"Come in, Captain," said Edwards, and Perez entered.
Mrs. Edwards, Desire and Jonathan were in the store, having hurried
thither from the inner living-rooms at the noise of the crowd, to
share if they could not repel, the danger which threatened the head of
the house. As Jonathan quickly closed and barred the door, Edwards
said:
"Wife, I owe my property and perhaps my life, also, to Captain
Hamlin."
Mrs. Edwards dropped a stately curtsey, and said with a grand air
which made Perez feel as if her acknowledgments were a condescension
quite dwarfing his performance:
"I truly thank you for your succor." He mumbled something, he could
not have said what, and then his eyes sought Desire, who stood a
little aside. As he met her eye, he found himself blushing with
embarrassment at thought of their last interview. He had supposed that
it would be she who would be confused and self-conscious when they
met, but it was all on his side. She looked cool, dignified and
perfectly composed, quite as if he were a stock or a stone. He could
but wonder if he had remembered the incidents correctly. What with
Mrs. Edwards' grand air of condescending politeness, and Desire's icy
composure, he began to feel that he needed to get outdoors again,
where he could review the situation and recover his equanimity.
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