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。