"Tell Kate." "_Artemis_ is to sail tomorrow. The Tuesday afternoon, if the weather be right. The sky's clear tonight--I dare say it will be fair." "Oh?" "Ay--Barbados. And Ben does not know it, Kate, and will not know it until she is gone." "Oh, John!" "I know. Now let me try to tell thee: Ben was most desirous to sail--you knew that--and I--I can't have it, Kate. Not now, and he so young--the hardships, and his study disrupted, all that. A while ago--a week ago Saturday, I think--he spoke to me of this. He had the thought that _Artemis_ might make a quick passage to New York. It was reasonable. He'd given it much thought evidently, and spoke up every inch a man, I was obliged to consider it, though I still think my own judgment is best, and so--so she's for Barbados, and will surely bring enough on her return to clear away--certain debts, and put us in good posture for some time to come.... Well, let it be I'm simply a coward, Kate: I could not face him, and tell him he was not to go--that is, not now, when I--I tell thee, Kate, I can't quite seem to recover from what happened to _Iris_. Not as I used to recover from such misfortune. Why, when _Hera_ was lost--oh, I'm getting old. I simply could not bear to see the light go out of him, as I knew it would." "But later, when he's bound to know----" "Kate--dear--don't you think it may be better for him to meet it as a thing already done, no room for discussion?" "Oh, I don't know, John. He--it's not for me to say." "But you know I wish to hear whatever you think." "I--don't know. Some-way, it don't seem...." "You think he may be angry with me?" "I never saw Ben angry. Could be, I vow, if he was hurt." "And you think this may hurt him, too much?" "I--don't _know_, John. It seemed right to you, and--oh dearie me----" "Well, there, never mind. It's done. I sha'n't tell him till tomorrow. Nor Reuben of course, seeing I can't burden him with the obligation to keep a secret from his brother.... I was obliged to cross Ben in one other particular--maybe it a'n't important. He put in a good word once or twice for Mr. Shawn, you see, to replace poor Jan. I considered it. I like Shawn well enough--I suppose. But then yesterday--ay, Sunday it was--Reuben said something, to me alone, that gave me pause." "Reuben did! John, I--did not like that Mr. Shawn." "You too?" "I only glimpsed him the once, that evening he came here. I felt a coldness in him. I a'n't wise in the head, John, but my heart knows a little sometimes. I did feel a coldness."