CHAPTER VII
THE SATSUMA VASE
"Well, howdy to-day, Mis' Poteet!" exclaimed Mrs. Rucker as she cameacross her side yard and leaned over the Poteet fence right oppositethe Poteet back porch. "I brought you this pan of rolls to set awayfor Mr. Poteet's supper. When I worked out the sponge looked like mypride over 'em riz with the dough and I just felt bound to show 'emoff to somebody; I know I can always count on a few open mouths inthis here nest."
"That you can and thanky squaks, too, Mis' Rucker. I don't knowhowever I would feed 'em all if it wasn't for the drippings from yourkitchen," answered the placid and always improvident Mrs. Poteet asshe picked up Shoofly and came over to the fence, delighted at achance for a few minutes parley with the ever busy and practical Mrs.Rucker. She balanced the gingham-clad bunch on its own wobbly legsbeside her, while through the pickets of the fence in greeting werethrust the pink hands of Petie, the bond, who had followed in the wakeof his own maternal skirts. Shoofly responded to this attention with avery young feminine gurgle of delight and licked at the chubby fistthrust toward her like an overjoyed young kitten.
"Well, Monday is always a scrap day, so I try to kinder perk up myMonday supper. Singing in the quire twict on Sunday and too muchconfab with the other men on the store steps always kinder tires Mr.Rucker out so he can't hardly get about with his sciatica on Monday,and I have to humor him some along through the day. That were a mightygood sermon circuit rider preached last night."
"Yes, I reckon it were, but my mind was so took up with the way LouisaHelen flirted herself down the aisle with Bob on one side of her andMr. Crabtree on the other, I couldn't hardly get my mind down tolistening. And when she contrived Mr. Crabtree into the pew next toMis' Plunkett, as she moved down for 'em, I most gave a snort outloud. Didn't Mis' Plunkett look nice in that second mourning tucker ittook Louisa Helen and all of Sweetbriar to persuade her into?"
"Lou Plunkett is as pretty as a chiny aster that blooms in Septemberand what she's having these number-two conniptions over Mr. Crabtreefor is more than I can see. I look on a second husband as a gooddessert after a fine dinner and a woman oughter swallow one whenoffered without no mincing. I wouldn't make two bites of taking Mr.Crabtree after poor puny Mr. Plunkett if it was me. Of course therenever was such a man as Mr. Satterwhite, but he was always mightybusy, while Cal Rucker is a real pleasure to me a-setting around thehouse on account of his soft constitution. Mr. Satterwhite, I'mthankful to say, left me so well provided for that I can afford Mr.Rucker as a kind of play ornament."
"Yes, they ain't nothing been thought up yet to beat marrying,"answered Mrs. Poteet. "Now didn't Emma Satterwhite find a good chanctwhen Todd Crabtree married her and took her away after all that youngTucker Alloway doings? It were a kind of premium for flightiness, butI for one was glad to get her gone off'en Rose Mary's hands. Icouldn't a-bear to see her tending hand and foot a woman she werejilted for."
"Well, a jilt from some men saves a woman from being married with abrass ring outen a popcorn box, in my mind, and Tucker Alloway wereone of them kind of men. But talking about marrying, I'm kindertroubled in my mind about something, and I know I can depend on younot to say nothing to nobody. Mr. Gid Newsome stopped at my gate lastweek and got me into a kinder hinting chavering that have beena-troubling me ever since. Now that's where Mr. Rucker is such acomfort to me, he'll stay awake and worry as long as I have need of,while I wouldn't a-dared to speak to Mr. Satterwhite after he put outthe light. But this is about what I've pieced outen that talk with theSenator, with Cal's help. That mortgage he has got on the Briars aboutcovers it, like a double blanket on a single bed, and with theinterest beginning to pile up it's hard to keep the ends tucked in.The time have come when Mr. Tucker can't make it no more and somethinghas got to be done. But they ain't no use to talk about moving themold folks. I gather from a combination of what Mr. Gid looked and_didn't_ say that he were entirely willing to take over the place andmake some sorter arrangement about them all a-staying on just thesame. That'd be mighty kind of him."
"You don't reckon he'd do no such take-me-or-get-out co'ting to RoseMary, do you?" asked the soft-natured little Mrs. Poteet with alarmedsympathy in her blue eyes.
