He spoke as though finding it would be the simplest matter imaginable and indeed it proved so; for Archibald, temporarily bereft of Peggy and robbed of self-reliance through many weeks of being “seen to” by that young person, was desperately in need of feminine ministrations.
“Just the thing for you,” the doctor said heartily, as he told Mrs. Benderby of Archibald’s forlorn plight “When Peg gets through with Ezra we’ll have something else for you.” So there were good meals and cleanliness at the shack, but oh, the loneliness of the place! Mrs. Benderby was devoted, she was kind, but she had her limitations. Pegeen, so it seemed to Archibald as he sighed for her, had none. He was lonely without her, infernally lonely, and he told her so. She was distressed about it, but Ezra needed her most and that settled the matter so far as she was concerned.
“I’m homesick. I’m most crazy to go home,” she confessed, “but I wouldn’t for anything. Sometimes I think he most likes me; but he’s dreadfully ashamed of it. He’s dreadfully ashamed of any nice feeling he has. Isn’t that funny? After he says anything pleasant, he swears right off quick for fear you’ll think he meant it. I do wish I could get him used to being nice so it wouldn’t hurt him the way it does.”
Even Pegeen could not quite achieve that—Ezra progressed to the point of being nice occasionally but it always hurt him, and only to Peggy did he even make the concession of being very intermittently “nice.”
For Archibald and the doctor and all the rest he wore as lowering a face and as ungracious a manner as though they had been cruelly abusing him instead of saving his life and paying his expenses. Archibald found the thing rather discouraging, but Dr. Fullerton laughed over it unconcernedly.
“Great Scott, man,” he said, when they talked of it one day after a visit to the rapidly convalescing invalid, “I don’t pull my patients through because I expect gratitude. I do it because it’s playing the game. That’s the only satisfaction that amounts to anything. Pick out a white man’s game and play it for all there is in you. Then life’s worth living.”
X
The day came when Ezra was well enough to shift for himself and he gave every one—including Pegeen—to understand that he was glad to be rid of intruders.
“It’ll seem mighty good to get back to living as I please,” he said, as Peg, calmly autocratic to the last, gave him a dose of medicine before joining the doctor who was waiting to drive her home.
“I’ll bet it doesn’t.” She was amiable but positive. “You’ll hate it and I’m sorry you’ve got to do it, but I think maybe you’ll take better care of yourself than you did. Don’t forget your medicine after meals. If you get into any trouble I’ll come over and see to you.”