〃For　the　present。〃
  That　sensation　had　been　forgotten；　long　ago；
  and　Captain　Hagberd　himself；　if　not　forgotten；
  had　come　to　be　disregardedthe　penalty　of　daili…
  nessas　the　sun　itself　is　disregarded　unless　it
  makes　its　power　felt　heavily。　　Captain　Hagberd's
  movements　showed　no　infirmity：　he　walked　stiffly
  in　his　suit　of　canvas；　a　quaint　and　remarkable　fig…
  ure；　only　his　eyes　wandered　more　furtively　perhaps
  than　of　yore。　　His　manner　abroad　had　lost　its　ex…
  citable　watchfulness；　it　had　become　puzzled　and
  diffident；　as　though　he　had　suspected　that　there
  was　somewhere　about　him　something　slightly　com…
  promising；　some　embarrassing　oddity；　and　yet　had
  remained　unable　to　discover　what　on　earth　this
  something　wrong　could　be。
  He　was　unwilling　now　to　talk　with　the　townsfolk。
  He　had　earned　for　himself　the　reputation　of　an
  awful　skinflint；　of　a　miser　in　the　matter　of　living。
  He　mumbled　regretfully　in　the　shops；　bought　in…
  ferior　scraps　of　meat　after　long　hesitations；　and
  discouraged　all　allusions　to　his　costume。　　It　was
  as　the　barber　had　foretold。　　For　all　one　could　tell；
  he　had　recovered　already　from　the　disease　of　hope；
  and　only　Miss　Bessie　Carvil　knew　that　he　said　noth…
  ing　about　his　son's　return　because　with　him　it　was
  no　longer　〃next　week；〃　〃next　month；〃　or　even
  〃next　year。〃　　It　was　〃to…morrow。〃
  In　their　intimacy　of　back　yard　and　front　gar…
  den　he　talked　with　her　paternally；　reasonably；　and
  dogmatically；　with　a　touch　of　arbitrariness。　　They
  met　on　the　ground　of　unreserved　confidence；　which
  was　authenticated　by　an　affectionate　wink　now　and
  then。　　Miss　Carvil　had　come　to　look　forward　rather
  to　these　winks。　　At　first　they　had　discomposed　her：
  the　poor　fellow　was　mad。　　Afterwards　she　had
  learned　to　laugh　at　them：　there　was　no　harm　in
  him。　　Now　she　was　aware　of　an　unacknowledged；
  pleasurable；　incredulous　emotion；　expressed　by　a
  faint　blush。　　He　winked　not　in　the　least　vulgarly；
  his　thin　red　face　with　a　well…modelled　curved　nose；
  had　a　sort　of　distinctionthe　more　so　that　when　he
  talked　to　her　he　looked　with　a　steadier　and　more　in…
  telligent　glance。　　A　handsome；　hale；　upright；　ca…
  pable　man；　with　a　white　beard。　　You　did　not　think
  of　his　age。　　His　son；　he　affirmed；　had　resembled
  him　amazingly　from　his　earliest　babyhood。
  Harry　would　be　one…and…thirty　next　July；　he
  declared。　　Proper　age　to　get　married　with　a　nice；
  sensible　girl　that　could　appreciate　a　good　home。
  He　was　a　very　high…spirited　boy。　　High…spirited
  husbands　were　the　easiest　to　manage。　　These　mean；
  soft　chaps；　that　you　would　think　butter　wouldn't
  melt　in　their　mouths；　were　the　ones　to　make　a　wom…
  an　thoroughly　miserable。　　And　there　was　nothing
  like　a　homea　firesidea　good　roof：　no　turning
  out　of　your　warm　bed　in　all　sorts　of　weather。　　〃Eh；
  my　dear？〃
  Captain　Hagberd　had　been　one　of　those　sailors
  that　pursue　their　calling　within　sight　of　land。　　One
  of　the　many　children　of　a　bankrupt　farmer；　he　had
  been　apprenticed　hurriedly　to　a　coasting　skipper；
  and　had　remained　on　the　coast　all　his　sea　life。　　It
  must　have　been　a　hard　one　at　first：　he　had　never
  taken　to　it；　his　affection　turned　to　the　land；　with
  its　innumerable　houses；　with　its　quiet　lives　gathered
  round　its　firesides。　　Many　sailors　feel　and　profess
  a　rational　dislike　for　the　sea；　but　his　was　a　pro…
  found　and　emotional　animosityas　if　the　love　of
  the　stabler　element　had　been　bred　into　him　through
  many　generations。
  〃People　did　not　know　what　they　let　their　boys　in
  for　when　they　let　them　go　to　sea；〃　he　expounded　to
  Bessie。　　〃As　soon　make　convicts　of　them　at　once。〃
  He　did　not　believe　you　ever　got　used　to　it。　　The
  weariness　of　such　a　life　got　worse　as　you　got　older。
  What　sort　of　trade　was　it　in　which　more　than　half
  your　time　you　did　not　put　your　foot　inside　your
  house？　　Directly　you　got　out　to　sea　you　had　no
  means　of　knowing　what　went　on　at　home。　　One
  might　have　thought　him　weary　of　distant　voyages；
  and　the　longest　he　had　ever　made　had　lasted　a　fort…
  night；　of　which　the　most　part　had　been　spent　at
  anchor；　sheltering　from　the　weather。　　As　soon　as
