He will make his mark; it will probably be a white one; I will subscribe to the adventure.
"You will excuse me, sir ?" he asked after a pause, dismounting, and noticing, as he did so, that Frowenfeld's knees showed recent contact with the turf; "I have, myself, some interest in two of these graves, sir, as I suppose--you will pardon my freedom--you have in the other four." He approached the old but newly whitened paling, which encircled the tree's trunk as well as the six graves about it.

There was in his face and manner a sort of impersonal human kindness, well calculated to engage a diffident and sensitive stranger, standing in dread of gratuitous benevolence or pity.
"Yes, sir," said the convalescent, and ceased; but the other leaned against the palings in an attitude of attention, and he felt induced to add: "I have buried here my father, mother, and two sisters,"-- he had expected to continue in an unemotional tone; but a deep respiration usurped the place of speech.

He stooped quickly to pick up his hat, and, as he rose again and looked into his listener's face, the respectful, unobtrusive sympathy there expressed went directly to his heart.
"Victims of the fever," said the Creole with great gravity.

"How did that happen ?" As Frowenfeld, after a moment's hesitation, began to speak, the stranger let go the bridle of his horse and sat down upon the turf.

Joseph appreciated the courtesy and sat down, too; and thus the ice was broken.
The immigrant told his story; he was young--often younger than his years--and his listener several years his senior; but the Creole, true to his blood, was able at any time to make himself as young as need be, and possessed the rare magic of drawing one's confidence without seeming to do more than merely pay attention.