of the few men who can try the marriage experiment
with a fair chance of success."

With that he uncrossed his legs again, and looked hard at Arnold. Arnold
read the lesson, at last, in the right way. He gave up the hopeless
attempt to circumvent Sir Patrick, and--come what might of it--dashed at
a direct allusion to Sir Patrick's niece.

"That may be all very true, Sir, of some young ladies," he said. "There
is one I know of, who is nearly related to you, and who doesn't deserve
what you have said of the rest of them."

This was coming to the point. Sir Patrick showed his approval of
Arnold's frankness by coming to the point himself, as readily as his own
whimsical humor would let him.

"Is this female phenomenon my niece?" he inquired.

"Yes, Sir Patrick."

"May I ask how you know that my niece is not an adulterated article,
like the rest of them?"

Arnold's indignation loosened the last restraints that tied Arnold's
tongue. He exploded in the three words which mean three volumes in every
circulating library in the kingdom.

"I love her."

Sir Patrick sat back in his chair, and stretched out his legs
luxuriously.

"That's the most convincing answer I ever heard in my life," he said.

"I'm in earnest!" cried Arnold, reckless by this time of every
consideration but one. "Put me to the test, Sir! put me to the test!"

"Oh, very well. The test is easily put." He looked at Arnold, with the
irrepressible humor twinkling merrily in his eyes, and twitching sharply
at the corners of his lips. "My niece has a beautiful complexion. Do you
believe in her complexion?"

"There's a beautiful sky above our heads," returned Arnold. "I believe
in the sky."

"Do you?" retorted Sir Patrick. "You were evidently never caught in a
shower. My niece has an immense quantity of hair. Are you convinced that
it all grows on her head?"

"I defy any other woman's head to produce the like of it!"

"My dear Arnold, you greatly underrate the existing resources of the
trade in hair! Look into the shop-windows. When you next go to London
pray look into the show-windows. In the mean time, what do you think of
my niece's figure?"

"Oh, come! there can't be any doubt about _that!_ Any man, with eyes in
his head, can see it's the loveliest figure in the world."

Sir Patrick laughed softly, and crossed his legs again.

"My good fellow, of course it is! The loveliest figure in the world
is the commonest thing in the world. At a rough