“ItalkasifIwasastrangerhere，doI？“heresumed。“That’sexactlywhatIam。LadyLundieandIcorrespondonexcellentterms；butwerunindifferentgrooves，andweseeeachotherasseldomaspossible。Mystory，“continuedthepleasantoldman，withacharmingfranknesswhichleveledalldifferencesofageandrankbetweenArnoldandhimself，“isnotentirelyunlikeyours；thoughI_am_oldenoughtobeyourgrandfather。Iwasgettingmyliving，inmywayasacrustyoldScotchlawyer，whenmybrothermarriedagain。Hisdeath，withoutleavingasonbyeitherofhiswives，gavemealiftintheworld，likeyou。
HereIamtomyownsincereregretthepresentbaronet。Yes，tomysincereregret!AllsortsofresponsibilitieswhichIneverbargainedforarethrustonmyshoulders。Iamtheheadofthefamily；Iammyniece’sguardian；Iamcompelledtoappearatthislawn-party——andbetweenourselvesIamascompletelyoutofmyelementasamancanbe。Notasinglefamiliarfacemeets_me_amongallthesefinepeople。Doyouknowanybodyhere？“
“IhaveonefriendatWindygates，“saidArnold。“Hecameherethismorning，likeyou。GeoffreyDelamayn。“
Ashemadethereply，MissSilvesterappearedattheentrancetothesummer-house。Ashadowofannoyancepassedoverherfacewhenshesawthattheplacewasoccupied。Shevanished，unnoticed，andglidedbacktothegame。
SirPatricklookedatthesonofhisoldfriend，witheveryappearanceofbeingdisappointedintheyoungmanforthefirsttime。
“Yourchoiceofafriendrathersurprisesme，“hesaid。
Arnoldartlesslyacceptedthewordsasanappealtohimforinformation。
“Ibegyourpardon，Sir——there’snothingsurprisinginit，“hereturned。“Wewereschool-fellowsatEton，intheoldtimes。AndIhavemetGeoffreysince，whenhewasyachting，andwhenIwaswithmyship。Geoffreysavedmylife，SirPatrick，“headded，hisvoicerising，andhiseyesbrighteningwithhonestadmirationofhisfriend。“Butforhim，Ishouldhavebeendrownedinaboat-accident。Isn’t_that_agoodreasonforhisbeingafriendofmine？“
“Itdependsentirelyonthevalueyousetonyourlife，“saidSirPatrick。
“ThevalueIsetonmylife？“repeatedArnold。“Isetahighvalueonit，ofcourse!“
“Inthatcase，Mr。Delamaynhaslaidyouunderanobligation。“
“WhichIcanneverrepay!“
“Whichyouwillrepayoneofthesedays，withinterest——ifIknowanythingofhumannature，“answeredSirPatrick。
Hesaidthewordswiththeemphasisofstrongconviction。TheywerebarelyspokenwhenMr。DelamaynappearedexactlyasMissSilvesterhadappearedattheentrancetothesummer-house。He，too，vanished，unnoticed——likeMissSilvesteragain。Buttheretheparallelstopped。TheHonorableGeoffrey’sexpression，ondiscoveringtheplacetobeoccupied，was，unmistakablyanexpressionofrelief。
Arnolddrewtherightinference，thistime，fromSirPatrick’slanguageandSirPatrick’stones。Heeagerlytookupthedefenseofhisfriend。
“Yousaidthatratherbitterly，Sir，“heremarked。“WhathasGeoffreydonetooffendyou？“
“Hepresumestoexist——that’swhathehasdone，“retortedSirPatrick。“Don’tstare!Iamspeakinggenerally。YourfriendisthemodelyoungBritonofthepresenttime。Idon’tlikethemodelyoungBriton。Idon’tseethesenseofcrowingoverhimasasuperbnationalproduction，becauseheisbigandstrong，anddrinksbeerwithimpunity，andtakesacoldshowerbathalltheyearround。ThereisfartoomuchglorificationinEngland，justnow，ofthemerephysicalqualitieswhichanEnglishmanshareswiththesavageandthebrute。Andtheillresultsarebeginningtoshowthemselvesalready!Wearereadierthanweeverweretopracticeallthatisroughinournationalcustoms，andtoexcuseallthatisviolentandbrutishinournationalacts。Readthepopularbooks——attendthepopularamusements；andyouwillfindatthebottomofthemallalesseningregardforthegentlergracesofcivilizedlife，andagrowingadmirationforthevirtuesoftheaboriginalBritons!“
Arnoldlistenedinblankamazement。HehadbeentheinnocentmeansofrelievingSirPatrick’smindofanaccumulationofsocialprotest，unprovidedwithanissueforsometimepast。“
Howhotyouareoverit，Sir!“heexclaimed，inirrepressibleastonishment。
SirPatrickinstantlyrecoveredhimself。Thegenuinewonderexpressedintheyoungman’sfacewasirresistible。
