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and　having　beheld　her　Northern　and　her　Southern　lovers　side　by　sidehad　the　comparison　done　something　to　her　highly　controlled　heart？　Was　love　taking　some　hitherto　unknown　liberties　with　that　well…balanced　organ？　But　what　an　outrage　had　been　perpetrated　upon　John！　At　that　my　deductions　staggered　in　their　rapid　course。　How　could　his　auntsbut　then　it　had　only　been　one　of　them；　Miss　Josephine　had　never　approved　of　Miss　Eliza's　course；　it　was　of　that　that　Mrs。　Weguelin　St。　Michael　had　so　emphatically　reminded　Mrs。　Gregory　in　my　presence　when　we　had　strolled　together　upon　High　Walk；　and　those　two　ladies　had　talked　oracles　in　my　presence。　Well；　they　were　oracles　no　longer！

When　the　boat　brought　us　back　to　the　wharf；　there　were　the　rest　of　my　flowers　unbestowed；　and　upon　whom　should　I　bestow　them？　I　thought　first　of　Eliza　La　Heu；　but　she　wouldn't　be　at　the　Exchange　so　late　as　this。　Then　it　seemed　well　to　carry　them　to　Mrs。　Weguelin。　Something；　however；　prompted　me　to　pass　her　door；　and　continue　vaguely　walking　on　until　I　came　to　the　house　where　Miss　Josephine　and　Miss　Eliza　lived；　and　here　I　rang　the　bell　and　was　admitted。

They　were　sitting　as　I　had　seen　them　first；　the　one　with　her　embroidery；　and　the　other　on　the　further　side　of　a　table；　whereon　lay　an　open　letter；　which　in　a　few　moments　I　knew　must　have　been　the　subject　of　the　discussion　which　they　finished　even　as　I　came　forward。

〃It　was　only　prolonging　an　honest　mistake。〃　That　was　Miss　Eliza。

〃And　it　has　merely　resulted　in　clinching　what　you　meant　it　to　finish。〃　That　was　Miss　Josephine。

I　laid　my　flowers　upon　the　table；　and　saw　that　the　letter　was　in　John　Mayrant's　hand。　Of　course。

I　avoided　looking　at　it　again；　but　what　had　he　written；　and　why　had　he　written？　His　daily　steps　turned　to　this　houseunless　Miss　Josephine　had　banished　him　again。

The　ladies　accepted　my　offering　with　gracious　expressions；　and　while　I　told　them　of　my　visit　to　Live　Oaks；　and　poured　out　my　enthusiasm；　the　servant　was　sent　for　and　brought　water　and　two　beautiful　old　china　bowls；　in　which　Miss　Eliza　proceeded　to　arrange　the　flowers　with　her　delicate　white　hands。　She　made　them　look　exquisite　with　an　old　lady's　art；　and　this　little　occupation　went　on　as　we　talked　of　indifferent　subjects。

But　the　atmosphere　of　that　room　was　charged　with　the　subject　of　which　we　did　not　speak。　The　letter　lay　on　the　table；　and　even　as　I　struggled　to　sustain　polite　conversation；　I　began　to　know　what　was　in　it；　though　I　never　looked　at　it　again；　it　spoke　out　as　clearly　to　me　as　the　launch　had　done。　I　had　thought；　when　I　first　entered；　to　tell　the　ladies　something　of　my　meeting　with　Hortense　Rieppe；　I　can　only　say　that　I　found　this　impossible。　Neither　of　them　referred　to　her；　or　to　John；　or　to　anything　that　approached　what　we　were　all　thinking　of；　for　me　to　do　so　would　have　assumed　the　dimensions　of　a　liberty；　and　in　consequence　of　this　state　of　things；　constraint　sat　upon　us　all；　growing　worse；　and　so　pervading　our　small…talk　with　discomfort　that　I　made　my　visit　a　very　short　one。　Of　course　they　were　civil　about　this　when　I　rose；　and　begged　me　not　to　go　so　soon；　but　I　knew　better。　And　even　as　I　was　getting　my　hat　and　gloves　in　the　hall　I　could　tell　by　their　tones　that　they　had　returned　to　the　subject　of　that　letter。　But　in　truth　they　had　never　left　it；　as　the　front　door　shut　behind　me　I　felt　as　if　they　had　read　it　aloud　to　me。



