第19章

MacGlowrie，“hesaid，“butIcanforbidyoutogointothegardenunlessyou’relookingbetter。It’sapositivereflectiononmyprofessionalskill，andLaurelSpringwillbeshocked，andholdmeresponsible。“

Mrs。MacGlowriehadrecoveredenoughofheroldspirittoreplythatshethoughtLaurelSpringcouldbeinbetterbusinessthanlookingatheroverhergardenfence。

“Butyourdog，whoknowsyou’renotwell，anddoesn’tthinkmequiteafool，hadthegoodsensetocallme。Youheardhim。“

Butthewidowprotestedthatshewasasstrongasahorse，andthatFluffywaslikeallpuppies，conceitedtothelastdegree。

“Well，“saidBlaircheerfully，“supposeIadmityouareallright，physically，you’llconfessyouhavesometroubleonyourmind，won’tyou？IfIcan’tmakeyouSHOWmeyourtongue，you’llletmehearyouUSEittotellmewhatworriesyou。If，“headdedmoreearnestly，“youwon’tconfideinyourphysician——youwillperhaps——

to——to——a——FRIEND。“

ButMrs。MacGlowrie，evadinghisearnesteyesaswellashisappeal，waswonderingwhatgooditwoulddoeitheradoctor，or——

a——a——sheherselfseemedtohesitateovertheword——“aFRIEND，toheartheworrimentsofasilly，nervousoldthing——whohadonlystuckalittletoocloselytoherbusiness。“

“Youareneithernervousnorold，Mrs。MacGlowrie，“saidthedoctorpromptly，“thoughIbegintothinkyouHAVEbeentoocloselyconfinedhere。Youwantmorediversion，or——excitement。Youmightevengotohearthispreacher“——hestopped，forthewordhadslippedfromhismouthunawares。

Butaswiftlookofscornsweptherpaleface。“Andyou’dlikemetofollowthoseskinnyoldfrumpsandleggy，limpchits，thatslobberandcryoverthatman！“shesaidcontemptuously。“No！I

reckonIonlywantachange——andI’llgoaway，orgetoutofthisforawhile。“

Thepoordoctorhadnotthoughtofthispossiblealternative。Hisheartsank，buthewasbrave。“Yes，perhapsyouareright，“hesaidsadly，“thoughitwouldbeadreadfulloss——toLaurelSpring——

tousall——ifyouwent。“

“DoIlooksoVERYbad，doctor？“shesaid，withahalf-mischievous，half-patheticsmile。

Thedoctorthoughtherupturnedfaceveryadorable，butrestrainedhisfeelingsheroically，andcontentedhimselfwithreplyingtothepathetichalfofhersmile。“Youlookasifyouhadbeensuffering，“hesaidgravely，“andIneversawyoulooksobefore。

Youseemasifyouhadexperiencedsomegreatshock。Doyouknow，“

hewenton，inalowertoneandwithahalf-embarrassedsmile，“thatwhenIsawyoujustnowinthegarden，youlookedasI

imaginedyoumighthavelookedinthefirstdaysofyourwidowhood——

whenyourhusband’sdeathwasfreshinyourheart。“

Astrangeexpressioncrossedherface。Hereyelidsdroppedinstantly，andwithbothhandsshecaughtupherfrilledapronasiftomeetthemandcoveredherface。Alittleshudderseemedtopassoverhershoulders，andthenacrythatendedinanuncontrollableandhalf-hystericallaughfollowedfromthedepthsofthatapron，untilshakinghersides，andwithherheadstillenvelopedinitscovering，shefairlyranintotheinnerroomandclosedthedoorbehindher。

Amazed，shocked，andatfirstindignant，Dr。Blairremainedfixedtothespot。Thenhisindignationgavewaytoaburningmortificationasherecalledhisspeech。Hehadmadeafrightfulfauxpas！Hehadbeenfoolenoughtotrytorecallthemostsacredmemoriesofthatdeadhusbandhewastryingtosucceed——andherquickwoman’swithaddetectedhisridiculousstupidity。Herlaughwashysterical——butthatwasonlynaturalinhermixedemotions。

Hemountedhishorseinconfusionandrodeaway。

Forafewdaysheavoidedthehouse。Butwhenhenextsawhershehadacharmingsmileofgreetingandanairofentireobliviousnessofhispastblunder。Shesaidshewasbetter。Shehadtakenhisadviceandwasgivingherselfsomerelaxationfrombusiness。Shehadbeenridingagain——oh，sofar！Alone？——ofcourse；shewasalwaysalone——elsewhatwouldLaurelSpringsay？

“True，“saidBlairsmilingly；“besides，Iforgotthatyouarequiteabletotakecareofyourselfinanemergency。Andyet，“headded，admiringlylookingatherlithefigureandindolentgrace，“doyouknowInevercanassociateyouwiththedreadfulscenestheysayyouhavegonethrough。“

“Thenpleasedon’t！“shesaidquickly；“really，I’dratheryouwouldn’t。I’msickandtiredofhearingofit！“Shewashalflaughingandyethalfinearnest，withaslightcoloronhercheek。

Blairwasalittleembarrassed。“Ofcourse，Idon’tmeanyourheroism——likethatstoryoftheintruderandthescissors，“hestammered。

“Oh，THAT’Stheworstofall！It’stoofoolish——it’ssickening！“

shewentonalmostangrily。“Idon’tknowwhostartedthatstuff。“

Shepaused，andthenaddedshyly，“Ireallyamanawfulcowardandhorriblynervous——asyouknow。“

