“Why, Eldad,” said Harrington, laughing and fiery red, “you’re all at sea. Surely you don’t think I’m in love with Miss Ames?” The Captain looked hard at him. “Well, so I’ve ben told, John,” he replied. Harrington puckered up his mouth in wonder. “Bless me, how people will talk!” he exclaimed. “Why there’s not a word of truth in it. Of course I like Emily very much”— “And she you,” interposed the Captain. “And she me? I declare! I shall hear next that she is in love with me, I suppose!” exclaimed Harrington. “Well, so I’ve ben told,” coolly responded the Captain; “dead in love with you.” Harrington stared at him, but the color ebbed away from his countenance, and a flood of dreadful confirmations overswept him. Her recent sudden preference for his society, her lavish attentions to him, the fervent and sumptuous fondness of her manner, rushed in new light upon his consciousness. Purblind fool that I am, he thought; I mistook it all for friendship, and it meant love! For a moment, poor Harrington felt as guilty as though he had known and encouraged Emily’s passion for him. But no, he thought, this is all a mistake; it cannot be. “Eldad,” said he, “this is rather a serious matter; more serious than you may imagine. Come, now, be frank with me. You say you’ve been told Miss Ames is in love with me. Now who told you!” The Captain, with his head all atwist, scanned him curiously, slowly rubbing his chin, meanwhile, with the palm of his brown hand. “Well, John,” he answered, slowly, “I was asked not to mention it. Howiver, I guess I will. That young Witherlee told me.” “Oh!” said Harrington. “Yis, John,” continued the Captain. “I come in here one day about a week ago, I guess, and found him sittin’ in your chair, smokin’ his cigar. He said he was waitin’ for you, and we had a chat. In the course of the conversation, he let that out. I ruther thought he was tryin’ to pump somethin’ out of me on that subject, but I didn’t know nothin’, an’ if I did, he wouldn’t have been the wiser, I guess.” “What did he say?” asked Harrington. “Well, not overmuch,” replied the Captain. “Seemed to know all about it, howiver. Talked as if he was in your confidence. Asked when you were goin’ to be married. Well, now, he didn’t exactly _say_ it, you know, but he somehow gave me to understand that you were in love with Miss Ames, an’ she likewise with you; an’ thought her family wouldn’t make no objections. That was about all.” Harrington, with a look of pain, reddened while the Captain was speaking, and his nostrils quivered. “I am shocked and grieved that Witherlee should talk in this way,” he said, sadly. “I shall certainly call him to account for this.” “John, you musn’t mention it,” said the Captain, anxiously. “He said he thought I knew all about it, or he wouldn’t have alluded to it, and he made me promise not to speak of it. It won’t do, John. Fact is, I oughtn’t to have said a word.”