Galusha nodded, cheerfully. "When she thinks they need it," he replied.
"Humph! I understand now what you meant by saying she had taken charge of you. Does she boss you?"
Another cheerful nod. "I ALWAYS need it," answered Galusha.
Martha, of course, presided at the supper table. Primmie did not sit down with the rest. She ate in the kitchen with the Cabot chauffeur.
But she entered the dining room from time to time to bring in hot brown bread or beans or cookies, or to change the plates, and each time she did so she stared at Cousin Gussie with awe in her gaze. Evidently the knowledge that the head of Cabot, Bancroft and Cabot was sitting there before her had impressed her hugely. It was from Cabot, Bancroft and Cabot, so Primmie remembered, that Mr. Bangs had procured the mammoth pile of bank notes which she had seen upon her mistress"s center table.
She had never actually been told where those notes came from, but she had guessed. And now the proprietor of the "money factory"--for that is very nearly what it was in her imagination--was there, sitting at the Phipps" "dining table, eating the baked beans that she herself had helped prepare. No wonder that Primmie was awe-stricken, no wonder that she tripped over the mat corner and just escaped showering the distinguished guest with a platterful of those very beans.
Mr. Cabot seemed to enjoy his supper hugely. He was jolly, talkative, and very entertaining. He described his camp sojourn in Nevada and, according to him, life in a mountain sanitarium, under the care of a doctor and two husky male nurses, was a gorgeous joke. Martha, who, to tell the truth, had at first secretly shown a little of Primmie"s awe, was soon completely at ease. Even Galusha laughed, though not as often.
It was hard for him to forget the powder barrel sensation. Each time his cousin opened his mouth to speak, he dreaded to hear reference to a dangerous subject or to be asked a question which would set fire to the fuse.
The clock struck seven. Martha glanced at it and suddenly uttered an exclamation.
"My goodness gracious!" she exclaimed. "I declare, Mr. Bangs, you and I have forgotten all about that blessed seance. And half past seven was the time for it to begin. Good gracious me!"
Galusha started. "Dear me, dear me!" he cried. "So it was. I had completely forgotten it, really I had."
He put his hand to his forehead.
"I shall have to go to it," declared Martha. "Lulie begged me to come and the cap"n won"t like it if I stay away. But I don"t see that you need to, Mr. Bangs. You and your cousin can stay right here and talk and be comfortable. He is goin" to stay overnight. Oh, yes, you are, Mr.
Cabot. I wouldn"t let a stray cat go to Elmer Roger"s hotel if I could help it, to say nothin" of Mr. Bangs" cousin. The spare room"s all ready and Primmie is up there now, airin" it. She took your bag up with her; I had your chauffeur bring it in from the car."
Her guest stared at her for a moment, laughed and shook his head.
"Well, really, Miss Phipps," he said, "I don"t know what to say to you.
You rather take me off my feet. It is very kind of you and, of course, I am very much obliged; but, of course, too, I couldn"t think of staying."
"Now, please, Mr. Cabot! It isn"t the least little bit of trouble, and that"s honest. Mr. Bangs, you tell him to stay."
Galusha, thus appealed to, tried to say something, but succeeded only in looking distressed.
"We WANT him to stay, don"t we, Mr. Bangs?" urged Martha.
"Why--why, certainly. Oh, yes, indeed. Ah--yes," faltered Galusha. If there was one thing which he distinctly did not want, it was just that.
And there was no doubt that Cabot was wavering.
"But, you see, Miss Phipps," said Cousin Gussie, "it will be quite impossible. My chauffeur--"
"Yes, I know. I"m awfully sorry I haven"t got a room for him. I wish I had. But he can go to Elmer"s. He wouldn"t mind so much--at least I hope he wouldn"t--and there"s a garage for the car over there. I spoke to him about it and he"s only waitin" for you to say the word, Mr. Cabot."
The visitor protested a bit more and then yielded. "Frankly, Miss Phipps," he said, "I have been wanting to stay ever since I entered your door. This house takes me back to my boyhood, when I used to visit my great-uncle Hiram down at Ostable. You remember him, Galusha, Uncle Hiram"s dining room had the same wholesome, homey atmosphere that yours has, Miss Phipps. And I honestly believe I haven"t enjoyed a meal since those old days as I have enjoyed this supper of yours."
Martha colored with pleasure. Galusha, forgetting his powder barrel, beamed in sympathy.
"But there is just one more thing," continued Cousin Gussie. "You and Bangs were going out somewhere, were expected at some--er--social affair, weren"t you?"
