The captain had not been listening. He was thinking. Thomas had gone, had he! Good! Heman was living up to his promises. And Bos'n, God bless her, was free from that danger.
“Have you heard from Emmie, I asked you?” he repeated.
He would not listen to anything further concerning Thomas, either then or later. He was sick of the whole business, he declared, and now that everything was all right, didn't wish to talk about it again. He asked nothing about the appropriation, and the lawyer, acting under strict orders, did not mention it.
Only once did Captain Cy inquire concerning a person in his home town who was not a member of his household.
“How is—er—how's the teacher?” he inquired one morning.
“How's who?”
“Why—Phoebe Dawes, the school-teacher. Smart, is she?”
“Yes, indeed! Why, she has been the most—”
The doctor came in just then and the interview terminated. It was not resumed, because that afternoon Mr. Peabody started for Boston on a business trip, to be gone some time.
And at last came the great day, the day when Captain Cy was to be taken home. He was up and about, had been out for several short walks, and was very nearly his own self again. He was in good spirits, too, at times, but had fits of seeming depression which, under the circumstances, were unexplainable. The doctor thought they were due to his recent illness and forbade questioning.