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n　approaches　the　unearthly　enchantment　of　the　azaleas　at　Live　Oaks。　It　was　not　like　seeing　flowers　at　all；　it　was　as　if　there；　in　the　heart　of　the　wild　and　mystic　wood；　in　the　gray　gloom　of　those　trees　veiled　and　muffled　in　their　long　webs　and　skeins　of　hanging　moss；　a　great；　magic　flame　of　rose　and　red　and　white　burned　steadily。　You　looked　to　see　it　vanish；　you　could　not　imagine　such　a　thing　would　stay。　All　idea　of　individual　petals　or　species　was　swept　away　in　this　glowing　maze　of　splendor；　this　transparent　labyrinth　of　rose　and　red　and　white；　through　which　you　looked　beyond；　into　the　gray　gloom　of　the　hanging　moss　and　the　depths　of　the　wild　forest　trees。

I　turned　back　as　often　as　I　could；　and　to　the　last　I　caught　glimpses　of　it；　burning；　glowing；　and　shining　like　some　miracle；　some　rainbow　exorcism；　with　its　flooding　fumes　of　orange…rose　and　red　and　white；　merging　magically。　It　was　not　until　I　reached　the　landing；　and　made　my　way　on　board　again；　that　Hortense　returned　to　my　thoughts。　She　hadn't　come　to　see　the　miracle；　not　she！　I　knew　that　better　than　ever。　And　who　was　the　other　man　in　the　launch？

〃Wasn't　it　perfectly　elegant！〃　exclaimed　the　up…country　bride。　And　upon　my　assenting；　she　made　a　further　declaration　to　David：　〃It's　just　aivry　bit　as　good　as　the　Isle　of　Champagne。〃

This　I　discovered　to　be　a　comic　opera；　mounted　with　spendthrift　brilliance；　which　David　had　taken　her　to　see　at　the　town　of　Gonzales；　just　before　they　were　married。

As　we　made　our　way　down　the　bending　river　she　continued　to　make　many　observations　to　me　in　that　up…country　accent　of　hers；　which　is　a　fashion　of　speech　that　may　be　said　to　differ　as　widely　from　the　speech　of　the　low…country　as　cotton　differs　from　rice。　I　began　to　fear　that；　in　spite　of　my　truly　good　intentions；　I　was　again　failing　to　be　as　〃attentive〃　as　the　occasion　demanded；　and　so　I　presented　her　with　my　floral　tribute。

She　was　immediately　arch。　〃I'd　surely　be　depriving　somebody！〃　and　on　this　I　got　to　the　full　her　limpid　look。

I　assured　her　that　this　would　not　be　so；　and　pointed　to　the　other　flowers　I　had。

Accordingly；　after　a　little　more　archness；　she　took　them；　as　she　had；　of　course；　fully　meant　to　do　from　the　first；　she　also　took　a　woman's　revenge。　〃I'll　not　be　any　more　lonesome　going　down　than　I　was　coming　up；〃　she　said。　〃David's　enough。〃　And　this　led　me　definitely　to　conclude　that　David　had　secured　a　helpmate　who　could　take　care　of　herself；　in　spite　of　the　limpidity　of　her　eyes。

