Sarah stayed in her room for only a day after the attack. She would not have whispering and worried speculation among her people. When she went among them, they saw her bruises, but after their initial shock of pity and anger, they ignored her appearance even as she did. She did not, however, venture beyond the grounds immediately around the house. When she realized that she was afraid to do so, she set out to walk into the fields and woods. During her walk she thought of Clovis Elk. She had always disliked the woman and resented and envied her for bearing a child of Leon’s, when she could not. But she realized for the first time and was immediately ashamed that it had not occurred to her before, that Clovis must have loved Alonzo, and that she must grieve for him. She remembered the day long ago she had seen Clovis with her two younger sons, and her obvious affection for them, even when she was trying to be rude to Sarah.

On the instant, she turned out of the woods and headed straight toward the house on the Anderson Place. Alonzo had been buried two days ago, but she had overheard kitchen gossip indicating that Clovis had not gone back to live in town. Walking with determination she arrived at the house in a quarter of an hour. She found Clovis sitting alone in a low straight chair on the front porch. She held a half-filled glass in both hands on her lap, and there was a jug on the floor beside her chair. Her eyes were open, but otherwise she might have been asleep, so still did she sit, and so empty was her face of expression.

Sarah did not go onto the porch, but stopped at its edge in the yard, directly in front of Clovis.

“I am sorry for you,” Sarah said. “I am sorry for everything.”

She had begun to think the woman hadn’t heard her when Clovis said thickly, “Get off my land.”

On the day Roman left, Proctor came for him from Oaks with the driver on a wagon that was to carry them and all the traveling bags and trunks and boxes to the train station. Adam was being driven in the family coach by his father and with his sisters and grandmother. The wagon was slow; it had started out much earlier from Oaks than the carriage and would be overtaken by the carriage before it arrived in Highboro.