn't come out of the Fair Harbor funds." "Yes, yes, of course, of course. The judge's interest in my beloved wife's--ah--whims--perhaps that is too frivolous a word--was extraordinarily fine. But now the judge has passed on." "Yes. More's the pity." "I heartily agree with you, it is a great pity. An irreparable loss.... But he has gone." "Yes." Just here the dialogue came to a peculiar halt. Mr. Phillips seemed to be waiting for his companion to say something and the captain to be waiting for Phillips himself to say it first. As a consequence neither said it. When the conversation was resumed it was once more of a general nature. It was not until just beyond the end of the call that the Fair Harbor was again mentioned. And, as at first, it was the caller who led up to it.