We sat and looked up the lane which wound on to the big Sheraton house, and up the red road which led from their farm over toward our lands, the John Cowles farm, which had been three generations in our family as against four on the part of the Sheratons' holdings; a fact which I think always ranked us in the Sheraton soul a trifle lower than themselves.
We were neighbors, Miss Grace and I, and as I lazily looked out over the red road unoccupied at the time by even the wobbling wheel of some negro's cart, I said to her some word of our being neighbors, and of its being no sin for neighbors to exchange the courtesy of a greeting when they met upon such a morning.

This seemed not to please her; indeed I opine that the best way of a man with a maid is to make no manner of speech whatever before or after any such incident as this.
"I was just wandering down the lane," she said, "to see if Jerry had found my horse, Fanny." "Old Jerry's a mile back up the road," said I, "fast asleep under the hedge." "The black rascal!" "He is my friend," said I, smiling.
"You do indeed take me for some common person," said she; "as though I had been looking for--" "No, I take you only for the sweetest Sheraton that ever came to meet a Cowles from the farm yonder." Which was coming rather close home, for our families, though neighbors, had once had trouble over some such meeting as this two generations back; though of that I do not now speak.
"Cannot a girl walk down her own carriage road of a morning, after hollyhocks for the windows, without--" "She cannot!" I answered.

I would have put out an arm for further mistreatment, but all at once I pulled up.

What was I coming to, I, John Cowles, this morning when the bees droned fat and the flowers made fragrant all the air?
I was no boy, but a man grown; and ruthless as I was, I had all the breeding the land could give me, full Virginia training as to what a gentleman should be.

And a gentleman, unless he may travel all a road, does not set foot too far into it when he sees that he is taken at what seems his wish.