"Oh, no, he ain't that big a fool. Every man knows in marrying anunwilling woman he's putting himself down to eat nothing but scrapsaround the kitchen door. But I wisht Rose Mary could make up her mindto marry Mr. Newsome. She might as well, for in the end a woman can'ttell nothing about taking a man; she just has to choose a can of agood brand and then be satisfied, for they all season and heat upabout alike. I never gave him no satisfaction about talking hispraises to her, but I reckon I'm for the tie-up if Rose Mary can seeit that way." And Mrs. Rucker glanced along the Road toward RoseMary's milk-house with a kindly, though calculating matchmaking in herpractical eyes.
"I'm kinder for Mr. Mark," ventured the more sentimental Mrs. Poteetwith a smile. "He's as handsome as Rose Mary are, and wouldn't theyhave pretty--"
"Oh, shoo, I don't hold with no marrying outen the Valley for RoseMary! She's needed here and ain't got no call to gallivant off to NewYork and beyont with a strange man, beauty or no beauty. Besides she'spretty enough herself to hand it down even to the third and fourthgeneration. But I must go and see to helping Granny out on the sideporch in the sun. I never want to neglect her, for she's the onlychild poor Mr. Satterwhite left me. Now Mr. Rucker--Why there comesMis' Amandy down the front walk! Let's you and me go to meet her andsee what she wants. We can help her across the Road if she is a-goingto see anybody but us!" And with eager affection the two strong youngwomen with their babies in their arms hurried across the street inorder to serve if need be the delicate little old lady who, with hergray skirts fluttering and the little shawl streaming out behind, wascoming at her tottering full speed in that direction. In her hand sheheld carefully a bit of sheer, yellow, old muslin, and her brighteyes were beaming with delight as she met the two neighbors at thegate.
"It's the dress," she exclaimed, all out of breath and her sweetlittle voice all a-tremble. "Sister and me and Tucker were allbaptized in it when we were babies. Sister Viney has had me a-goingthrough boxes and bundles for it ever since little Tucker was namedfor us, and here it is! It's hand-made and fine linen, brought all theway from New York down to the city in a wagon before the railroad run.It's all the present we have got for little Tucker, but we thoughtmaybe--" And Miss Amanda paused with a shy diffidence in offering hergift.
"Gracious me, Miss Amandy, they didn't nothing ever happen to me likethis little dress being gave to one of my children. I am going to lethim be named in it and then keep it in the box with my Bible, where itwon't be disturbed for nothing," exclaimed Mrs. Poteet in a tone ofvoice that was tear-choking with reverence as she took the daintyyellow little garment into her hand. "And to think how you all havewored yourself out a-looking for it!" she further exclaimed.
"Oh, me and Sister Viney have had a good time a-going through things;we haven't seen some of them for thirty or forty years. We found theflannel petticoat Ma was a-making for me when she died over forty-fiveyears ago. The needle is a-sticking in it, and I'm a-going to finishit to wear next winter. I'll feel like it is a comfort for my old ageshe just laid by for me. I've got a little lace collar Ma's motherwore when she come over from Virginy, and it's in the very style now,so we're going to bleach it out to give to Rose Mary. Come on up tothe house with me and see it and set with Sister Viney a spell, can'tyou? She's got mighty sore joints this morning, though Rose Maryrubbed her most a hour last night" And in response to the eagerinvitation they all three went back up the front walk together. Thethrifty Mrs. Rucker cast a satisfied glance back towards her own sideyard, where upturned tub and drying wash were in plain view. Mrs.Poteet had put off the task of the wash until a later day of the weekand thus could make her visit with a mind unharrassed by the vision ofsuds boiling over on the stove and soap melting in the tub.
And there ensued several hours of complete absorption for the fourwomen clos
eted in Miss Lavinia's room in reviewing the events of thelast half century by means of the reminiscences which were inspired byone unearthed heirloom after another. Pete and Shoofly were happy onthe floor enveloping themselves and each other in long wisps ofmoth-eaten yarn that Miss Amandy had unearthed in a bureau drawer anddonated to their amusement. Mrs. Poteet had with her usual happyforgetfulness of anything but the very immediate occupation, lostsight of the fact that she had left young Tucker asleep on the bed inher room, which location, counting the distance across the two yardsand down the Road, was at least slightly remote from aid in case of asudden restoration to consciousness for the young sleeper.
