Ambrose Nast

I desire to meet her, he said, and give thanks for guiding me in.

Without her I might have foundered elsewhere, as this coast is poorly lit.

I told him I would relay his gratitude, but that it was not possible to meet her, it being well past eight now, and she being safely in her bed.

The man changed then, in a subtle but tangible way.

There came an aura of threat about him.

He appeared to me then a man versed in the ways of the low-throated bully, yet perhaps bullying was sometimes not where he stopped.

I want to meet her, he said again.

I won't accept otherwise, and for this I'll pay.

I stood my ground.

Even a meal was a tall request at that hour in Wellfleet, so I suggested we concentrate our efforts on satisfying that particular need.

Florence, I told him, foolishly using her name, had no wish or need for gentleman callers at any hour, and in fact was to be duly protected from such.

He reached into his coat, and I heard the clanking of coins.

From his pocket he pulled out several, and opened his palm to reveal more than a dozen of a kind I did not recognize.

They were silver and rough-edged.

"'Do you understand?

I will pay handsomely,' he said.

"'Take these, friend.'

I did my best not to stare at the coins."

I will take a pittance to direct you to her father's house up the road, I said in placation.

You can request anything else directly from him.