y, and then suddenly changed your mind. What happened in the
interval?"

"If you're quite determined to thrash the matter out," said Meldon,
"the best way will be to get at the main point at once. Everything
will come easier to us after we have that settled. Have you any
objection to our proposal?"

"What proposal?"

"Come now. I know that it's quite the correct thing for judges to ask
ridiculous and silly questions, affecting not to know what everybody in
the world knows quite well. There was one the other day--I don't think
it was you--who inquired quite solemnly what a 'bike' was; and I
recollect another--it was in a horse-racing case--who pretended not to
know the meaning of the phrase 'two to one on.' I don't profess to
understand why you all do that kind of thing, but I'm willing to
suppose that there's some good reason for it. I daresay it's what's
called a legal fiction, and is an essential part of the machinery by
which justice is administered. If so, it's all right in its proper
place; but what on earth is the good of keeping it up out of court?
Sitting here on the bank of a west of Ireland river, with a large
salmon lying dead at our feet, it really is rather absurd to ask me
what proposal."

"I merely wanted," said the judge, "to make quite sure--"

"You were quite sure. You couldn't have had the slightest doubt in
your mind. You yourself began the discussion about Miss King's chances
of marrying--"

"I said your friend's chances of marrying Miss King."

"It doesn't in the least matter which you said. The point just now is
that you knew perfectly well what I meant when I spoke of the proposal
at present under discussion."

"Has he proposed yet?"

"No, but he will this afternoon; and what I want to get at is whether
you're going to put a stop to the marriage or not."

"I, really-- Miss King is, I think, quite able to manage her own
affairs; and I shouldn't in any case care to interfere, beyond offering
advice in case your friend should turn out to be an obviously
unsuitable person."

"That's all right. I can't expect you to say more than that. I knew
all along that you didn't want to have the thing put to you at the
point of the bayonet. You'll recollect that I had no wish to force it
on you."

"You mustn't suppose," said the judge, "that I'm in any way committed
to a definite support--"

"Certainly not," said Meldon. "A man in your position couldn't. I
thoroughly understan