The doctor whispered her name then and she went inside, closing the door after her.  Captain Zebedee sat down on the step to ponder over the new and apparently insurmountable difficulty which had arisen.  As he said afterwards, “The more I tried to get an observation, the thicker it got.  Blamed if I could see anything but fog, but I could hear—­I could hear Elkanah and his gang gigglin’, ahead, astern and off both bows.”

Parker found his patient sleeping soundly and had not disturbed him.  Returning to the living room he spoke to Grace.

“Humph!” he grunted, watching her from under his brows, “everything seems to be all right in there.  He hasn’t been excited or anything like that?”

“No.”

“That’s good.  He mustn’t be.  You understand that?  He mustn’t be told anything that will upset him.  He’s getting well fast and I want it to continue.”

“Yes, I understand.”

“Hum!  Er—­have you heard—­Has anyone been here?”

“Yes.  I have heard.  The telegram came and I answered it.”

“You did?  Well, it’s a miracle and we’re all thankful, of course.  Did you—­er—­er—­”

“Doctor, I must go home.  I mustn’t stay here any longer.”

“Why not?”

“You know why not.  I must be at home when he comes.  You must get some one to take my place.  Aunt Keziah will stay, of course, and perhaps Mrs. Higgins would come, or Hannah Poundberry.  She—­”

“Not if I know it.  I’d as soon have a hay-cutter running in here as Hannah’s tongue.  I could stop a hay-cutter when it got too noisy.  Well, if you must go, you must, I suppose.  But stay through tomorrow, at any rate.  Nat won’t get here until Thursday, and I may be able to find another nurse by that time.  And what I shall say to him,” motioning toward the other room, “I don’t know.”

“Must you say anything?  Just say that I have been called away for a few days on—­on some business.  Don’t tell him.  Don’t tell him the truth, doctor, now.  He is too weak and I am afraid—­”

She stopped and turned away.  The doctor watched her pityingly.

“Cheer up,” he said.  “At any rate, this is only for a little while.  When the captain knows, if he’s the man I take him for, he’ll—­”

She whirled like a flash.  “You’re not going to tell him?” she cried.  “No, no!  You mustn’t.  You must promise me you won’t.  Promise.”

“Somebody’ll tell him.  Telling things is Trumet’s specialty.”

“Then you must stop it.  No one must tell him—­no one except me.  I shall tell him, of course.  He must hear it from me and not from anyone else.  He would think I was disloyal and ungrateful—­and I am!  I have been!  But I was—­I couldn’t help it.  You know, doctor, you know—­”

“Yes, yes, I know.  Well, I’ll promise, but it will all come out right, you see.  You mustn’t think I—­we—­have been interfering in your affairs, Grace.  But we’ve all come to think a whole lot of that parson of ours and what he wanted we wanted him to have, that’s all.”