CHAPTER IV.
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.