“Well, doctor, that’s kind of a puzzle to me.  All I can think is that she come to realize what it might mean to him, the minister, if he married a Come-Outer.  I think she done it for his sake, to save him, though what made her realize it all at once I don’t know.  There’s the part we ain’t heard.”

“I guess you’re right.  Something happened between the time she left Ellery and when you and I reached the tavern.  But never mind that, that doesn’t count now.  Let’s look at things as they are this minute.  She’s here and folks know it.  As they do know it they’ll begin to talk, and the more they talk the farther from the truth they’ll get—­most of ’em.  Nat, poor chap, is dead, so her promise to him is canceled.  Ellery will get well if he isn’t troubled, and her being with him will help more than anything else.  I can understand now why he broke down.”

“Yes, he ain’t been himself since it happened.”

“Of course, and the last few weeks of worry and night work have helped to wreck his nerves.  Well, as I see it, there’s only one thing to do.  If she leaves him he’ll go to pieces again, so she mustn’t leave.  And she can’t stay without an explanation.  I say let’s give the explanation; let’s come right out with the announcement that they’re engaged.”

“Whew! that’ll stir things up.”

“You bet!  But let it stir.  I like that parson of yours; he’s a trump.  And I always liked her, although, generally speaking, I don’t love Come-Outers.  And I like her more than ever now, when she risked what she thought was smallpox to care for him.  As I said, she saved his life, and she ought to have him.  She shall have him.”

“But she’s a Come-Outer and—­there’s the church.”

“Well, I know it.  But he never was so popular as he is now.  And she isn’t by any means a steady-going Come-Outer.  Why, Zeke Bassett and the rest have been finding fault with her and calling her a backslider.  That’ll help.  Then you trust me to whoop up her heroism and the fact that without her he would have died.  We can do it, Keziah.  Come on!  I’ve tackled a good many jobs, but matchmaking isn’t one of ’em.  Here goes to tackle that.”

Keziah was delighted; here was work after her own heart.  But she still hesitated.

“Doctor,” she said, “you’ve forgot one thing, that’s Gracie herself.  Would she marry him now, knowing it may mean the loss of his ministry and all, any more than she would at first?  I don’t believe it.”

“That’s your part, Keziah.  You’ve got to show her she must marry him or he’ll die; see?  Call on me to back you up in any fairy yarn you spin.  You prove to her it’s her duty to marry him.  You’ll have to stay, here and help nurse, of course, and that’s easy because his disease isn’t contagious.  You convince her and I’ll take care of the congregation.  He’ll live to be minister here for the rest of his life, if he wants to, and she’ll be a minister’s wife and sit in the front pew.  I’ll guarantee the church if you’ll guarantee the girl.  Why, it’s your duty!  Come, now, what do you say?”