He was gasping for breath, and she hurried away.
"Chelda," she said, pausing an instant in the music-room, "I have some guests. I do not wish to be disturbed."
Chelda bent her head lower over the broken string that she had just discovered in her violin, and only waiting until her aunt's footsteps had died away, she hurried out-of-doors.
Presently she saw Prosperity coming toward the avenue. "Where are you going?" she asked.
"To send a boy from the cottages to Captain White with this," and he displayed an envelope on which something was written.
"Give it to me. I, too, have a message to send him."
She read the scribbled words, "The two express parcels for Derrice have arrived. Let her come up to lunch and see them."
"On second thoughts I won't send any message," she said, handing the envelope back.
Prosperity trotted on, and Chelda, biting at her under lip, paced nervously to and fro under the poplars.
The envelope was handed to Captain White, as he stood on one of the wharves, vigorously scolding the crew of a sailboat for heating and spoiling their fish by carrying too many in a load. It was a very busy morning for him; yet, after reading the few lines, he left the boat's crew, and, hastily making his way to Justin's bank, exchanged a few words with him.