course not!"

"No, only expected to. In the Gulf, at the mouth of the river, a
Confederate privateer"--the narrator's voice faded out. She began to
rise. Her aunts were returning.

XXII

Mademoiselle, we say, began to rise. Chester stood. Also Cupid. The
aunts drew near, speaking with infantile lightness:

"Finizh' already that reading? You muz' have gallop'! Well, and what
is Mr. Chezter's conclusion on that momentouz manuscrip'?"

The niece hurried to answer first: "Ah! we must not ask that so
immediately. Mr. Chester concludes 'tis better for all that he study
that an evening or two in his seclusion."

"And! you did not read it through together?"

"No, there was no advantage to----"

"Oh! advantage! An' you stop' in the mi'l of that momentouz souvenir
of the pas'! Tha'z astonizhing that _anybody_ could do that, an' leas'
of all" [confronting Chester] "the daughter of a papa an' gran'papa
with such a drama-tique bio-graphie! Mr. Chezter, to pazz the time
Aline ought to 'ave tell you that bio-graphie, yes!--of our marvellouz
brother an' papa. Ah, you should some day egstort _that_ story from
our too li'l' communicative girl."

"Why not to-day, for the book?"

"Oh, no-no-no-no-o! We di'n' mean that!" The sisters laughed
excessively. "A young lady to put her own papa into a book--ah!
im-pos-si-ble!"

They laughed on. "Even my sizter an' me, we have never let anybody
egstort that, an' we don't know if Aline ever be persuade'----"

"Yes, some day I'll tell Mr. Chezter--whatever he doesn't know already."

"Ha-ha! we can be sure tha'z not much, Aline. And, Corinne, if he's
_heard_ this or that, tha'z the more reason to tell him co'rec'ly.
Only, my soul! not to put in the book, no!"

"Ah, no! Though as between frien', yes. And, moreover, to Mr.
Chezter, yes, biccause tha'z so much abbout that Hotel St. Louis and he
is so appreciative to old building'. Ah, we've notice' that incident!
Tha'z the cause that we egs'ibit you our house--as a relique of the
pas'--Yvonne! we are forgetting!--those souvenir' of our in-fancy--to
show them! Come--all!"

Half-way to the house--"Ah, ha-ha! another subjec' of interess! See,
Mr. Chezter; see coming! Marie Madeleine! She's mis' both her beloved
miztress' from the house and become anxious, our beautiful cat! We
name' her Marie Madeleine because her great piety! You know, tha'z the
sacred truth, that she never catch' a mice on Sunday."

"A