第18章

ButDr。Blair’sincreasingpracticeandthewidow’spreoccupationpresentlyendedtheirbriefintimacy。Itwaswellknownthatsheencouragednosuitorsatthehotel，andhisshynessandsensitivenessshrankfromostentatiousadvances。Thereseemedtobenochanceofherbecoming，herself，hispatient；hersanemind，indolentnerves，andcalmcirculationkeptherfromfeminine“vapors“offeminineexcesses。Sheretainedtheteethanddigestionofachildinherthirtyoddyears，andabusedneither。

Ridingandthecultivationofherlittlegardengavehersufficientexercise。Andyettheunexpectedoccurred！ThedayafterStarbottleleft，Dr。Blairwassummonedhastilytothehotel。Mrs。

MacGlowriehadbeenfoundlyingsenselessinadeadfaintinthepassageoutsidethediningroom。Inhishurriedflightthitherwiththemessengerhecouldlearnonlythatshehadseemedtobeinherusualhealththatmorning，andthatnoonecouldassignanycauseforherfainting。

Hecouldfindoutlittlemorewhenhearrivedandexaminedherasshelaypaleandunconsciousonthesofaofhersittingroom。Ithadnotbeenthoughtnecessarytoloosenheralreadyloosedress，andindeedhecouldfindnoorganicdisturbance。Thecasewasoneofsuddennervousshock——butthis，withhisknowledgeofherindolenttemperament，seemedalmostabsurd。Theycouldtellhimnothingbutthatshewasevidentlyonthepointofenteringthediningroomwhenshefellunconscious。Hadshebeenfrightenedbyanything？Asnakeorarat？MissMorvinwasindignant！ThewidowofMacGlowrie——therepellerofgrizzlies——frightenedat“sich“！

Hadshebeenupsetbyanypreviousexcitement，passion，orthereceiptofbadnews？No！——she“wasn’tthatkind，“asthedoctorknew。Andevenastheywerespeakinghefeltthewidow’shealthylifereturningtothepulsehewasholding，andgivingafainttingetoherlips。Herblue-veinedeyelidsquiveredslightlyandthenopenedwithlanguidwonderonthedoctorandhersurroundings。

Suddenlyaquick，startledlookcontractedtheyellowbrownpupilsofhereyes，sheliftedherselftoasittingposturewithahurriedglancearoundtheroomandatthedoorbeyond。Catchingthequick，observanteyesofDr。Blair，shecollectedherselfwithaneffort，whichDr。Blairfeltinherpulse，anddrewawayherwrist。

“Whatisit？Whathappened？“shesaidweakly。

“Youhadaslightattackoffaintness，“saidthedoctorcheerily，“andtheycalledmeinasIwaspassing，butyou’reallrightnow。“

“Howpow’fulfoolish，“shesaid，withreturningcolor，buthereyesstillglancingatthedoor，“slumpingofflikeagreengyrlatnothin’。“

“Perhapsyouwerestartled？“saidthedoctor。

Mrs。MacGlowrieglancedupquicklyandlookedaway。“No！——Letmesee！Iwasjustpassingthroughthehall，goingintothediningroom，when——everythingseemedtowaltzroundme——andIwasoff！

Wheredidtheyfindme？“shesaid，turningtoMissMorvin。

“Ipickedyouupjustoutsidethedoor，“repliedthehousekeeper。

“Thentheydidnotseeme？“saidMrs。MacGlowrie。

“Who’sthey？“respondedthehousekeeperwithmoredirectnessthangrammaticalaccuracy。

“Thepeopleinthediningroom。Iwasjustopeningthedoor——andI

feltthiscomingon——and——IreckonIhadjustsenseenoughtoshutthedooragainbeforeIwentoff。“

“ThenthataccountsforwhatJimSlocumsaid，“utteredMissMorvintriumphantly。“Hewasinthediningroomtalkin’withthenewpreacher，whenheallowedheheardthedooropenandshutbehindhim。Thenheheardakindofslumpoutsideandopenedthedooragainjusttofindyoulyin’there，andtorushoffandgetme。

Andthat’swhyhewassomadatthepreacher！——forhesayshejustskurriedawaywithoutofferin’tohelp。Heallowsthepreachermaybeapow’fulexhorter——butheain’tworthmuchat’works。’“

“Somemencan’tbeartobearoundwhenawoman’suptothatsortoffoolishness，“saidthewidow，withafaintattemptatasmile，butareturnofherpaleness。

“Hadn’tyoubetterliedownagain？“saidthedoctorsolicitously。

“I’mallrightnow，“returnedMrs。MacGlowrie，strugglingtoherfeet；“Morvinwilllookaftermetilltheshakinessgoes。Butitwasmightytouchingandneighborlytocomein，Doctor，“shecontinued，succeedingatlastinbringingupafaintbutadorablesmile，whichstirredBlair’spulses。“IfIweremyowndog——youcouldn’thavetreatedmebetter！“

Withnofurtherexcuseforstayinglonger，Blairwasobligedtodepart——yetreluctantly，bothasloverandphysician。Hewasbynomeanssatisfiedwithhercondition。Hecalledtoinquirethenextday——butshewasengagedandsentwordtosayshewas“better。“

Intheexcitementattendingtheadventofthenewpreachertheslightillnessofthecharmingwidowwasforgotten。Hehadtakenthesettlementbystorm。HisfirstsermonatLaurelSpringexceededeventheextravagantreputationthathadprecededhim。

