"I am glad dat cotton in de pile is saved, yas. 'T is not de first time de ol' city has fought a battle wid cotton-bales to help, eh, Felix? All doze foundation bales dey belong to Harold Le Duc. He _con_tribute dem, an' make no condition. All dat trash on top de cotton, it catch de tar; so to-morrow we dig it out clean an' give it to him again--an'--an'-- "Well--" He looked at his watch again, keeping his eyes upon it for a moment before he ventured, in a lower tone: "Well, I say, Felix, my boy, w'at _you_ say?" "I di'n' spoke. W'at you say yourself, Adolphe?" "'Well,'--dat's all I said; jus' 'well.' _Mais_ I di'n' finish. I _beg_in to say, I--Well, I was just t'inking. You know to-night it is de _las'_ opera--don't you forget. No danger to make a _habit_ on a _las' night_; ain't dat true? For w'y you don't say somet'ing?" "Ah-h-h! Talk, ol' man! I am listening." Felix looked at his watch now. "An' may_be_ I am t'inking a li'l' bit, too. _Mais_ go on." "Well, I am t'inking of doze strange ladies. I am _sure_ dey had many vacant box to-night. Don't you t'ink dey need a little encouragement--not to leave New Orleans wid dat _im_pression of neglect? We don't want to place a stigma upon de gay ol' town. My carriage is here, an' it is yet time. One hour, an' we will forget all dis trouble. I need me some champagne myself." Felix chuckled and shrugged his shoulders. "Ah-h-h! Yi! An' me, too, Adolphe. I tol' you I was t'inking also. _Mais_ let us sen' de good news home, an' let doze women off deir knees an' go to bed. My mud'-in-law she is de devil for prayin', an' she is poody stout, po' t'ing! "We telegram it. Tell dem deir prayers are answered--de water is down--" "An' our spirits are up, eh? An' we will be home in de morning, _w'en de valuable debris is removed_." Felix laughed and touched his friend in the ribs. "You are one devil, Adolphe. _Mais_ we mus' be good to our women." "Sure! I am going to return dat compliment you paid me jus' now. You say I am one devil, eh? _Bien!_ An' in response, I say, Felix, you are one _saint_. You hear me! I say, one _saint_--_un_canonized! Any man dat will telegram a message to save his rich mud'-in-law from maybe sudden apoplexy, he is one saint, _sure_! _Mais_ you are right. We mus' be good to our women. A happy wife is a joy forever!" He laughed again as he added: "_Mais_ de debris! Yi, yi! Dat make me smile. You ricollec' de las' debris, w'en Ma'm'selle Koko--" "Ah, yes, Felix! Sure, I remember. I paid, me, I know, one good round sum for my share. Dat was one terrible smash-up. Two dozen champagne-glass; one crystal decanter; one chandelier, also crystal, every light on it broke, so we had to put off de gas; an'--well, de devil knows w'at else.