piece of girl and boy foolishness, anyway," she said. "Elsie and he were
children together at MacCorkleville,--second cousins, in fact,--and I
reckon he got her fancy excited over his nobility, and his being the
chief of the McHulishes. Of course Custer will manage to get something
for the shareholders out of it,--I never knew him to fail in a money
speculation yet,--but I think that's about all. I had an idea of going
up with Elsie to take a look at the property, and I thought of asking
you to join us. Did Elsie tell you? I know she'd like it--and so would
I."

For all her indolent, purposeless manner, there was enough latent
sincerity and earnestness in her request to interest the consul.
Besides, his own curiosity in regard to this singularly supported claim
was excited, and here seemed to be an opportunity of satisfying it. He
was not quite sure, either, that his previous antagonism to his fair
countrywoman's apparent selfishness and snobbery was entirely just. He
had been absent from America a long time; perhaps it was he himself
who had changed, and lost touch with his compatriots. And yet the
demonstrative independence and recklessness of men like Custer were less
objectionable to, and less inconsistent with, his American ideas than
the snobbishness and almost servile adaptability of the women. Or was
it possible that it was only a weakness of the sex, which no republican
nativity or education could eliminate? Nevertheless he looked up
smilingly.

"But the property is, I understand, scattered about in various places,"
he said.

"Oh, but we mean to go only to Kelpie Island, where there is the ruin of
an old castle. Elsie must see that."