"That's a magnificent compliment--or meant to be!" said Marie Caton. Her eyes were dancing. "I wonder what you'd say if I said that charity--charity in your sense--is one of woman's worst weaknesses? Thank God Settlements, bad as they are, aren't charity!"
"Look at the view, Marie," said Elizabeth. "And, oh! feel that wind! Isn't it divine?"
"Winds blow from all four points at oncet up here," said the driver. "Ain't many people at the New Springs this summer. Fish don't bite, or everybody's gone to the World's Fair, or something or other! Ain't more'n forty people, countin' children."
"What kind of people are they? Do the women fish, too?"
"No, ma'am, not much. It's the husbands and brothers and fathers does the fishing mostly--though there's Mrs. Josslyn. _She_ fishes. The others just sit around in rocking-chairs, I reckon, and crochet. Them that has children looks after them, and them that hasn't listens to them that has. Then it's a fine air for the health; fine air and fine water. A lot of tired people come. Then there's others get into the habit of meeting friends here. Being on the border, as it were, it's convenient for more states than one. Colonel Ashendyne, for instance,--he comes because General Argyle and Judge Black and he made a pact in the war that if they lived through they'd spend a month together every two years until they died. They've kept it faithful, and because Judge Black's a great fisherman, and General Argyle likes the juleps they make here, and Colonel Ashendyne knew the place when he was a boy, they pitched on the New Springs. When they're here together, they're the three Kings.--Git up thar, Dandy!--This year the Colonel's got his daughter and granddaughter with him."
Laydon nodded, looking animated and handsome. "I know the Ashendynes. Indeed--but that is neither here nor there. The Ashendynes," he explained for the benefit of the two foreigners, "are one of our oldest families, with connections everywhere; not wealthy,--we have very little wealth, you know,--but old, very widespread and honoured. A number of them in the past were really famous. It might be said of the Ashendynes as it was said of an English family--'All the sons were brave and all the daughters virtuous.'"