Despairing at last of a visit from Mr. Chalk, he resolved to pay one
himself.
Mr. Chalk, who was listening to his wife, rose hastily at his entrance,
and in great confusion invited him to a chair which was already occupied
by Mrs. Chalk's work-basket. The captain took another and, after
listening to an incoherent statement about the weather, shook his head
reproachfully at Mr. Chalk.
"I thought something must have happened to you," he said. "Why, it must
be weeks since I've seen you."
"Weeks?" said Mrs. Chalk, suddenly alert.
"Why, he went out the day before yesterday to call on you."
"Yes," said Mr. Chalk, with an effort, "so I did, but half-way to yours I
got a nail in my shoe and had to come home."
"Home!" exclaimed his wife. "Why, you were gone two hours and
thirty-five minutes."
"It was very painful," said Mr. Chalk, as the captain stared in open-eyed
astonishment at this exact time-keeping. "One time I thought that I
should hardly have got back."
"But you didn't say anything about it," persisted his wife.
"I didn't want to alarm you, my dear," said Mr. Chalk.
Mrs. Chalk looked at him, but, except for a long, shivering sigh which
the visitor took for sympathy, made no comment.
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