"And her father--what did he do?"

"Do? The Aldens are not people who 'do' things. The day after the news
came, he and General Wright walked arm and arm all over Yorkburg, and
their heads were high; but oh, my dear, it was pitiful. They didn't
know, but they were clinging to each other, and the Major's face was
like death."

"Didn't some one say he had been pretty strict with her? Held too tight
a rein?"

"Yes, he had, and he deserved part of his suffering. His pride was
inherited, and Mary could go with no one whose great-grandparents he
didn't know about. But Mary cared no more for ancestors than she did for
Hottentots. When she met this Mr. Cary, a young English actor, at a
friend's house in Baltimore, she made no inquiry as to whether he had
any, and fell in love at once. He was a gentleman, however. That was as
evident as Major Alden's rage when he went to see the latter, and asked
for Mary. Mrs. Rodman happened to be in the house at the time, and what
she didn't see she heard. She says the one thing you can't fool her
about is a counterfeit gentleman. And Ralston Cary was no counterfeit."

"For Heaven's sake, don't get on what Mrs. Rodman thinks or says. Tell
me about the marriage. I'm asking a lot of questions, but you're so
slow."

"I'm telling as fast as I can. You interrupt so much with questions I
can't finish." And Mrs. Moon's voice was real spunky.

"They were married in Washington," she began again. "The morning after