cific washes man is still true,--and woman is still
tender.'

'Perhaps I'd better wait and see, Mr Fisker.'

But this was not Mr Fisker's view of the case. There might be other
men desirous of being true on those golden shores. 'And then,' said
he, pleading his cause not without skill, 'the laws regulating woman's
property there are just the reverse of those which the greediness of
man has established here. The wife there can claim her share of her
husband's property, but hers is exclusively her own. America is
certainly the country for women,--and especially California.'

'Ah;--I shall find out all about it, I suppose, when I've been there a
few months.'

'But you would enter San Francisco, Miss Melmotte, under such much
better auspices,--if I may be allowed to say so,--as a married lady or
as a lady just going to be married.'

'Ain't single ladies much thought of in California?'

'It isn't that. Come, Miss Melmotte, you know what I mean.'

'Yes, I do.'

'Let us go in for life together. We've both done uncommon well. I'm
spending 30,000 dollars a year,--at that rate,--in my own house. You'll
see it all. If we put them both together,--what's yours and what's
mine,--we can put our foot out as far as about any one there, I guess.'

'I don't know that I care about putting my foot out. I've seen
something of that already, Mr Fisker. You shouldn't put your foot out
farther than you can draw it in again.'

'You needn't fear me as to that, Miss Melmotte. I shouldn't be able to
touch a dollar of your money. It would be such a triumph to go into
Francisco as man and wife.'

'I shouldn't think of being married till I had been there a while and
looked about me.'

'And seen the house! Well;--there's something in that. The house is all
there, I can tell you. I'm not a bit afraid but what you'll like the
house. But if we were engaged, I could do everything for you. Where
would you be, going into San Francisco all alone? Oh, Miss Melmotte, I
do admire you so much!'

I doubt whether this last assurance had much efficacy. But the
arguments with which it was introduced did prevail to a certain
extent. 'I'll tell you how it must be then,' she said.

'How shall it be?' and as he asked the question he jumped up and put
his arm round her waist.

'Not like that, Mr Fisker,' she said, withdrawing herself. 'It shall
be in this way. You may consider yourself engaged to me.'

'I'm the happiest man on this continent,' he said,