There he was sitting on the doorstep of his shack, smoking his pipe, his bare arms akimbo, staring out across the sunset void towards the sea. He seemed also to be meditating with himself upon something of interest. Upon Adelle's approach this time, he did not take himself off, but continued to smoke indifferently, totally ignoring her presence. As she came in front of him, she stopped involuntarily and found herself speaking to the mason.
"Good-evening," was all she said.
The man mumbled some reply, as if against his will. And then again the unexpected happened to Adelle,—at least the unforeseen. She asked him a question. It was a simple question, but it was entirely out of Adelle's character to make even the small advance implied by asking a question, especially to a servant who had been discharged on her orders.
"Do you live up here alone?"
"Have been living here," the man replied grudgingly, "till to-day. Don't expect to much longer," he added meaningly.
Adelle knew that he was referring to what had occurred earlier in the day between them, and throwing the blame for his dislodgment upon her.
"What are you going to do?" she asked after a pause.
He looked at her with mild astonishment for her question in his blue eyes, then said,—
"Donno exactly—get drunk, maybe," and he glanced at her truculently.
Adelle did not know why she went on talking to the man, but her curiosity was thoroughly aroused and the questions popped unexpectedly into her mind.