But Martha interrupted him at once. “You needn’t be,” she said. “There’s nothing the matter.”
“I only thought their coming here—disturbing you at this hour——”
“It doesn’t disturb me,” she said. “It isn’t very late.”
“But wouldn’t your father——”
At that Martha laughed. “The chandelier in there fell down one night last winter, and it didn’t wake him up! At least I do run the house when he’s asleep. Don’t look so tragic!”
“But I’m afraid they——”
“It’s nothing at all, Harlan. I’d gone upstairs, but not to bed, when the bell rang; and when Emma told me Dan and Fred Oliphant were here, I came down and brought them in and lit the fire for them. They were rather damp!”
“But why didn’t you——”
“Send them home? Because Dan wanted to tell me all about the baby.”
“Good heavens!”