ommon.

"I like him too," said the Duke. "He is a gentleman. Why don't you do
your hair like the American women--all fuzzy, over your eyes? I should
think it would be much less trouble."

"It's not neat," said her ladyship, still looking into the glass. Then
suddenly, "Do you know what I think?"

"Well?"

"I believe Mr. Barker would like to marry Margaret himself."

"Pshaw! Victoria, don't talk nonsense. Who ever heard of such a thing!
The Duke rose and walked once up and down the room; then he sat down
again in the same place. He was not pleased at the suggestion.

"Why is it such nonsense?" she asked.

"Any number of reasons. Besides, she would not have him."

"That would not prevent him from wishing to marry her."

"No, of course not, but--well, it's great stuff." He looked a little
puzzled, as if he found it hard to say exactly why he objected to the
idea.

"You would be very glad if Claudius married her, would you not?" asked
his sister.

"Glad--I don't know--yes, I suppose so."

"But you pretend to like Mr. Barker a great deal more than you like
Doctor Claudius," said she argumentatively.

"I know him better," said the Duke; "I have known Barker several years."

"And he is rich--and that, and why should he not think of proposing to
Margaret?"

"Because--well I don't know, but it would be so deuced inappropriate,"
in which expression the honest-hearted Englishman struck the truth,
going for it with his head down, after the manner of his people.

"At first he was very nice," said Lady Victoria, who had gained a point,
though for what purpose she hardly knew; "but after a while he began to
say disagreeable things. He hinted in all sorts of ways that Claudius
was not exactly a gentleman, and that no one knew where he came from,
and that he ought not to make love to Margaret, and so on, till I wanted
to box his ears;" and she waxed warm in her wrath, which was really due
in great part to the fact that Mr. Barker was personally not exactly to
her taste. If she had liked him she would have thought differently of
the things he said. But her brother was angry too by this time, for he
remembered a conversation he had had with Barker on the same topic.

"I told Barker once that Claudius was a gentleman, every inch of him,
and I should think that was enough. As if I did not know--it's too bad,
upon my word!" And the ducal forehead reddened angrily. The fact was
that both he and his sister had taken an una