A　steel　wasp？　Again　that　misleading　description　of　Mrs。　Weguelin　St。　Michael's；　to　which；　since　my　early　days　in　Kings　Port；　my　imagination　may　be　said　to　have　been　harnessed；　came　back　into　my　mind。　I　turned　its　injustice　over　and　over　beneath　the　light　which　the　total　Hortense　now　shed　upon　itor　rather；　not　the　total　Hortense；　but　my　whole　impression　of　her；　as　far　as　I　had　got；　I　got　a　good　deal　further　before　we　had　finished。　To　the　slow；　soft　accompaniment　of　these　gliding　river　shores；　where　all　the　shadows　had　changed　since　morning；　so　that　new　loveliness　stood　revealed　at　every　turn；　my　thoughts　dwelt　upon　this　perfected　specimen　of　the　latest　American　momentso　late　that　she　contained　nothing　of　the　past；　and　a　great　deal　of　to…morrow。　I　basked　myself　in　the　memory　of　her　achieved　beauty；　her　achieved　dress；　her　achieved　insolence；　her　luxurious　complexity。　She　was　even　later　than　those　quite　late　athletic　girls；　the　Amazons　of　the　links；　whose　big；　hard　football　faces　stare　at　one　from　public　windows　and　from　public　punts；　whose　giant；　manly　strides　take　them　over　leagues　of　country　and　square　miles　of　dance…floor；　and　whose　bursting；　blatant；　immodest　health　glares　upon　sea…beaches　and　round　supper　tables。　Hortense　knew　that　even　now　the　hour　of　such　is　striking；　and　that　the　American　boy　will　presently　turn　with　relief　to　a　creature　who　will　more　clearly　remind　him　that　he　is　a　man　and　that　she　is　a　woman。

But　why　was　the　insolence　of　Hortense　offensive；　when　the　insolence　of　Eliza　La　Heu　was　not？　Both　these　extremely　feminine　beings　could　exercise　that　quality　in　profusion；　whenever　they　so　wished；　wherein　did　the　difference　lie？　Perhaps　I　thought；　in　the　spirit　of　its　exercise；　Eliza　was　merely　insolent　when　she　happened　to　feel　like　it；　and　man　has　always　been　able　to　forgive　woman　for　thatwhether　the　angels　do　or　not；　but　Hortense；　the　world…wise；　was　insolent　to　all　people　who　could　not　be　of　use　to　her；　and　all　I　have　to　say　is；　that　if　the　angels　can　forgive　them；　they're　welcome；　I　can't！

Had　I　made　sure　of　anything　at　the　landing？　Yes；　Hortense　didn't　care　for　Charley　in　the　least；　and　never　would。　A　woman　can　stamp　her　foot　at　a　man　and　love　him　simultaneously；　but　those　two　light　taps；　and　the　measure　that　her　eyes　took　of　Charley；　meant　that　she　must　love　his　possessions　very　much　to　be　able　to　bear　him　at　all。

Then；　what　was　her　feeling　about　John　Mayrant？　As　Beverly　had　said；　what　could　she　want　him　for？　He　hadn't　a　thing　that　she　valued　or　needed。　His　old…time　notions　of　decency；　the　clean　simplicity　of　his　make；　his　good　Southern　position；　and　his　collection　of　nice　old　relativeswhat　did　these　assets　look　like　from　an　automobile；　or　on　board　the　launch　of　a　modern　steam　yacht？　And　wouldn't　it　be　amusing　if　John　should　grow　need…　lessly　jealous；　and　have　a　〃difficulty〃　with　Charley？　not　a　mere　flinging　of　torn　paper　money　in　the　banker's　face；　but　some　more　decided　punishment　for　the　banker's　presuming　to　rest　his　predatory　eyes　upon　John's　affianced　lady。

I　stared　at　the　now　broadening　river；　where　the　reappearance　of　the　bridge；　and　of　Kings　Port；　and　the　nearer　chimneys　pouring　out　their　smoke　a　few　miles　above　the　town；　betokened　that　our　excursion　was　drawing　to　its　end。　And　then　from　the　chimney's　neighborhood；　from　the　waterside　where　their　factories　stood；　there　shot　out　into　the　smoothness　of　the　stream　a　launch。　It　crossed　into　our　course　ahead　of　us；　preceded　us　quickly；　growing　soon　into　a　dot；　went　through　the　bridge；　and　so　was　seen　no　longer；　and　its　occupants　must　have　reached　town　a　good　half　hour　before　we　did。　And　now；　suddenly；　I　was　stunned　with　a　great　discovery。　The　bride's　voice　sounded　in　my　ear。　〃Well；　I'll　always　say　you're　a　prophet；　anyhow！〃

