After all others were gone one man still loitered furtively in the cemetery. He came, now, from an alley of arborvitaes with that fantastic elasticity of step which skilled drunkards learn. He had in hand a bunch of limp flowers of an unusual kind, which he had that day ridden all the way to Pulaski City to buy. He stood at the new grave's foot, sank to one knee, wiped true tears from his eyes, pressed apart the evergreens and chrysanthemums piled there, and laid in the midst his own bruised and wilted offering of lilies. As he reached the graveyard gate in departing his mood lightened. "An' now gen'le_men_," he said to himself, "is come to pa-ass the ve-y nick an' keno o' time faw a fresh staht. Frien' Gyarnit, we may be happy yit." He came up behind Fair and March. Fair was speaking of Fannie. "But where was she? I didn't see her." "Oh, she stayed at Rosemont to look after the house." "The General tells me his daughter is to be married to Mr. Ravenel in March." John gave an inward start, but was silent for a moment. Then he said, absently, "So that's out, is it?" But a few steps farther on he touched Fair's arm. "Let's go--slower." His smile was ashen. "I--h--I don't know why in the devil I have these sickish feelings come on me at f-funerals." They stopped. "Humph! Wha'd' you reckon can be the cause of it--indigestion?" Mr. Fair thought it very likely, and March said it was passing off already. "Humph! it's ridiculous. Come on, I'm all right now." The man behind them passed, looked back, stopped and returned. "Gen'le_men_, sirs, to you. Mr. Mahch, escuse me by pyo accident earwhilin' yo' colloquial terms. I know e'zacly what cause yo' sick transit. Yass, seh. Thass the imagination. I've had it, myseff." March stopped haughtily, Fair moved out of hearing, and Cornelius spoke low, with a sweet smile. "Yass, seh. You see the imagination o' yo' head is evil. You imaginin' somepm what ain't happm yit an' jiss like as not won't happm at all. But thass not why I seeks to interrup' you at this junction. "Mr. Mahch, I'm impudize to espress to you in behalfs o' a vas' colo'ed constituency--but speakin' th'oo a small ban' o' they magnates with me as they sawt o' janizary chairman--that Gen'l Halliday seem to be ti-ud o' us an' done paass his bes' dotage, an' likewise the groun's an' debasements on an' faw which we be proud to help you depopulate yo' lan's, yass, seh, with all conceivable ligislation thereunto." "What business is it of yours or your Blackland darkies what I do with my woods?" "Why, thass jess it! Whass nobody's business is ev'ybody's business, you know." March smiled and moved toward Fair. "I've no time to talk with you now, Leggett."