Now, in the wee hours, she had to settle for the Reverend Zachary Farnam, one of the Lord’s gaudier prophets, complete with snow-white hair and a hackneyed Elmer Gantry delivery. She hung on every word of it and didn’t even notice Bailey’s entrance, nor did Ranall. It was shrunken old Jim Taggart who suddenly roused, his rheumy eyes clouded with senility. “Gaw-dammit,” he grumbled in his heavy Hoosier drawl. “Ah told y’uns to play outside now. Dinner won’t be ready fer a while yet.”

“Look again, Uncle Jim,” Hubert said. “It’s just George.” He looked Bailey up and down. “Well, lookee here. You shaved your beard off. All dressed up too . . . you got a little chippy in town?”

“Never you mind,” Bailey said in his normal gruff tone. “Is that all you people have to do, stay up late so you can razz me?”

“Hardly. We just can’t seem to sleep’s all.” He glanced at Uncle Jim, whose head had already rolled back. He started to snore again. “Well, me and Ida, at least. So, did you have a nice night?”

Bailey shrugged, lowered himself into a swivel chair. He was frowning; small talk never came easy for him. Rather than try, he found himself staring blankly at the television set. Hubert finally shrugged as he always did and returned to his writing.

Mrs. Fleming perked imperceptively and eased forward in her seat. Hubert noticed it, and even Bailey paid a bit closer attention to the program, though they already knew from her response that Reverend Farnam had “commenced to healin’.”

“The Lord is working through me now, praise Jezuuz,” said the minister as he squeezed his eyes shut, deep in prayer. His hand moved up to clutch at his breast and, unconsciously, Ida did the same. “There’s a pain . . . right here. That heart . . . that poor heart’s done worked itself unto death, hasn’t it? But there’s a spark there, yes, a spark and you know what? I can feel it growing. God’s fanning that spark, fanning it into a flame. Give that heart unto him and it will be reworked, don’t you see?” He smiled, sighed. “That’s it. That pressure, it’s easing, isn’t it? And that pain? It’s gone too. Hallelujah—you’ve got you a new heart, that’s what you’ve got. Praise God for that, friends. C’mon, praise him now. Say it with me. Thank you Jezuuz . . .”