"But this is no great credit to me, because Bernard's superb condition would strike any one.

You look as if you were going to marry the Lord Mayor's daughter!" If Bernard was blooming, his bloom at this juncture must have deepened, and in so doing indeed have contributed an even brighter tint to his expression of salubrious happiness.

It was one of the rare occasions of his life when he was at a loss for a verbal expedient.
"It 's a great match," he nevertheless murmured, jestingly.

"You must excuse my inflated appearance." "It has absorbed you so much that you have had no time to write to me," said Gordon.

"I expected to hear from you after you arrived." "I wrote to you a fortnight ago--just before receiving your own letter.
You left New York before my letter reached it." "Ah, it will have crossed us," said Gordon.