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He had to see her. He was mad to see her. The thought of her tortured and tempted him without end. Suppose she, too, had learned that love is stronger than oneself; that the mouth can say Yes when the heart within is breaking; that she, like himself, had found the time to repent her folly? Was he the man to leave her thus; to acquiesce tamely in a decision that was doubtless already abhorrent to her; to remain with unlifted hand when she might be on fire for the sign to come to him? No, by God! he’d beg her forgiveness and offer her the choice. Yes or No! It was for her to choose.

He jumped into the dinghy and pulled over to the schooner. Small at a distance, she seemed to shrink as he drew near her, so that when he stood up he was surprised to find his head above the rail. So this was Horble, this coarse, red-faced trader, with the pug nose, the fat hands, the faded blue eyes that met his own so sourly!

“Captain Horble?” said Gregory Cole.

“Glad to see you aboard,” said Horble.

They shook hands and sat side by side on the rail.

“Where’s Madge?” said Gregory.

“Mrs. Horble’s ashore,” said the captain.

“I’m afraid I can never call her anything but Madge,” said Gregory, detecting the covert reproach in the other’s voice.

Horble was plainly ill at ease. His face turned a deeper red. He was on the edge of blurting out a disagreeable remark, and then hesitated, making an inarticulate sound in his throat. Like everybody else, he was afraid of the labor captain.

“Crew’s ashore, too,” said Gregory, glancing about the empty deck.

“There ain’t no crew,” muttered Horble.

“Thunder!” cried Gregory. “Do you do it with electricity, or what?”

“Me and Madge runs her,” returned Horble.

“Do you mean to say she pully-hauls your damn ropes?” exclaimed Gregory.

“Yes,” said Horble. “What’s twenty tons between the two of us?”

“And cooks?” said Gregory.

“And cooks,” said Horble.

“You don’t believe in lapping your wife in luxury!” exclaimed Gregory.

“Madge and I talked it over,” said Horble. “I was for trading ashore, but her heart was set on the schooner. I can make twice the money this way and please her in the bargain.”

“I know she can sail a boat against anybody,” said Gregory, wincing at the remark.

Horble spat in the water and said nothing. His fat, broad back said, plainer than words: “You’re an intruder! Get out!”

“I believe she’s aboard this very minute,” said Gregory with a strange smile.

“She’s ashore, I tell you,” said Horble sullenly.

“I’ll just run below and make sure,” said Gregory.

He slipped down the little companion way, looked about the empty cabin and peered into the semi-darkness of the only stateroom.

“Madge!” he cried. “Madge!”

Horble had not lied to him. There was not a soul below. But on the cabin table he saw Madge’s sewing machine and a half-made dress of cotton print. She had always been fond of books, and there, in the corner, was her little bookcase, taken bodily from her old home in Nonootch. Scattered about here and there were other things that brought her memory painfully back to him; that hurt him with their familiarity; that caused him to lift them up and hold them with a sort of despairing wonder: her guitar, her worn, lock-fast desk; the old gilt photograph album he remembered so well. He sat down at the table and buried his face in his hands. What a fool he had been! What a fool he had been!

He was roused by the sound of Horble’s footsteps down the ladder. With his head leaning on his hand, he looked at the big naked feet feeling for the steps, then at the uncouth clothes as they gradually appeared, then at the fat, weak, frightened face of the man himself. He grew sick at the sight of him. Would Horble strike him? Would Horble have the grit to order him off the ship? No; the infernal coward was getting out the gin–a bottle of square-face and two glasses.