The three heads bent forward towards a common centre--the Baron
agog with suppressed excitement, Tulliwuddle revived with curiosity and a
gleam of hope, Essington impressive and cool.
"I take it," he began, "that if Mr. Darius P. Maddison and his coveted
daughter could see a little of Lord Tulliwuddle--meet him at lunch, talk to
him afterwards, for instance--and carry away a favorable impression of the
nobleman, there would not be much difficulty in subsequently arranging a
marriage?"
"Oh, none," said Tulliwuddle. "They'd be only too keen, IF they
approved of me; but that's the rub, you know."
"So far so good. Now it appears to me that our modest friend here
somewhat underrates his own powers of fascination"
"Ach, Tollyvoddle, you do indeed," interjected the Baron.
"But since this idea is so firmly established in his mind that it may
actually prevent him from displaying himself to the greatest advantage,
and since he has been good enough to declare that he would regard with
complete confidence my own chances of success were I in his place, I
would propose--with all becoming diffidence-- that _I_ should interview
the lady and her parent instead of him."
"A vary vise idea, Bonker," observed the Baron.
"What!" said Tulliwuddle. "Do you mean that you would go and crack
me up, and that sort of thing?"
"No; I mean that I should enjoy a temporary loan of your name and of
your residence, and assure them by a personal inspection that I have a
sufficient assortment of virtues for their requirements."
"Splendid!" shouted the Baron. "Tollyvoddle, accept zis generous offer
before it is too late!"
"But," gasped the diffident nobleman, "they would find out the next
time they saw me."
"If the business is properly arranged, that would only be when you
came out of church with her. Look here--what fault have you to find with |
