He had ridden alone to Fontenoy; his brother, who had business in Charlottesville, promising to join him later in the evening.

Mr.Ned Hunter, too, was at Fontenoy, and he also would have been leaning over the harpsichord but for the fact that Colonel Dick had fastened upon him and was demonstrating with an impressive forefinger the feasibility of widening into a highway fit for a mail-coach a certain forest track running over the mountains and through the adjoining county.

They stood upon the hearth, and Mr.Hunter could see Miss Dandridge only by much craning of the neck.

"Yes, yes," he said vaguely, "it can easily be widened, sir." Major Churchill, playing Patience at the small table, raised his head like a war-horse.

"Nonsense! widen on one side and you will fall into the river; on the other, and a pretty cliff you'll have to climb! You could as well widen the way between Scylla and Charybdis--or Mahomet's Bridge to Paradise--or Thomas Jefferson's Natural Bridge! Pshaw!" He began to build from the five of clubs.
"A detour can be made," said Colonel Dick.
"Around the Blue Ridge ?" asked the Major scornfully.