"Well, all I know is, I had a deplorable letter last mail from your poor mother." The young man turned his head away, his cigarette still poised at his lips. "Yes, I know--mother's awfully down." "Well, certainly your mother was never meant for a poor woman," said the General, with energy. "She takes it uncommonly hard." Roger, with face still averted, showed no inclination to discuss his mother's character on these lines. "However, she'll get along all right, if you do your duty by her," added the General, not without a certain severity. "I mean to do it, sir." Barnes rose as he spoke. "I should think we're getting near Mount Vernon by this time. I'll go and look." He made his way to the outer deck, the General following. The old soldier, as he moved through the crowd of chairs in the wake of his nephew, was well aware of the attention excited by the young man. The eyes of many damsels were upon him; and, while the girls looked and said nothing, their mothers laughed and whispered to each other as the young Apollo passed. Standing at the side of the steamer, the uncle and nephew perceived that the river had widened to a still more stately breadth, and that, on the southern bank, a white building, high placed, had come into view. The excursionists crowded to look, expressing their admiration for the natural scene and their sense of its patriotic meaning in a frank, enthusiastic chatter, which presently enveloped the General, standing in a silent endurance like a rock among the waves. "Isn't it fine to think of his coming back here to die, so simply, when he'd made a nation?" said a young girl--perhaps from Omaha--to her companion. "Wasn't it just lovely?" Her voice, restrained, yet warm with feeling, annoyed General Hobson. He moved away, and as they hung over the taffrail he said, with suppressed venom to his companion: "Much good it did them to be 'made a nation'! Look at their press--look at their corruption--their divorce scandals!" Barnes laughed, and threw his cigarette-end into the swift brown water. "Upon my word, Uncle Archie, I can't play up to you. As far as I've gone, I like America and the Americans." "Which means, I suppose, that your mother gave you some introductions to rich people in New York, and they entertained you?" said the General drily. "Well, is there any crime in that? I met a lot of uncommonly nice people." "And didn't particularly bless me when I wired to you to come here?" The young man laughed again and paused a moment before replying. "I'm always very glad to come and keep you company, Uncle Archie."