'Of course she's older than I am, but it doesn't make the slightest
difference. She's been a widow ever since she was twenty. She's very
hard up, and she doesn't care. She's refused me, but I want to make her
come round.... No, she isn't _pretty_, not very.'

Lord Selsey put his old coins away, and leant back in his chair.

'I should like to see her,' he said thoughtfully.

'I'm sure of one thing, uncle you could never have any vulgar,
commonplace ideas about her--I mean, she's so _peculiarly_
disinterested, and all that sort of thing. You mustn't fancy she's a
dangerous syren, don't you know, or.... For instance, she doesn't care
much for dress; she just sticks up her hair anyhow, and parts it in
the middle.'

'Then it would certainly be difficult to believe anything against her,'
said Lord Selsey.

'Besides, she really wants me to marry someone else.'

'Who?'

'She's always trying to persuade me to propose to Hyacinth Verney ...
you know, that pretty girl, old Cannon's ward.... She is awfully pretty,
of course, I know.'

'I should like to see her,' said Lord Selsey.

Cecil smiled. It was well known that Lord Selsey was a collector. Though