Course a mortgage is a debt, but it's a debt on the house and land and, if worse comes to worst, the house and land can go to pay for it.

And I don't mean to borrow from a stranger, if I can help it.

I've got a relation down here on the Cape, although he's a pretty fur-off, round-the-corner relation, third cousin, or somethin' like that.

His name's Solomon Cobb and he lives over to Trumet, about nine mile from here, so Cap'n Bangs says.

And he and Uncle Abner used to sail together for years.