ng past the dog, which
slunk away into the shadows. For a moment he regarded us curiously, and
then, his brows falling in a quick frown, he laid his medicine case on
my sister's sewing-machine, with never a word, and went to the window,
where he stood idle, gazing out over the darkening prospect of sea and
rock and upon great clouds flushed with lurid colour.

There was silence in the room--which none of us who waited found the
will to break.

"Jagger"--said the doctor.

The voice was low--almost a drawl--but mightily authoritative: being
without trace of feeling, but superior to passion, majestic.

"Ay, sir?"

"Go!"

The doctor still stood with his back to us, still gazed, continuing
tranquil, through the broad window to the world without. And Jagger,
overmastered by this confident assumption of authority, went away, as he
was bidden, casting backward glances, ominous of machinations to come.

* * * * *

What Jagger uttered on my father's wharf--what on the deck of the sloop
while he moored his dog to the windlass for a beating--what he flung
back while she gathered way--strangely moved Tom Tot, who hearkened,
spellbound, until the last words of it (and the last yelp of the dog)
were lost in the distance of North Tickle: it impelled the old man (as
he has said many a time) to go wash his hands. But 'tis of small moment
beside what the doctor said when informed of the occurrences in our
house: being this, that he must have a partnership in our firm, because,
first, it was in his heart to help my sister and me, who had been kind
to him and were now like sheep fallen in with a wolf-pack, and second,
because by thus establishing himself on the coast he might avert the
suspicion of the folk from such good works as he had in contemplation.

"More than that," said he, "we will prove fair dealing possible here as
elsewhere. It needs but courage and--money."

"I'm thinkin'," my sister said, "that Davy has the courage."

"And I," said he, "have the money."

I was very glad to hear it.

XVI

A MALADY of The HEART

In the firelight of that evening--when the maids had cleared the cozy
room and carried away the lamp and we three sat alone together in my
father's house--was planned our simple partnership in good works and the
fish business. 'Tis wonderful what magic is abroad at such times--what
dreams, what sure hopes, lie in the flickering blaze, the warm, red
glow, the dan