Lavinia blushed furiously.
“Why, 'Bish!” she exclaimed. “How you do talk! Ain't he awful, Mr. Ellery?”
The Reverend John did not answer. He could not trust himself to speak just then. When he did it was to announce that he must be getting toward home. No, he couldn't stay for supper.
Miss Pepper went into the kitchen, and Abishai saw the visitor to the door. Ellery extended his hand and Kyan shook it with enthusiasm.
“Wa'n't it fine?” he whispered. “Talk about your miracles! Godfreys mighty! Say, Mr. Ellery, don't you ever tell a soul how it really was, will you?”
“No, of course not.”
“No, I know you won't. You won't tell on me and I won't tell on you. That's a trade, hey?”
The minister stopped in the middle of his step.
“What?” he said, turning.
Mr. Pepper merely smiled, winked, and shut the door. John Ellery reflected much during his homeward walk.