"Yes, I am. Because I do believe that he wanted me to have it so much. I know people will say--perhaps they are already saying all sorts of wicked, mean things. I don"t--I won"t let myself think what some of them may be saying about my influencing the judge, or things like that. But I don"t care--that is, I care ever so much more for what _he_ said and what he wished. And he wanted you to take care of the money for me. You will, won"t you, Cap"n Kendrick?"
Now it was Sears" turn. He had gone over a scene like this, the scene which he had foreseen, many times. He was kind, but he was firm. He told her that he should not accept the trusteeship. He could not. It was too great a responsibility for a man with as little--and that little unfortunate--business experience as he had had.
"It needs a banker or a lawyer for that job, Elizabeth," he declared.
"What does a sailor know about handlin" money? You go to Bradley; Bradley"s the man."
But she did not want Bradley. The judge only mentioned Bradley as second choice.
"He wanted you, Cap"n Kendrick. He had every confidence in you. You should see what he says about your ability and common-sense and--and honesty in the letter. Please."
"No, Elizabeth. As far as honesty goes I guess he"s right. I am honest, at least I hope I should be. But for the rest--he"s partial there. He seemed to take a fancy to me, and goodness knows I liked him. But you mustn"t feel you"ve got to do this thing. He wrote me it was only a suggestion. You are absolutely free--he wrote me so--to go to Bradley or----"
"No." She rose to her feet. "I shan"t go to Bradley or anybody but you.
I am like him, Cap"n Kendrick; I trust you. I have come to know you and to believe in you. I like you. Why, you don"t know how glad I was to find that he wanted you to do this for me. Glad! I--I felt----"
"Why, Elizabeth!"
He had not meant to speak. The words were forced from him involuntarily.
Her tone, her eyes, the eager earnestness in her voice.... He did not say any more, nor did he look at her. Instead he looked at the patchwork comforter which had fallen from his knees to the floor, and fervently hoped that he had not already said too much. He stooped and picked up the comforter.
"And you will do it for me, won"t you?" she pleaded.
"I can"t. It wouldn"t be right."
"Then I shall not take the money at all. _He_ gave it to me, _he_ asked me--the very last thing he asked was that you should do it. He put the trust in your hands. And you won"t do it--for him--or for me?"
"Well, but--but---- Oh, good Lord! how can I?"
"Why can"t you?"
The real reason he could not tell her. According to Kent--whether inspired by Phillips or not made little difference--people were already whispering and hinting. How much more would they hint and whisper if they knew that he had taken charge of her money? The thought had not occurred to her, of course; the very idea was too ridiculous for her to imagine; but that made but one more reason why he must think for her.
"No," he said, again. "No, I can"t."
"But why? You haven"t told me why."
He tried to tell her why, but his words were merely repet.i.tions of what he had said before. He was not a good business man, he did not know how to handle money, even his own money. The judge had been very ill when he wrote those letters, if he had been well and himself he never would have thought of him as trustee. She listened for a time, her impatience growing. Then she rose.
"Very well," she said. "Then I shall not accept the twenty thousand. To me one wish of Judge Knowles" is as sacred as the other. He wanted you to take that trust just as much as he wanted me to have the money. If you won"t respect one wish I shall not respect the other."
He could not believe she meant it, but she certainly looked and spoke as if she did. He faltered and hesitated, and she pressed her advantage.
And at last he yielded.
"All right," he said desperately. "All right--or all wrong, whichever it turns out to be. I"ll take the trustee job--try it for a time anyhow.
But, I tell you, Elizabeth, I"m afraid we"re both makin" a big mistake."
She was not in the least afraid, and said so.
"You have made me very happy, Cap"n Kendrick," she declared. "I can"t thank you enough."
He shook his head, but before he could reply there came a sharp knock on the outer door, the back door of the house.
"Who on earth is that?" exclaimed Sears. Then he shouted, "Come in."
The person who came in was George Kent.
"Why, George!" said Elizabeth. Then she added. "What is it? What is the matter?"
The young man looked as if something was the matter. His expression was not at all pleasant.
"Evenin", George," said the captain. "Glad to see you. Sit down."
Kent ignored both the invitation and the speaker.
"Look here," he demanded, addressing Miss Berry: "do you know what time it is? It is ten o"clock."
His tone was so rude--so boyishly rude--that Sears looked up quickly and Elizabeth drew back.
"It"s nearly ten o"clock," repeated Kent. "And you are over here."
"George!" exclaimed Sears, sharply.
"You are over here--with him--again."
It was Elizabeth who spoke now. She said but one word.
"Well?" she asked.
There was an icy chill about that "Well?" which a more cautious person that George Kent might have noticed and taken as a warning. But the young man was far from cautious at that moment.
"_Well?_" he repeated hotly. "I don"t think it"s well at all. I come see you and--I find you over here. And I find that every one else knows you are here. And they think it queer, too; I could see that they did.... Of course, I don"t say----"
"I think you have said enough. I came here to talk with Cap"n Kendrick on a business matter. I told mother where I was going when I left the house. The others heard me, I suppose; I certainly did not try to conceal it. Why should I?"
"Why should you? Why, you should because--because---- Well, if you don"t know why you shouldn"t be here, he does."
"He? Cap"n Kendrick?"
"Yes. I--I told him why, myself. Only this noon I told him. I was here and I told him people were beginning to talk about you and he being together so much and--and his taking you to ride, and all that sort of thing. I told him he ought to be more careful of appearances. I said of course you didn"t think, but he ought to. I explained that----"
"Stop!" Her face was crimson and she was breathing quickly. "Do you mean to say that--that people are talking--are saying things about--about....
What people?"
"Oh--oh, different ones. Of course they don"t say anything much--er--not yet. But if we aren"t careful they will. You see----"
"Wait. Are they--are they saying that--that---- Oh, it is _too_ wicked and foolish to speak! Are they saying that Cap"n Kendrick and I----"
Sears spoke. "Hush, hush, Elizabeth!" he begged. "They aren"t sayin"