Her surmise was correct, for a few days later the captain met Galusha on the road leading to the village and, taking the little man by the arm, became confidential. “Mr. Bangs,” he said, “I cal'late you must think it's kind of queer my not sayin' a word to you about what happened t'other night over to the house.” Galusha, who had been thinking of something else and was mentally thousands of miles away--on the banks of the Nile, in fact--regarded him rather vacantly. “Eh? Oh--um--yes, of course,” he stammered. “I beg your pardon.” “No reason why you should beg my pardon. I don't blame you for thinkin' so. It's natural.” “Yes--yes, of course, of course. But I don't know that I quite comprehend. Of what were you speaking, Captain Hallett?” The captain explained. “Of course you think it's queer that I haven't said a word about what Julia told us,” he went on. “Eh? Don't you?” “What--ah--what Miss Hoag said, you mean?” “Plague take Marietta!” impatiently. “She wan't nothin' but the go-between. 'Twas my wife that said it. You understand 'twas Julia, my wife, talkin', don't you?” “Why--ah--why--I suppose--” “Suppose? Don't you KNOW 'twas?” “Why--ah--no doubt, no doubt.” “Course there ain't any doubt. Well then, Julia said there was a dark man heavin' a sort of evil influence over Lulie.” “She said a SMALL dark man, a stranger. And she said he was present among us. So far as I can see I was the only small dark stranger.” “But you ain't an evil influence, are you?” “Well, I--ah--hope not. Dear me, no!” “I hope not, too, and I don't believe you are. No, there is some mistake somewheres. 'Twas Nelson Howard she must have meant.” “But, Captain Hallett, Mr. Howard is not small.” “No, and he wan't there that evenin', neither. But I'm bettin' 'twas him she meant just the same. Just the same.” “Do you think that is quite fair to Mr. Howard? If he isn't small, nor very dark, and if he was not in your house that evening, how--” “I don't know--I don't know. Anyhow, I don't believe she meant you, Mr. Bangs. She couldn't have.” “But--ah--why not?” “Because--well, because you couldn't be an evil influence if you tried, you wouldn't know how. THAT much I'll bet on. There, there, don't let's talk no more about it. Julia and me'll have another talk pretty soon and then I'll find out more, maybe.”