Varunas nodded. He had half a mind to repeat a few stories he had heard. There was Margery Wheeler, people were saying that she was making a fool of herself over young Covell, although they did say that he paid little attention to her. And there was a girl named Campton, whose family lived on the lower road, not far from Tobias Eldridge’s home, who was pretty and vivacious and who bore the local reputation of being a “great hand for the fellows.” She had a passable voice and was one of _Sir Joseph Porter’s_ “sisters or cousins or aunts” in the “Pinafore” chorus. She and Seymour Covell were friendly, it was said. Mrs. Tobias Eldridge was responsible for the report that he had been seen leaving the Campton cottage at a late hour. Mrs. Eldridge confided to a bosom friend that, from what she could make out, he didn’t come to that cottage very early either. “Saw Esther home from rehearsal first and then went down to Carrie Campton’s without tellin’ anybody; that’s my guess, if you want to know,” she whispered. “But for heaven’s sake don’t say _I_ ever said such a thing. Course it may not be true, but Tobias himself saw somebody he was sure was him comin’ out of their front door at twelve o’clock last time he went to lodge meetin’. Last time Tobias went, I mean.” The bosom friend had imparted this confidence, as a secret not to be divulged, to another bosom friend, and, at last, some one had whispered it to Varunas Gifford. Varunas was tempted to tell the story to his employer, but decided not to do so. It might stir up trouble; you never could tell how Cap’n Foster would take a yarn of that kind. He would be just as likely as not to declare it was all a lie, and no one’s business anyhow, and give him--Varunas--fits for repeating it. And, after all, it _was_ no one’s business--except Seymour’s. Young fellows were only young once and Carrie Campton was “cute” and attractive. Varunas cherished the illusion that when he, himself, was young he had been a heartbreaker. And he liked Covell. So he said nothing about the rumored philandering.