he
General Robert, gave to me a distinguished shake of the hand that made
my pride to rise in my throat, which gave to my speaking a great
huskiness.

"I will help in the rescue of the honor of that Gouverneur Bill
Faulkner, my Uncle Robert, with the last breath in my body, and I will
also assist to feed mule to that Mr. Jefferson Whitworth, though not
to his beautiful wife whom I do so much admire."

"That's just it; she'll have to eat mule the first one. She's at the
Governor day and night with her wiles, and in my mind it's her dimity
influence that is making him see things with this slant. They say she
put her brand on him in early youth. He's the soul of honor but what
chance has a man's soul-honor got when a woman wants to cash it in for
a fortune with which to lead a gay life? None! None, sir!" And the
countenance of my Uncle, the General Robert, became so fierce that it
was difficult to find words to answer.

"Oh, my Uncle Robert, is it that a woman would make a cheat in giving
the mule animal of not sufficient strength to carry food to poor boys
of France in the trenches when there is too much mud for gasoline!" I
exclaimed with a great horror from knowledge given me by my Capitaine,
the Count de Lasselles.

"Just exactly what she is trying to do, boy. Let those poor chaps with
guns in their hands to defend her civilization as well as theirs, die
for want of a supply train hauled by reliable mules when unreliable
gasoline fails. That's what women are like." And as he spoke I
perceived the depth of dislike that was in the heart of my Uncle, the
General Robert, for all of womankind.

"There are some women who would not so comport themselves, my Uncle
Robert. I give you my word as one--" Then as I hesitated in terror at
the revelation of my woman's estate I had been about to make, my
Uncle, the General Robert, made this remark to me:

"Women are like crows, all black; and the exceptional white one only
makes the rest look blacker. The only way to stop them in their
depredations is to trap them, since the law forbids shooting them."
And as he made this judgment of women I forgot for a moment that we
discussed that Madam Whitworth, whom it was causing me great pain to
discover to be the enemy of France, and I thought of my beautiful
mother, whom he had judged without ever having encountered, and a
great longing rose in my heart so to comport myself that his heart
should learn to trust in me as a man and then