plied she, "you know quite well whom I mean."

Colonel Grangerson made a few steps up and down the room to calm himself.
Maria Pinckney was speaking to him in a tone which, had it been used by
any one else, would have caused an explosion.

"But when did it happen," he asked, "and where have they gone? Explain
yourself, Maria. Good God! Why the fellow never spoke to her scarcely--are
you sure of what you say?"

Miss Pinckney told her tale.

"I came here to try and get her back," said she, "thinking he and she
might possibly have come here or that you might know their
whereabouts--they have not come, but there is just the chance that they
may come here yet."

"But if they have run off with each other," said the Colonel, "how are we
to stop them--they'll be married by this."

Miss Pinckney who had taken off her gloves sat down and began to fold
them, neatly rolling one inside the other.

"_Married,_" said she.

The Colonel standing by the window with his hands in his pockets turned.

"And why not?" said he. "The girl's a lady, and you told me she was not
badly off. Silas might have done worse it seems to me."

"Done worse! He couldn't have done worse. I'd sooner see her dead in her
coffin than married to Silas--There, you have it plain and straight. He'll
make her life a misery. Let me speak, Seth Grangerson, you are just going
to hear the truth for once. You have ruined that boy the way you've
brought him up, he was crazy wild to start with and you've never checked
him. Oh, I know, he has always been respectful to you and flattered your
pride and vanity, he calls you sir when he speaks to you, and you are the
only person in the world to whom he shews respect. I don't say he acts
like that from any double dealing motive, it's just the old southern
tradition he's inherited; he does respect you, and I daresay he's fond of
you, but he respects nothing else, especially women. I know him. And I
know her, and he'll make her life a misery. If he'd left her alone she'd
have been happy. Richard loves her, and would have made her a good
husband. My mind was set on it, and now it's all over."

Miss Pinckney began to weep, and the Colonel who had been swelling himself
up found his anger collapsing. She was only a woman. Women have queer
fancies--This especial woman too was part of the past and privileged.

He came to her and stood beside her and rested his hand on her shoulder.

"My dear Maria," said the Colonel, "youth