es in
time, we will try the plan. Have the car ready. You and Phillida will be
prepared, of course. We will waste no time in getting away as far as
possible."

"And if that Thing comes before she does, Mr. Locke?"

"Is there any other way?"

"I guess you haven't considered that you're inviting me to stand by
while you get yourself killed," he said stiffly. "I'm not an educated
man. I never heard the names you mentioned this morning of people who
used to study out things like this. I never heard of any worlds except
earth and heaven and hell. But then I couldn't explain how an electric
car runs. I know the car does run; and I know you nearly died last
night. If you go back and stay alone in that room, we both know what you
are going to meet."

I turned away from him because I sickened at the prospect he evoked. The
memory of that death-tide was too near and rolled too coldly across the
future. If the trial had been hard when mercifully unanticipated, what
would it be to meet my enemy now that I knew myself conquered? Would It
not deliberately forestall Desire's coming, tonight?

"Mightn't you help the lady more if you went away now, and came back?"
he urged.

The deserter's argument, time without end! Was I to fall as low as that?

Phillida's voice called to Vere from the veranda, summoning him to some
need of farm or household.

"In a moment, Pretty," he called assent.

But he did not move. I guessed that he hoped much from my silence and
would not disturb me lest my decision be hindered or changed.

By and by I stood up.

"Vere, in your varied experiences in peace and war, did you ever chance
to meet a coward?"

"Once," he answered briefly.

"And, did you like the sight?"

"No."

"Then," I said, "let us not invite one another to that display. Shall we
go in to Phillida?"

CHAPTER XVII

"They say--
What say they?
Let thame say!"
--OLD SCOTTISH INSCRIPTION.

After luncheon, I drove over to the village with Phillida, who had some
housewifely orders to give at the shops. On second thoughts, Vere and I
had agreed to tell her nothing about the venture we planned for tonight.
We had satisfied her by the assurance that I meant to start for New York
before the dangerous hours after midnight. Reassured, she regained her
usual spirits with the buoyancy of her few years and healthy nerves. I
gathered her secret belief was that no "ghost" would dare face Ethan.

Whic