reckon I'd quit
galivanting around to bridge-fights with perfumery on my handkerchief
every evening. It's a devil of an example to the young."

The rocking-chairs behind the screening vines became motionless, and the
ladies exchanged surreptitious smiles. If the two gentlemen were aware
of each other's sterling qualities, their mutual appreciation was in
inverse ratio to its expression, and, as the Elucinian mysteries,
cloaked before the world. In public the doctor was wont to remark that
the major talked like a Caesar, looked like a piano-tuner and was the
only man he had ever seen who could strut sitting down. Never were his
gibes so barbed as when launched against the major's white-waistcoated
and patrician calm, and conversely, never did the major's bland suavity
so nearly approach an undignified irritation as when receiving the
envenomed darts of that accomplished cynic.

The major settled his black tie. "A little wholesome exercise wouldn't
be a bad thing for you, Doctor," he said succinctly. "You're looking a
shade pasty to-day."

"Exercise!" snapped the other viciously, as he pounded down the steps.
"Ha, ha! I suppose you exercise--lazying out to the Dandridges once a
week for a julep, and the rest of the time wearing out good cane-bottoms
and palm-leaf fans and cussing at the heat. You'll go off with apoplexy
one of these days."

"I shall if they're scared enough to call _you_," the major shot after
him, nettled. But the doctor did not pause. He went on down the street
without turning his head.

The major lifted his hat gallantly to the ladies, whose presence he had
just observed. "I reckon," he said, as he found the string of his
glasses and adjusted them to gaze after the retreating form; "I reckon
if I did have apoplexy, I'd want Southall to handle the case, but the
temptation to get one in on him is sometimes a little too much for me."

"_Do_ sit down, Major," said Mrs. Gifford. "There's a question I'm just
dying to ask you. We've had _such_ an interesting conversation. You've
heard the news, of course, that young Mr. Valiant is coming to Damory
Court?"

The major sat down heavily. In the bright light his face seemed suddenly
pale and old.

"No?" the lady's tone was arch. "Have all the rest of us _really_ got
ahead of you for once? Yes, it's true. There's some one there getting it
to rights. Now here's the question. There was a woman, of course, at the
bottom of the Valiant duel. I'd never _dream_