riental
brass earlier than the ninth century of our era, I should regard your
description as, _a priori_, distinctly unlikely. However, I should
certainly like to have an opportunity of examining the bottle for myself
some day."

"Whenever you please, Professor. When can you come?"

"Why, I'm so much occupied all day that I can't say for certain when I
can get up to your office again."

"My own days will be fairly full now," said Horace; "and the thing's not
at the office, but in my rooms at Vincent Square. Why shouldn't you all
come and dine quietly there some evening next week, and then you could
examine the inscription comfortably afterwards, you know, Professor, and
find out what it really is? Do say you will." He was eager to have the
privilege of entertaining Sylvia in his own rooms for the first time.

"No, no," said the Professor; "I see no reason why you should be
troubled with the entire family. I may drop in alone some evening and
take the luck of the pot, sir."

"Thank you, papa," put in Sylvia; "but _I_ should like to come too,
please, and hear what you think of Horace's bottle. And I'm dying to see
his rooms. I believe they're fearfully luxurious."

"I trust," observed her father, "that they are far indeed from answering
that description. If they did, I should consider it a most
unsatisfactory indication of Horace's character."

"There's nothing magnificent about them, I assure you," said Horace.
"Though it's true I've had them done up, and all that sort of thing, at
my own expense--but quite simply. I couldn't afford to spend much on
them. But do come and see them. I must have a little dinner, to
celebrate my good fortune--it will be so jolly if you'll all three
come."

"If we do come," stipulated the Professor, "it must be on the distinct
understanding that you don't provide an elaborate banquet. Plain,
simple, wholesome food, well cooked, such as we have had this evening,
is all that is necessary. More would be ostentatious."

"My _dear_ dad!" protested Sylvia, in distress at this somewhat
dictatorial speech. "Surely you can leave all that to Horace!"

"Horace, my dear, understands that, in speaking as I did, I was simply
treating him as a potential member of my family." Here Sylvia made a
private little grimace. "No young man who contemplates marrying should
allow himself to launch into extravagance on the strength of prospects
which, for all he can tell," said the Professor, genially, "may