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rly； when he troubled to put a thing at all （which was seldomfor he kept his quite good brains well…nigh perpetually turned out to grassor rather to grass widows） always put it well； and with a bracing vocabulary。 〃Hullo！〃 he now exclaimed； and walked out into the middle of the roadway； where he picked up a parasol。 〃Kitty will be in a jolly old stew。 None of its expensive bones broken however。〃 And then he hailed me by a name of our youth。〃 What are you doing down here； you old sourbelly？〃
〃Watching you sun yourself on the fat cushions of the yellow rich。〃
〃Oh； shucks； old man； they're not so yellow！〃
〃Charley strikes me as yellower than his own gold。〃
〃Charley's not a bad little sort。 Of course； he needs coaching a bit here and therejust now； for instance； when he didn't see that that girl wouldn't think of riding in the machine that had just killed her dog。 By Jove； give that girl a year in civilization and she'd do！ Who was the young fire…eater？〃
〃Fire…eater！ He's a lot more decent than you or I。〃
〃But that's saying so little； dear boy！〃
〃Seriously； Beverly。〃
〃Oh； hang it with your 'seriously'！ Well； then； seriously； melodrama was the correct ticket and all that in 1840； but we've outgrown it； it's devilish demode to chuck things in people's faces。
〃I'm not sorry John Mayrant did it！〃 I brought out his name with due emphasis。
〃All the same；〃 Beverly was beginning； when the automobile returned rapidly upon us； and； guessing the cause of this； he waved the parasol。 Charley descended to get itan unnecessary act； prompted； I suppose； by the sudden relief of finding that it was not lost。
He made his thanks marked。 〃It is my sister's；〃 he concluded； to me； by way of explanation； in his slightly foreign accent。 〃It is not much； but it has got some stones and things in the handle。〃
We were favored with a bow from the veiled Hortense； shrill thanks from Kitty； and the car； turning； again left us in a moment。
〃You've got a Frenchman along；〃 I said。
〃Little Gazza；〃 Beverly returned。 〃Italian； though from his morals you'd never guess he wasn't Parisian。 Great people in Rome。 Hereditary right to do something in the presence of the Popeor not to do it； I forget which。 Not a bit of a bad little sort； Gazza。 He has just sold a lot of old furnitureRenaissanceLorenzo du Borgiathat sort of jolly old truckto Bohm； you know。
I didn't know。
〃Oh； yes； you do； old boy。 Harry Bohm； of Bohm & Cohn。 Everybody knows Bohm； and we'll all be knowing Cohn by next year。 Gazza has sold him a lot of furniture； too。 Bohm's from Pittsfield； or South Lee； or East Canaan； or West Stockbridge； or some of those other back…country cider presses that squirt some of the hardest propositions into Wall Street。 He's just back from buying a railroad； and four or five mines in Mexico。 Bohm represents Christianity in the firm。 At Newport they call him the military attache to Jerusalem。 He's the big chap that sat behind me in the car。 He'll marry Kitty as soon as she can get her divorce。 Bohm's a jolly old sortand I tell you； you old sourbelly； you're letting this Southern moss grow over you a bit。 Hey？ What？ Yellow rich isn't half bad； and I'll say it myself； and pretend it's mine； but hang it； old man； their children won't be worse than lemon…colored； and the grandchildren will be white！〃
〃Just in time；〃 I exclaimed； 〃to take a back seat with their evaporated fortunes！〃
Beverly chuckled。 〃Well； if they do evaporate； there will be new ones。 Now don't walk along making Mayflower eyes at me。 I'm no Puritan； and my people have had a front seat since pretty early in the game； which I'm holding on to； you know。 And by Jove； old man； I tell you； if you wish to hold on nowadays； you can't be drawing lines！ If you don't want to see yourself jolly well replaced； you must fall in with the replacers。 Our blooming old republic is merely the quickest process of endless replacing yet discovered； and you take my tip； and back the replacers！ That's where Miss Rieppe； for all her Kings Port traditions； shows sense。〃
I turned square on him。 〃Then she has broken it？〃
〃Broken what？〃
〃Her engagement to John Mayrant。 You mean to say that you didn't？〃
〃See here； old man。 Seriously。 The fire…eater？〃
I was so very much bewildered that I merely stared at Beverly Rodgers。 Of course； I might have known that Miss Rieppe would not feel the need of announcing to her rich Northern friends an engagement which she had fallen into the habit of postponing。
But Beverly had a better right to be taken aback。 〃I suppose you must have some reason for your remark；〃 he said。
