."

"Well, her grandson married the only girl Ruleson, and they have ruled
Culraine ever since I can remember. The Captain was very masterful,
and after he was 'retired,' that was after he was sixty, I think, he
lived at Culraine, and Culraine lived as much to his order as if they
were the crew of his ship."

"Where did they live?"

"In the old house, but they built large rooms round about it, and put
on another story above all the rooms. They made no change in the old
part of the house, except to lift the roof, and insert modern widows.
The new rooms were finely papered and painted and furnished, the old
living room is still whitewashed, and its uncarpeted floor is
regularly scrubbed and sanded. The big hearthstone has no rug to it,
and the rack against the wall is yet full of the old china that Mrs.
Macpherson's mother used. All the Macpherson boys and girls were
married in that room, just in front of the hearthstone, or on it. I do
not remember which. The Captain's wife insisted on that part of the
ceremony."

"Did you know the Captain's wife?"

"In a general way, only. She is very well known. She writes
books--novels, and poems, and things like that. Some people admire
them very much, most of our folks thought them 'just so-so.' I can't
say I ever read any of them. My mother believed all books but the
Bible doubtful. Domine Trenabie read them, and if you wanted Captain
Macpherson's good will, you had to read them--at least, I have heard
that said."

"Is she writing books yet?"

"Ay, she had one on the market last year. She did not write much while
her children were growing up--how could she?"

"How many children has she?"

"I think eleven. I believe one died."

"What are you telling me?"

"The truth, all the truth, nothing but the truth. She has seven sons,
and five girls. The youngest girl died, I heard."

"She is older than I am. Does she look older?"

"No. She looks younger. Her hair is thinner, as I can remember it, but
pretty and bright, and always well dressed. I have seen her in her
fisher's cap in the morning. In the afternoon she wears a rose and a
ruffle of white lace, which she calls a cap. Her gowns are long and
handsome, and she has beautiful laces, but I never saw any jewelry on
her. Colonel Ballister gave her a necklace of small, but exceedingly
fine India pearls, but nobody ever saw it on her neck. Perhaps she did
not like to put them on. People said he bought them for the girl he