ch," said Ella.

"That is what papa thought," said Phyllis meekly. "Only I know that if
Mr. Courtland thought it worth noticing, papa would be quite pleased to
put a counter question. That is why I came here to-day."

"It was so good of you," said the man.

"My Phyllis is all that is good. Let us return to the drawing room,"
said Ella, rising.

They returned to the drawing room; but when they had been in the
apartment for perhaps four minutes, certainly not five, Phyllis said it
was necessary for her to hurry home in order that the afternoon letters
should be sent to her father at the House.

With another word of appreciation of her kindness, Mr. Courtland held
her hand a second longer than was absolutely necessary to maintain a
character for civility.

"She is the most charming girl in the world," remarked Ella to the
visitor, who remained when Phyllis had left.

"Is she?" said he.

"I know it. Don't you?" asked she.

"How do I know?" he said. "I have thought nothing about it. If you say
she is charming, I am pleased to hear it. It matters no more to me that
the world is full of charming girls than that the kraken is still at the
bottom of the sea. One woman fills all my thoughts. My heart is full of
her."

"And you want her to risk the salvation of her soul for you?"

"Yes; that is just what I want."

He remained with her for another hour.

CHAPTER XIV.

THE HONORABLE MEMBER IS CLEARLY OUT OF ORDER.

Mr. Ayrton met his daughter the next morning with the good news that
he had found among his specimen cases of phrases, one that would
effectually silence the member from Wales who had been nominated by the
Nonconformist Eastern Missionary Society to put that question to the
minister of the Annexation Department on the subject of Mr. Courtland,
the explorer. Mr. Ayrton was the better pleased at his discovery,
because of the inoffensive nature of the phrase which he had taken out
of its case, so to speak. As a rule, he did not mind being offensive if
only his phrase was apt. Only people who had no artistic appreciation
found fault with the tone of some of his most notable phrases. He did
not mind whether they were just or unjust, they said. As if a man can be
both honest and witty at the same time!

It so happened, however, that the party to which Mr. Ayrton belonged had
become greatly concerned in respect of an element that had just come to
the surface to still further complicate the course of poli