become engaged to a young man of whom you know nothing whatsoever?"

Adelaide looked extremely languid, one of her methods of showing
annoyance.

"Really, Papa," she said, "the fact that he has come once to pay an
afternoon visit to Mathilde does not, it seems to me, make an engagement
inevitable. My child is not absolutely repellent, you know, and a good
many young men come to the house." Then suddenly remembering that her
oracle had already spoken on this subject, she asked more humbly, "What
was it made you say he was in love, Vin?"

"Just an impression," said Farron.

Mr. Lanley had been thinking it over.

"It was not the custom in my day," he began, and then remembering that
this was one of his sister Alberta's favorite openings, he changed the
form of his sentence. "I never allowed you to see stray young men--"

His daughter interrupted him.

"But I always saw them, Papa. I used to let them come early in the
afternoon before you came in."

In his heart Mr. Lanley doubted that this had been a regular custom, but
he knew it would be unwise to argue the point; so he started fresh.

"When a young man is attentive to a girl like Mathilde--"