“I shall have the questions of so many cousins to answer, when I get home,” he said, smiling, “that it will never do for me to go back without taking all the talk I can get with me.  If you will be kind enough to show me the way, captain Gar’ner, I will promise to do as much for you, when you come to hunt up the leavings of some old relation on the Vineyard.”

Roswell Gardiner very cheerfully complied, not observing the look of dissatisfaction with which his owner listened to the request.  Away the two went, then, and were soon at the widow’s door.  Here the young man left his companion, having duty to attend to on board the Sea Lion.  The Widow White received her guest with lively interest, it forming one of the greatest pleasures of her existence to be imparting and receiving intelligence.

“I dare say you found my uncle a companionable man,” observed the captain, as soon as amicable relations were established between the parties, by means of a few flattering remarks on one side and on the other.  “The Vineyard folks are generally quite conversable.”

“That he was, captain Daggett; and when the deacon had not been over to perplex him, and wake up the worldly spirit in him, he was as well inclined to preparation as any sick person I ever waited on.  To be sure it was different arter the deacon had paid one of his visits.”

“Was Deacon Pratt in the habit of coming to read and pray with the sick?”

“He pray!  I don’t believe he as much as went through a single sentence of a prayer in all his visits.  Their whull talk was about islands and seals, when they was by themselves.”

“Indeed!” exclaimed the nephew, manifesting a new interest in the discourse.  “And what could they find to say on such subjects?  Islands and seals were a strange topic for a dying man!”

“I know it”—­answered the widow, sharply.  “I know’d it at the time; but what could a lone woman do to set ’em right; and he a deacon of the meetin’ the whull time?  If they would talk of worldly things at such times, it wasn’t for one like me to put ’em right.”

“Then this discourse was held openly in your presence—­before your face, as it might be, ma’am?”

“I can’t say that it was just that; nor was it altogether when my back was turned.  They talked, and I overheard what was said, as will happen when a body is about, you know.”

The stranger did not press the point, having been brought up in what might almost be termed a land of listeners.  An island, that is cut off from much communication with the rest of the earth, and from which two-thirds of the males must be periodically absent, would be very likely to reach perfection in the art of gossiping, which includes that of the listener.

“Yes,” he answered, “one picks up a good deal, he doesn’t know how.  So they talked of islands and seals?”