If she heard and understood she gave no sign. “Bob,” she said, “may I ask you just one more question?” “Oh, Esther, don’t! I have told you all I can.” “It isn’t about--that night. It is about us--about you. You are not going away until next week?” “No. I would if I could, but I can’t.” “Where will you be till then?” “At home, in Denboro, I suppose.” “Bob, if--if I should want to see you before you go--if I should send for you, would you come? Could you meet me--somewhere--if I asked you to?” “Of course.... But, Esther, what do you mean?” “I don’t know. Perhaps I don’t mean anything. Good-by.” He ran to the door, but she was hurrying up the beach and, although he called after her, she did not turn. Nabby Gifford was in the library when Esther reached home and Nabby had something to tell. Esther had no desire to hear it; she had hoped to reach her own room unobserved and to remain there, offering a headache or some other trite excuse for her non-appearance at the supper table. She could not talk with any one, nor listen while others talked. If her uncle were only there! She had much to say to him and--what--_what_ could he say to her? But Foster Townsend was in Boston and Nabby was in the library. And Nabby blocked her way as she tried to hurry through to the hall and stairs. “Well,” began Mrs. Gifford, “they got away all right. Varunas says the special car was waitin’ for ’em and they hi’sted poor Mr. Covell into it just as careful as if he was a crate of hens’ eggs. Last Varunas see of him, the doctor was settin’ one side of him and the nurse t’other. And he was layin’ there comf’table, almost, as if he was to home.” Esther nodded absently and said she was glad to hear it. She put her hand to her forehead, preparatory to mentioning the “headache,” but before she could mention it Nabby was rattling on. “Yes sir-ee,” said Nabby, “he looked just as if he was in his own bed, so Varunas says. He’ll be all right, with a whole car to himself--just him and Doctor Bailey and the nurse and Cap’n Foster.... That is, that’s all there’ll be after they get by Denboro. Millard will get out there--at the Denboro depot--because Varunas heard your uncle tell him he must.” Esther had paid little heed to this chatter, but the name caught her attention. “What?” she asked. And then, turning, to look at the housekeeper. “What was that you said then, Nabby?” Nabby was dusting the library table. She kept on with the dusting. “Eh?” she queried, with careful carelessness. “What did _I_ say? When?” “Just now. You said something about--about Uncle Millard, didn’t you?” “Oh, yes! Yes, I did. Varunas says he heard Cap’n Foster tell him he could ride fur as Denboro, if he wanted to, but he’d have to get out there and come back on the night train. Course he’ll have to wait quite a spell _for_ that train, but--” “Wait! Wait a minute. Uncle Millard! My Uncle Millard Clark, are you talking about?”