not be perfect, but I am always just. No, she was not to blame; it was
Mrs. Richie who sent for William. She is the most helpless woman I
ever saw, for her years;--she is at least forty, though she uses
sachet-powders, and wears undersleeves all trimmed with lace, as if
she were six teen! I don't want to find fault, Dr, Lavendar, but I
must say that _I_ wouldn't have trusted that little boy to her."

"Oh," said Dr, Lavendar, "I trusted _her_ to the little boy! She'll be
so busy looking after his sleeves, she'll forget her own."

Mrs. King sniffed, doubtfully. "I'm sure I hope you are right; but in
my opinion, she's a very helpless and foolish woman;--if nothing
worse. Though according to my ideas, the way she lets Sam Wright's Sam
behave is worse!"

Dr. Lavendar was suddenly attentive, "How does she let him behave?"

"Well, he is so daft over--her that he neglects his work at the bank
to write verses. Why doesn't she stop it?'"

"Because," said William King, appearing in the doorway, smelling
honestly of the barn and picking off a straw here and there from his
sleeve; "she knows nothing about it,"

Dr. Lavendar and Martha both looked up, startled at his tone.

"Women," said the doctor, "would gossip about a--a clam!"

"I am not gossiping?" Martha defended herself; but Dr. Lavendar
interrupted her, cheerfully,