"You are doubtless right. I've observed that temperamental peculiarity in the Northern men I've met. At the University there was a young man from Boston who became my chum under rather peculiar circumstances, and I studied him closely. Because of a certain delicacy of constitution which rendered your Boston winters dangerous to his health, he was sent to the University of Virginia instead of Harvard. He didn't know our ways, and as a 'Yankee'--you know how unjustly that word has come to have evil significance with us--he was a good deal shunned, and things were said, and--well, it so came about that he and I became chums and occupied a room together on the lawn." "Yes, I know," she answered dreamily, as if recalling a story. "But you are suppressing the truth, Mr. Westover." In an astonishment that well nigh made him spring from his chair, he asked: "How do you know that?" "Our hostess is rising," she replied with a calm dignity that was fascinating to the young man. "We ladies must leave you gentlemen to your wine and cigars." "I do not take wine," he replied, "and as for cigars I shall gladly give them up in favor of a further conversation with you. If you permit, I will quit the table with you." "There!" she exclaimed. "That's one of the 'thousand' things I spoke of. In Virginia you gentlemen manifest a certain deference toward women that I have seen nowhere else. It is gallantly protective, respectfully, not servilely submissive, a tribute of strength to weakness which carries with it no reflection upon the weakness, and to women it is the most fascinating thing imaginable. I've expressed it lamely, but--" and with that she took a handful of cigars from the passing box and added: "At any rate your courtesy to me shall not cost you your smoke. We won't go into the drawing room, but into the porch. The day is mild, and I want to tell you that story." "Tell me first," he said as they passed into the porch, "how you happen to know anything about it." "It is simple enough. I've heard my brother tell the story with enthusiasm many, many times." "Your brother?" "Yes. Holmes Wentworth is my elder brother. My mother was married twice, you know." "I see. I didn't know. If I had known--" "If you had known you wouldn't have spoken of the matter at all. And as it was, you were suppressing all the interesting facts. Now I'm going to relate them according to the gospel of Holmes Wentworth. In a debating society one night he expressed some opinions that gave offence to certain of the students, and some proposal of censure was made and hotly advocated. You opposed it, declaring that debate without absolute free speech must be a mockery. Your impassioned utterance won approval, and the resolution was voted down with only three or four men voting for it. They were not Virginians and--"