And in the natural course of events the young Alloway namesake didawaken and gave lusty vent to a demand for human companionship, whichwas answered promptly by the General, who happened to be passing thefront gate in pursuits of his own. Finding the house deserted, withhis usual decision of action Stonie picked up the baby and kept on hisway, which led past the garden up the hill to the barn. Young Tuckeraccepted this little journey in the world with his usualimperturbability, and his sturdy little neck made unusual efforts tosupport his bald head over the General's shoulders as if in pride atbeing in the company of one of his peers and not in the usual femininethraldom.
Finding the barn also deserted, Stonie laid young Tucker on the strawin the barrel with two of Sniffer's sleeping puppies and began toattend to his errand, which involved the extraction of several long,stout pieces of string from a storehouse of his own under one of thefeed bins and the plaiting of them into the cracker of a whip which hehad brought along with him.
Down below the store the rest of the Swarm were busy marking out alarge circus ring and discussing with considerable heat theirindividual rights to the various star parts to be performed in thecoming exhibition. The ardors of their several ambitions were not atall dampened by the knowledge of the fact that the audience that wouldbe in attendance to witness their triumphs would in all probabilityconsist of only Granny Satterwhite, whom little Miss Amanda alwayscoaxed to attend in her company, with perhaps a few moments ofencouragement from Mr. Crabtree if he found the time. To which wouldalways be added the interested and jocular company of Mr. Rucker, whoalways came, brought a chair to sit in and stayed through the entireperformance. And in the talented aggregation of performers there wasof course just one role that could have been assumed by GeneralJackson, that of ringmaster; so to that end he sat on the floor of thebarn beside the sleeping puppies and young Tucker and plaited the lashby means of which he intended to govern the courses of his stars.
And it was here that Everett found him a few minutes later as hewalked rapidly up the milk-house path and stood in the barn door inevident hurried search for somebody or some thing.
"Hello, General," he said with a smile at the barrel full of sleepersat Stonie's side, "do you know where Rose Mary is?"
"Yes," answered the General, "she are in her room putting buttermilkon the five freckles that comed on her nose when she hoed out in thegarden without no sunbonnet. I found 'em all for her this morning, andshe don't like 'em. You can go on in and see if they are any betterfor her, I ain't got the time to fool with 'em now."
"Not for worlds!" exclaimed Everett as he sat down on an upturned peckmeasure in close proximity to the barrel. "Have you decided to haveMrs. Poteet and Mrs. Sniffer swap--er--puppies, Stonie?" he furtherremarked.
"No, I didn't," answered Stonie with one of his rare smiles which madehim so like Rose Mary that Everett's heart glowed within him. Stoniewas, as a general thing, as grave as a judge, with somethinghauntingly, almost tragically serious in his austere young face, buthis smiles when they came were flashes of the very divinity of youthand were a strange incarnation of the essence of Rose Mary's cousinlyloveliness. "He was crying because he was by hisself and I bringed himalong to wait till his mother came home. He belongs some to us,'cause he's named for Uncle Tuck, and I oughter pester with him sameas Tobe have to. It's fair to do my part."
"Yes, General, you always do your part--and always will, I think,"said Everett, as he looked down at the sturdy little chap so busy withhis long strings, weaving them over and over slowly but carefully. "Aman's part," he added as two serious eyes were raised to his.
"In just a little while I'll be a man and have Uncle Tucker and AuntViney and Aunt Amandy to be mine to keep care of always, Rose Mamiesays," answered Stonie in his most practical tone of voice as he beganto see the end of the long strings draw into his weaving of thecracker.
"What about Rose Mamie herself?" asked Everett softly, his voicethrilling over the child's name for the girl with reverent tenderness.
"When I get big enough to keep care of everything here I'm going tolet Rose Mamie get a husband and a heap of children, like Mis'Poteet--but I'm a-going to make 'em behave theyselves better'n Tobeand Peggie and the rest of 'em do. Aunt Viney says Mis' Poteet sparesthe rod too much, but I'll fix Rose Mamie's children if they don'tmind her and me." The General's mouth assumed its most commandingexpression as he glanced down at the little Poteet sleeping besidehim, unconscious of the fact that he was, in the future, to be thevictim of a spared rod.