XVI：　The　Steel　Wasp

Certainly　Hortense　Rieppe　would　have　won　the　battle　of　Chattanooga！　I　know　not　from　which　parent　that　young　woman　inherited　her　gift　of　strategy；　but　she　was　a　master。　To　use　the　resources　of　one　lover　in　order　to　ascertain　if　another　lover　had　any；　to　lay　tribute　on　everything　that　Charley　possessed；　on　his　influence　in　the　business　world；　which　enabled　him　to　walk　into　the　V…C　Chemical　Company's　office　and　borrow　an　expert　in　the　phosphate　line；　on　his　launch　in　which　to　pop　the　expert　and　take　him　up　the　river；　and　see　in　his　company　and　learn　from　his　lips　just　what　resources　of　worldly　wealth　were　likely　to　be　in…store　for　John　Mayrant；　and　finally　（which　was　the　key　to　all　the　rest）　on　his　inveterate　passion　for　her；　on　his　banker…like　determination　through　all　the　thick　and　thin　of　discouragement；　and　worse　than　discouragement；　of　contemptuous　coquetry；　to　possess　her　at　any　cost　he　could　afford；to　use　all　this　that　Charley　had；　in　order　that　she　might　judiciously　arrive　at　the　decision　whether　she　would　take　him　or　his　rival；　left　one　lost　in　admiration。　And　then；　not　to　waste　a　moment！　To　reach　town　one　evening；　and　next　morning　by　ten　o'clock　to　have　that　expert　safe　in　the　launch　on　his　way　up　the　river　to　the　phosphate　diggings！　The　very　audacity　of　such　unscrupulousness　commanded　my　respect：　successful　dishonor　generally　wins　louder　applause　than　successful　virtue。　But　to　be　married　to　her！　Oh！　not　for　worlds！　Charley　might　meet　such　emergency；　but　poor　John；　never！

I　nearly　walked　into　Mrs。　Weguelin　and　Mrs。　Gregory　taking　their　customary　air　slowly　in　South　Place。

〃But　why　a　steel　wasp？〃　I　said　at　once　to　Mrs。　Weguelin。　It　was　a　more　familiar　way　of　beginning　with　the　little；　dignified　lady　than　would　have　been　at　all　possible；　or　suitable；　if　we　had　not　had　that　little　joke　about　the　piano　snobile　between　us。　As　it　was；　she　was　not　wholly　displeased。　These　Kings　Port　old　ladies　grew；　I　suspect；　very　slowly　and　guardedly　accustomed　to　any　outsider；　they　allowed　themselves　very　seldom　to　suffer　any　form　of　abruptness　from　him；　or　from　any　one；　for　that　matter。　But；　once　they　were　reassured　as　to　him；　then　they　might　sometimes　allow　the　privileged　person　certain　departures　from　their　own　rule　of　deportment；　because　his　conventions　were　recognized　to　be　different　from　theirs。　Moreover；　in　reminding　Mrs。　Weguelin　of　the　steel　wasp；　I　had　put　my　abruptness　in　〃quotations；〃　so　to　speak；　by　the　tone　I　gave　it；　just　as　people　who　are　particular　in　speech　can　often　interpolate　a　word　of　current　slang　elegantly　by　means　of　the　shade　of　emphasis　which　they　lay　upon　it。

So　Mrs。　Weguelin　smiled　and　her　dark　eyes　danced　a　little。　〃You　remember　I　said　that；　then？〃

〃I　remember　everything　that　you　said。〃

〃How　much　have　you　seen　of　the　creature？〃　demanded　Mrs。　Gregory；　with　her　head　pretty　high。

