But Mrs. Munger remained.
"I don't believe Mrs. Putney herself would say what you have said," she
remarked, after an embarrassing moment. "If it were really so I should be
willing to make any reparation--to acknowledge it. Will you go with me to
Mrs. Putney's? I have my phaeton here, and--"
"I shouldn't dream of going to Mrs. Putney's with you."
Mrs. Munger urged, with the effect of invincible argument: "I've been down
in the village, and I've talked to a good many about it--some of them
hadn't heard of it before--and I must say, Miss Kilburn, that people
generally take a very different view of it from what you do. They think
that my hospitality has been shamefully abused. Mr. Gates said he should
think I would have Mr. Putney arrested. But I don't care for all that. What
I wish is to prove to you that I am right; and if I can go with you to call
on Mrs. Putney, I shall not care what any one else says. Will you come?"
"Certainly not," cried Annie.
They both stood a moment, and in this moment Dr. Morrell drove up, and
dropped his hitching-weight beyond Mrs. Munger's phaeton.
As he entered she said: "We will let Dr. Morrell decide. I've been asking
Miss Kilburn to go with me to Mrs. Putney's. I think it would be a graceful
and proper thing for me to do, to express my sympathy and interest, and to
hear what Mrs. Putney really has to say. Don't _you_ think I ought to
go to see her, doctor?"
The doctor laughed. "I can't prescribe in matters of social duty. But what
do you want to see Mrs. Putney for?"
"What for? Why, doctor, on account of Mr. Putney--what took place last
night."
"Yes? What was that?"
"What was _that_? Why, his strange behaviour--his--his intoxication."
"Was he intoxicated? Did you think so?"
"Why, you were there, doctor. Didn't you think so?"
Annie looked at him with as much astonishment as Mrs. Munger.
The doctor laughed again. "You can't always tell when Putney's joking; he's
a great joker. Perhaps he was hoaxing."
"Oh doctor, do you think he _could_ have been?" said Mrs. Munger, with
clasped hands. "It would make me the happiest woman in the world! I'd
forgive him all he's made me suffer. But _you're_ joking _now_,
doctor?"
"You can't tell when people are joking. If I'm not, does it follow that I'm
really intoxicated?"