s possible. But
although we may talk of ourselves to you, we scarcely expect you to talk
of ourselves to us."

Well, my pertness had brought me this quite properly! And I received it
properly. "I should never dream--" I hastened to say; "even without your
warning. I find I'm expected to have seen the young lady of his choice,"
I now threw out. My accidental words proved as miraculous as the staff
which once smote the rock. It was a stream, indeed, which now broke
forth from her stony discretion. She began easily. "It is evident that
you have not seen Miss Rieppe by the manner in which you allude to
her--although of course, in comparison with my age, she is a young
girl." I think that this caused me to open my mouth.

"The disparity between her years and my nephew's is variously stated,"
continued the old lady. "But since John's engagement we have all of us
realized that love is truly blind."

I did not open my mouth any more; but my mind's mouth was wide open.

My hostess kept it so. "Since John Mayrant was fifteen he has had many
loves; and for myself, knowing him and believing in him as I do, I feel
confident that he will make no connection distasteful to the family when
he really comes to marry."

This time I gasped outright. "But--the cake!--next Wednesday!"

She made, with her small white hand, a slight and slighting gesture.
"The cake is not baked yet, and we shall see what we shall see." From
this onward until the end a pinkness mounted in her pale, delicate
cheeks, and deep, strong resentment burned beneath her discreetly
expressed indiscretions. "The cake is not baked, and I, at least, am not
solicitous. I tell my cousin, Mrs. Gregory St. Michael, that she must
not forget it was merely his phosphates. That girl would never have
looked at John Mayrant had it not been for the rumor of his phosphates.
I suppose some one has explained to you her pretensions of birth. Away
from Kings Port she may pass for a native of this place, but they come
from Georgia. It cannot be said that she has met with encouragement
from us; she, however, easily recovers from such things. The present
generation of young people in Kings Port has little enough to remind us
of what we stood for in manners and customs, but we are not accountable
for her, nor for her father. I believe that he is called a general. His
conduct at Chattanooga was conspicuous for personal prudence. Both of
them are skillful in never knowing poor people--but t