y stop his slipping his head across and back in that
everlasting way, I believe he'd be better right off," said Mrs. Redd.

"It done him good, 'pears to me," said July, who already felt a strong
affection in his capacious vagabondizing heart for the stranger
committed to his care. "Yo' see, it kinder rests his mind like."

"Much mind _he's_ got to rest with!" said Mrs. Redd, contemptuously.

With her two assistants, it was not necessary that Anne should remain in
the room at night, and she did not, at least in personal presence; but
every half-hour she was at the top of the stairway, silently watching to
see if Diana fulfilled her duties. On the third day the new medicines
and the vigilance conquered. On the fifth day the sick man fell into his
first natural slumber. The house was very still. Bees droned serenely.
There was no breeze. Anne was sitting on the door-steps. "Ought I to go
now before he wakens?" she was thinking. "But I _can_ not until the
danger is surely over. He may not recognize me even now." She said to
herself that she would stay a short time longer, but without entering
the room where he was; Diana could come to her for orders, and the
others must not allude to her presence. Then, as soon as she was
satisfied that his recovery was certain, she could slip away unseen. She
went round to the back of the house to warn the others; it was all to go
on as though she was not there.

Heathcote wakened at last, weak but conscious. He had accepted without
speech the presence of Diana and July, and had soon fallen asleep again,
"like a chile." He ate some breakfast the next morning, and the day
passed without fever. Mrs. Redd pronounced him convalescent, and
declared decisively that all he needed was to "eat hearty." The best
medicine now would be "a plenty of vittals." In accordance with this
opinion she prepared a meal of might, carried it in with her own hands,
and in two minutes, forgetting all about the instructions she had
received, betrayed Anne's secret. Diana, who was present, looked at her
reproachfully: the black skin covered more faithfulness than the white.

"Well, I do declare to Jerusalem I forgot!" said the hostess, laughing.
"However, now you know it, Miss Douglas might as well come in, and make
you eat if she can. For eat you must, captain. Why, man alive, if you
could see yourself! You're just skin and rattling bones."

And thus it all happened. Anne, afraid to lay so much as a finger's
we