she count, with him about to marry?"

"Why, they think that for that very reason John Courteney let his
wife--from Philadelphia, you know--abolitionist--bring the girl and Dan
together, hoping he'd either set her free or else skip the wedding and
somehow disgrace the whole Hayle family. Just those boys' guess
but--they believe it. What they _see_ is a Hayle killed and no one
killed for him."

"Oh, we settled that with their dad ten years ago."

"They say not. And, really, you know, some of the liveliest feuds along
this river are founded on less cause. Gid Hayle, they claim, couldn't
bring the Courteneys to law at the time because the only men he had to
back him were his two in-laws. Now these twins are men and they feel
honor-bound to throw down--no, to take up--the gage, thrown down to them
every hour they've been on this boat."

"Shoo! They've been treated only too well."

"Tactfully, do you think?"

"Depends on what you call tact. Ordinary tact's the worst thing you
could throw at 'em." The clerk spoke with both eyes on the general and
the actor. His fellow clerk, second clerk, had nudged him. The general
was raising his voice to the actor.

"They f-forbid your lady to chaperon their sister, since you both, last
evening, all-llowed young Courteney to give her his account of the
b-urning of the _Quakeress_."

"General!" the smiling senator cautioned him, "privately, if you please!
more privately!"

But the soldier persisted. "Th-they even suspect you, sir, of
s-s-piriting off to Canada their s-s-lave p-roperty, missing after that
event."

"Why, gentlemen," began the player, looking very professional but also
very handsome, and with a flash of annoyance only when he noticed that
the exhorter had joined the group, "I never in my--nonsense! fantastical
nonsense! Why, I'll be--I'll see you later! At present, as I've already
said, I'm overdue at that rehearsal."

"Yes, Mr. Gilmore," said the first clerk, "you are."

"A moment," interposed the senator. "Purely in the interest of peace,
Mr. Gilmore----"

"Oh, senator," the actor amiably laughed, "I don't question your
good-will, or the general's; but you don't know, either of you, the
interest of peace when you run against it--pardon! I take that back. My
annoyance, at quite another thing, flew off the handle. I take it back.
Excuse me, I'll make it a point to see you later." The three bowed. As
he started away the exhorter blocked his path.

"Excuse _me