“‘Couldn’t swear!’ snorts Zeb.  ’You better not try to, not when the minister or Nat’s around.  Aw, belay! you want us to fire John Ellery out of this society—­the best minister it ever had or ever will have—­because he had the sense to get sweet on a good clean girl and the spunk to ask her to marry him.  And you’re down on her because she’s been brought up in a Come-Outer family—­at least, that’s the reason you give out, though some of us have suspicions ’tain’t the real one.  Why! she risked what she thought was smallpox to keep him from dyin’ that night she picked him up, ravin’ distracted, in the middle of the lighthouse lane, and if he hadn’t married her after that I, for one, would have been willin’ to vote to give him his walkin’ papers, Come-Outer she may have been, but, by time, she’s got religion that’s good enough for me and I’ll be proud to see her the wife of my minister.  Don’t let’s have no more chin music.  We know what you want and what you called this meetin’ for; now let’s vote on it.’

“Three or four sung out ‘Question’ and ‘Vote.’  But Elkanah held up his hand.

“‘Gentlemen,’ says he, ’before I ask for the vote I want to say just one word.  I’ve worshiped in this meetin’ house ever sence I was a child.  I was christened in it; my father worshiped here afore me; I’ve presided over the meetin’s of this body for years.  But I tell you now that if you vote to keep that rascally hypocrite in your pulpit I shall resign from the committee and from the society.  It’ll be like cuttin’ off my right hand, but I shall do it.  Are you ready for the vote?  Those in favor of retaining the present minister of this parish will rise.  Those opposed will remain seated.’

“Every man on the floor stood up.  Daniels himself was the only one that stayed settin’ down.

“‘It is a vote,’ says he, white as a sheet, and his voice trembling.  ‘Gentlemen, I bid you good day.’

“He took up his hat and cane, give one look around the vestry, as if he was sayin’ good-by to it, and marched down the aisle as straight and starchy as he’d come into it.  Only, when he reached the door, he put up one hand as if he was steadyin’ himself.  There was precious few in that vestry that liked Elkanah Daniels, but I’m bettin’ high there wa’n’t a one who didn’t feel sorry for him then.

“’Twas quiet as could be for a minute or so after he’d gone.  Then Cap’n Zeb draws a big breath and flings up his hand.

“‘Shipmates,’ says he, ’this is the Almighty’s house and we’ve got to do it quiet, but I propose three whisperin’ cheers for the Rev. John Ellery and the lady that’s goin’ to be his wife.’

“So they give ’em—­hearty, too, if they was whispered—­and that’s all there is to that meetin’ worth tellin’ about.”

Captain Daniels and his daughter moved to Boston that summer.  They never came back to Trumet to live.  Annabel remained single until after her father’s death; then she married a man very much younger and poorer than she was.  It was remarked by acquaintances of the couple that the difference in age became less and less apparent as their married life continued.