Keziah, he's dead set on my marryin' Grace.

Says if I don't he'll know that I don't really care a tin nickel for him, or for his wishes, or what becomes of the girl after he's gone." "Nat!" "It's a fact.

You see, dad realizes, better'n I thought he did, that his health is pretty shaky and that he is likely to founder 'most any time.
He says that don't worry him; if he knew Grace and I were provided for he'd slip his cable with a clean manifest.

But the dream of his life, he says, has been that we should marry.

And he wants to see it done." Keziah was silent for a moment.