ion upon the smooth cheek, and a long
black patch beneath the left temple. The two met like friends whom weary
years have parted, and indeed they had not seen each other for nearly a
week.

All the guests, save one, had arrived. Colonel Verney fidgeted, sent a
servant wench to look at the kitchen clock, and dispatched his secretary
to an upstairs window, whence was visible a long stretch of what
courtesy called the highroad.

The secretary returned and whispered his master. "God be thanked!"
exclaimed the latter. "I feared that his machine had mired in the
Two-Mile Swamp, or had toppled into a gully coming through the Devil's
Strip. Gentlemen, the Governor's coach is in sight. Shall we adjourn to
the porch and there await his Excellency?"

A mighty straining, jingling and lumbering came with the breeze down the
road and proceeded from a pillar of dust which was approaching the house
with reasonable rapidity. Presently the road changed from a trough of
dust into a ribbon of greensward. The cloud dissipated itself, streaming
away like the tail of a comet, and a ponderous and much begilt coach,
drawn by six horses, their manes and tails tied with red ribbons, and
outriders in gorgeous livery at the heads of each pair, rolled, or
rather bumped into sight. With a seasick motion it undulated over the
green acclivities of the road, and finally drew up beside the great
horse-block at the gate.

Two lackeys sprang from their perch behind the vehicle, flung open the
door, and lowered a short flight of steps. A very stately gentleman,
richly dressed, with a handkerchief of point in one hand and a jeweled
snuff-box in the other, descended the steps, placing one shapely leg in
its maroon-colored stocking before the other with the mannered grace of
the leader of a Coranto.

Colonel Verney met him with a low bow and smiling face, after which the
two embraced, for they were old friends.

"My dear Governor!"

"My dear Colonel!"

"I am charmed to welcome your Excellency to my poor house."

"My dear Colonel, I am charmed to be here. Gad! the possession of the
only chariot in the Colony is a burdensome honor! I thought dinner would
be over, and the stirrup cup in order while I was creeping, like a snail
with his house on his back, over these 'fair and pleasant roads'--as I
call them in my book, eh, Dick! But you have a goodly company, I see;
Ludwell, Fitzhugh, Carey, Anthony Nash, mine ancient enemy Lawrence,
Wormeley, Carringt