"Fact, Mrs. Derrick, when I'm to home; but when a man's visiting he has to work night _and_ day. Moonlight's moonlight now. I declare, in Jersey I thought it was broad sunshine.--You haven't been down to my place yet, Mr. Linden?" "No sir, not within the gate." "The Simlins' have held that place, sir, off and on, for nigh three hundred years. We're a good many Simlins'--and we're a good set, I'll say it! a pretty good set. Not thin-skinned, you know,--we can take a scratch without bein' killed--but we never would stand bein' trampled on. We're soft-hearted too; plenty o' what I may call _tendrils_, ready to take hold of anything; and when we take hold we _do_ take hold. We cover a good deal of ground in the country, here and elsewhere--in the various branches. My mother was a Mush, and my grandmother was a Citron; a good families those, sir; can't do better than take a wife from one of them, Mr. Linden, if you are so disposed;--you haven't got one already, have you?" "_What_, sir?" said Mr. Linden, with more sharpness than he often shewed, and which made Mrs. Derrick drop her knitting and look up. "I thought you wasn't a married man--are you?" said Mr. Simlins, the grin just shewing itself again on his face. "Is that one of the charges brought against me?" said Mr. Linden, a little too roused himself to pay much heed to Mr. Simlins' questions. "Well I didn't know as you'd think it a 'charge,'" said Mr. Simlins with an unchanged tone. "I guess you mean to make it true some day, don't you?" The question fell unheeded--the charge did not; it touched him deeply; touched the proud sense of character; though no words gave evidence of the fact. "Faith, child," said Mrs. Derrick in that moment of silence, her whisper as low as she thought would reach across the table, "ought we to be here?" But a very emphatic, "Yes!" from the window, prevented the need of Faith's answer. "I was only recommending," said Mr. Simlins, "in case you wanted help to make up your mind. The Citrons are all gone to New Jersey--there's a few of the Mushes ramblin' round Connecticut yet. Well Mr. Linden--I hope you and your boys get on commodiously together?" "Just look into that basket on the table, and see what one of em brought him to-night," said Mrs. Derrick. "Those are Stoutenburgh Sweetings, Mr. Simlins." Mr. Simlins looked at the Sweetings and then looked towards the window. "I'd like to hear you speak a little on that point," he said. "Fact is, there's been some winds blowin' about Pattaquasset that aint come off beds o' roses; and I'd like to find where the pison is and clap a stopper on it for the future. It's easy done." Mr. Linden looked up with his usual expression, only the smile was grave and a little moved, and answered, "I could say a good deal on that point, Mr. Simlins. Yet I had rather you should ask the boys than me."