he science.

This led to the mention of my father, whose reputation had reached the
ears of Doctor Dulcifer. As he told me that, his daughter looked up--the
sun of beauty shone on me again! I touched next on my high connections,
and on Lady Malkinshaw; I described myself as temporarily banished from
home for humorous caricaturing, and amiable youthful wildness. She was
interested; she smiled--and the sun of beauty shone warmer than ever!
I diverged to general topics, and got brilliant and amusing. She
laughed--the nightingale notes of her merriment bubbled into my ears
caressingly--why could I not shut my eyes and listen to them? Her color
rose; her face grew animated. Poor soul! A little lively company was but
too evidently a rare treat to her. Under such circumstances, who would
not be amusing? If she had said to me, "Mr. Softly, I like tumbling," I
should have made a clown of myself on the spot. I should have stood on
my head (if I could), and been amply rewarded for the graceful exertion,
if the eyes of Alicia had looked kindly on my elevated heels!

How long I stayed is more than I can tell. Lunch came up. I eat and
drank, and grew more amusing than ever. When I at last rose to go, the
brown eyes looked on me very kindly, and the doctor gave me his card.

"If you don't mind trusting yourself in the clutches of Doctor Faustus,"
he said, with a gay smile, "I shall be delighted to see you if you are
ever in the neighborhood of Barkingham."

I wrung his hand, mentally relinquishing my secretaryship while I
thanked him for the invitation. I put out my hand next to his daughter,
and the dear friendly girl met the advance with the most charming
readiness. She gave me a good, hearty, vigorous, uncompromising shake.
O precious right hand! never did I properly appreciate your value until
that moment.

Going out with my head in the air, and my senses in the seventh heaven,
I jostled an elderly gentleman passing before the garden gate. I turned
round to apologize; it was my brother in office, the estimable Treasurer
of the Duskydale Institute.

"I have been half over the town looking after you," he said. "The
Managing Committee, on reflection, consider your plan of personally
soliciting public attendance at the hall to be compromising the dignity
of the Institution, and beg you, therefore, to abandon it."

"Very well," said I, "there is no harm done. Thus far, I have only
solicited two persons, Doctor and Miss Dulcifer,