"Come in, suh, and see the dearest woman in the world."

The next instant he burst in dressed in his gala combination,--white
waistcoat and cravat, the old coat thrown wide open as if to welcome
the world, and a bunch of red roses in his hand.

"Nancy, here's my dear friend Fitz, whom I have told you about,--the
most extraord'nary man of modern times. Ah, Major! you here? Came in
early, did you, so as to have aunt Nancy all to yo'self? Sit down,
Fitz, right alongside of her." And he kissed her hand gallantly. "Isn't
she the most delightful bit of old porcelain you ever saw in all yo'
bawn days?"

Miss Nancy rose, made another of her graceful courtesies, and begged
that neither of us would mind the colonel's raillery; she never could
keep him in order. And she laughed softly as she gave her hand to Fitz,
who touched it very much as if he quite believed the colonel's reference
to the porcelain to be true.

"There you go, Nancy, 'busin' me like a dog, and here I've been
a-trampin' the streets for a' hour lookin' for flowers for you! You
are breakin' my heart, Miss Caarter, with yo' coldness and contempt.
Another word and you shall not have a single bud." And the colonel
gayly tucked a rose under her chin with a loving stroke of his hand,
and threw the others in a heap on her lap.

"Breakfast sarved, mistress," said Chad in a low voice.

The colonel gave his arm to his aunt with the air of a courtier; Fitz
and I disposed ourselves on each side; Chad, with reverential mien,