“Yes, however it hits me I’ve got to know it.”

“Well, after that, a year and half, I am born.  I grow up.  I ’ave brother’ and sizter’.  We all get marrie’, and they, they are scatter’ over the face of Louisiana.  But me, I’m the oldest and my father take great trouble in educating me to sugceed him in his businezz, and so I did, like you see.  And the same with Dubroca and with Castanado—­Ducatel he’s different he’s come into that antique businezz by his mizfortune and he’s—­oh, he’s all right only he’s not of the same inspiration to be of that li’l’ clique.  He’s up-town Creole and with the up-town Creole mind.  And those De l’Isle’ they also got a son, and Mme. Alexandre she have a very amiable daughter; and, laz’, not leazt, you know, those Chapdelaine’——­”

“I certainly do,” Chester murmured.

“Yes, assuredlie,” said Beloiseau.  “Well, now:  In those generation’ befo’ there was in Royal Street—­and Bourbon—­and Dauphine—­bisside’ crozz-street’—­so many of our—­I ignore the Englizh word for that—­our affinite, that our whole market of mat-rim-ony was not juz’ in one square of Royal; but presently, it break out like an epidemique, ammongs’ our chil’ren, to marry juz’ accrozz and accrozz the street; a Beloiseau to a Castanado, a Castanado to a Dubroca, and so forth—­even fifth!” The speaker smiled benignly.  “Hah! many year’ they work’ my geniuz hard to make iron candlestick’—­orig-in-al diz-ign—­for wedding-present’.  The moze of them, they marrie’ without any romanze, egcep’ what cann’ be av-oid’, inside the heart, when both partie’ are young, and in love together, and not rich neither deztitute.  But year biffo’ laz’ we have the romanze of that daughter of Mme. Alexandre and son of De l’Isle and son of Dubroca.”

“Is that Melanie, whom you all mention so often but whom I’ve never seen?”

“Yes.  Reason you don’t see her——­ But I’ll tell you that.  Mr. Chezter, that would make a beautyful story to go with those other’ in that book of Mlle. Aline—­but of co’se by changing those name’, and by preten’ing that happen’ at Hong Kong, or Chicago, or Bogota.  Presently ’tis too short, but you can easy mazk and coztume that in a splendid rhetorique till it’s plenty long enough.”

“H’mm!” said Chester, wondering at the artisan’s artlessness off his beaten track.  “Go on.”

“Well, she’s not beautyful, Melanie; same time she’s not bad-looking and she’s kindess of the kind, and whoever she love’—­her mother, for example—­and Mlle. Aline—­tha’z pretty touching, to see with what an inten-city she love’.

“Now, what I tell you, tha’z a very sicret bitwin you and me.  Biccause even those Dubroca’, pere and mere, and those De l’Isle’, pere and mere, they do’ know all that; and me I know that only from Castanado, who know’ it only from his wife; biccause she, she know’ it only from Mlle. Aline, and none of them know that I know egcep’ those Castanado’.