"Difference!" exclaimed Captain Eli. "It was all the
difference between a man on deck and a man overboard--that's the
difference it was to me. I didn't expect to be talkin' to you so
early this Christmas mornin', but things has been sprung on me,
and I can't help it I just want to ask you one thing: Did you
think I was gettin' up this Christmas tree and the Christmas
dinner and the whole business fer the good of the little gal, and
fer the good of you, and fer the good of Captain Cephas?"

Mrs. Trimmer had now recovered a very fair possession of
herself. "Of course I did," she answered, looking up at him as
she spoke. "Who else could it have been for!"

"Well," said he, "you were mistaken. It wasn't fer any one
of you. It was all fer me--fer my own self."

"You yourself?" said she. "I don't see how."

"But I see how," he answered. "It's been a long time since I
wanted to speak my mind to you, Mrs. Trimmer, but I didn't ever
have no chance. And all these Christmas doin's was got up to
give me the chance not only of speakin' to you, but of showin' my
colors better than I could show them in any other way.
Everything went on a-skimmin' till this mornin', when that
stranger that we brought in from the shoal piped up and asked fer
you. Then I went overboard--at least, I thought I did--and sunk
down, down, clean out of soundin's."

"That was too bad, captain," said she, speaking very gently,
"after all your trouble and kindness."