again. In the veranda a negro, his own slave, hired to this hotel, held up an

with the

coffee and placed it on the table with a delica

ck, Gen'al,

your gra

so whah it flop up-siden de cup

s same waiter would bring his coffee made of corn-meal bran and muddy water, with which to wash down scant snacks of mule meat. The listless

her it must be! Any partition of it would break no end of sacredly humble household and family ties and work spiritual havoc incalculable. There must be but one heir. Who? Hilary's mother had been in heaven these many years, the mother of Adolphe

ar enough to teach him the management of the fortune coming to him if he, Hilary, would only treat his kind uncle's wishes--reasonably. With

he get--let's sit in here--get t

ng General. "From her mother,

ee, one has to learn her beauty--by degrees. You know, there is a sort of beauty that flashes on you

le? You al

is like. It's as if you were trying--say in a telescope--for a

rner softl

lora Valcour w

y feminine creature God ever made. No wonder they nickname yo

eyes opened aggressively. But

hat boy and that grandmother--It may sound like

ort of overstat

an understatement; she's only a profound

ought a newcomer, a Creole of maybe twenty-nine

Never less al-lone then when al-

orseback and to allow a proud tailor to prove how much art can overcome. Out on the road a liveried black coachman had halted an open carriage, in which this soldier had

d the General. "I am not nearl

ed, "we search in vain! He is not here! We are even more alone than we seem! Ah! where is that peerless chevalier, my beloved, accomplished, bl

t the blaze of Mandeville's. "You were about to remark

cably gathered and vying in clever speeches to pretty Mrs. Callen