Miss Phipps and her lodger exchanged looks. Both appeared embarra.s.sed.
"Well--well, you see," faltered the former. Then, after a moment"s reflection, she added, "Well, I"ll tell you, Mr. Cabot."
She did tell him, briefly, of Captain Hallett"s spirit obsession, of her friendship and sympathy for Lulie. She said nothing, of course, concerning the latter"s love story.
"So," she said, in conclusion, "although I haven"t the least bit of belief in Marietta Hoag or any of her seances, I am sorry for Cap"n Jethro and I am very fond of Lulie. She is worried, I know, and she has asked me to be there tonight. You and Mr. Bangs will excuse me, everything considered, won"t you?"
But Galusha had something to say. "Miss Martha," he said, "I am afraid I must go, too. I promised Mr.--ah--um--I mean I promised Lulie I would be there. And this is going to be a very important seance."
Martha turned to him.
"It is?" she asked. "Important--how? What do you mean?"
Her lodger looked as if he had said more than he intended. Also as if he did not know what to say next. But Cabot saved him the trouble.
"I wonder if I might attend this--er--function?" he suggested. "It is in the nature of a public affair, isn"t it? And," with a twinkle of the eye, "it sounds as if it might be interesting."
Galusha and Miss Phipps regarded him gravely. Both seemed a little troubled. It was Martha who answered.
"There isn"t any real reason why you shouldn"t go, if you want to, Mr.
Cabot," she said. "There is only one thing--only one reason why I didn"t say yes right away. I guess Mr. Bangs knows that reason and feels the same as I do about it. Don"t you, Mr. Bangs?"
Galusha nodded.
"You see," went on Miss Phipps, "Cap"n Hallett is kind of--well, queer in some ways, but he has been, in his day, a good deal of a man. And his daughter is a lovely girl and I think the world of her. I wouldn"t want to hurt their feelings. If they should see you laugh--well, you understand--"
Cousin Gussie nodded.
"Don"t say any more, Miss Phipps," he replied. "It is quite all right.
I"ll stay in your home here and be perfectly happy."
"But you didn"t wait for me to finish. I was goin" to say that if you should laugh you must manage not to let any one hear you; especially Cap"n Jeth. Lulie has lots of common sense; she wouldn"t mind except for the effect on her father, and she realizes how funny it is. But her father doesn"t and--and he is pretty close to the breakin" point sometimes. So save up your laughs until we get back, please."
"You seem to take it for granted that I shall feel like laughing.
Perhaps I sha"n"t. I only suggested my attending this affair because I thought it would be a novelty to me."
"Yes, yes, of course. Well, it will be a novelty, I guess likely, and a pretty novel novelty, too. But there"s one thing more, Mr. Cabot, that I want you to promise me. Don"t you dare take that crowd at that seance as a fair sample of Wellmouth folks, because they"re not."
"Why, Miss Phipps--"
"Because they"re not. Every town and every neighborhood, city or country, has its freaks and every freak within five miles will be over in that lighthouse parlor to-night. Just take "em for freaks, that"s all, but DON"T take "em for samples of our people down here." She paused, and then added, with an apologetic laugh, "I guess you think I am pretty peppery on the subject. Well, I get that way at times, particularly just after the summer is over and the city crowd has been here lookin" for "characters." If you could see some of the specimens who come over from the hotel, see the way they dress and act and speak!
"Oh," one creature said to me; "oh, Miss Phipps," she gushed, "I am just dyin" to meet some of your dear, funny, odd, quaint characters. Where can I find them?" "Well," said I, "I think I should try the Inn, if I were you. There are funnier characters there than anywhere else I know."
Of course, I knew she was at the Inn herself, but that didn"t make it any the less true.... There! I"ve preached my sermon. Now, Mr. Cabot, we"ll go into the sittin" room and let Primmie clear off the table. Zach Bloomer--he"s the a.s.sistant light keeper--is comin" to tell us when it"s time to go to the seance."
In the sitting room they talked of various things. Galusha, listening to his cousin"s stories and jokes, had almost forgotten his powder barrel.
And then, all at once, a spark fell, flashed, and the danger became imminent.
Said the banker, addressing Martha and referring to her lodger: "What does this cousin of mine find to do down here, Miss Phipps? How does he manage to spend so much money?"
"Money?" repeated Martha. "He--spend money? Why, I didn"t know that he did, Mr. Cabot. He is very prompt in paying his board. Perhaps I charge him too much. Is that what you mean?"