"What do you want to visit at my house for?" inquired the latter, in a
forbidding voice.
"To see your daughter," said Hardy.
The captain had a relapse. He had not expected a truthful answer,
and, when it came, in the most matter-of-fact tone, it found him quite
unprepared. His first idea was to sacrifice his dignity and forcibly
eject his visitor, but more sensible thoughts prevailed.
"You are quite sure, I suppose, that your visits would be agreeable to my
daughter?" he said, contemptuously.
Hardy shook his head. "I should come ostensibly to see you," he said,
cheerfully; "to smoke a pipe with you."
"Smoke!" stuttered the captain, explosively; "smoke a pipe with ME?"
"Why not?" said the other. "I am offering you my services, and
anything that is worth having is worth paying for. I suppose we could
both smoke pipes under pleasanter conditions. What have you got against
me? It isn't my fault that you and my father have quarrelled."
"I don't want anything more to say to you," said the captain, sternly.
"I've shown you the door once. Am I to take forcible measures?"
Hardy shrugged his broad shoulders.
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