Herbert was dazzled; the thought of this market was a revelation—­nothing could have been more plausible.  Considered as bait, the c’lection at once seemed to acquire a practical and financial value which it lacked, purely as a c’lection.  And with that the amateur and scientist disappeared, giving way to the person of affairs. “’Give us five dollars’?” he said, in this capacity, and for deeper effect he used a rhetorical expression:  “Who do you think is the owner of all this fish bait, may I ask you, pray?”

“Yes, you may, pray!” was his cousin’s instant and supercilious retort.  “Pray where would you ever of got any five dollars from any fish man, if it hadn’t been for me, pray?  Pray, didn’t I first sajest our doing somep’n with the bugs we’d never forget, and if the fish man gives us five dollars for ’em won’t we remember it all our lives, pray?  And, pray, what part did you think up of all this, pray?  Not one single thing, and if you don’t divide even with me, I’ll run ahead and tell the fish man the whole c’lection has been in bottles that had old medicine and poison in ’em—­and then where’ll you be, pray?”

It is to be doubted that Florence possessed the cold-blooded capacities with which this impromptu in diplomacy seemed to invest her:  probably she would never have gone so far.  But the words sufficed; and Herbert was so perfectly intimidated that he was even unresentful.  “Well, you can have your ole two dollars and a half, whether you got a right to it or not,” he said.  “But you got to carry the basket.”

“No,” said Florence.  “This has got to be done right, Herbert.  We’re partners now and everything’s got to be divided just exackly even.  I’ll carry the basket half the way and you carry it the other half.”

“Well——­” he grumbled, consenting.

“That’s the only right way,” she said sunnily.  “You carry it till we get to the fish man’s, and I’ll carry it all the way back.”

But even Herbert could perceive the inequality here.  “It’ll be empty then,” he protested.

“Fair’s fair and wrong’s wrong,” she returned firmly.  “I spoke first to carry it on the way home, and the one that speaks first gets it!”

“Look here!”

“Herbert, we got to get all these bugs fixed up and ready,” she urged.  “We don’t want to waste the whole afternoon just talkin’ about it, do we?  Besides, Herbert, on the way home you’ll have two dollars and a half in your pocket, or anyway as much as you have left, if you buy some soda and candy and things, and you’ll feel so fine then you won’t mind whether you’re carrying the basket or not.”

The picture she now suggested to Herbert’s mind was of himself carrying the basket both to the fish man and from the fish man:  and he found himself anxious to protest, yet helpless in a maze of perplexity.  “But wait a minute,” he began.  “You said——­”

“Let’s don’t waste another minute,” she interrupted briskly.  “I shouldn’t wonder it was after four o’clock by this time, and we both need money.  Hurry, Herbert!”