THE UPLIFTING OF THE SWORDS Iberville and Gering sat on with the tobacco and the wine.

The older men had joined the ladies, the governor having politely asked them to do so when they chose.

The other occupant of the room was Morris, who still stood stolidly behind his master's chair.
For a time he heard the talk of the two young men as in a kind of dream.
Their words were not loud, their manner was amicable enough, if the sharing of a bottle were anything to the point.

But they were sitting almost the full length of the table from him, and to quarrel courteously and with an air hath ever been a quality in men of gentle blood.
If Morris's eyesight had been better, he would have seen that Gering handled his wine nervously, and had put down his long Dutch pipe.

He would also have seen that Iberville was smoking with deliberation, and drinking with a kind of mannered coolness.