"Stonie," asked Everett meekly, "have you chosen a husband for RoseMary yet?"
"No," answered Stonie as he wove in the last inch of string. Then hepaused and raised his eyes to Everett thoughtfully. "It's jest got tobe the best man in the world, and I'm a-going to find him for her. IfI can't I'll keep care of her as good as I can myself."
"General," said Everett as he held the child's eyes with a straightlevel compelling glance, "you are right--she must have only the best.And you 'keep care' until he comes. I am going away to-night and Idon't know when I can come back, but you must always--always 'keepcare' of her--until the good man comes. Will you?"
"I will," answered the General positively. "And if anybody of any kindbothers her or any of them I'll knock the stuffins outen 'em, andTobe'll help. But say," he added, as if suddenly inspired by abrilliant idea, "couldn't you look for him for me? You'd know the goodkind of a man and you could bring him here. I would give you one ofthe spotted puppies to pay for the trouble," and a hot wave engulfedEverett as the trustful friendly young eyes looked straight into hisas Stonie made this extremely practical business proposition.
"Yes, General, I will come and bring him to you, and when he comes hewill be the best ever--or he will have died in the attempt."
"All right," answered Stonie, completely satisfied with the terms ofthe bargain, "and you can take your pick of the puppies. Are you goingon the steam cars from Boliver?"
"Yes," answered Everett, "and I want to find your Uncle Tucker to askhim--"
"Well, here he is to answer all inquiries at all times," came in UncleTucker's quizzical voice as he stood in the doorway of the barn with abucket in one hand and a spade in the other. "Old age is just like ahobble that tithers up stiff-jinted old cattle to the home post andkeeps 'em from a-roving. I haven't chawed the rope and broke over toBoliver in more'n a month now. Did you leave Main Street a-runningeast to west this morning?"
"Yes," answered Everett, "still the same old Boliver. But I wanted tosee you right away to tell you that I have had a wire from the firmthat makes it necessary for me to get back to New York immediately. Imust catch that train that passes Boliver at midnight."
"Oh, fly away, you can't pick up and go like that!" exclaimed UncleTucker with alarmed remonstrance. "Such a hurry as that are unseemly.Good-byes oughter to be handled slowly and careful, like chiny, tosave smashed feelings. Have you told Rose Mary and the sisters?"
"No; I've just come back from Boliver, and I couldn't find Rose Mary,and Miss Lavinia and Miss Amanda had company. I must go on over to thenorth field while there is still light to--to collect some--someinstruments I--that is I may have left some things over there that Iwill need. I will hurry back. Will--you tell them all for me?" AsEverett spoke he did not look directly at Uncle Tucker, but his eyesfollowed the retreating form of the General, who, with the complete
dwhip, the nodding baby and the two awakened puppies was making his waydown Providence Road in the direction of the circus band. There was astrange controlled note of excitement in his voice and his handsgripped themselves around the handles of his kit until the nails wentwhite with the strain.
"Yes, I'll tell 'em," answered Uncle Tucker with a distressed quavercoming into his voice as he took in the fact that Everett's hurrieddeparture was inevitable. "I'm sorry you have got to go, boy, but I'llhelp you get off if it's important for you. I'll have them get yoursupper early and put up a snack for the train."
"I don't want anything--that is, it doesn't matter about supper. I--Iwill be back to see Miss Lavinia and Miss Amanda before they retire."And Everett's voice was quiet with a calmness that belied the lump inhis throat at the very mention of the farewell to be said to the twolittle old flower ladies.
"I'll go on and tell 'em now," said Uncle Tucker with an evenincreased gloom in his face and voice. "Breaking bad news to womenfolks is as nervous a work as dropping a basket of eggs; you never cantell in which direction the lamentations are a-going to spatter andspoil things. I'll go get the worst of the muss over before you getback."
"Thank you," answered Everett with both a laugh and a catch in hisvoice as they separated, he going out through the field and over thehill and Uncle Tucker along the path to the house.
