Until they were near home, Doctor Gordon continued his strangely incongruous conversation, telling story after story, and shouting with laughter.  When they came in sight of the house Gordon stopped suddenly and leaned against a great maple beside the road.  He stared at the house, two of the upper windows of which were lighted, and gave a great sigh, almost a groan.  James stopped also and stared at him.  He wondered if the apple-jack had gone to the doctor’s head after all.  “What is the matter?” he ventured.

“Nothing, except the race is at a finish, and I am caught as I always am,” replied Doctor Gordon.

“The race—­” repeated James vaguely.

“Yes, the race with myself.  Myself has caught up with me, God help me, and I am in its clutches.  The time may come when you will try to race with self, my boy.  Let me tell you, you will never win.  You will tire yourself out, and make a damned idiot of yourself for nothing.  I shall race again to-morrow.  I never learn the lesson, but perhaps you can, you are young.  Well, come along.  Please be as quiet as you can when you go into the house.  My sister may be asleep.  She is perfectly well, but she is a little nervous.  I need not repeat my request that you do not mention your adventure with Clemency this afternoon to her.”

“Certainly not,” said James.  He walked on beside the doctor, and entered the house, more and more mystified.  James was not sure, but he thought he heard the faintest little moan from upstairs.  He glanced at Doctor Gordon’s face, and it was again the face of the man whom he had seen before going to Georgie K.’s.

CHAPTER III

The next morning after breakfast, at which Mrs. Ewing did not appear, Doctor Gordon observed that she always took her rolls and coffee in bed.  James followed Doctor Gordon into his office.  Clemency, who had presided at the coffee urn, had done so silently, and looked, so James thought, rather sulky, as if something had gone wrong.  Directly James was in the office, the doctor’s man, Aaron, appeared.  He was a tall, lank Jerseyman, incessantly chewing.  His lean, yellow jaws appeared to have acquired a permanent rotary motion, but he had keen eyes of intelligence upon the doctor as he gave his orders.

“Put in the team,” said Gordon.  “We are going to Haver’s Corner.  Old Sam Edwards is pretty low, and I ought to have gone there yesterday, but I didn’t know whether that child with diphtheria at Tucker’s Mill would live the day out.  Now he has seen the worst of it, thank the Lord!  But to-day I must go to Haver’s.  I want to make good time, for there’s something going on this afternoon, and I want an hour off if I can get it.”  Again the expression of simple jocularity was over the man’s face, and James remembered what he had said the night before about again running a race with himself the next day.

After Aaron had gone out Gordon turned to James.  He pointed to his great medicine-case on the table.  “You might see to it that the bottles are all filled,” he said.  “You will find the medicines yonder.”  He pointed to the shelf.  “I have to speak to Clemency before I go.”