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