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nary　times；　which　is　a　chest　holding　proud　memories　of　blood　and　war。　And　then　there　are　the　three　churches。　Not　strong…boxes；　these；　but　shrines；　where　burn　the　venerable　lamps　of　faith。　And　of　these　three　houses　of　God；　that　one　holds　the　most　precious　flame；　the　purest　light；　which　treasures　the　holy　fire　that　came　from　France。　The　English　colonists；　who　sat　in　the　other　two　congregations；　came　to　Carolina's　soil　to　better　their　estate；　but　it　was　for　liberty　of　soul；　to　lift　their　ardent　and　exalted　prayer　to　God　as　their　own　conscience　bade　them；　and　not　as　any　man　dictated；　that　those　French　colonists　sought　the　New　World。　No　Puritan　splendor　of　independence　and　indomitable　courage　outshines　theirs。　They　preached　a　word　as　burning　as　any　that　Plymouth　or　Salem　ever　heard。　They　were　but　a　handful；　yet　so　fecund　was　their　marvelous　zeal　that　they　became　the　spiritual　leaven　of　their　whole　community。　They　are　less　known　than　Plymouth　and　Salem；　because　men　of　action；　rather　than　men　of　letters；　have　sprung　from　the　loins　of　the　South；　but　there　they　stand；　a　beautiful　beacon；　shining　upon　the　coasts　of　our　early　history。　Into　their　church；　then；　into　the　shrine　where　their　small　lamp　still　burns；　their　devout　descendant；　Mrs。　Weguelin　St。　Michael　led　our　party；　because　in　her　eyes　Kings　Port　could　show　nothing　more　precious　and　significant。　There　had　been　nothing　to　warn　her　that　Bohm　and　Charley　were　Americans　who　neither　knew　nor　loved　their　country；　but　merely　Americans　who　knew　their　country's　wealth　and　loved　to　acquire　every　penny　of　it　that　they　could。

And　so；　following　the　steps　of　our　delicate　and　courteous　guide；　we　entered　into　the　dimness　of　the　little　building；　and　Mrs。　Weguelin's　voice；　lowered　to　suit　the　sanctity　which　the　place　had　for　her；　began　to　tell　us　very　quietly　and　clearly　the　story　of　its　early　days。

I　knew　it；　or　something　of　it；　from　books；　but　from　this　little　lady's　lips　it　took　on　a　charm　and　graciousness　which　made　it　fresh　to　me。　I　listened　attentively；　until　I　felt；　without　at　first　seeing　the　cause；　that　dulling　of　enjoyment；　that　interference　with　the　receptive　attention；　which　comes　at　times　to　one　during　the　performance　of　music　when　untimely　people　come　in　or　go　out。　Next；　I　knew　that　our　group　of　listeners　was　less　compact；　and　then；　as　we　moved　from　the　first　point　in　the　church　to　a　new　one；　I　saw　that　Bohm　and　Charley　were　dropping　behind；　and　I　lingered；　with　the　intention　of　bringing　them　closer。

〃But　there　was　nothing　in　it；〃　I　heard　Charley's　slow　monologue　continuing　behind　me　to　the　silent　Bohm。　〃We　could　have　bought　the　Parsons　road　at　that　time。　'Gentlemen；'　I　said　to　them；　'what　is　there　for　us　in　tide…water　at　Kings　Port？　'〃

It　was　not　to　be　done；　and　I　rejoined　Mrs。　Weguelin　and　those　of　the　party　who　were　making　some　show　of　attention　to　her　quiet　little　histories　and　explanations；　and　Kitty's　was　the　next　voice　which　I　heard　ring　out

〃Oh；　you　must　never　let　it　fall　to　pieces！　It's　the　cunningest　little　fossil　I've　seen　in　the　South。〃

〃So；〃　said　Charley　behind　me；　〃we　let　the　other　crowd　buy　their　strategic　point；　and　I　guess　they　know　they　got　a　gold　brick。〃

