ue.
There, that will do--you're as sound as a nut!" He patted her cheek and
added, "Run along now; I want to talk to these aunts."

She went from the presence. His face clouded over again at once; and as
he sat down he said:

"You too have been doing a lot of damage--and maybe some good. Some
good, yes--such as it is. That woman's disease is typhoid! You've
brought it to a show-up, I think, with your insanities, and that's a
service--such as it is. I hadn't been able to determine what it was
before."

With one impulse the old ladies sprang to their feet, quaking with
terror.

"Sit down! What are you proposing to do?"

"Do? We must fly to her. We--"

"You'll do nothing of the kind; you've done enough harm for one day. Do
you want to squander all your capital of crimes and follies on a single
deal? Sit down, I tell you. I have arranged for her to sleep; she needs
it; if you disturb her without my orders, I'll brain you--if you've got
the materials for it."

They sat down, distressed and indignant, but obedient, under compulsion.
He proceeded:

"Now, then, I want this case explained. THEY wanted to explain it to
me--as if there hadn't been emotion or excitement enough already. You
knew my orders; how did you dare to go in there and get up that riot?"

Hester looked appealing at Hannah; Hannah returned a beseeching look
at Hester--neither wanted to dance to this unsympathetic orchestra. The
doctor came to their help. He said:

"Begin, Hester."

Fingering at the fringes of her shawl, and with lowered eyes, Hester
said, timidly:

"We should not have disobeyed for any ordinary cause, but this was
vital. This was a duty. With a duty one has no choice; one must put all
lighter considerations aside and perform it. We were obliged to arraign
her before her mother. She had told a lie."

The doctor glowered upon the woman a moment, and seemed to be trying
to work up in his mind an understand of a wholly incomprehensible
proposition; then he stormed out:

"She told a lie! DID she? God bless my soul! I tell a million a day!
And so does every doctor. And so does everybody--including you--for that
matter. And THAT was the important thing that authorized you to venture
to disobey my orders and imperil that woman's life! Look here, Hester
Gray, this is pure lunacy; that girl COULDN'T tell a lie that was
intended to injure a person. The thing is impossible--absolutely
impossible. You know it yourselves--both of you; you