ose then an' be as big a d--n fool as he likes then--an'
get away with it, what? Say, can't he?"

--"Yes."

--"So that's why I came."

--"But--honeymoon? Are you going to be married?"

--"Naw! I ain't goin' to be married--I _am_ married! Day before
yesterday, in New Orleans. And I don't believe in dandlin' an' foolin'
around about a little thing like that. Ain't you married yet?"

"No. Impossible. No preacher on Cote Blanche Bay or on our boat. I've
got Aunt Lucinda Daniver along, to take care of the proprieties. If I
should leave it to her, I never would be married."

"Why?"

"She thinks I'm broke."

"Yes, too bad about that! I wish I could swap bank rolls with you. Why
didn't you tell her the truth--and Helena, too? Why didn't you tell
'em it was your own yacht? Why didn't you tell 'em you're worth a few
millions and don't have to work?"

"I don't know--maybe I'm like you, Cal, foolish about nightingales and
things. But tell me--you never did tell them anything about that Sally
M. mine business, did you?"

"No, I should say not! Didn't you tell me you didn't want it to get
out? It was bad enough, the way old Dan and your--sainted father
handed it to each other over that mine, wasn't it? I know about it,
for I promoted that mine myself, and the name'll prove that--Sally M.
Byington, with the Byington left off! There wasn't a blasted thing in
it then. But when you--like a blame quixotic fool--after she was good
for six thousand a month velvet, and ore blocked out to last a
thousand years--why, then you fool around in Papa's records, and think
Papa wasn't on the square with old Dan. So on the quiet you get it all
made over, back to old Dan's daughter; and take a sneak into the
hazelbrush when she turns you down! Say, you know what _I'd_ a-done?"

"No."

--"I'd a-held on to the mine and told the girl how much it was
bringin' in--that's _my_ system. Then I'd a-got the mine and the girl
both, maybe!"

--"Maybe."

"Well, that's the system I'd a-played. I wouldn't a-took to the tall
grass, me."

"On the other hand, I played a system invented by myself and Henri
L'Olonnois."

"I never heard of him. Well, anyhow, you were rich enough to afford to
do what you liked. But as to keeping it secret, you can't do that any
longer. Those newspaper fellows are the devil to get hold of things.
Since all this stuff came out about you running away with your own
boat--I can see now why you did it, and I'm glad you did-