“I don’t know what ’tis you want to see me about,” said Captain Eben.  “You say it’s important; well, it’s got to be to keep me from my meetin’.  I ought to be on the Lord’s business this minute and nothin’ worldly’s goin’ to keep me from servin’ Him.  So speak quick.  What is it?”

The voice that answered was one that Grace recognized, though she had never before heard in it the note of agitation and undignified excitement.  There were no ponderous pauses and “Hum—­ha’s” now.

“Don’t be a fool, Hammond!” it said.  “And don’t stand there preaching.  Lock that door!  Get a lamp!  Are you sure there’s nobody but us in the house?”

Captain Elkanah Daniels!  Captain Elkanah visiting a Come-Outer! and the leader of the Come-Outers!!  Grace caught her breath.  What in the world—­She started to descend and then a thought flashed to her mind.  She stopped short.

“I ain’t the fool, Elkanah,” she heard her uncle retort sternly.  “The fools are them who are deef to the call from on high.  My foot was on the threshold of His house when you led me astray.  It’s never halted there afore.  I warn you—­”

“Hush!  Shut up!  Can’t you forget that—­that Come-Outer circus of yours for a minute?”

“Elkanah Daniels, I’ll have no blasphemy here.  Another word like that and—­”

“Will you be still and hear me?  The Lord’s business!  I guess you’ll think it’s the Lord’s business when you understand what I’m going to tell you!  The Lord’s business!  The devil’s business, you better say!  Will you lock that door?”

“My church is waitin’ for me and—­”

“Let it wait.  What’s a parcel of yelling Come-Outers compared to the decency of this town?  Stop!  Shut up!  Eben Hammond, I tell you that your precious church—­yes and mine, the Regular church of Trumet—­will go to rack and ruin if you and me don’t pull together this night.”

“And I tell you, Elkanah Daniels, I’ll have no blasphemy here.  That little sanctuary up the road is founded on a rock and neither you nor any of your Phariseein’ priest-worshipin’ crew can shake it.  The Almighty’ll protect His own.  As for the Reg’lar church, that’s no concern of mine.”

“But I tell you ’tis your concern.  Or if the church isn’t, your own family is.”

“My—­my family?”

“Yes, your own family.  Huh! that makes you listen, don’t it?”

There was an instant of silence.  Grace, crouching on the stairs, noticed the change in her uncle’s voice as he answered.

“My own family?” he repeated slowly.  “My own—­And the Reg’lar church—­What do you mean?  Has Nat—­”

“No, he ain’t.  But that cussed girl of yours—­”

“Stop!” Eben’s shout rang through the house.  The listener heard it, rose, and then sank slowly to her knees.

“Stop!” shouted Captain Hammond.  “Elkanah Daniels, for your own sake now, be careful.  If you dast to say a word, another word like that, I’ll—­”