No. What on earth made you think 'twas there? She'd
been visitin' Keziah Coffin at the parsonage, and when she come out
on the main road she heard him aravin' down the lane. Must have passed
right by this house and we never heard him. I never see such a dead man
as you be when you're asleep. You don't SOUND dead, I'll say that for
you, but nothin' wakes you up."

"Why, Laviny! you never woke up yourself."

"That's right, lay it onto me. I expected you would; it's just like
you. But why in time did you think Grace met the minister way down to
Peters's grove? That's the most loony notion ever I heard, even from
you. What made you think of it?"

"Nothin', nothin'. I guess I WAS loony, maybe. Dear! dear! dear! have
you heard how's he's gettin' on? Is he took bad?"

"I ain't heard nothin' yet, nobody has. But see here, 'Bish Pepper, you
act funny to me. I want to know more about that Peters's grove notion.
WHY did you say it?"

Kyan wriggled upon the rack and dodged and squirmed for the next twenty
minutes. He tried his best to keep the fateful secret, but he admitted
too much, or not enough, and his sister kept up the cross-examination.
At the end of the session she was still unsatisfied, but she was on
the scent and her brother knew it. He fled to the woodshed and there
punctuated his morning task of kindling chopping with groans and awful
forebodings.

One of the very first to hear of the minister's illness was Keziah
Coffin. Mrs. Parker told her and Keziah started for the beach before the
tale of Grace's part in the night's happenings reached the village. She
did not wait for a conveyance, hardly waited to throw a shawl over her
shoulders, but began to cover the three miles on foot. She had walked
nearly two thirds of the distance when Captain Zeb Mayo overtook her and
gave her a seat in his chaise.

They said little during the drive, the shock and anxiety forbidding
conversation. At the ropes was the same group, larger now, and Dr.
Parker's horse was hitched to one of the posts.

"You can't go in, Mrs. Coffin," said Thoph Black. "The doctor give us
his orders not to let nobody get by. I guess nobody wants to, but all
the same--"

Keziah paid not the slightest attention to Mr. Black. She stooped
beneath his arm, under the rope and was on her way to the shanty before
they realized her intention. Captain Zeb roared a command for her to
return, but she kept on. No one followed, not even the captain. Mrs.
Mayo ha