DREW [_Excitedly._] I was thinking--Listen, Sue! Seems to me from what I saw your Pa’s out of his right mind, and, being that way, he’s sure bound to go unless someone or something steps in to stop him. D’you think your Ma----? SUE--[_Shaking her head--sadly._] No, I’m afraid anything she says will only make things worse. DREW--Then you’ve no hope--? No more have I. Something’s got to be done to keep him home in spite of himself. Even leaving your Ma out of it, he’s not in any fit state to take a ship to sea; and I was thinking if we could fix it some way so that fellow Horne could take her out on this voyage-- SUE--But, Danny, Pa’d never give in to that. DREW--I wasn’t thinking he would. It’d have to be done on the sly. We--you’d have to give the word--and keep him in the house somehow--and then when he did come out it’d be too late. The schooner’d be gone. SUE--[_Disturbed, but showing that this plan has caught her mind._] But--would it be fair?--he’d never forgive-- DREW--When he’s back in his right mind again, he would. [_Earnestly._] I’m not fond of lying and tricks myself, Sue, but this is a case where you can’t pick and choose. You can’t let him sail, and wreck his ship and himself in the bargain, likely. Then, there’s your Ma---- SUE--No, no, we can’t let him. [_With a glance at_ HORNE _and_ CATES.] But I don’t trust those men. DREW--No more do I; but it would be better to chance them than--[_Suddenly interrupting himself--with a shrug of his shoulders._] But there’s no good talking of that. I was forgetting. None of them can navigate. They couldn’t take her out. SUE--But didn’t I hear him say--if they had an officer on board--like you-- DREW--Yes, but where’ll you find one at a second’s notice? SUE--[_Meaningly._] And you told me, didn’t you, that you’d just got your master’s papers. Then you’re a captain by rights. DREW--[_Looking at her with stunned astonishment._] Sue! D’you mean-- SUE--[_A light coming over her face._] Oh, Danny, we could trust you! He’d trust you! And after he’d calmed down I know he wouldn’t mind so much. Oh, Danny, it’ll break my heart to have you go, to send you away just after you’ve come back. But I don’t see any other way. I wouldn’t ask--if it wasn’t for Ma being, this way--and him--Oh, Danny, can’t you see your way to do it--for my sake? DREW--[_Bewilderedly._] Why, Sue, I--I never thought--[_Then as he sees the look of disappointment which comes over her face at his hesitancy--resolutely._] Why sure, Sue, I’ll do it--if you want me to. I’ll do it if it can be done. But we’ve got to hustle. You stand in the door, Sue. You’ve got to keep him in the house some way if he aims to come out. And I’ll talk to them. [SUE _goes to the doorway_. DREW _goes over to_ HORNE _and_ CATES.] SUE--[_After listening._] He’s still in with Ma. It’s all right. DREW--[_To_ HORNE, _with forced joviality_.] How would you like me for skipper on this one voyage?