gate and joined them.

Andrew Genung was not generally liked. By many he was considered an aristocratic bigot. He never forgave an injury, nor forgot a kindness. A stern, uncompromising man, his life was governed by certain fixed rules of conduct which, in his estimation,28 were the only ones. But his word was as good as his bond, and the friendship which existed between him and De Vere stood the test of years.

28

The young man was presented as his nephew, Hernando Genung, from Nevada.

Celeste’s brown eyes met his blue ones frankly, but the pink flush of her cheeks deepened to brilliant red under the unconscious admiration in his face. Eletheer noted this and the sly wink she gave her sister made the latter’s face flame.

Mr. Genung was discussing the freshet: “Only four bridges left between here and Kingston.”

“Which ones are they?” Mr. De Vere inquired.

“The Port Ben bridge, the old covered bridge at Accord, the covered bridge at High Falls, and the Auchmmody bridge at Rosendale; down at the coal docks everything is swept away, one iron bridge is intact but the abutments are injured and a wide channel is dug around one end of the bridge; one pier29 has been destroyed at the Honk Falls bridge, but nothing short of deluge can reach the bridge.”

29

“Have you any news from Rosendale?” they asked.

“There is about a thousand feet of tow-path gone on the feeder level. The canal bridge and creek bridge with abutments are on the flats. The water is too high to tell how much damage is done. There are slides and other damages too numerous to mention. The canal is a total wreck.”

“Then the Berm[A] is the only road passable to Kingston,” said Mr. De Vere. “How did you manage to get here?”

[A] Berm. “The bank of a canal opposite the tow-path.”

“The road to Wawarsing is in bad condition but we managed to reach there by going across lots and so on to Port Ben, and from there we followed the Berm.”

It was late in the day, and as there was nothing they could do to help, the party went indoors. Mr. Genung and Hernando were wet to the skin, and Mrs. De Vere insisted30 on their clothes being changed; so they appeared arrayed in suits 

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