I　moved　away　from　the　financiers；　I　endeavored　not　to　hear　their　words；　and　in　this　much　I　was　successful；　but　their　inappropriate　presence　had　got；　I　suppose　upon　my　nerves；　at　any　rate；　go　where　I　would　in　the　little　church；　or　attend　as　I　might　and　did　to　what　Mrs。　Weguelin　St。　Michael　said　about　the　tablets；　and　whatever　traditions　their　inscriptions　suggested　to　her；　that　quiet；　low；　persistent　banker's　voice　of　Charley's　pervaded　the　building　like　a　draft　of　cold　air。　Once；　indeed；　he　addressed　Mrs。　Weguelin　a　question。　She　was　telling　Beverly　（who　followed　her　throughout；　protectingly　and　charmingly；　with　his　most　devoted　attention　and　his　best　manner）　the　honorable　deeds　of　certain　older　generations　of　a　family　belonging　to　this　congregation；　some　of　whose　tombs　outside　had　borne　French　inscriptions。

〃My　mother's　family；〃　said　Mrs。　Weguelin。

〃And　nowadays；〃　inquired　Beverly；　〃what　do　they　find　instead　of　military　careers？〃

〃There　are　no　more　of　us　nowadays；　theythey　were　killed　in　the　war。〃

And　immediately　she　smiled；　and　with　her　hand　she　made　a　light　gesture；　as　if　to　dismiss　this　subject　from　mutual　embarrassment　and　pain。

〃I　might　have　known　better；〃　murmured　the　understanding　Beverly。

But　Charley　now　had　his　question。　〃How　many；　did　you　say？〃

〃How　many？〃　Mrs。　Weguelin　did　not　quite　understand　him。

〃Were　killed？〃　explained　Charley。

Again　there　was　a　little　pause　before　Mrs。　Weguelin　answered；　〃My　four　brothers　met　their　deaths。〃

Charley　was　interested。　〃And　what　was　the　percentage　of　fatality　in　their　regiments？〃

〃Oh；〃　said　Mrs。　Weguelin；　〃we　did　not　think　of　it　in　that　way。〃　And　she　turned　aside。

〃Charley；〃　said　Kitty；　with　some　precipitancy；　〃do　make　Mr。　Bohm　look　at　the　church！〃　and　she　turned　after　Mrs。　Weguelin。　〃It　is　such　a　gem！〃

But　I　saw　the　little　lady　try　to　speak　and　fail；　and　then　I　noticed　that　she　was　leaning　against　a　window…sill。

Beverly　Rodgers　also　noticed　this；　and　he　hastened　to　her。

〃Thank　you；〃　she　returned　to　his　hasty　question；　〃I　am　quite　well。　If　you　are　not　tired　of　it；　shall　we　go　on？〃

〃It　is　such　a　gem！〃　repeated　Kitty；　throwing　an　angry　glance　at　Charley　and　Bohm。　And　so　we　went　on。

Yes；　Kitty　did　her　best　to　cover　it　up；　Kitty；　as　she　would　undoubtedly　have　said　herself；　could　see　a　few　things。　But　nobody　could　cover　it　up；　though　Beverly　was　now　vigilant　in　his　efforts　to　do　so。　Indeed；　Replacers　cannot　be　covered　up　by　human　agency；　they　bulge；　they　loom；　they　stare；　they　dominate　the　road　of　life；　even　as　their　automobiles　drive　horses　and　pedestrians　to　the　wall。　Bohm；　roused　from　his　financial　torpor　by　Kitty's　sharp　command；　did　actually　turn　his　eyes　upon　the　church；　which　he　had　now　been　inside　for　some　twenty　minutes　without　noticing。　Instinct　and　long　training　had　given　his　eye；　when　it　really　looked　at　anything；　a　particular　glancethe　glance　of　the　Replacer　which　plainly　calculated：　〃Can　this　be　made　worth　money　to　me？〃　and　which　died　instantly　to　a　glaze　of　indifference　on　seeing　that　no　money　could　be　made。　Bohm's　eye；　accordingly；　waked　and　then　glazed。　Manners；　courtesy；　he　did　not　need；　not　yet；　he　had　looked　at　them　with　his　Replacer　glance；　and；　seeing　no　money　in　them；　had　gone　on　looking　at　railroads；　and　mines；　and　mills；and　bare　shoulders；　and　bottles。　Should　manners　and　courtesy　come；　some　day；　to　mean　money　to　him；　then　he　could　have　them；　in　his　fashion；　so　that　his　admirers　and　his　apologists　should　alike　declare　of　him；　〃A　rough　diamond；　but　consider　what　he　has　made　of　himself！〃

