gone about dressed herself for a walk one morning and started for s house in the little cross street intelligence of the deep sorrow of her friend on account of the loss of had reached her ears also and her conscience reproached her for winning him away was not altogether satisfied with the sailor she liked his attentions and she the dignity of matrimony but she had never been deeply in love with for one thing she was ambitious and his position was hardly so good as her own while there was always the chance of an io to please his wife attractive woman considerably above her it had long been in her mind that she would not strongly object to give him back again to if her friend felt so very badly about him to this end she had a letter of to which letter she carried in her hand intending to post it if personal observation of convinced her that her friend was suffering entered lane and stepped down into the shop which was below the pavement level s father was never at home at this hour of the day and it seemed as though was not at home either for the visitor could make nobody hear customers came so seldom hither that a five minutes absence of the proprietor counted for little waited in the little shop where had set out � as women can � articles in themselves of slight value so as to obscure the of the stock in trade till she to please his wife saw a figure pausing without the window apparently absorbed in the contemplation of the books of paper and prints hung on a string it was captain peering in to ascertain if was there alone moved by an impulse of reluctance to meet him in a spot which breathed of she slipped through the door that communicated with the parlour at the back had frequently done so before for in her friendship with she had the freedom of the house without ceremony entered the shop through the thin blind which the glass she could see that he was disappointed at not finding there he was about to go out again when her form darkened the doorway hastening back from some errand at sight of she started back as if she would have gone out again no to please his wife don t run away don t said he what can make ye afraid i m not afraid captain only � only i saw you all of a sudden and � it made me jump her voice showed that her heart had jumped even more than the rest of her i just called as i was passing he said for some paper she hastened behind the counter no no why do ye get behind there why not stay by me you seem to hate me i don t hate you how can i then come out so that we can talk like christians obeyed with a fitful laugh till she stood again beside him in the open part of the shop there s a dear he said you mustn t say that captain because the words belong to somebody else to please his wife in ah i know what you mean but upon my life i didn t know till this morning that you cared one bit about me or i should not have done as i have done i have the best of feelings for but i know that from the beginning she hasn t cared for me more than in a friendly way and i see now the one i ought to have asked to be my wife you know when a man comes home from sea after a long voyage he s as blind as a bat � he can t see who s who in women they are all alike to him beautiful creatures and he takes the first that comes easy without thinking if she loves him or if he might not soon love another better than her from the first i inclined to you most but you were so backward and shy that i thought you didn t want me to bother ee and so i went to don t say any more mr e don t said she choking you are going to marry to please his wife next month and it is wrong � o � oh my darling he cried and clasped her little figure in his arms before she was aware behind the curtain turned pale tried to withdraw her eyes but could not it is only you i love as a man ought to love the woman he is going to marry and i know this from what has said that she will willingly let me she wants to marry higher i know and only said yes to me out of kindness a fine tall girl like her isn t the sort for a plain sailors wife you be the best suited for that he kissed her and kissed her again her form quivering in the agitation of his embrace i wonder � are you sure � is going to break with you oh are you sure because to please his wife i know she would not wish to make us miserable she will release me h i i hope she will don t stay any longer captain he lingered however till a customer came for a penny stick of wax and then he withdrew green envy had at the scene she looked about for a way of escape to get out without s knowledge of her visit was indispensable she crept from the parlour into the passage and thence to the front door of the house where she let herself noiselessly into the street the sight of that caress had reversed all her resolutions she could not let go reaching home she burnt the letter and told her mother 