s more general now; and, though Maverick had told
every thing of note about Yerbury, she was not indisposed to listen to
it again. They discussed the panic and its causes, and ventured upon
guesses as to its duration. They all agreed that there had been too much
haste to be rich, too much greed of speculation, too much personal
greatness, and not enough national greatness. No generous striving
together to build up what the war had pulled down, but every man for
himself and for gold. If women had been frivolous and vain, and dazzled
by the glare of newly acquired wealth, men had not been quite free from
faults. The terrible lowering of morals, the dishonesty and fraud easily
condoned, and laughed over as a kind of shrewdness, were sad examples to
set before the next generation.

In her way Miss McLeod was quite a politician, having been so much in
that circle. Her views of men and measures were keen and discriminating;
and her bits of trenchant wisdom quite dazzled Jack, who at the last,
proposed laughingly, as his panacea, that every man should undertake the
mending of himself, when the world would soon be righted.

Afterward a coupe came, and they drove to the Park. There evening and
the bonny new moon overtook them; but the streets and country roads were
so inviting, they did not return until quite late.

"Consider yourselves my guests for the night," she said as they drove
back to the hotel, and Maverick was too wise to demur.

"I have been thinking this matter over," she said as they were
separating. "My part will be purchasing the mills, and I shall take so
much in the shape of rent. I want you to consider what per cent you can
pay, and not straiten yourselves too much. I frankly confess that I am
greatly interested in you, Mr. Darcy; and as this young man," touching
Maverick's shoulder, "prefers to 'gang his ain gait,' he leaves me quite
free to waste my money as I like. Be fair to yourself. Good-night."

"It's all right with you, Jack," began Maverick after they had been
shown to their room. "Aunt Jean is a trump! I almost forgive her Miss
Lothrop. But I suppose women would be less than women, if they did not
want to dip their fingers into destiny. It is their mental chessboard."

"But you do love her? your aunt, I mean."

"Why, of course. Still, I should never dangle in any woman's train;"
with a curl of the lip.

Miss McLeod was going back to Narragansett the next morning. They
discussed their last item