Ellen put her hand on his arm, slipped it into the curve, and kept it there, while he held it pressed close against him.  “Red, have you been working too hard lately?” she asked.

“Not a bit.  I’m fit as a fiddler.  Don’t worry, love.  I’ve no business to talk riddles to you, of all people.  But for a peculiar reason I’m horribly anxious about the outcome of to-morrow’s experiment, and had to work it off somehow.  Just promise me that when you say your prayers to-night you’ll ask the good God not to let me be mistaken in forcing a situation I may not be able to control.”

“I will,” Ellen promised, with all her heart, for she saw that, whatever the crisis might be, it was one to which her usually daring husband was looking forward with most uncharacteristic dread.

She was conscious that Burns spent a restless night.  At daybreak he was up and out of the house.  Before he went, however, he bent over her and kissed her with great tenderness, murmuring, “A prayer or two more, darling, won’t hurt anything, when you are awake enough.  I’ve particular faith in your petitions.”

She held him with both arms.

“Don’t worry, Red.  It isn’t like you.  You will succeed, if it is to be.”

“It’s got to be,” he said between his teeth, as he left her.

He swallowed a cup of Cynthia’s hot coffee—­bespoken the night before, as on many similar occasions—­and ran out to his car just as the slow September sunrise broke into the eastern sky.  In two minutes more he was off in the Imp, flying out the road to Sunny Farm.

Arrived there he astonished Miss Dodge, the nurse in charge, who was not accustomed to Dr. Burns’s ways.  He had left the small patient, Jamie Ferguson, the night before, entirely satisfied with his condition for undergoing the operation set for nine o’clock this morning.  He now went once more painstakingly over every detail of the preparation he had ordered, making sure for himself that nothing had been omitted.

Then he called for Miss Mathewson, who had spent the night at the Farm.  She was to assist Leaver as she was accustomed to assist Burns.  He took her off by herself and addressed her solemnly, more solemnly than he had ever done.

“Amy, if you ever had your wits on call, have them this morning.  In all my life I never cared more how things went at a time like this.  I care so much I’d give about all I own to know this minute that the thing would go through.”

“Why, Dr. Burns,” said she, in astonishment, “it should go through.  It is a critical operation, of course, but the boy seems in very fair shape for it, and Dr. Leaver has done it before.  Dr. Leaver is quite well now—­”

“I know, I know.  Feel of that!”

He touched her hand with his own, which was icy cold.  She started, and looked anxiously at him.

“Doctor, you can’t be well!  This isn’t you—­to be so—­nervous!  Why, think of all the operations you’ve done, and never a sign of minding.  And this isn’t even your responsibility—­it’s Dr. Leaver’s.”