I fear--no; to say one “fears” that one has stepped aside from the
narrow path of duty, when one knows perfectly well that one has done
so, is a ridiculous half-dodging of the truth; let me dismiss from
my service such a cowardly circumlocution, and squarely say that I
neglected the Cowpens during certain days which now followed. Nay, more;
I totally deserted them. Although I feel quite sure that to discover one
is a real king’s descendant must bring an exultation of no mean order to
the heart, there’s no exultation whatever in failing to discover this,
day after day. Mine is a nature which demands results, or at any
rate signs of results coming sooner or later. Even the most abandoned
fisherman requires a bite now and then; but my fishing for Fannings had
not yet brought me one single nibble--and I gave up the sad sport for
a while. The beautiful weather took me out of doors over the land, and
also over the water, for I am a great lover of sailing; and I found a
little cat-boat and a little negro, both of which suited me very well.
I spent many delightful hours in their company among the deeps and
shallows of these fair Southern waters.
And indoors, also, I made most agreeable use of my time, in spite of
one disappointment when, on the day following my visit to the ladies, I
returned full of expectancy to lunch at the Woman’s exchange, the girl
behind the counter was not there. I found in her stead, it is true, a
most polite lady, who provided me with chocolate and sandwiches that
were just as good as their predecessors; but she was of advanced years,
and little inclined to light conversation. Beyond telling me that Miss
Eliza La Heu was indisposed, but not gravely so, and that she was not
likely to be long away from her post of duty, this lady furnished me
with scant information.
Now I desired a great deal of information. To learn of an imminent
wedding where the bridegroom attends to the cake, and is suspected of
diminished eagerness for the bride, who is a steel wasp--that is not
enough to learn of such nuptials. Therefore I fear--I mean, I know--that
it was not wholly for the sake of telling Mrs. Gregory St. Michael about
Aunt Carola that I repaired again to Le Maire Street and rang Mrs. St.
Michael’s door-bell.
She was at home, to be sure, but with her sat another visitor, the tall,
severe lady who had embroidered and had not liked the freedom with which
her sister had spoken to me about the wedding. There was not a bit of
freedom to-day; the severe lady took care of that.
When, after some utterly unprofitable conversation, I managed to say in
a casual voice, which I thought very well tuned for the purpose, “What
part of Georgia did you say that General Rieppe came from?” the severe
lady responded:--
“I do not think that I mentioned him at all.”
“Georgia?” said Mrs. Gregory St. Michael. “I never heard that they came
from Georgia.”
And this revived my hopes. But the severe lady at once remarked to
her:--
“I have received a most agreeable letter from my sister in Paris.”
This stopped Mrs. Gregory St. Michael, and dashed my hopes to earth.