ides," he added, smiling, "you are poor indeed at thanking,
Mr. Ritchie. You could never do it gracefully. But if ever I were in
trouble, I believe that I might safely call on you."

The next day was a rare one, for a wind from somewhere had blown the
moisture away a little, the shadows were clearer cut, and by noon
Monsieur de St. Gre and I were walking our horses in the shady road
behind the levee. We were followed at a respectful distance by Andre,
Monsieur's mulatto body-servant, and as we rode my companion gave me
stories of the owners of the different plantations we passed, and spoke
of many events of interest in the history of the colony. Presently he
ceased to talk, and rode in silence for many minutes. And then he turned
upon me suddenly.

"Mr. Ritchie," he said, "you have seen my son. It may be that in him I
am paying the price of my sins. I have done everything to set him
straight, but in vain. Monsieur, every son of the St. Gre's has awakened
sooner or later to a sense of what becomes him. But Auguste is a fool,"
he cried bitterly,--a statement which I could not deny; "were it not for
my daughter, Antoinette, I should be a miserable man indeed."

Inasmuch as he was not a person of confidences, I felt the more flattered
that he should speak so plainly to me, and I had a great sympathy for
this strong man who could not help himself.

"You have observed Antoinette, Mr. Ritchie," he continued; "she is a
strange mixture of wilfulness and caprice and self-sacrifice, and she has
at times a bit of that wit which has made our house for generations the
intimates--I may say--of sovereigns."

This peculiar pride of race would have amused me in another man. I found
myself listening to Monsieur de St. Gre with gravity, and I did not dare
to reply that I had had evidence of Mademoiselle's aptness of retort.

"She has been my companion since she was a child, Monsieur. She has
disobeyed me, flaunted me, nursed me in illness, championed me behind my
back. I have a little book which I have kept of her sayings and doings,
which may interest you, Monsieur. I will show it you."

This indeed was a new side of Monsieur de St. Gre, and I reflected rather
ruefully upon the unvarnished truth of what Mr. Wharton had told me,--ay,
and what Colonel Clark had emphasized long before. It was my fate never
to be treated as a young man. It struck me that Monsieur de St. Gre had
never even considered me in the light of a possible suitor