ps they'll do for queer fish," said Mr. Probert with a
little conclusive sigh.

"Yes, let them pass at that. They'll surprise you."

"Not too much, I hope!" cried the old man, opening his volume again.

The complexity of things among the Proberts, it needn't nevertheless
startle us to learn, was such as to make it impossible for Gaston
to proceed to the celebration of his nuptial, with all the needful
circumstances of material preparation and social support, before some
three months should have expired. He chafed however but moderately under
this condition, for he remembered it would give Francie time to endear
herself to his whole circle. It would also have advantages for the
Dossons; it would enable them to establish by simple but effective arts
some modus vivendi with that rigid body. It would in short help every
one to get used to everything. Mr. Dosson's designs and Delia's took
no articulate form; what was mainly clear to Gaston was that his future
wife's relatives had as yet no sense of disconnexion. He knew that
Mr. Dosson would do whatever Delia liked and that Delia would like to
"start" her sister--this whether or no she expected to be present at the
rest of the race. Mr. Probert notified Mr. Dosson of what he proposed
to "do" for his son, and Mr. Dosson appeared more quietly amused than
anything else at the news. He announced in return no intentions in
regard to Francie, and his strange silence was the cause of another
convocation of the house of Probert. Here Mme. de Brecourt's bold front
won another victory; she maintained, as she let her brother know, that
it was too late for any policy but a policy of confidence. "Lord help
us, is that what they call confidence?" the young man gasped, guessing
the way they all had looked at each other; and he wondered how they
would look next at poor Mr. Dosson himself. Fortunately he could always
fall back, for reassurance, on the perfection of their "forms"; though
indeed he thoroughly knew that these forms would never appear so
striking as on the day--should such a day fatally come--of their
meddling too much.

Mr. Probert's property was altogether in the United States: he resembled
other discriminating persons for whom the only good taste in America was
the taste of invested and paying capital. The provisions he was engaging
to make for his son's marriage rendered advisable some attention, on the
spot, to interests with the management of which he was acquainted onl