gets his living by kidnapping."

"I never knew such a chap!" ejaculated Bob helplessly. "Why can't you
say plainly that you think he's an ass?"

"I don't," said Eugene. "He's by no means an ass. He's a very clever
fellow. But he lives on other men's ideas!"

"Oh! come and play billiards."

"I can't," said Eugene gravely. "I'm going to read poetry to Kate."

"By Jove, does she make you do that?"

Eugene nodded sadly, and Bob went off into a fit of obtrusive chuckling.
Eugene cast a large cushion dexterously at him and caught him just in
the mouth, and, still sadly, rose and went in search of his lady-love.

"Why the dickens does he marry that girl?" exclaimed Bob. "It beats me."

Bob Territon was not the only person in whom Eugene's engagement to Kate
Bernard inspired some surprise. But neither he nor any one else
succeeded in formulating very definite reasons for the feeling. Kate was
a beauty, and a beauty of a type undeniably orthodox and almost
aristocratic. She was tall and slight, her nose was the least trifle
arched, her fingers tapered, and so, it was believed, did her feet. Her
hair was golden, her mouth was small, and her accomplishments
considerable. From her childhood she had been considered clever, and had
vindicated her reputation by gaining more than one certificate from the
various examining bodies which nowadays go up and down seeking whom they