Now, I have long observed, in the course of my practice, that a choice cigar assists a man in taking a philosophic outlook on the question under discussion; so I accepted the partaga.

He sat down opposite me and pointed to a photograph in the centre of his mantlepiece.

"I am engaged to that lady," he put in, shortly.
"So I anticipated," I answered, lighting up.
He started and looked surprised.

"Why, what made you guess it ?" he inquired.
I smiled the calm smile of superior age--I was some eight years or so his senior.

"My dear fellow," I murmured, "what else could prevent you from proposing to Daphne--when you are so undeniably in love with her ?" "A great deal," he answered.