Deborah was gone quite a while; she had left some work unfinished in her bedroom that morning. Caleb returned before she did, and pulled up a chair close to the fire. He was holding his reddened fingers out towards the blaze to warm them when Deborah came in. She looked at him, then around the room, inquiringly. "Where did you put the apples?" said she to Caleb. Caleb stared around at her. "What apples, mother?" he asked, feebly. "The apples I left for you to pare. I want to put 'em on before I get dinner." "I ain't heard nothin' about apples, mother." "Ain't you pared any apples this forenoon?" "I didn't know as you wanted any pared, mother." Deborah turned fiercely on Ephraim. "Ephraim Thayer, look here!" said she. Ephraim turned his poor blue face slowly; his breath came shortly between his parted lips; he clapped one hand to his side. "Didn't you tell your father to pare them apples, the way I told you to?" she demanded. Ephraim dropped his chin lower. "Answer me!" "No, ma'am." "What have you been a-doin' of?" "Playin'." "Playin' what?" "Holly-gull." Deborah stood quite still for a moment. Her mouth tightened; she grew quite pale. Ephraim and Caleb watched her. Deborah strode across the room, out into the shed. "I guess she won't say much; don't you be scared, Ephraim," whispered Caleb. But Ephraim, curious to say, did not feel scared. Suddenly his mother seemed to have lost all her terrifying influence over him. He felt very strange, and as if he were sinking away from it all through deep abysses. His mother came back, and she held a stout stick in her right hand. Caleb gasped when he saw it. "Mother, you ain't goin' to whip him?" he cried out. "Father, you keep still!" commanded Deborah. "Ephraim, you come with me!" She led the way into Ephraim's little bedroom, and he stumbled up and followed her. He saw the stick before him in his mother's hand; he knew she was going to whip him, but he did not feel in the least disturbed or afraid. Ezra Ray could not have faced a whipping any more courageously than Ephraim. But he staggered as he went, and his feet met the floor with strange shocks, since he had prepared his steps for those deep abysses. He and his mother stood together in his little bedroom. She, when she faced him, saw how ill he looked, but she steeled herself against that. She had seen him look as badly before; she was not to be daunted by that from her high purpose. For it was a high purpose to Deborah Thayer. She did not realize the part which her own human will had in it. She lifted up her voice and spoke solemnly. Caleb, listening, all trembling, at the kitchen door, heard her.