No doubt her physical loveliness was at the bottom of it, but, however that may be, there it was." "She is beautiful," I commented; "though I daresay older than she looks." "That is a point on which I made no inquiries, and I should advise you, when your turn comes, as no doubt it will, to follow my example.

You know, Arbuthnot," he mused, "however lovely a woman may be, it would put one off if suddenly she announced that she was--let us say--a hundred and fifty years old." "Yes," I admitted, "for nobody wants to marry the contemporary of his great-grandmother.

However, she gave her age as twenty-seven years and three moons." "And doubtless for once did not tell the truth.

But, as she does not look more than twenty-five, I think that we may all agree to let it stand at that, namely, twenty-seven, plus an indefinite period of sleep.
At any rate, she is a sweet and most gracious woman, apparently in the bloom of youth, and, to cut it short, I fell in love with her." "Like Bastin," I said.
"Bastin!" exclaimed Bickley indignantly.

"You don't mean to say that clerical oaf presumed--well, well, after all, I suppose that he is a man, so one mustn't be hard on him.