The door opened softly and Dr. Parker came out.

“He’s asleep,” he said.  “And he’s better, much better.  And I’ll tell you something else, if you won’t make too much noise about it—­he hasn’t got the smallpox.”

The two women looked at him.

“Fact,” he said, with an emphatic nod.  “Not a symptom of it.  I’d have bet my best hat that he wasn’t going to have it and I won’t have to go bareheaded yet awhile.  He is pretty close to brain fever, though, but I guess he’ll dodge that this time, with care.  On the whole, Keziah, I’m glad you came.  This young lady,” with a movement of the head toward Grace, “has done her part.  She really saved his life, if I’m not mistaken.  Now, I think she can go away and leave him to you and me.  I’ll pretty nearly guarantee to have him up and out of this—­this pesthole in a fortnight.”

Here was joyful tidings, the better for being so unexpected.  Keziah leaned against the boards and drew a long breath.  Grace said nothing, but, after a moment, she went into the house.

“That’s a good thing, too,” commented Parker, watching her as she went.  “I wanted to talk with you, Keziah Coffin, and right away.  Now, then, there’s something up, something that I don’t know about, and I rather guess you do.  Young women—­even when they’re her kind and that’s as good a kind as there is—­don’t risk smallpox for any young man they pick up casually.  They don’t carry—­I guess it was pretty nearly carrying—­him home and put him to bed and care for him and cry over him and call him ‘dear.’  And he doesn’t beg them to run away and let him die rather than to stay there and risk dying, too.  No, not to any great extent.  Now, Keziah, you and I are fairly good friends and we ought to know each other by this time.  I see a light—­a little one.  Now, then, if you turn up the lamp, so that I can see the whole blaze, maybe I can help those two in yonder.”

Keziah considered.  “All right, doctor,” she said, when she reached a decision, “all right; I’ll tell you the whole thing, and you can see one of the reasons why my hair is gettin’ grayer.  This thing has reached the point now where there’s no keepin’ it quiet.  Folk’ll know—­I s’pose they know already—­that she’s been here with him.  They’ll suspect a lot more and the truth is better than suspicion—­that is, it can’t be worse than the suspicions that come natural to a good many minds in this town.  I am glad I can tell you, for I guess the time’s come to step out in broad daylight and h’ist our colors.  Now, you listen.  Here ’tis, from beginnin’ to end.”

She went on to tell all she knew of her parson’s love story.

Dr. Parker listened.

“Hum!” he said thoughtfully, “I see.  What made her change her mind so suddenly?  You say, or you gather from what Mr. Ellery told you, that she had all but agreed to marry him.  She cares for him, that’s sure.  Then, all at once, she throws him over and accepts Nat.  Of course her uncle’s sudden seizure was a shock and he wanted Nat to have her, but she isn’t the kind of girl to be easily swayed.  Why did she do it?”