Mr. Ginn glared at his victim.

"Blackguard, am I?" he growled. "Humph! Well, if he starts to callin' me
names, I'll--"

"Belay! Answer me! What have you been doin' to him? Look at him! What do
you mean by assaultin' him that way?"

"What do I mean? When a man comes home from sea and finds another man
kissin' his wife, what would he be likely to mean?"

Daniel could not answer. He looked about him in absolute bewilderment.
Gertrude choked and turned away.

"Kissin'!" repeated Captain Dan. "Kissin' your wife? Kissin' ZUBA!
I--I--am I crazy, or are you, or--or is he?"

Apparently he judged the last surmise to be the most likely. Cousin
Percy, frantic with rage and humiliation, tried to protest.

"It's a lie!" he cried. "It's a lie!"

The captain turned to his housekeeper.

"Zuba," he demanded, "what sort of lunatic business is this? Do you
know?"

Azuba straightened.

"I don't know much," she announced sharply. "All I know is that I come
upstairs in the dark and he grabbed me and--and said somethin' about my
payin' him--and then he--he--done the other thing. That's all I
know, and it's enough. Don't talk to ME! I never was so surprised and
mortified in MY life."

"But--but what's it mean? Can't anybody tell me, for the Lord sakes?"

Gertrude stepped forward. "I think I understand," she said. "Our cousin
made a mistake, that's all. I will explain at another time, Daddy.
If--if you will all go away, he and I will have an interview. I think I
can settle it better than anyone else. Go, please. I'm sure Mother needs
you."

The mention of his wife caused her father to forget everything else,
even his overwhelming curiosity.

"My soul!" he cried. "She heard this; and--and I left her all alone."

He bolted up the stairs. Gertrude's next remark was addressed to the
housekeeper.

"Azuba," she said, "would you and your husband mind leaving us? Perhaps
you'd better not go to bed. I--I may need Mr. Ginn later on; perhaps I
may. But if you and he were to go down to the kitchen and wait just a
few moments I should be so much obliged. Will you?"

Azuba hesitated.

"Leave you?" she repeated. "With--with him?"

"Yes. I have something to say to him. Something important."

She and Azuba exchanged looks. The latter nodded.

"All right," she said decisively; "course we'll go. Come, Labe."

But Laban seemed loath to move.

"I ain't got through with him yet," he observed. "I'd only begun."

"You come with me. Ha