poets who have flourished in the world, and the great number of
happy marriages among civilised mankind."

"It appears that I must have possessed imagination after all," said
Francis.

"If you will allow me to say it," said Caesar in his most suave
tones, and turning his heavy black eyes upon the king's face, "you
had too much. Had you possessed less imagination and more judgment,
you might many times have destroyed the Emperor Charles. To
challenge him to fight a duel was a gratuitous and very imaginative
piece of civility; to let him escape as you did more than once when
you could easily have forced an engagement on terms advantageous to
yourself, was unpardonable."

"I know it," said Francis, bitterly. "I was not Caesar."

"No, sir," said Johnson in loud, harsh tones, "nor were you happy
in your marriages--"

"I adore learned men," whispered Francis to Lady Brenda. He had at
once recovered his good humour.

"A fact that proves what I was saying, that the element of judgment
is necessary in the selection of a wife," continued the doctor.

"I think it is intuition which makes the right people fall in love
with each other," said Lady Brenda.

"Intuition, madam," replied Johnson, "means the mental view; as
you use it you mean a very quick and accurate mental view, followed
immediately by an unconscious but correct process of deduction. The
combination of the two, when they are nicely adjusted, constitutes
a kind of judgment which, though it be not always so correct in its
conclusions, as that exercised by ordinary logic, has nevertheless
the advantage of quickness combined with tolerable precision. For,
in matters of love, it is necessary to be quick."

"Who sups with the devil must have a long spoon," said Francis,
laughing.

"And he who hopes to entertain an angel must keep his house clean,"
returned the doctor.

"Do you believe that people always fall in love very quickly?"
asked Lady Brenda.

"Frequently, though not always. Love dominates quite as much
because its attacks are sudden and unexpected, as because most
persons believe that to be in love is a desirable state."

"Love," said Caesar, "is a great general and a great strategist, for
he rarely fails to surprise the enemy if he can, but he never