  his　wife　had　inherited　a　house　and　enough　to　live　on
  （from　a　bachelor　uncle　who　had　made　some　money
  in　the　coal　business）　he　threw　up　his　command　of
  an　East…coast　collier　with　a　feeling　as　though　he
  had　escaped　from　the　galleys。　　After　all　these　years
  he　might　have　counted　on　the　fingers　of　his　two
  hands　all　the　days　he　had　been　out　of　sight　of　Eng…
  land。　　He　had　never　known　what　it　was　to　be　out
  of　soundings。　　〃I　have　never　been　further　than
  eighty　fathoms　from　the　land；〃　was　one　of　his
  boasts。
  Bessie　Carvil　heard　all　these　things。　　In　front　of
  their　cottage　grew　an　under…sized　ash；　and　on　sum…
  mer　afternoons　she　would　bring　out　a　chair　on　the
  grass…plot　and　sit　down　with　her　sewing。　　Captain
  Hagberd；　in　his　canvas　suit；　leaned　on　a　spade。　　He
  dug　every　day　in　his　front　plot。　　He　turned　it　over
  and　over　several　times　every　year；　but　was　not　go…
  ing　to　plant　anything　〃just　at　present。〃
  To　Bessie　Carvil　he　would　state　more　explicitly：
  〃Not　till　our　Harry　comes　home　to…morrow。〃　　And
  she　had　heard　this　formula　of　hope　so　often　that　it
  only　awakened　the　vaguest　pity　in　her　heart　for
  that　hopeful　old　man。
  Everything　was　put　off　in　that　way；　and　every…
  thing　was　being　prepared　likewise　for　to…morrow。
  There　was　a　boxful　of　packets　of　various　flower…
  seeds　to　choose　from；　for　the　front　garden。　　〃He
  will　doubtless　let　you　have　your　say　about　that；　my
  dear；〃　Captain　Hagberd　intimated　to　her　across
  the　railing。
  Miss　Bessie's　head　remained　bowed　over　her
  work。　　She　had　heard　all　this　so　many　times。　　But
  now　and　then　she　would　rise；　lay　down　her　sewing；
  and　come　slowly　to　the　fence。　　There　was　a　charm
  in　these　gentle　ravings。　　He　was　determined　that
  his　son　should　not　go　away　again　for　the　want　of　a
  home　all　ready　for　him。　　He　had　been　filling　the
  other　cottage　with　all　sorts　of　furniture。　　She　im…
  agined　it　all　new；　fresh　with　varnish；　piled　up　as
  in　a　warehouse。　　There　would　be　tables　wrapped
  up　in　sacking；　rolls　of　carpets　thick　and　vertical
  like　fragments　of　columns；　the　gleam　of　white　mar…
  ble　tops　in　the　dimness　of　the　drawn　blinds。　　Cap…
  tain　Hagberd　always　described　his　purchases　to
  her；　carefully；　as　to　a　person　having　a　legitimate
  interest　in　them。　　The　overgrown　yard　of　his　cot…
  tage　could　be　laid　over　with　concrete　。　。　。　after
  to…morrow。
  〃We　may　just　as　well　do　away　with　the　fence。
  You　could　have　your　drying…line　out；　quite　clear　of
  your　flowers。〃　　He　winked；　and　she　would　blush
  faintly。
  This　madness　that　had　entered　her　life　through
  the　kind　impulses　of　her　heart　had　reasonable　de…
  tails。　　What　if　some　day　his　son　returned？　　But
  she　could　not　even　be　quite　sure　that　he　ever　had　a
  son；　and　if　he　existed　anywhere　he　had　been　too
  long　away。　　When　Captain　Hagberd　got　excited
  in　his　talk　she　would　steady　him　by　a　pretence　of
  belief；　laughing　a　little　to　salve　her　conscience。
  Only　once　she　had　tried　pityingly　to　throw　some
  doubt　on　that　hope　doomed　to　disappointment；　but
  the　effect　of　her　attempt　had　scared　her　very　much。
  All　at　once　over　that　man's　face　there　came　an　ex…
  pression　of　horror　and　incredulity；　as　though　he
  had　seen　a　crack　open　out　in　the　firmament。
  〃Youyouyou　don't　think　he's　drowned！〃
  For　a　moment　he　seemed　to　her　ready　to　go　out
  of　his　mind；　for　in　his　ordinary　state　she　thought
  him　more　sane　than　people　gave　him　credit　for。
  On　that　occasion　the　violence　of　the　emotion　was
  followed　by　a　most　paternal　and　complacent　re…
  covery。
  〃Don't　alarm　yourself；　my　dear；〃　he　said　a　lit…
  tle　cunningly：　〃the　sea　can't　keep　him。　　He　does
  not　belong　to　it。　　None　of　us　Hagberds　ever　did
  belong　to　it。　　Look　at　me；　I　didn't　get　drowned。
  Moreover；　he　isn't　a　sailor　at　all；　and　if　he　is　not　a
  sailor　he's　bound　to　come　back。　　There's　nothing
  to　prevent　him　coming　back。　。　。　。〃
  His　eyes　began　to　wander。
  〃To…morrow。〃
  She　never　tried　again；　for　fear　the　man　should
  go　out　of　his　mind　on　the　spot。　　He　depended　on
  her。　　She　seemed　the　only　sensible　person　in　the
  town；　and　he　would　congratulate　himself　frankly