"Cale--Cale, dear, come in." I caught his hand, which was not outstretched to mine, to draw him in. "If we were n't the observed of all in this court I would kiss you on the spot." He continued to stare at me; he did not speak. "Cale, forgive me for my hardness of heart--say you forgive me, for I can't forgive myself; I was--" He interrupted me, speaking quietly: "I know what you was; you can't tell me nothin' 'bout _thet_, Marcia. I ain't laid up nothin' you said to me, nor nothin' you said against nobody; but I ain't fergiven yer fer leavin' me without knowin' of your whereabouts-- "Cale, I had to be alone--" "I don't care whether you had to be alone or not," he said testily; "you might have let me know where you was goin'. You was n't fit to go alone, nor be alone. My hair 's turned gray thinkin' what might happen. Where was you?" he demanded sternly. "I was in Iberville." I led him unresisting into the back room; it was my turn to place some one in the rocking-chair. "Iberville! How in thunder did you get to Iberville when you did n't go on the train?" "How did you know I did n't go on the train?" "The baggage-master told me. How did you go?" "In the apple-boat." "Wal, I 'm stumped. How long did you stay there?" "Nearly four weeks. Why?" "Why? Because I 'd been doing detective work on my own account. (How my heart sank at those words; Mr. Ewart had not attempted to find me then!). I 've been doin' it for the last six weeks. This is the third time I 've been in New York." "But not here?" "Yes, here--in this very house. I give Mis' Beaseley the credit; she knows how to hold her tongue. I see she ain't told you." "No. But you have n't been here since I 've been in the house?" "No, I just got here to-day." "How did you happen to come this third time, Cale?" "I come because the Doctor told me to try it again here--" "The Doctor? Is he at home?" "Guess he is by this time; I left him at Lamoral yesterday--" "At Lamoral?" On hearing that word, a trembling I could not control seized upon me. If only Cale would speak of Mr. Ewart! "Yes, Lamoral. I 've been lyin' right and left to Angélique an' Pierre, an' Marie, an' Mère Guillardeau an' all the folks 'round that's been inquirin'; but I didn't lie to the Doctor--not much!" "How--how did the Doctor happen to be in Lamoral?" "Guess you fergot he said he 'd like enough come back by the C.P." I was silent. I saw that Cale did not intend to speak Mr. Ewart's name first. He was leaving it to me. "Look here, Marcia, I 'm goin' to talk to you for once in my life like a Dutch uncle. I don't mean to live through another six weeks like those I 've been through, if I should live to be a hundred." "I am sorry, Cale, to have been the cause of any anxiety, any suffering on your part--but I, too, suffered--and far more than you can ever know." I spoke bitterly.