〃You don't mean that you're engaged to her？〃 I shot out。
〃Me？ With my poor little fifteen thousand a year？ Consider； dear boy！ Oh； no； we're merely playing at it； she and I。 She's a good player。 But Charley〃
〃He is？〃 I shouted。
〃I don't know； old man； and I don't think he knowsyet。〃
〃Beverly；〃 said I； 〃let me tell you。〃 And I told him。
After he had got himself adjusted to the novelty of it he began to take it with a series of thoughtful chuckles。
Into these I dropped with： 〃Where's her father； anyhow？〃 I began to feel； fantastically； that she mightn't have a father。
〃He stopped in Savannah；〃 Beverly answered。 〃He's coming over by the train。 KittyCharley's sister； Mrs。 Bleeckerdid the chaperoning for us。
〃Very expertly； I should guess；〃 I said。
〃Perfectly； invisibly；〃 said Beverly。 And he returned to his thoughts and his chuckles。
〃After all； it's simple；〃 he presently remarked。
〃Doesn't that depend on what she's here for？〃
〃Oh； to break it。〃
〃Why come for that？〃
He took another turn among his cogitations。 I took a number of turns among my own； but it was merely walking round and round in a circle。
〃When will she announce it； then？〃 he demanded。
〃Ah！〃 I murmured。 〃You said she was a good player。〃
〃But a fire…eater！〃 he resumed。 〃For her。 Oh； hang it！ She'll let him go！〃
〃Then why hasn't she？〃
He hesitated。 〃Well； of course her game could be spoiled by〃
His speech died away into more cogitation； and I had to ask him what he meant。
〃By love getting into it somewhere。〃
We walked on through Worship Street； which we had reached some while since； and the chief features of which I mechanically pointed out to him。
〃Jolly old church； that；〃 said Beverly； as we reached my favorite corner and brick wall。 〃Well； I'll not announce it！〃 he murmured gallantly。
〃My dear man；〃 I said； 〃Kings Port will do all the announcing for you to…morrow。〃
XV： What She Came to See
But in this matter my prognostication was thoroughly at fault； yet surely； knowing Kings Port's sovereign habit； as I had had good cause to know it； I was scarce beyond reasonable bounds in supposing that the arrival of Miss Rieppe would heat up some very general and very audible talk about this approaching marriage； against which the prejudices of the town were set in such compact array。 I have several times mentioned that Kings Port； to my sense； was buzzing over John Mayrant's affairs； buzzing in the open； where one could hear it； and buzzing behind closed doors； where one could somehow feel it； I can only say that henceforth this buzzing ceased； dropped wholly away； as if Gossip were watching so hard that she forgot to talk； giving place to a great stillness in her kingdom。 Such occasional words as were uttered sounded oddly and egregiously clear in the new…established void。
The first of these words sounded； indeed； quite enormous； issuing as it did from Juno's lips at our breakfast…table； when yesterday's meeting on the New Bridge was investing my mind with many thoughts。 She addressed me in one of her favorite tones （I have met it； thank God！ but in two or three other cases during my whole experience）； which always somehow conveyed to you that you were personally to blame for what she was going to tell you。
〃I suppose you know that your friend； Mr。 Mayrant； has resigned from the Custom House？〃
I was； of course； careful not to give Juno the pleasure of seeing that she had surprised me。 I bowed； and continued in silence to sip a little coffee； then； setting my coffee down； I observed that it would be some few days yet before the resignation could take effect； and； noticing that Juno was getting ready some new remark； I branched off and spoke to her of my excursion up the river this morning to see the azaleas in the gardens at Live Oaks。
〃How lucky the weather is so magnificent！〃 I exclaimed。
〃I shall be interested to hear；〃 said Juno； 〃what explanation he finds to give Miss Josephine for his disrespectful holding out against her； and his immediate yielding to Miss Rieppe。〃
Here I deemed it safe to ask her； was she quite sure it had been at the instance of Miss Rieppe that John had resigned？
〃It follows suspiciously close upon her arrival；〃 stated Juno。 She might have been speaking of a murder。 〃And how he expects to support a wife nowwell； that is no affair of mine；〃 Juno concluded； with a washing…her…hands…of…it air； as if up to this point she had always done her best for the wilful boy。 She had blamed him savagely for not resigning； and now she was blaming him because he had resigned； and I ate my breakfast in much entertainment