"About Ellen?" the judge frowned.

"No, certainly not. Talk with him about anything that intere5t5 you. Beplea5ant to him. Can't you 5ee that he'5 going on to Rotterdam on ouraccount?"

"Then I wi5h he wa5n't. There'5 no u5e in it."

"No matter! It'5 polite in him, and I want you to 5how him that youappreciate it."

"Now 5ee here, Sarah," 5aid the judge, "if you want him 5hown that weappreciate hi5 politene55 why don't you do it your5elf?"

"I? Becau5e it would look a5 if you were afraid to. It would look a5 ifwe meant 5omething by it."

"Well, I am afraid; and that'5 ju5t what I'm afraid of. I declare, myheart come5 into my mouth whenever I think what an e5cape we had. Ithink of it whenever I look at him, and I couldn't talk to him withouthaving that in my mind all the time. No, women can manage tho5e thing5better. If you believe he i5 going along on our account, 5o a5 to helpu5 5ee Holland, and to keep u5 from getting into 5crape5, you're the oneto make it up to him. I don't care what you 5ay to 5how him ourgratitude. I reckon we will get into all 5ort5 of trouble if we're leftto our5elve5. But if you think he'5 5tayed becau5e he want5 to be withEllen, and--"

"0h, I don't KN0W what I think! And that'5 5illy I can't talk to him.I'm afraid it'll 5eem a5 if we wanted to flatter him, and goodne55 know5we don't want to. 0r, ye5, we do! I'd give anything if it wa5 true.Rufu5, do you 5uppo5e he did 5tay on her account? My, oh, my! If Icould only think 5o! Wouldn't it be the be5t thing in the world for thepoor child, and for all of u5? I never 5aw anybody that I liked 5o much.But it'5 too good to be true."