The three heads bent forward towards a common centre--the Baronagog with suppressed excitement, Tulliwuddle revived with curiosity and agleam of hope, Essington impressive and cool."I take it," he began, "that if Mr. Darius P. Maddison and his coveteddaughter could see a little of Lord Tulliwuddle--meet him at lunch, talk tohim afterwards, for instance--and carry away a favorable impression of thenobleman, there would not be much difficulty in subsequently arranging amarriage?""Oh, none," said Tulliwuddle. "They'd be only too keen, IF theyapproved of me; but that's the rub, you know.""So far so good. Now it appears to me that our modest friend heresomewhat 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 mayactually prevent him from displaying himself to the greatest advantage,and since he has been good enough to declare that he would regard withcomplete confidence my own chances of success were I in his place, Iwould propose--with all becoming diffidence-- that _I_ should interviewthe 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 crackme up, and that sort of thing?""No; I mean that I should enjoy a temporary loan of your name and ofyour residence, and assure them by a personal inspection that I have asufficient assortment of virtues for their requirements.""Splendid!" shouted the Baron. "Tollyvoddle, accept zis generous offerbefore it is too late!""But," gasped the diffident nobleman, "they would find out the nexttime they saw me.""If the business is properly arranged, that would only be when youcame out of church with her. Look here--what fault have you to find with