“Um!...  To-morrer, eh?  Made up your mind you don’t want Homer, have ye?  Don’t blame ye.  He’s a mighty humble critter.”

“He’s the best man in the world,” said Yvette, softly, “and I love him ... and that—­that’s why I’m going.  I can’t stay and make him miserable.”

Scattergood studied her face a moment, and cleared his throat noisily.  “Hum!...  I swan to man!  Goin’, be ye?...  Mebby that’s best....  But they hain’t no sich hurry.  Be out of a job, won’t ye?  Uh-huh!  Wa-al, you stay till Thursday mornin’ and kind of visit with Homer, and say good-by, and then you kin go.  Thursday mornin’....  Not a minute before.”

“But—­”

“Thursday mornin’s the time, I said....  G’-by.”

Next morning Scattergood was absent.  He had taken the early train out of town, as Pliny Pickett reported, on a “whoppin’ big deal that come up suddin in the night.”  It appeared that for once Scattergood had allowed business to distract him wholly from his favorite occupation of meddling in other folks’ affairs....  Nobody saw him return, for he drove into town late Wednesday afternoon and went directly to his home.

For forty-eight hours during his absence rumor had spread and increased its girth to astounding dimensions.  Old Man Bogle had released his story.  He now recollected Yvette perfectly, and when not restrained by the modesty of some person of the opposite sex, he described her costume in the play with minute detail.  Hourly he remembered more and more, and the mouth-to-ear repetitions of his tale embellished it with details even Old Man Bogle’s imagination could not have encompassed....  Before Wednesday night Yvette had arisen in the estimation of the village to an eminence of evil never before attained by any visitor to Coldriver.

Jason Locker forbade his son his home if ever he were seen in the hussy’s company again, and Homer left by the front door....  He announced his purpose of journeying to the South Seas or New York, or some other equally strange and dangerous shore.  The town seethed.  It had been years since any local sensation approached this high moment....  At half past six Pliny Pickett, Scattergood’s right-hand man and general errand boy, was seen to approach Homer on the street and to whisper to him.  Pliny always enshrouded his most matter-of-fact errands with voluminous mystery.  “Scattergood wants you sh’u’d see him right off,” he said, and tiptoed away.

Another sensation occurred that evening.  Scattergood Baines went to prayer meeting in the Methodist church.  When word of this was passed about, the Baptists and Congos deserted their places of worship in whispering groups and invaded the rival edifice until it was crowded as it had seldom been before.  Scattergood in prayer meeting!  Scattergood, who had never been inside a church since the day of his arrival in Coldriver, forty years before....  Even Yvette Hinchbrooke and her affairs sank into insignificance.