THE PRIME MINISTER by DAVID SKILTON

companion, who lived in Berkeley Street, close round the cornerfrom Manchester Square, and spent very much of her time with Emily Wharton. They were together daily, as though Mrs Roby had assumed the part of a second mother, and Lopez was well aware that Mrs Roby knew of his love. If there was real confidence between Mrs Roby and the old lawyer, the old lawyer must know it also; – but as to that Lopez felt that he was in the dark.
    The task of speaking toan old father is not unpleasant when the lover knows that he has been smiled upon, and, in fact, approved for the last six months. He is going to be patted on the back, and made much of, and received into the family. He is to be told that his Mary or his Augusta has been the best daughter in the world, and will therefore certainly be the best wife, and he himself will probably on that special occasionbe spoken of with unqualified praise, – and all will be pleasant But the subject is one very difficult to broach when no previous light has been thrown on it Ferdinand Lopez, however, was not the man to stand shivering on the brink when a plunge was necessary, – and therefore he made his plunge. ‘Mr Wharton, I have taken the liberty to call upon you here, because I want to speak to you aboutyour daughter.’
    ‘About my daughter!’ The old man’s surprise was quite genuine. Of course, when he had given himself a moment to think, he knew what must be the nature of his visitor’s communication. But up to that moment he had never mixed his daughter and Ferdinand Lopez in his thoughts together. And now, the idea having come upon him, he looked at the aspirant with severe and unpleasant eyes.It was manifest to the aspirant that the first flash of the thing was painful to the father.
    ‘Yes, sir. I know how great is my presumption. But, yet, having ventured, I will hardly say to entertain a hope, but to have come to such a state that I can only be happy by hoping, I have thought it best to come to you at once.’
    ‘Does she know anything of this?’
    ‘Of my visit to you? Nothing.’
    ‘Ofyour intentions; – of your suit generally? Am I to understand that this has any sanction from her?’
    ‘None at all.’
    ‘Have you told her anything of it?’
    ‘Not a word. I come to ask you for your permission to address her.’
    ‘You mean that she has no knowledge whatever of your, – your preference for her.’
    ‘I cannot say that. It is hardly possible that I should have learned to love her as I do withoutsome consciousness on her part that it is so.’
    ‘What I mean is, without any beating about the bush, – have you been making love to her?’
    ‘Who is to say in what making love consists, Mr Wharton?’
    ‘D— it, sir, a gentleman knows. A gentleman knows whether he has been playing on a girl’s feelings, and a gentleman, when he is asked as I have asked you, will at any rate tell the truth. I don’t wantany definitions. Have you been making love to her?’
    ‘I think, Mr Wharton, that I have behaved like a gentleman; and that you will acknowledge at least so much when you come to know exactly what I have done and what I have not done. I have endeavoured to commend myself to your daughter, but I have never spoken a word of love to her.’
    ‘Does Everett know of all this?’
    ‘Yes.’
    ‘And has he encouragedit?’
    ‘He knows of it, because he is my most intimate friend. Whoever the lady might have been, I should have told him. He is attached to me, and would not I think, on his own account, object to call me his brother. I spoke to him yesterday on the matter very plainly, and he told me that I ought certainly to see you first. I quite agreed with him, and therefore I am here. There has certainly beennothing in his conduct to make you angry, and I do not think that there has been anything in mine.’
    There was a dignity of demeanour and a quiet assured courage which had its effect upon the old lawyer. He felt that he could not storm and talk in