ced in silence.
My admirable friend alone possessed his composure. He sent out, on the
spot, for a bottle of wine."

"Can I say a word to you in private, Mr. Obenreizer?"

"Assuredly." He turned to Madame Dor. "My good creature, you are
sinking for want of repose. Mr. Vendale will excuse you."

Madame Dor rose, and set forth sideways on her journey from the stove to
bed. She dropped a stocking. Vendale picked it up for her, and opened
one of the folding-doors. She advanced a step, and dropped three more
stockings. Vendale stooping to recover them as before, Obenreizer
interfered with profuse apologies, and with a warning look at Madame Dor.
Madame Dor acknowledged the look by dropping the whole of the stockings
in a heap, and then shuffling away panic-stricken from the scene of
disaster. Obenreizer swept up the complete collection fiercely in both
hands. "Go!" he cried, giving his prodigious handful a preparatory swing
in the air. Madame Dor said, "Mon Dieu," and vanished into the next
room, pursued by a shower of stockings.

"What must you think, Mr. Vendale," said Obenreizer, closing the door,
"of this deplorable intrusion of domestic details? For myself, I blush
at it. We are beginning the New Year as badly as possible; everything
has gone wrong to-night. Be seated, pray--and say, what may I offer you?
Shall we pay our best respects to another of your noble English
institutions? It is my study to be, what you call, jolly. I propose a
grog."

Vendale declined the grog with all needful respect for that noble
institution.

"I wish to speak to you on a subject in which I am deeply interested," he
said. "You must have observed, Mr. Obenreizer, that I have, from the
first, felt no ordinary admiration for your charming niece?"

"You are very good. In my niece's name, I thank you."

"Perhaps you may have noticed, latterly, that my admiration for Miss
Obenreizer has grown into a tenderer and deeper feeling--?"

"Shall we say friendship, Mr. Vendale?"

"Say love--and we shall be nearer to the truth."

Obenreizer started out of his chair. The faintly discernible beat, which
was his nearest approach to a change of colour, showed itself suddenly in
his cheeks.

"You are Miss Obenreizer's guardian," pursued Vendale. "I ask you to
confer upon me the greatest of all favours--I ask you to give me her hand
in marriage."

Obenreizer dropped back into his chair. "Mr. Vendale," he said, "you
petrify