“Aunt,” she said, “I want to make a proposal to you, and you mustn’t be cross about it.”

“A proposal!  Sakes alive!  What’ll I say?  ‘This is so sudden!’ That’s what Becky Ryder, up to the west part of the town, said when Jim Baker, the tin peddler, happened to ask her if she’d ever thought of gettin’ married.  ‘O James! this is so sudden!’ says Becky.  Jim said afterwards that the suddenest thing about it was the way he cleared out of that house.  And he never called there afterwards.”

Grace smiled, but quickly grew grave.

“Now, auntie,” she said, “please listen.  I’m in earnest.  It seems to me that you might do quite well at dressmaking here in town, if you had a little—­well, ready money to help you at the start.  I’ve got a few hundred dollars in the bank, presents from uncle, and my father’s insurance money.  I should love to lend it to you, and I know uncle would—­”

Mrs. Coffin interrupted her.

“Cat’s foot!” she exclaimed.  “I hope I haven’t got where I need to borrow money yet a while.  Thank you just as much, deary, but long’s I’ve got two hands and a mouth, I’ll make the two keep t’other reasonably full, I wouldn’t wonder.  No, I shan’t think of it, so don’t say another word.  No.”

The negative was so decided that Grace was silenced.  Her disappointment showed in her face, however, and Keziah hastened to change the subject.

“How do you know,” she observed, “but what my goin’ to Boston may be the best thing that ever happened to me?  You can’t tell.  No use despairin’, Annabel ain’t given up hope yet; why should I?  Hey?  Ain’t that somebody comin’?”

Her companion sprang to her feet and ran to the window.  Then she broke into a smothered laugh.

“Why, it’s Kyan Pepper!” she exclaimed.  “He must be coming to see you, Aunt Keziah.  And he’s got on his very best Sunday clothes.  Gracious!  I must be going.  I didn’t know you expected callers.”

Keziah dropped the tack hammer and stood up.

“Kyan!” she repeated.  “What in the world is that old idiot comin’ here for?  To talk about the minister, I s’pose.  How on earth did Laviny ever come to let him out alone?”

Mr. Pepper, Mr. Abishai Pepper, locally called “Kyan” (Cayenne) Pepper because of his red hair and thin red side whiskers, was one of Trumet’s “characters,” and in his case the character was weak.  He was born in the village and, when a youngster, had, like every other boy of good family in the community, cherished ambitions for a seafaring life.  His sister, Lavinia, ten years older than he, who, after the death of their parents, had undertaken the job of “bringing up” her brother, did not sympathize with these ambitions.  Consequently, when Kyan ran away she followed him to Boston, stalked aboard the vessel where he had shipped, and collared him, literally and figuratively.  One of the mates venturing to offer objection, Lavinia turned upon him and gave him a piece of her mind, to the immense delight of the crew and the loungers on the wharf.  Then she returned with the vagrant to Trumet.  Old Captain Higgins, who skippered the packet in those days, swore that Lavinia never stopped lecturing her brother from the time they left Boston until they dropped anchor behind the breakwater.