"Mr. Boynton, it might be worse. Sickness in Mr. Herriott's household seems to require that I should go to his home for a few days. Please wait here until I can go to the house and find out what must be done. I may trouble you to attend to some matters for me." Mrs. Mitchell sat on the steps at the rear of the cottage, stemming a bowl of strawberries and warily watching the elusive feints of a white turkey hen picking her way to a nest hidden in a tangle of blackberry vines. Eglah held the open telegram before her eyes and waited. "I suppose you want me to go?" "I wish you to be there with me. I can not go alone." "Dearie, you can't nurse the gardener. If Mr. Herriott were at home he would not listen to any such nonsense." "I like Amos Lea, and I intend to put him in the hands of a good trained nurse until Mrs. Orr returns." "That could be done easily by telegraph or letter. But, my baby, if it would comfort you to be in the house----" Eglah threw up her hand with a warning gesture. "I wish to stay only a few days; just long enough to assure myself that the old man is carefully attended to. I prefer not to start from Y----, and the train despatcher at Maurice can stop the up train at 11.45. We need no trunk, and I have the money to pay our way on. I shall write and have more forwarded from the bank. Ma-Lila, I wish to start to-night. Can you get ready?" The little woman's level brows puckered, but the light in her eyes was a caress. "Can I refuse any of your foolish whims? I have spoiled you all your life, and it is rather late in the day for me to undertake to oppose you. I see Hiram Boynton waiting, and I must arrange with him to have his boys sleep here and take care of everything in our absence. You know my pet cow's calf is only three days old, and her udder needs watching." They reached Greyledge at noon, accompanied by the middle-aged nurse commended by the matron of a hospital in the neighboring city. At the sound of carriage wheels on the stone driveway, the dogs greeted them from the kennels in the stable yard, and several peals from the front door bell rang through the closed house before the butler, pipe in hand, opened the door. Speechless from astonishment, he staggered back. "Good morning, Hawkins. How is Amos Lea?" "About the same, ma'am, the doctor says. Mrs. Herriott, I hope you will excuse the looks of things. If I had known you were coming I would have lighted the furnace and warmed the house and been nearer ready. There is not a female on the place. Della was that prudish she went with her aunt." "Did Mrs. Orr leave all the keys with you?" "Yes, ma'am." "Bring them to me and show me where they belong. Is Rivers here?" "Oh, yes, ma'am; also his cousin Nelson, who helps with the horses and dogs; and David Green, the under gardener."