When he put on his hat and opened the door, his mother herself
interrupted Caleb's reading.

"Don't you stay later than nine o'clock, Barnabas," said she.

The young man murmured something unintelligibly, but his tone was
resentful.

"I ain't going to have you out as long as you were last Sabbath
night," said his mother, in quick return. She jerked her chin down
heavily as if it were made of iron.

Barnabas went out quickly, and shut the door with a thud.

[Illustration: "Barnabas went out quickly"]

"If he was a few years younger, I'd make him come back an' shut that
door over again," said his mother.

Caleb read on; he was reading now one of the imprecatory psalms.
Deborah's blue eyes gleamed with warlike energy as she listened: she
confused King David's enemies with those people who crossed her own
will.

Barnabas went out of the yard, which was wide and deep on the south
side of the house. The bright young grass was all snowed over with
cherry blossoms. Three great cherry-trees stood in a row through the
centre of the yard; they had been white with blossoms, but now they
were turning green; and the apple-trees were in flower.