“You are a good man, Daniel,” she whispered, on one of these occasions. “A dear, good, unselfish man.”
“No, no, I ain't any such thing,” protested the captain hastily.
“But you are. And--and WHAT should I do without you now?”
“Sh-sh! I'm not much help. Land knows I wish I was more.”
“You ARE the help; all the help I have. Gertie--Daniel, you will keep an eye on Gertie, won't you. You won't let her do anything foolish.”
“Who? Gertie? She won't do foolish things. She ain't that kind.”
“I know, but she has changed so. It worries me. Percy--”
“Now don't you worry about Percy. He isn't here now.”
“I don't know. He's gone away--for a spell, anyhow. Maybe that vacation he used to talk about is over. I guess that's it.”
Serena was too weak to ask further questions, even concerning so surprising a matter as Cousin Percy's sudden departure. But she did make one further plea.
“Daniel,” she begged, “if Annette calls about the Chapter you tell her--”
“I've told her. She understands. She says it's all right.”
“Does she? I'm so glad. Oh, Daniel, you'll have to take charge of everything now. I can't, and Gertrude--you must do it, yourself, Daniel. You MUST. Of Azuba and Gertie and everything. I rely on you. You WILL, won't you, Daniel?”
“Sure I will. I'm skipper now, Serena. You ought to see how the hands jump when I give an order.”
It was true, too; the hands did “jump” at the captain's orders. He was skipper, for the time being. His wife's illness, Mr. Hungerford's absence, Gertrude's meekness--she was a silent and conscience-stricken young lady--all combined to strengthen Daniel's resolution, and he was, for the first time in years, the actual head of the household. He took active charge of the bills and financial affairs, he commanded Azuba to do this and that, he saw the callers who came and he sent them to the rightabout in a hurry.
His statement concerning Mrs. Black was not the literal truth. Annette had called, that was true; she had called the very next morning after her chief aide was stricken. But she had not declared that everything was “all right”; far from it.
“But can't I see her, Captain Dott?” she begged. “I MUST see her for just a minute.”
“Sorry, ma'am, but you can't do it. Doctor's orders. She mustn't be disturbed.”