And a little later Uncle Tucker found Rose Mary moving alone knee deepin the flowers and fruit of her beloved garden. For long moments shebent over the gray-green, white-starred bed of cinnamon pinks whichsent up an Arabian fragrance into her face as she carefully threadedout each little weed that had dared rear its head among the whiteblossoms. As she walked between the rows the tall lilies laid theirheads against her breast and kissed traces of their gold hearts on herhands and bare arms, while on the other side a very riot of blushpeonies crowded against her skirts. Long trails of pod-laden snapbeans tangled around her feet and a couple of round young squashesrolled from their stems at the touch of her fingers. She was the veryincarnation of young Plenty in the garden of the gods, and she reveledas she worked.
"Rose Mary," said Uncle Tucker as he came and stood beside her as shebegan to train the clambering butter-bean vines around their tallpoles, "young Everett has got to go on to New York to-night on thetrain from Boliver, and I told him you would be mighty glad to helphim off in time. I'd put him up a middling good size snack if I wasyou, for the eating on a train must be mighty scrambled like at best.We'll have to turn around to keep him from being late." And it wasthus broadside that the blow was delivered which shook the veryfoundations of Rose Mary's heart and left her white to the lips andwith hands that clutched at the bean vines desperately.
"When did he tell you?" she asked in a voice that managed to passmuster in the failing light.
"Just a little while ago, and the news hit Sister Viney so suddenlike it give her a bad spell of asthma, and Sister Amandy was sortercrying and let the jimson-weed smoke get in her mouth and choke her.They are a-having a kind of ruckus, with nobody but Stonie helping 'emput Sis' Viney to bed, so I reckon you'd better go in and see 'em.He's gone over to the north field to get a hammer or something he leftand will be back soon. Hurry that black pester up with the supper, I'mso bothered I feel empty," with which injunction Uncle Tucker leftRose Mary at the kitchen steps.
And it was a strenuous hour that followed, in which things were socrowded into Rose Mary's hands that the fullness of her heart had tobe ignored if she was to go on with them. After a time Miss Laviniawas eased back on her pile of pillows and might have dropped off tosleep, but she insisted on having her best company cap arranged on herhair and a lavender shawl put around her shoulders and thus in statetake a formal leave of the departing guest--alone. And it was fully ahalf hour before Everett came out of her room, and Rose Mary saw himslip a tiny pocket testament which had always lain on Miss Lavinia'stable into his inside breast pocket, and his face was serious almostto the point of exhaustion. The time he had spent in Miss Lavinia'sroom little Miss Amanda had busily occupied in packing the generous"snack," which Uncle Tucker hovered over and saw bestowed to hisentire satisfaction with the traps Everett had strapped up in hisroom. Stonie's large eyes grew more and more wistful, and after he andUncle Tucker retired with their good-byes all said he whispered toRose Mary that he wanted to say just one more thing to Mr. Mark.
Tenderly Everett bent over the cot until the blush rosebud that MissAmanda had shyly pinned in his buttonhole as her good-by before shehad retired, brushed the little fellow's cheek as he ran his arm underthe sturdy little nightgowned shoulders and drew him as close as hedared.
"Say," whispered Stonie in his ear, "if you see a man that would buySniffer's other two spotted pups I would sell 'em to him. I want toget them teeth for Aunt Viney. I could get 'em to him in a box."
"How much do you want for them?" asked Everett with a little gulp inhis voice as his heart beat against the arm of the young providerassuming his obligations so very early in life.
"A dollar a-piece, I guess, or maybe ten," answered Stonie vaguely.
"I'll sell them right away at your price," answered Everett. "I'll seethat Mr. Crabtree has them packed and shipped." He paused for amoment. He would have given worlds to have taken the two little dogswith him and have left the money with Stonie--but he didn't dare.
"And," murmured Stonie drowsily, "don't forget that good man for RoseMamie if you see him--and--and--" but suddenly he had drifted off intothe depths, thus abandoning himself to the crush of a hug Everett hadbeen hungry to give him.
And out in the starlit dusk he found Rose Mary sitting on the steps,freed at last, with her responsibilities all asleep--and before himthere lay just this one--good-by.
Silently he seated himself beside her and as silently lit his cigarand began to puff the rings out into the air. In the perfect flood ofperfume that poured around and over them and came in great gusts fromthe garden he detected a new tone, wild and woodsy, sweet with acurious tang and haunting in its alien and insistent note in therhapsody of odors.
"There's something new in bloom in your garden, Lady of the Rose?" heasked questioningly.