I　looked　at　her；　dull　and　dazed　by　the　internal　commotion　the　discovery　had　raised　in　me。

〃You　said　we　wouldn't　get　stuck　in　the　mud；　and　we　didn't；〃　said　the　bride。

I　pointed　to　the　chimneys。　〃Are　those　the　phosphate　works？〃

〃Yais。　Didn't　you　know？〃

〃The　V…C　phosphate　works？〃

〃Why；　yais。　Haven't　you　been　to　see　them　yet？　He　ought　to；　oughtn't　he；　David？　'Specially　now　they've　found　those　deposits　up　the　river　were　just　as　rich　as　they　hoped；　after　all。〃

〃Whose？　Mr。　Mayrant's？〃　I　asked　with　such　sharpness　that　the　bride　was　surprised。

David　hadn't　attended　to　the　name。　It　was　some　trust　estate；　he　thought；　Regent　Tom；　or　some　such　thing

〃And　they　thought　it　was　no　good；〃　said　the　bride。　〃And　it's　aivry　bit　as　good　as　the　Coosaw　used　to　be。　Better　than　Florida　or　Tennessee。〃

My　eyes　instinctively　turned　to　where　they　had　last　seen　the　launch；　of　course　it　wasn't　there　any　more。　Then　I　spoke　to　David。

〃Do　you　know　what　a　phosphate　bed　looks　like？　Can　one　see　it？〃

〃This　kind　you　can；〃　he　answered。　〃But　it's　not　worth　your　trouble。　Just　a　kind　of　a　square　hole　you　dig　along　the　river　till　you　strike　the　stuff。　What　you　want　to　see　is　the　works。〃

No；　I　didn't　want　to　see　even　the　works；　they　smelt　atrociously；　and　I　do　not　care　for　vats；　and　acids；　and　processes：　and　besides；　had　I　not　seen　enough？　My　eyes　went　down　the　river　again　where　that　launch　had　gone；　and　I　wondered　if　the　wedding…cake　would　be　postponed　any　more。

Regent　Tom？　Oh；　yes；　to　be　sure！　John　Mayrant　had　pointed　out　to　me　the　house　where　he　had　lived；　he　had　been　John's　uncle。　So　the　old　gentleman　had　left　his　estate　in　trust！　And　now！　But　certainly　Hortense　would　have　won　the　battle　of　Chattanooga！

〃Don't　be　too　sure　about　all　this；〃　I　told　myself　cautiously。　But　there　are　times　when　cautioning　one's　self　is　quite　as　useless　as　if　somebody　else　had　cautioned　one；　my　reason　leaped　with　the　rapidity　of　intuition；　I　merely　sat　and　looked　on　at　what　it　was　doing。　All　sorts　of　odds　and　ends；　words　I　hadn't　understood；　looks　and　silences　I　hadn't　interpreted；　little　signs　that　I　had　thought　nothing　of　at　first；　but　which　I　had　gradually；　through　their　multiplicity；　come　to　know　meant　something；　all　these　broken　pieces　fitted　into　each　other　now；　fell　together　and　made　a　clear　pattern　of　the　truth；　without　a　crack　in　itHortense　had　never　believed　in　that　story　about　the　phosphates　having　failed〃pinched　out；〃　as　they　say　of　ore　deposits。　There　she　had　stood　between　her　two　suitors；　between　her　affianced　John　and　the　besieging　Charley；　and　before　she　would　be　off　with　the　old　love　and　on　with　the　new；　she　must　personally　look　into　those　phosphates。　Therefore　she　had　been　obliged　to　have　a　sick　father　and　postpone　the　wedding　two　or　three　times；　because　her　affairs　very　likely　the　necessity　of　making　certain　of　Charleyhad　prevented　her　from　coming　sooner　to　Kings　Port。　And　having　now　come　hither；　and　having　beheld　her　Northern　and　her　Southern　lovers　side　by　sidehad　the　comparison　done　something