“Well! sinze chilehood those three—­Melanie, De l’Isle, Dubroca,—­they are playmate’ together, and Dubroca he’s always call’ Melanie his swit-heart.  But De l’Isle, no.  Always biffo’, those De l’Isle they are of the, eh, the beau monde and though li’l’ by li’l’ losing their fortune, keeping their frien’, some of them rich, yet still ad the same time nize people.  And that young De l’Isle he’s a good-looking, well-behave’, ambitiouz, and got—­what you call—­dash!

“That was the condition when they are all graduate’ from school and go each into his o’cupation, or hers, up to the eyebrow’.  Melanie and Mlle. Aline they work’ with Mme. Alexandre, though not precizely together, biccause Melanie she show’ only an ability to keep those account’ and to assist keeping shop, whiles Mlle. Aline she rimain’ always up-stair’ employing that great talent tha’z too valu’ble to be interrupt’.”

“Doesn’t she keep the books now?”

“Yes, but tha’z only to assist Melanie whiles Melanie she’s, eh, away.  Dubroca he go’ into businezz with his father, likewise Castanado with his father, but De l’Isle he’s made a secretary in City-hall.  So he have mo’ time than those other’ and he go’ oft-en into society, and he get those manner’ and cuztom’ of society.  And then that young Dubroca biggen very plain to pay his intention’ to Melanie, and we are all pretty glad to notiz that, biccause whiles he don’t got that dash of De l’Isle, he’s modess, yet still brave to a perfegtion; and he’s square and got plenty sense, and he’s steady and he’s kind.  Every way they are suit’ to each other and we think—­if that poor old rue Royale con-tinue to run down, that will even be good to join those two businezz’ together.  And bisside’, sinze a li’l’ shaver Dubroca he ain’t never love nobody else, only Melanie.

“But also De l’Isle, like Dubroca, he was always pretty glad of every egscuse to drop in there at Mme. Alexandre and pass word with Melanie.  ’Twas easy to see ’tis to Mlle. Aline he’s in love and he come talk to Melanie biccause tha’z the nearess he can reach to Mlle. Aline egcep’ juz’ saying good-day whiles passing on street or at church door.  Oh, he behave the perfec’ gen’leman, and still tha’z one reason she get that li’l’ ’Ector.  Yes, we all see that, only Melanie she don’t.  So Mlle. Aline she ezcape’ him all she could, but, with that dash he’s got, he persevere’ to hang on.  And tha’z the miztake they both did, him and Melanie, in doing that American way, keeping that to themselve’ instead of—­French way—­telling their parent’.

“Then another thing tranzpire’.  My son and that son of Castanado bigin, both—­but that come’ mo’ later.  Any’ow one day Melanie she bring Mlle. Aline a note from De l’Isle sol-iciting if she and Melanie will go at matinee with him and Dubroca.  And when mademoiselle bigin to make egscuse’ Melanie implore’ her to go, biccause Mme. Alexandre say no Creole girl cann’ go juz’ with one man, or even with two.  ’And mamma she’s right,’ Melanie say—­with tear’,—­’even in that Am’erican way they got a limit, and same time I’m perishing to go!’