Hewouldhavecombatedthis——butshelookedreallydisturbed，andhehadnodesiretocommitanotherimprudence。Andhethought，too，thatheagainhadseeninhereyesthesamehopeful，wistfullighthehadonceseenbefore，andwashappy。

Thisledhim，Ifear，toindulgeinwilderdreams。Hispractice，althoughincreasing，barelysupportedhim，andthewidowwasrich。

Herbusinesshadbeenprofitable，andshehadrepaidtheadvancesmadeherwhenshefirsttookthehotel。Butthisdisparityintheirfortuneswhichhadfrightenedhimbeforenowhadnofearsforhim。Hefeltthatifhesucceededinwinningheraffectionsshecouldaffordtowaitforhim，despiteothersuitors，untilhistalentshadwonanequalposition。Hisrivalshadalwaysfeltassecureinhispovertyastheyhadinhispeacefulprofession。Howcouldapoor，simpledoctoraspiretothehandoftherichwidowoftheredoubtableMacGlowrie？

Itwaslateoneafternoon，andthelowsunwasbeginningtostrikeathwartthestarkcolumnsanddownthelongaislesoftheredwoodsontheHighRidge。Thedoctor，returningfromapatientattheloggers’campinitsdepths，hadjustsightedthesmallergrovesofLaurelSprings，twomilesaway。Hewasridingfast，withhisthoughtsfilledwiththewidow，whenheheardajoyousbarkintheunderbrush，andFluffycameboundingtowardshim。Blairdismountedtocaresshim，aswashiswont，andthen，wiselyconceivingthathismistresswasnotfaraway，saunteredforwardexploringly，leadinghishorse，thedoghoundingbeforehimandbarking，asifbentuponbothleadingandannouncinghim。Butthelatterheeffectedfirst，forasBlairturnedfromthetrailintothedeeperwoods，hesawthefiguresofamanandwomanwalkingtogethersuddenlyseparateatthedog’swarning。ThewomanwasMrs。

MacGlowrie——themanwastherevivalpreacher！

Amazed，mystified，andindignant，Blairneverthelessobeyedhisfirstinstinct，whichwasthatofagentleman。Heturnedleisurelyasideasifnotrecognizingthem，ledhishorseafewpacesfurther，mountedhim，andgallopedawaywithoutturninghishead。

Buthisheartwasfilledwithbitternessanddisgust。Thiswoman——

whobutafewdaysbeforehadvoluntarilydeclaredherscornandcontemptforthatmanandhisadmirers——hadjustbeengivinghimaclandestinemeetinglikeoneofthemostinfatuatedofhisdevotees！Thestoryofthewidow’sfainting，thecoarsesurmisesandcommentsofSlocum，camebacktohimwithoverwhelmingsignificance。Buteventhenhisreasonforbadehimtobelievethatshehadfallenunderthepreacher’sinfluence——she，withhersanemindandindolenttemperament。Yet，whateverherexcuseorpurposewas，shehaddeceivedhimwantonlyandcruelly！Hisabruptavoidanceofherhadpreventedhimfromknowingifshe，onherpart，hadrecognizedhimasherodeaway。IfsheHAD，shewouldunderstandwhyhehadavoidedher，andanyexplanationmustcomefromher。

Thenfollowedafewdaysofuncertainty，whenhisthoughtsagainrevertedtothepreacherwithreturningjealousy。Wasshe，afterall，likeotherwomen，andhadhergratuitousoutburstofscornofTHEIRinfatuationbeenpromptedbyunsuccessfulrivalry？HewastooproudtoquestionSlocumagainorbreatheawordofhisfears。

YethewasnotstrongenoughtokeepfromagainseekingtheHighRidge，todiscoveranyrepetitionofthatrendezvous。Buthesawherneitherthere，norelsewhere，duringhisdailyrounds。Andonenighthisfeverishanxietygettingthebetterofhim，heenteredthegreat“GospelTent“oftherevivalpreacher。

Itchancedtobeanextraordinarymeeting，andtheusualenthusiasticaudiencewasreinforcedbysomesight-seersfromtheneighboringcountytown——thedistrictjudgeandofficialsfromthecourtinsession，amongthemColonelStarbottle。Theimpassionedrevivalist——hiseyesablazewithfever，hislankhairwetwithperspiration，hangingbesidehisheavybutweakjaws——wasconcludingaferventexhortationtohisauditorstoconfesstheirsins，“acceptconviction，“andregeneratethenandthere，withoutdelay。Theymustputoff“theoldAdam，“andputonthefleshofrighteousnessatonce！Theyweretoletnofalseshameorworldlypridekeepthemfromavowingtheirguiltypastbeforetheirbrethren。Sobsandgroansfollowedthepreacher’sappeals；hisownagitationandconvulsiveeffortsseemedtospreadinsurgingwavesthroughthecongregation，untiladozenmenandwomenarose，staggeringlikedrunkardsblindly，orledordraggedforwardbysobbingsympathizerstowardsthemourners’bench。Andprominentamongthem，butsteppingjauntilyandairilyforward，wastheredoubtableandworldlyColonelStarbottle！

Atthisproofoftheorator’spowerthecrowdshouted——butstoppedsuddenly，asthecolonelhaltedbeforethepreacher，andascendedtherostrumbesidehim。Thentakingaslightposewithhisgold-

headedcaneinonehandandtheotherthrustinthebreastofhisbuttonedcoat，hesaidinhisblandest，forensicvoice:——

“IfImistakenot，sir，youareadvisingtheseladiesandgentlementoafreeandpublicconfessionoftheirsinsanda——er