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:--