She paused, leaving the rest of the sentence to be inferred. Captain Sear's answer was prompt and crisp. "Judah Cahoon is one of the best fellows that ever lived," he said. "Yes, I know. I am sure he is. I didn't mean that. I meant is he--is he----" And then Judah himself, at work in the garden behind the screen of bushes, too busy to hear or even be aware of the conversation at the gate, chose this untoward moment to burst into song, to sing at the top of his voice, and the top of Judah's voice was an elevation from which sound traveled far. He sang: "Oh, Sally Brown was a bright mulatter, Way, oh, roll and go! She drinks rum and chews terbacker, Spend my money on Sally Brown. Whee--_yip_!" Miss Elvira's thin figure stiffened to an exclamation point of disapproval. Captain Kendrick turned uneasily in the direction of the singer. Mrs. Chase, aware that something was going on and not wishing to miss it, cupped her ear with her hand. And Judah began the second verse. "Oh, Sally Brown, I'll surely miss you, Way, oh, roll and go! How I'd love to hug and kiss you! Spend my money on Sally Brown. Whee--_yip_!" "Judah!" roared the captain, who was suffering acute apprehension. "Judah!" "Oh, Sally Brown----" "_Judah!"_ "Eh? What is it, Cap'n Sears?" "Shut up." "Eh! Shut up what? What's open?" "Stop that noise." "What noise?" "That noise of yours. That singin'." "Eh? Oh, all right, sir. Aye, aye, Cap'n, just as you say." Captain Sears, relieved, turned again to his visitors. But the visitors were rapidly retreating along the path, the lines of Miss Elvira's back indicating disgust and outraged gentility. Mrs. Chase, however, looked back. Obviously she still did not know what it was all about.