“Almostashot，“hesaid，“asifIwascheeringataboat-race，orwranglingoverabetting-book——eh？Ah，weweresoeasilyheatedwhenIwasayoungman!Let’schangethesubject。Iknownothingtotheprejudiceofyourfriend，Mr。Delamayn。It’sthecantoftheday，“criedSirPatrick，relapsingagain，“totakethesephysically-wholesomemenforgrantedasbeingmorally-wholesomemenintothebargain。Timewillshowwhetherthecantofthedayisright——SoyouareactuallycomingbacktoLadyLundie’safteramereflyingvisittoyourownproperty？I
repeat，thatisamostextraordinaryproceedingonthepartofalandedgentlemanlikeyou。What’stheattractionhere——eh？“
BeforeArnoldcouldreplyBlanchecalledtohimfromthelawn。
Hiscolorrose，andheturnedeagerlytogoout。SirPatricknoddedhisheadwiththeairofamanwhohadbeenansweredtohisownentiresatisfaction。“Oh!“hesaid，“_that’s_theattraction，isit？“
Arnold’slifeatseahadlefthimsingularlyignorantofthewaysoftheworldonshore。Insteadoftakingthejoke，helookedconfused。Adeepertingeofcolorreddenedhisdarkcheeks。“I
didn’tsayso，“heanswered，alittleirritably。
SirPatrickliftedtwoofhiswhite，wrinkledoldfingers，andgood-humoredlypattedtheyoungsailoronthecheek。
“Yesyoudid，“hesaid。“Inredletters。“
Thelittlegoldlidintheknoboftheivorycaneflewup，andtheoldgentlemanrewardedhimselfforthatneatretortwithapinchofsnuff。AtthesamemomentBlanchemadeherappearanceonthescene。
“Mr。Brinkworth，“shesaid，“Ishallwantyoudirectly。Uncle，it’syourturntoplay。“
“Blessmysoul!“criedSirPatrick，“Iforgotthegame。“Helookedabouthim，andsawhismalletandballleftwaitingonthetable。“Wherearethemodernsubstitutesforconversation？Oh，heretheyare!“Hebowledtheballoutbeforehimontothelawn，andtuckedthemallet，asifitwasanumbrella，underhisarm。
“Whowasthefirstmistakenperson，“hesaidtohimself，ashebrisklyhobbledout，“whodiscoveredthathumanlifewasaseriousthing？HereamI，withonefootinthegrave；andthemostseriousquestionbeforemeatthepresentmomentis，ShallI
getthroughtheHoops？“
ArnoldandBlanchewerelefttogether。
AmongthepersonalprivilegeswhichNaturehasaccordedtowomen，therearesurelynonemoreenviablethantheirprivilegeofalwayslookingtheirbestwhentheylookatthemantheylove。
WhenBlanche’seyesturnedonArnoldafterherunclehadgoneout，noteventhehideousfashionabledisfigurementsoftheinflated“chignon“andthetiltedhatcoulddestroythetriplecharmofyouth，beauty，andtendernessbeaminginherface。
Arnoldlookedather——andremembered，ashehadneverrememberedyet，thathewasgoingbythenexttrain，andthathewasleavingherinthesocietyofmorethanoneadmiringmanofhisownage。
TheexperienceofawholefortnightpassedunderthesameroofwithherhadprovedBlanchetobethemostcharminggirlinexistence。Itwaspossiblethatshemightnotbemortallyoffendedwithhimifhetoldherso。Hedeterminedthathe_would_tellhersoatthatauspiciousmoment。
ButwhoshallpresumetomeasuretheabyssthatliesbetweentheIntentionandtheExecution？Arnold’sresolutiontospeakwasasfirmlysettledasaresolutioncouldbe。Andwhatcameofit？
Alasforhumaninfirmity!Nothingcameofitbutsilence。
“Youdon’tlookquiteatyourease，Mr。Brinkworth，“saidBlanche。“WhathasSirPatrickbeensayingtoyou？Myunclesharpenshiswitoneverybody。Hehasbeensharpeningiton_you？“_
Arnoldbegantoseehisway。Atanimmeasurabledistance——butstillhesawit。
“SirPatrickisaterribleoldman，“heanswered。“Justbeforeyoucameinhediscoveredoneofmysecretsbyonlylookinginmyface。“Hepaused，ralliedhiscourage，pushedonatallhazards，andcameheadlongtothepoint。“Iwonder，“heasked，bluntly，“whetheryoutakeafteryouruncle？“
Blancheinstantlyunderstoodhim。Withtimeatherdisposal，shewouldhavetakenhimlightlyinhand，andledhim，byfinegradations，totheobjectinview。ButintwominutesorlessitwouldbeArnold’sturntoplay。“Heisgoingtomakemeanoffer，“thoughtBlanche；“andhehasaboutaminutetodoitin。
He_shall_doit!“
“What!“sheexclaimed，“doyouthinkthegiftofdiscoveryrunsinthefamily？“
Arnoldmadeaplunge。
“Iwishitdid!“hesaid。
Blanchelookedthepictureofastonishment。
“Why？“sheasked。
“IfyoucouldseeinmyfacewhatSirPatricksaw——“