"Yes, but things are smoothing out gradually, and as a son of Maine he
has too much common sense at bottom to swim against the current. And
there's old Joel Quimber--I never see him that he doesn't tell me he is
marking off the days in his 'almanack,' he calls it, in anticipation of
your return."
"Dear old Jo!--No!--Is that true? Old Jo doing that?"
"To be sure, why not? And there's Octavius Buzzby--I don't think he
would mind my telling you now--indeed, I don't believe he'd have the
courage to tell you himself--" Father Honore smiled happily, for he saw
in Champney's face the light of awakening interest in the common life of
humanity, and he felt a prolongation of this chat would clear the
atmosphere of over-powering emotion,--"there have never three months
passed by these last six years that he hasn't deposited half of his
quarterly salary with Emlie in the bank in your name--"
"Oh, don't--don't! I can't bear it--dear old Tave--" he groaned rather
than spoke; the blood mounted to his temples, but his friend proved
merciless.
"And there's Luigi Poggi! I don't know but he will make you a
proposition, when he knows you are at home, to enter into partnership
with him and young Caukins--the Colonel's fourth eldest. Champney, he
wants to atone--he has told me so--"
"Is--is he married?"
Father Honore noticed that his lips suddenly went dry and he swallowed
hard after his question.
"No," the priest hastened to say, then he hesitated; he was wondering
how far it was safe to probe; "but it is my strong impression that he is
thinking seriously of it--a lovely girl, too, she is--" he saw the man's
face before him go white, the jaw set like a vise--"little Dulcie
Caukins, you remember her?"
Champney nodded and wet his lips.
"He has been thrown a good deal with the Caukinses since he took their
son into partnership; the Colonel's boys are all doing well. Romanzo is
in New York."
"Still with the Company?"
"Yes, in the main office. He married in that city two years ago--rather
well, I hear, but Mrs. Caukins is not reconciled yet. Now, there's a
friend! You don't know the depth of her feeling for you--but she has
shown it by worshipping your mother."
Champney Googe's eyes filled to overflowing, but he squeezed the
springing drops between his eyelids, and asked with lively interest:
"Why isn't Mrs. Caukins reconciled?"
"Well, because--I suppose it's no secret now, at least Mrs. Caukins has
never made one of it, in fact, has aired the subject pretty thoroughly,
you know her way--"