〃After　what；　did　you　say？〃　This　was　the　voice　of　Gazza；　addressing　Mrs。　Weguelin　St。　Michael。　It　must　be　said　of　Gazza　that　he；　too；　made　a　certain　presence　of　interest　in　the　traditions　of　Kings　Port。

〃After　the　revocation　of　the　Edict　of　Nantes；〃　replied　Mrs。　Weguelin。

〃Built　it　in　Savannah；〃　Charley　was　saying　to　Bohm；　〃or　Norfolk。　This　is　a　good　place　to　bury　people　in；　but　not　money。　Now　the　phosphate　proposition〃

Again　I　dragged　my　attention　by　force　away　from　that　quiet；　relentless　monologue；　and　listened　as　well　as　I　could　to　Mrs。　Weguelin。　There　had　come　to　be　among　us　all；　I　thinkBeverly；　Kitty；　Gazza；　and　myselfa　joint　impulse　to　shield　her；　to　cluster　about　her；　to　follow　her　steps　from　each　little　lecture　that　she　finished　to　the　new　point　where　the　next　lecture　began；　and　we　did　it；　performed　our　pilgrimage　to　the　end；　but　there　was　less　and　less　nature　in　our　performance。　I　knew　（and　it　was　like　a　dream　which　I　could　not　stop）　that　we　pressed　a　little　too　close；　that　our　questions　were　a　little　too　eager；　that　we　overprinted　our　faces　with　attention；　knowing　this　did　not　help；　nothing　helped；　and　we　went　on　to　the　end；　seeing　ourselves　doing　it；　and　it　must　have　been　that　Mrs。　Weguelin　saw　us　likewise。　But　she　was　truly　admirable　in　giving　no　sign；　she　came　out　well　ahead；　the　lectures　were　not　hurried；　one　had　no　sense　of　points　being　skipped　to　accommodate　our　unworthiness；　it　required　a　previous　familiarity　with　the　church　to　know　（as　I　did）　that　there　was；　indeed；　more　and　more　skipping；　yet　the　little　lady　played　her　part　so　evenly　and　with　never　a　falter　of　voice　nor　a　change　in　the　gentle　courtesy　of　her　manner；　that　I　do　not　thinksave　for　that　moment　at　the　window…sillI　could　have　been　sure　what　she　thought；　or　how　much　she　noticed。　Her　face　was　always　so　pale；　it　may　well　have　been　all　imagination　with　me　that　she　seemed；　when　we　emerged　at　last　into　the　light　of　the　street；　paler　than　usual；　but　I　am　almost　certain　that　her　hand　was　trembling　as　she　stood　receiving　the　thanks　of　the　party。　These　thanks　were　cut　a　little　short　by　the　arrival　of　one　of　the　automobiles；　and；　at　the　same　time；　the　appearance　of　Hortense　strolling　toward　us　with　John　Mayrant。

Charley　had　resumed　to　Bohm；　〃A　tax　of　twenty…five　cents　on　the　ton　is　nothing　with　deposits　of　this　richness；〃　when　his　voice　ceased；　and　looking　at　him　to　see　the　cause；　I　perceived　that　his　eye　was　on　John；　and　that　his　polished　finger…nail　was　running　meditatively　along　his　thin　mustache。

Hortense　took　the　matterw