Part 63 (1/2)
”Humph! Well, unless I'm greatly mistaken, Ruth--”
”Eh? Ruth--what?”
”Oh, nothing. Never mind that now. And allowing that Babbitt will, as you say, keep his mouth shut, admitting that the situation is just what it was before Captain Hunniwell lost the money or Babbitt came into the affair at all, still I've made up my mind that things can't go on as they are. Jed, I--it's a mighty hard thing to say to another man, but--the world--my world--just begins and ends with--with her.”
His fists clenched and his jaw set as he said it. Jed bowed his head.
”With Maud, you mean,” he said.
”Yes. I--I don't care for anything else or anybody else. . . .
Oh, of course I don't mean just that, you know. I do care for Sis and Babbie. But--they're different.”
”I understand, Charlie.”
”No, you don't. How can you? n.o.body can understand, least of all a set old crank like you, Jed, and a confirmed bachelor besides.
Beg pardon for contradicting you, but you don't understand, you can't.”
Jed gazed soberly at the floor.
”Maybe I can understand a little, Charlie,” he drawled gently.
”Well, all right. Let it go at that. The fact is that I'm at a crisis.”
”Just a half minute, now. Have you said anything to Maud about-- about how you feel?”
”Of course I haven't,” indignantly. ”How could I, without telling her everything?”
”That's right, that's right. Course you couldn't, and be fair and honorable. . . . Hum. . . . Then you don't know whether or not she--er--feels the same way about--about you?”
Charles hesitated. ”No-o,” he hesitated. ”No, I don't know, of course. But I--I feel--I--”
”You feel that that part of the situation ain't what you'd call hopeless, eh? . . . Um. . . . Well, judgin' from what I've heard, I shouldn't call it that, either. Would it surprise you to know, Charlie, that her dad and I had a little talk on this very subject not so very long ago?”
Evidently it did surprise him. Charles gasped and turned red.
”Captain Hunniwell!” he exclaimed. ”Did Captain Hunniwell talk with you about--about Maud and--and me?”
”Yes.”
”Well, by George! Then he suspected--he guessed that-- That's strange.”
Jed relinquished the grip of one hand upon his knee long enough to stroke his chin.
”Um . . . yes,” he drawled drily. ”It's worse than strange, it's-- er--paralyzin'. More clairvoyants in Orham than you thought there was; eh, Charlie?”
”But why should he talk with you on that subject; about anything so--er--personal and confidential as that? With YOU, you know!”
Jed's slow smile drifted into sight and vanished again. He permitted himself the luxury of a retort.
”Well,” he observed musingly, ”as to that I can't say for certain.
Maybe he did it for the same reason you're doin' it now, Charlie.”