Knownasthe“InspiredCowboy，“acommonunletteredfrontiersman，hewassaidtohavedevelopedwonderfulpowersofexhortatoryeloquenceamongtheIndians，andscarcelylesssavagebordercommunitieswherehehadlived，halfoutcast，halfmissionary。HehadjustcomeupfromtheSouthernagriculturaldistricts，wherehehadbeen，despitehisrudeantecedents，singularlyeffectivewithwomenandyoungpeople。ThemoodydyspepticsandlazyrusticsofLaurelSpringwerestirredaswithanewpatentmedicine。Dr。

Blairwenttothefirst“revival“meeting。Withoutundervaluingtheman’sinfluence，hewasinstinctivelyrepelledbyhisappearanceandmethods。Theyoungphysician’strainedpowersofobservationnotonlysawanoverwroughtemotionalisminthespeaker’seloquence，butdetectedtheringofinsincerityinhismorelucidspeechandacts。Nevertheless，thehysteriaofthepreacherwascommunicatedtothecongregation，whoweptandshoutedwithhim。Tiredanddiscontentedhousewivesfoundtheirvaguesorrowsandvaguerlongingswereonlytheresultoftheir“unregenerate“state；thelazycountryyouthsfeltthatthefrustrationoftheirsmallambitionslayintheirnotbeing“convictedofsin。“Themourners’benchwascrowdedwithwildlyemulatingsinners。Dr。Blairturnedawaywithmingledfeelingsofamusementandcontempt。AtthedoorJimSlocumtappedhimontheshoulder:“Fetchesthewimminfolkeverytime，don’the，Doctor？“

saidJim。

“Soitseems，“saidBlairdryly。

“You’reoneo’themscientificfellersthatlookinterthings——whatdoYOUallowitis？“

Theyoungdoctorrestrainedthecrushinganswerthatrosetohislips。Hehadlearnedcautioninthatneighborhood。“Icouldn’tsay，“hesaidindifferently。

“’Tain’tnoreligion，“saidSlocumemphatically；“it’sjestpurefas’nation。Didyelookathiseye？It’slikearattlesnake’s，andthemwimminarelikebirds。They’refrightenedofhim——buttheyhevtodojestwhathe’wills’’em。That’showheskeertthewiddertheotherday。“

Thedoctorwasalertandonfireatonce。“Scaredthewidow？“herepeatedindignantly。

“Yes。Youknowhowsheswoonedaway。Well，sir，meandthatpreacher，Brown，wastheonlyoneinthatdinin’roomatthetime。

Thewidderopenedthedoorbehindmeandsorterpeekedin，andthattharpreachergiveastartandlookedup；andthen，thatsortofqueerlightcomeinhiseyes，andsheshutthedoor，andkinderflutteredandfloppeddowninthepassageoutside，likeabird！

Andhecrawledawaylikeasnake，andneversaidaword！Mybeliefisthateitherhehadn’ttimetoturnonthehullinfluence，orelseshe，bein’smart，gotthedoorshutbetwixtheranditintime！Otherwise，sureasyou’reborn，she’dhevbeenfloppin’andcrawlin’andsobbin’arterhim——jistlikethemcritterswe’veleft。“

“Betternotletthebrethrenhearyoutalklikethat，orthey’lllynchyou，“saidthedoctor，withalaugh。“Mrs。MacGlowriesimplyhadanattackoffaintnessfromsomeoverexertion，that’sall。“

Nevertheless，hewasuneasyashewalkedaway。Mrs。MacGlowriehadevidentlyreceivedashockwhichwasstillunexplained，and，inspiteofSlocum’sexaggeratedfancy，theremightbesomefoundationinhisstory。Hedidnotsharetheman’ssuperstition，althoughhewasnotaskepticregardingmagnetism。Yeteventhen，thewidow’sactionwasoneofrepulsion，andaslongasshewasstrongenoughnottocometothesemeetings，shewasnotindanger。Adayortwolater，ashewaspassingthegardenofthehotelonhorseback，hesawherlithe，graceful，languidfigurebendingoveroneofherfavoriteflowerbeds。Thehighfencepartiallyconcealedhimfromview，andsheevidentlybelievedherselfalone。Perhapsthatwaswhyshesuddenlyraisedherselffromhertask，putbackherstrayinghairwithaweary，abstractedlook，remainedforamomentquitestillstaringatthevacantsky，andthen，withalittlecatchingofherbreath，resumedheroccupationinadull，mechanicalway。Inthatbriefglimpseofhercharmingface，Blairwasshockedatthechange；shewaspale，thecornersofherprettymouthweredrawn，thereweredeepershadesintheorbitsofhereyes，andinspiteofherbroadgardenhatwithitsblueribbon，herlightfloweredfrockandfrilledapron，shelookedashefanciedshemighthavelookedinthefirstcrushinggriefofherwidowhood。Yethewouldhavepassedon，respectingherprivacyofsorrow，hadnotherlittlespanieldetectedhimwithherkeenersenses。AndFluffybeingtruthful——asdogsare——andrecognizingadearfriendintheintruder，barkedjoyously。

Thewidowlookedup，hereyesmetBlair’s，andshereddened。Buthewastooacutealovertomisinterpretwhatheknew，alas！wasonlyconfusionatherabstractionbeingdiscovered。Nevertheless，therewassomethingelseinherbrowneyeshehadneverseenbefore。AmomentarylightingupofRELIEF——ofevenhopefulness——inhispresence。ItwasenoughforBlair；heshookoffhisoldshynesslikethedustofhisride，andgallopedaroundtothefrontdoor。

Butshemethiminthehallwithonlyherusuallanguidgoodhumor。

Nevertheless，Blairwasnotabashed。

“Ican’tputyouinsplintsandplasterlikeFluffy，Mrs。