And who was this man at the inn? Was he the Touch? What was going to happen in this dull, sluggish life of King's Forest?
The night was growing old, old! Peneluna, too, was old and tired. The Highway was fraught with terrors for her; the ghosts frightened her. They were trying to make her understand what she must _do_, now that they had shown her The Way. She must keep the old doctor's son from Maclin if she could and from the stranger at the inn, if she had need. If trouble came she must defend her own.
The weary woman nodded; her eyes closed; the Book slipped from her lap and lay like a "light unto her feet." She had, somehow, got an understanding of Larry Rivers: she believed that through his "difficult streaks" Maclin had got a hold upon him; was using him now for evil ends. It was for her, for all who loved the old doctor, to shield, at any cost, the doctor's son. That Larry was unworthy did not weigh with Peneluna. Where she gave, she gave with abandon.
Aunt Polly came into the living-room of the inn noiselessly, but Peter, at the fireside, opened his eyes. Nothing could have driven him to bed earlier, but he appeared to have been sleeping for hours.
Polly's glasses adorned the top of her head. This was significant. When she had arrived at any definite conclusion she pushed her spectacles away as though her physical vision and her spiritual were one and the same.
"No, Peter, and his evening meal is drying up in the oven--I had creamed oysters, too. Creamed oysters are his specials."
"Scandalous, your goings on with this young man!" Peter sat up and stretched. Then he smiled at his sister.
"Well, Peter, all my life I've had to take snatches and scraps out of other folks' lives when I could get them; and I declare I've managed to patch together a real Lady's Delight-pattern sort of quilt to huddle under when I'm cold and tired."
"Not exactly tired, brother, but sort of rigid. Feel as if I was braced for something. I've often had that feeling."
"Women! women!" muttered Peter, and threw on another log.
"What you suppose has happened to keep our young feller from the--the oysters, eh?"
"I'm not accounting for folks or things these days, Peter. I'm just keeping my eyes and ears open. Jan-an makes me uneasy!" This came like a mild explosion.