“Good afternoon,” she said, opening the door.  “Oh! it’s you, is it?”

“Yes,” admitted Abishai Pepper, standing on the stone step, and shifting uneasily from one foot to the other.  “Yes, Keziah, it’s—­it’s me, thank you.”

“Don’t mention it.  Well, is Laviny with you?”

“No—­o, she ain’t.  She—­she didn’t come.”

“Hum!  Did she know you was comin’?”

“No—­o, I don’t cal’late she did.”

“I see.  Well, what do you want?”

Mrs. Coffin’s welcome was not too cordial.  She had laughed many times over Abishai’s proposal of marriage, but she had never quite forgiven him for making her ridiculous on that occasion.  Incidentally, she did not feel like laughing.

“What do you want?” she repeated.

Kyan was plainly nervous.

“I only wanted to see Mr. Ellery,” he announced.  “It’s all right, Keziah.  You needn’t be afraid.”

“Afraid!  What on earth should I be afraid of?”

“Why—­why, I didn’t know but you might be afraid I was goin’ to—­to talk about what we talked about when I—­I talked to you that day up at—­”

“There! that’ll do.  It ain’t me that would have reason to be afraid if that was what you come for.  What do you want?  Don’t stand there dancin’ a jig.”

“I only wanted to see Mr. Ellery.”

“He’s out.  Good day.”

“But I won’t keep him but a minute.”

“He’s out, I tell you.  Do you want to leave a message?”

“No—­o.  No, I guess not.”

“Was it important?”

“Oh!  I don’t know.  Kind of, maybe.  I wanted to ask his advice about somethin’.  It’s a secret.  Only him and me know about it.  Good-by.”

“Shall I tell him you’ll call again?  Or ask him to come up to your house?”

Mr. Pepper, who had started to go, now hurried back to the steps.

“No, no,” he protested, in alarm.  “Don’t you tell him that.  I wouldn’t have him come there for no money.  Why, Laviny, she—­”

“Oh, Laviny isn’t in the secret, then?” Keziah smiled in spite of herself.

“Not exactly.  That is, not much.  Don’t you tell her I come here, will you?  I’ll find Mr. Ellery.  I know where he is.”

“I wouldn’t go to the Danielses’, if I was you.  Elkanah might not like to have you chasin’ after his visitors.”

“Oh, the minister ain’t at the Danielses’, not as late’s this, he ain’t.  I know where he is.”

“You do?” The housekeeper looked at him keenly.

“Yes, sir, I do.  I know where he goes Sunday afternoons—­and why he goes, too.  Mr. Ellery and me’s good friends.  We understand each other.”

“Look here, Kyan Pepper!  What are you talkin’ about?”

“Nothin’, nothin’.  Good day.”

“Stop!  Stand still!  Come in the house here.  I want you to.”

“No, no, Keziah.  Really, I’d love to, but I can’t stop.”

“Come in, I tell you.”