in the
devil I have these sickish feelings come on me at f-funerals." They
stopped. "Humph! Wha'd' you reckon can be the cause of it--indigestion?"

Mr. Fair thought it very likely, and March said it was passing off
already.

"Humph! it's ridiculous. Come on, I'm all right now."

The man behind them passed, looked back, stopped and returned.
"Gen'le_men_, sirs, to you. Mr. Mahch, escuse me by pyo accident
earwhilin' yo' colloquial terms. I know e'zacly what cause yo' sick
transit. Yass, seh. Thass the imagination. I've had it, myseff."

March stopped haughtily, Fair moved out of hearing, and Cornelius spoke
low, with a sweet smile. "Yass, seh. You see the imagination o' yo' head
is evil. You imaginin' somepm what ain't happm yit an' jiss like as not
won't happm at all. But thass not why I seeks to interrup' you at this
junction.

"Mr. Mahch, I'm impudize to espress to you in behalfs o' a vas' colo'ed
constituency--but speakin' th'oo a small ban' o' they magnates with me
as they sawt o' janizary chairman--that Gen'l Halliday seem to be ti-ud
o' us an' done paass his bes' dotage, an' likewise the groun's an'
debasements on an' faw which we be proud to help you depopulate yo'
lan's, yass, seh, with all conceivable ligislation thereunto."

"What business is it of yours or your Blackland darkies what I do with
my woods?"

"Why, thass jess it! Whass nobody's business is ev'ybody's business, you
know."

March smiled and moved toward Fair. "I've no time to talk with you now,
Leggett."

"Oh! no, seh, I knowed you wouldn't have. But bein' the talk' o' the
town that you an' this young gen'leman"--dipping low to Fair--"is
projeckin' said depopulation I has cawdially engross ow meaju' in
writin' faw yo' conjint an' confidential consideration. Yass, seh, aw in
default whereof then to compote it in like manneh to the nex' mos'
interested."

"And, pray, who is the next most interested in my private property?"

"Why, Majo' Gyarnit, I reck'n--an' Mr. Ravenel, seein' he's the Djuke o'
Suez--p-he!"

March let his hand accept a soiled document, saying, "Well, he's not
Duke of me. Just leave me this. I'll either mail it to you or see you
again. Good-by."

The title of the document as indorsed on it was: "The Suez and Three
Counties Transportation, Immigration, Education, Navigation, and
Construction Co."

XXXIV.

DAPHNE AND DINWIDDIE: A PASTEL IN PROSE

"Professor" Pettigrew had always been coldly indifferent