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