"Indeed!" said Gil, raising his eyebrows. "Let me see, Master Cobbe: it is sixteen years since Wat Kilby brought me, a delicate boy of twelve, low from an attack of a fever caught in the Western Isles, and you and your good wife nursed me into strength." "Yes, yes, quite true," said the founder, hastily. "Poor Rachel! poor Rachel!" he muttered, and his face clouded. "If ever woman was meet for the kingdom of heaven when she died it was Mace's mother--my second mother!" said Gil, gravely. "Amen to that!" said the founder. "Thank you, Gil--thank you--God bless you for those words," he continued, with his voice trembling; and he seized and wrung the young man's hand, which warmly pressed his in return. "Mace was a child of four then, Master Cobbe," said Gil, "and we have been like brother and sister ever since." "Yes, yes, quite true," said the founder. "Then why do you say that I am growing too intimate with your child?" "Because," said the founder, laying his hand upon the young man's arm, "you are growing now less like brother and sister, and it is time it was stopped." "Why?" said Gil, gravely. "Because, Gil Carr, the intimacy of two people like you might lead to feelings that end in marriage, and that could never be." "I do not see why not," said Gil, quietly. "No," said the founder, "but I do! And now listen. I like you, Gil, and I'm going to give you a bit of advice, both about this matter and your ship, for we are old friends, and I should not like you and yours to come to harm." "Friends in home matters, but in business you always drove the hardest bargains with me that you could; and now you talk of locking Mace away." "Friends enough, all the same, my lad; and as to locking up my daughter from you, as you term it, if I in the future bid her always keep her room when you are home from sea and come up here, shall I not do right? Would you have me bring her out to listen to the gallant words of every buccaneering captain who comes to my place, swaggering and swearing and drinking, till he wants a man on each side to see him safe away, lest he get into the mill-race or the dam. Nay, Captain Gil Carr--Culverin Carr, if you like!--times are altered now, for Mace is a woman grown, and a girl no longer. So in the future I'll trade with you and be the best of friends, but there we'll stop." "Now, Master Cobbe," said Gil, with a quiet, grave smile, "when did you see me overcome by strong waters, or swaggering, or using oaths? Fie! you make me worse than I am." Jeremiah Cobbe chuckled, and laid his finger good-humouredly upon the young man's breast. "It will not do, Gil lad, so we need not argue. You are as good as most men; but see here, I have Mace's future welfare to provide for, and, above all, her happiness. I've been weak and neglectful, perhaps, so far, but now I'm going to be hard as the iron in those guns. There's no harm done as yet, so let us stop in time, for we both wish the poor girl to be happy."