“If she does not come back very soon,” said he, “I shall go to town after her.”

“Then I suppose I might as well be going myself,” said she.  “And by the way, captain, if you are going to town, why don’t you take a seat in my carriage?  Dear knows me and the boy don’t fill it.”

But the captain would consider no such invitation.  When he met Olive he did not want Maria Port to be along.  He did not answer, and went into the house to make some change in his attire.  Old Jane would not let Olive pass, and if he met her on the road or in the town he wanted to be well dressed.

Miss Port still stood in the path by the house door.  “That’s not what I call polite,” said she, “but he’s awful flustered, and I don’t mind.”

Far from minding, Maria was pleased; it pleased her to know that his niece’s conduct had flustered him.  The more that girl flustered him the better it would be, and she smiled with considerable satisfaction.  If she could get that girl out of the way she believed she would find but little difficulty in carrying out her scheme to embitter the remainder of the good captain’s life.  She did not put it in that way to herself; but that was the real character of the scheme.

Suddenly an idea struck her.  It was of no use for her to stand and wait, for she knew she would not be able to induce the captain to go with her.  It would be a great thing if she could, for to drive into town with him by her side would go far to make the people of Glenford understand what was going to happen.  But, if she could not do this, she could do something else.  If she started away immediately she might meet that Asher girl coming back, and it would be a very fine thing if she could have an interview with her before she saw her uncle.

She made a quick step toward the house and looked in.  The captain was not visible, but old Jane was standing near the back door of the tollhouse.  The opportunity was not to be lost.

“Good-by, John,” said she in a soft tone, but quite loud enough for the old woman to hear.  “I’ll go home first, for I’ve got to see to gettin’ supper ready for you.  So good-by, John, for a little while.”  And she kissed her hand to the inside of the house.

Then she hurried out of the gate; got into the little phaeton which was waiting for her under a tree; and drove away.  She had come there that afternoon on the pretense of consulting the captain about her father’s health, which she said disturbed her, and she had requested the privilege of sitting on the toll-gate piazza because she had always wanted to sit there, and had never been invited.  The captain had not invited her then, but as she had boldly marched to the piazza and taken a seat, he had been obliged to follow.

Captain Asher, wearing a good coat and hat, relieved old Jane at her post, and waited and waited for Olive to come back.  He did not for a moment think she might return by the shunpike, for that was a rough road, not fit for a bicycle.  And if she passed this way once, why should she object to doing it again?