well withhold my consent. When will you begin?"

"Now."

"And how?"

"How should I begin," said he, a smile on his face, and the light
dancing in his eyes, "except by making myself the first convert?"

Margaret was used enough to pretty speeches, in earnest and in jest, but
she thought she had never heard any one turn them more readily than the
yellow-bearded student.

"And Mr. Barker," she asked, "will you convert him?"

"Can you look at him at this moment, Countess, and say you really think
he needs it?"

She glanced at the pair on the bench, and laughed again, in the air,
for it was apparent that Mr. Barker had made a complete conquest of Miss
Skeat. He had led the conversation about tribes to the ancient practices
of the North American Indians, and was detailing their customs with
marvellous fluency. A scientific hearer might have detected some
startling inaccuracies, but Miss Skeat listened with rapt attention.
Who, indeed, should know more about Indians than a born American who had
travelled in the West?

The Countess turned the conversation to other subjects, and talked
intelligently about books. She evidently read a great deal, or rather
she allowed Miss Skeat to read to her, and her memory was good. Claudius
was not behind in sober criticism of current literature, though his
reading had been chiefly of a tougher kind. Time flew by quickly, and
when the two men rose to go their visit had lasted two hours.

"You will report the progress of your conquest?" said the Countess to
Claudius as she gave him her hand, which he stooped to kiss in the good
old German fashion.

"Whenever you will permit me, Countess," he said.

"I am always at home in the middle of the day. And you too, Mr. Barker,
do not wait to be asked before you come again. You are absolutely the
only civilised American I know here."

"Don't say that, Countess. There is the Duke, who came with me
yesterday."

"But he is English."

"But he is also American. He owns mines and prairies, and he emigrates
semi-annually. They all do now. You know rats leave a sinking ship, and
they are going to have a commune in England."

"Oh, Mr. Barker, how can you!" exclaimed Miss Skeat.

"But I am only joking, of course," said he, and pacified her. So they
parted.

Mr. Barker and Claudius stood on the front door-step, and the former lit
a cigar while the carriage drove up.

"Doctor," said he, "I consider you the most remarkable man of my
acquaint