〃Well；　I'm　seeing　more；　and　more；　and　more　every　minute。　She's　rather　endless。〃

Mrs。　Weguelin　looked　reproachful。　〃You　surely　cannot　admire　her；　too？〃

Mrs。　Gregory　hadn't　understood　me。　〃Oh；　if　you　really　can　keep　her　away；　you're　welcome！〃

〃I　only　meant；〃　I　explained　to　the　ladies；　〃that　you　don't　really　begin　to　see　her　till　you　have　seen　her：　it's　afterward；　when　you're　out　of　reach　of　the　spell。〃　And　I　told　them　of　the　interview　which　I　had　not　been　able　to　tell　to　Miss　Josephine　and　Miss　Eliza。　〃I　doubt　if　it　lasted　more　than　four　minutes；〃　I　assured　them。

〃Up　the　river？〃　repeated　Mrs。　Gregory

〃At　the　landing；〃　I　repeated。　And　the　ladies　consulted　each　other's　expressions。　But　that　didn't　bother　me　any　more。

〃And　you　can　admire　her？〃　Mrs。　Weguelin　persisted。

〃May　I　tell　you　exactly；　precisely？〃

〃Oh；　do！〃　they　both　exclaimed。

〃Well；　I　think　many　wise　men　would　find　her　immensely　desirableas　somebody　else's　wife！〃

At　this　remark　Mrs。　Weguelin　dropped　her　eyes；　but　I　knew　they　were　dancing　beneath　their　lids。　〃I　should　not　have　permitted　myself　to　say　that；　but　I　am　glad　that　it　has　been　said。〃

Mrs。　Gregory　turned　to　her　companion。　〃Shall　we　call　to…morrow？〃

〃Don't　you　feel　it　must　be　done？〃　returned　Mrs。　Weguelin；　and　then　she　addressed　me。　〃Do　you　know　a　Mr。　Beverly　Rodgers？〃

I　gave　him　a　golden　recommendation　and　took　my　leave　of　the　ladies。

So　they　were　going　to　do　the　handsome　thing；　they　would　ring　the　Cornerlys'　bell；　they　would　cross　the　interloping　threshold；　they　would　recognize　the　interloping　girl；　and　this　meant　that　they　had　given　it　up。　It　meant　that　Miss　Eliza　had　given　it　up；　too；　had　at　last　abandoned　her　position　that　the　marriage　would　never　take　place。　And　her　own　act　had　probably　drawn　this　down　upon　her。　When　the　trustee　of　that　estate　had　told　her　of　the　apparent　failure　of　the　phosphates；　she　had　hailed　it　as　an　escape　for　her　beloved　John；　and　for　all　of　them；　because　she　made　sure　that　Hortense　would　never　marry　a　virtually　penniless　man。　And　when　the　work　went　on；　and　the　rich　fortune　was　unearthed　after　all；　her　influence　had　caused　that　revelation　to　be　delayed　because　she　was　so　confident　that　the　engagement　would　be　broken。　But　she　had　reckoned　without　Hortense；　worse　than　that；　she　had　reckoned　without　John　Mayrant；　in　her　meddling　attempt　to　guide　his　affairs　in　the　way　that　she　believed　would　be　best　for　him；　she　forgot　that　the　boy　whom　she　had　brought　up　was　no　longer　a　child；　and　thus　she　unpardonably　ignored　his　rights　as　a　man。　And　now　Miss　Josephine's　disapproval　was　vindicated；　and　her　own　casuistry　was　doubly　punished。　Miss　Rieppe's　astute　journey　of　in…　vestigationfor　her　purpose　had　evidently　become　suspected　by　some　of　them　beforehandhad　forced　Miss　Eliza　to　disclose　the　truth　about　the　phosphates　to　her　nephew　before　it　should　be　told　him　by　the　girl　herself；　and　the　intolerable　position　of　apparent　duplicity　precipitated　two　wholly　inevitable　actions　on　his　part；　he　had　bou