It was the first time a pretty girl had shown herself desirous of his company, and he was intoxicated with the thought.
But Alice felt that she was in some way bound to make the most of Mr.
Stocks, and she set herself heroically to the task.

She had never heard of him, but then she was not well versed in the minutiae of things political, and he clearly was a politician.

Doubtless to her father his name was a household word.

So she spoke to him of Glenavelin and its beauties.
He asked her if she had seen Royston Castle, the residence of his friend the Duke of Sanctamund.

When he had stayed there he had been much impressed-- Then she spoke wildly of anything, of books and pictures and people and politics.