n the circumstances. They are less
unprecedented than I hastily supposed. History records many examples of
fathers, even of royal rank, who have attached similar conditions to the
disposal of their daughters' hands.'

Merton was thinking of the kings in the treatises of Monsieur Charles
Perrault, Madame d'Aulnoy, and other historians of Fairyland; of monarchs
who give their daughters to the bold adventurers that bring the smallest
dog, or the singing rose, or the horse magical.

'What you really want, I think,' he went on, as Miss McCabe resumed her
seat, 'is to have your choice, as you said, among the competitors?'

'Yes,' replied the fair American, 'that is only natural.'

'But then,' said Merton, 'much depends on who decides as to the merits of
the competitors. With whom does the decision rest?'

'With the people.'

'With the people?'

'Yes, with the popular vote, as expressed through the newspaper that my
father founded--_The Yellow Flag_. The public is to see the exhibits,
the new varieties of nature, and the majority of votes is to carry the
day. "Trust the people!" that was Pappa's word.'

'Then anyone who chooses, of the age, character, and education stipulated
under the clause in the will, may go and bring in whatever variety of
nature he pleases and take his chance?'

'That is it all the time,' said the client. 'There is a trust, and the
trustees, friends of Pappa's, decide on the qualifications of the young
men who enter for the competition. If the trustees are satisfied they
allot money for expenses out of the exploration fund, so that nobody may
be stopped because he is poor.'

'There will be an enormous throng of competitors in these conditions--and
with such a prize,' Merton could not help adding.

'I reckon the trustees are middling particular. They'll weed them out.'

'Is there any restriction on the nationality of the competitors?' asked
Merton, on whom an idea was dawning.

'Only members of the English speaking races need apply,' said Miss
McCabe. 'Pappa took no stock in Spaniards or Turks.'

'The voters will be prejudiced in favour of their own fellow citizens?'
asked Merton. 'That is only natural.'

'Trust the people,' said Miss McCabe. 'The whole thing is to be kept as
dark as a blind coloured person hunting in a dark cellar for a black cat
that is not there.'

'A truly Miltonic illustration,' said Merton.

'The advertisement for competitors will be carefully worded,