"Now let me feel your pulse. That'll do; now for your tongue! Tut, tut!
the boy's not so bad. I give you my word you may get up and dress
yourself to-morrow mornin', if you'll only hold out to-night. And as for
thorough-stem tea, and what not, I guess you've had enough of 'em; but
you can't jump out of a sick-spell into downright peartness, at one
jump!"

"Martha, Martha!" Gilbert urged.

"You're both of a piece, I declare! There was she, this very night, dead
set on comin' down with me, and mortal hard it was to persuade her to be
reasonable!"

Miss Lavender had not a great deal to relate, but Gilbert compelled her
to make up by repetition what she lacked in quantity. And at every
repetition the soreness seemed to decrease in his body, and the weakness
in his muscles, and hope and courage to increase in his heart.

"Tell her," he exclaimed, "it was enough that she wanted to come. That
alone has put new life into me!"

"I see it has," said Miss Lavender, "and now, maybe, you've got life
enough to tell me all the ups and downs o' this affair, for I can't say
as I rightly understand it."

The conference was long and important. Gilbert related every
circumstance of his adventure, including the mysterious allusion to
Alfred Barton, which he had concealed from his mother. He was
determined, as his first course, to call the volunteers together and