the "mariners' women." Except by Esther he was almost
entirely ignored by the inmates. Elizabeth he saw daily for a short
time, but for her sake he made those times as brief as he could. Her
mother he saw occasionally; she spoke to him only when necessary.
Elvira, Mrs. Brackett, Desire Peasly and the rest gave him the snippiest
of bows when they met and whispered and giggled behind his back.

It had seemed to him that Elizabeth looked more careworn of late. He did
not mention it to her, of course, but it troubled him. He speculated
concerning the cause and was inclined, entirely without good reason, to
suspect Egbert, just as he was inclined to suspect him of being the
cause of most unpleasantness. Something that Mrs. Tidditt said during
one of her evening "dropping-ins" supplied a possible base for suspicion
in this particular case.

"Elizabeth and her mother has had some sort of a rumpus," declared
Esther. "They ain't hardly on speakin' terms with one another these
days. That is," she added, "Cordelia ain't. I guess likely Elizabeth
would be as nice as she always is if her ma would give her the chance.
Cordelia goes around all divided up between tears and joy, as you might
say. When she's nigh her daughter she looks as if she was just about
ready to cry--lee scuppers all awash, as my husband used to say when I
was in the same condition; which wan't often, for cryin' ain't much in
my line. Yes, when Elizabeth's lookin' at her she's right on the ragged
edge of tears. But you let that dratted Eg heave in sight with all sail
sot and signals flyin' and she's all smiles in a minute. Oh, what a fool
a fool woman can be when she sets out to be!... Hey? What did you say,
Cap'n Kendrick?"

"I didn't say anything, Esther."

"Oh, didn't you? I thought you did. There's one ray of comfort over
acrost, anyhow. Elizabeth ain't in love with old Eggie, even if her
mother is. She and he have had a run-in or I miss my guess."

The captain was interested now. "What makes you think that?" he asked.

"Oh, from things I've seen. He's all soft soap and sweet ile to her same
as he always was--little more so, if anything--but she is cold as the
bottom of a well to him. No, they've had a row and of course the
reason's plain enough. That night over here when she called me a spy and
a lot more names I told her a few things for her own good. I told her
she had better think over what I said about that Eg's schemin' to get
her mother and the fi