The three heads bent forward towards a common centre--the Baron agog with suppressed excitement, Tulliwuddle revived with curiosity and a gleam of hope, Essington impressive and cool.
"I take it," he began, "that if Mr. Darius P.
Maddison and his coveted daughter could see a little of Lord Tulliwuddle--meet him at lunch, talk to him afterwards, for instance--and carry away a favorable impression of the nobleman, there would not be much difficulty in subsequently arranging a marriage?"
"Oh, none," said Tulliwuddle. "They'd be only too keen, IF they approved of me; but that's the rub, you know."
"So far so good. Now it appears to me that our modest friend here somewhat underrates his own powers of fascination" "Ach, Tollyvoddle, you do indeed," interjected the Baron.
"But since this idea is so firmly established in his mind that it may actually prevent him from displaying himself to the greatest advantage, and since he has been good enough to declare that he would regard with complete confidence my own chances of success were I in his place, I would propose--with all becoming diffidence--that _I_ should interview the lady and her parent instead of him."
"A vary vise idea, Bonker," observed the Baron.
"What!" said Tulliwuddle. "Do you mean that you would go and crack me up, and that sort of thing?"
"No; I mean that I should enjoy a temporary loan of your name and of your residence, and assure them by a personal inspection that I have a sufficient assortment of virtues for their requirements."
"Splendid!" shouted the Baron. "Tollyvoddle, accept zis generous offer before it is too late!"
"But," gasped the diffident nobleman, "they would find out the next time they saw me."
"If the business is properly arranged, that would only be when you came out of church with her. Look here--what fault have you to find with this scheme?
I produce the desired impression, and either propose at once and am accepted----"
"H'm," muttered Tulliwuddle doubtfully.
"Or I leave things in such good train that you can propose and get accepted afterwards by letter."
"That's better," said Tulliwuddle.
"Then, by a little exercise of our wits, you find an excuse for hurrying on the marriage--have it a private affair for family reasons, and so on. You will be prevented by one excuse or another from meeting the lady till the wedding-day. We shall choose a darkish church, you will have a plaster on your face--and the deed is done!"
"Not a fault can I find," commented the Baron sagely. "Essington, I congratulate you."
Between his complete confidence in Essington and the Baron's unqualified commendation, Lord Tulliwuddle was carried away by the project.
"I say, Essington, what a good fellow you are!" he cried. "You really think it will work?"
"What do you say, Baron?"
"It cannot fail, I do solemnly assure you. Be thankful you have soch a friend, Tollyvoddle!"
"You don't think anybody will suspect that you aren't really me?"
"Does any one up at Hechnahoul know you?"
"No."
"And no one there knows me. They will never suspect for an instant."
