"Is that a joke? I thought you clubmen enjoyed being called rakes." "That is all most of us do enjoy. Take it from me that the last thing a rake does is to sow wild oats." "I know enough of agriculture not to be indebted to you for the information. But I certainly thought you were a rake," said the little girl, looking up at him with limpid brown eyes. "You flatter me," he said with a mock bow; "you are young enough to know better." "But you have seen Society (and theatres) in a dozen capitals!" "I have been behind the scenes of both," he answered simply. "That is the thing to keep a man steady." "I thought it turned a man's head," she said musingly. "It does. Only one begins manhood with his head screwed the wrong way on. Homœopathy is the sole curative principle in morals. Excuse this sudden discharge of copy-book mottoes. I sometimes go off that way, but you mustn't take me for a Maxim gun. I am not such a bore, I hope." Lillie flew off at a feminine tangent. "All of which only proves the wisdom of my choice in selecting you." "What! To pepper them with pellets of platitude?" he said, dropping despairingly into an arm-chair. "No. With eyeshot. Take care!" "What's the matter?" "You're sitting on an epigram." "Take care! You're sitting on an epigram." The young man started up as if stung, and removed the antimacassar, without, however, seeing the point. [pg 23] "I hope you don't mind my inquiring whether you have any morals," said Lillie. [pg 23] "I have as many as Æsop. The strictest investigation courted. References given and exchanged," said the peer lightly.
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