"Minister, I ain't a man that's used to hearin' much talk, and it
confuses my mind a bit. There's things inside my head that seems to
go round and round, sometimes, and put me out. Now, if it isn't askin'
too much, I'll git you to go over them p'ints again. Slow, like! slow,
Minister, bearin' in mind that I'm a slow man, and not used to it.
This--this lady, she come to your house yisterday, as ever was?"
"Yesterday," assented the minister; and his voice had a tender, almost
compassionate tone, as if he were speaking to a child.
"And a fine day it were!" said Captain January. "Wind steady, sou'west
by sou'. Fog in the mornin', and Bob Peet run the _Huntress_ aground
on the bank. I never liked fog, Minister! 'Give me a gale,' I'd say,
'or anythin' short of a cyclone,' I'd say, 'but don't give me fog!'
and see now, how it's come about! But it lifted, soon as the harm
were done. It lifted, and as fine a day as ever you see."
The minister looked at him in some alarm, but the old man's keen blue
eyes were clear and intelligent, and met his gaze openly.
"You're thinkin' I'm crazy, minister, or maybe drunk," he said,
quietly; "but I ain't neither one. I'm on'y takin' it by and large.
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