"And they referred you to the priest? Quite so." She laughed softly, her
voice a mellow contralto. "The Father has been gone for a month; he
wouldn't have let you in if he'd been there."

She addressed the Indian girl in Aleut and signalled to Constantine, at
which the two natives retired--Constantine reluctantly, like a watch-dog
whose suspicions are not fully allayed.

"We're glad of an opportunity to thank you for your timely service this
afternoon," said Emerson. "Had we known you lived here, we certainly
should not have intruded in this manner." He found himself growing hotly
uncomfortable as he began to realize the nature of his position, but the
young woman spared him further apologies by answering, carelessly:

"Oh, that was nothing. I've been expecting you hourly. You see,
Constantine's little brother has the measles, and I had to get to him
before the natives could give the poor little fellow a Russian bath and
then stand him out in the snow. They have only one treatment for all
diseases. That's why I didn't stop and give you more explicit directions
this morning."

"If your--er--father--" The girl shook her head.

"Then your husband--I should like to arrange with him to hire lodgings for
a few days. The matter of money--"

Again she came to his rescue.

"I am the man of the house. I'm boss here. This splendor is all mine." She