"Yes, it's the roses on the hedges coming out; don't they smell briaryand--good? Just this last night you will be able to carry away withyou a whiff of real sweetbriar. To-morrow the whole town will be inbloom. It is now I think if we could only see it." Rose Mary hadgained her composure and the poignant wistfulness in her voice was buta part of the motif of the briar roses in the valley dusk.
"I'll see it all right to-morrow and often. Sweetbriar--it's going toblind me so that I won't be able to make my way along Broadway.Everything hereafter will be located up and down Providence Road forme." Everett's voice held to a tone of quiet lightness and he bravelypuffed his rings of smoke out on the breezes.
"Perhaps some day you'll pass us again along the road to yourProvidence," said Rose Mary gently, and the wistful question was allthat her woman's tradition allowed her to ask--though her heart breakwith its pride.
"Some day," answered Everett, and underneath the quiet voice sounded asavage note and his teeth bit through his cigar, which he threw outinto the dew-carpeted grass. Just then there came from up under theeaves a soft disturbed flutter of wings and a gentle dove note wasanswered reassuringly and tenderly in kind.
"Rose Mary," he said as he turned to her and laid his hand on the stepnear her, "once you materialized your heart for me, and now I'm goingto do the same for mine to you. Yours, you say, is an old gabled,vine-clad, dove-nested country house, a shelter for the people youlove--and always kept for your Master's use. It is something just tohave had a man's road to Providence lead past the garden gate. I makeacknowledgement. And mine? I think it is like one of those squat,heathen, Satsuma vases, inlaid with distorted figures and symbols andtoned in all luridness of color, into which has been tossed a poorsort of flower plucked from any bush the owner happened to pass, whichhas been salted down in frivolity--or perhaps something stronger.I'll keep
the lid on to-night, for _you_ wouldn't like the--perfume."
"If you'd let me have it an hour I would take it down to themilk-house and empty and scrub it and then I could use it to poursweet cream into. Couldn't you--you leave it here--in Uncle Tucker'scare? I--I--really--I need it badly." The raillery in her voice was asdelicious and daring as that of any accomplished world woman out overthe Ridge. It fairly staggered Everett with its audacity.
"No," he answered, coolly disapproving, "no, I'll not leave it; youmight break it."
"I never break the crocks--I can't afford to. And women never breakmen's hearts; they do it themselves by keeping a hand on the treasureso as to take it back when they want it, and so between them both itsometimes gets--shattered."
"Very well, then--the lid's off to you--and remember you askedfor--the rummage, Rose Mary," answered Everett in a tone as light ashers. Then suddenly he rose and stood tall and straight in front ofher, looking down into her upraised eyes in the dusk. "You don't know,do you, you rose woman you, what a man's life can hold--ofnothingness? Yes, I've worked hard at my profession and thrown awaythe proceeds--in a kind of--riotous living. Other men's vast fortuneshave been built on my brains, and my next year I'm going to enter as apenniless thirty-niner. When I came South three months ago I drew thelast thousand dollars I had in bank, I have a couple of hundreds left,and that's all, out of over twenty thousand made in straight fees frommineral tests in the last year. Yes--a bit of riotous living. It'strue about those poor flowers plucked off frail stems off frailerbushes--but--if it hadn't been--a sort of fair play all around Iwouldn't stand here telling you about it, you in your hedge of briarroses. And now suddenly something has come into my life that makes meregret every dollar tossed to the winds and every cent burned in thefires--and in spite of it all I must make good. I'm going away fromyou and I don't know what is going to happen--but as I tell you fromnow on my feet do not stray from Providence Road, my eyes will turnfrom across any distance to catch a sight of the crown of old Harpeth,and my heart is in your milk-house to be of any kind of humble use.Ah, comfort me, rose girl, that I can not say more and that go I mustif I catch my train." And he stretched out his hands to Rose Mary asshe arose and stood close at his side, her eyes never leaving his andher lips parted with the quick breathing of her lifted breast.
"And you'll remember, won't you, when things go wrong, or you aretired, that the sunny corner in the old farm-house is yours? Always Ishall be here in Harpeth Valley with my nest in the Briars, andbecause you are gone I'll be lonely. But I won't be in the leastanxious, for whatever it is that calls you, I know you will give theright answer, because--because--well, aren't you one of my ownnesties, and don't I know how strong and straight your wings can fly?"
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