an," said Patricia,
with the air of one of vast experience in such matters.

"And many Englishmen mean what they cannot possibly say," said Elton,
looking at Lady Tanagra.

"Oh," cried Lady Tanagra, clapping her hands. "You have drawn him,
Patricia. Now he will talk to us instead of concentrating himself upon
his food. Ah!" she exclaimed suddenly, turning to Elton. "I promised
that you should fall in love with Patricia, Godfrey."

"Now that Tanagra has come down to probabilities the atmosphere should
lighten," Elton remarked.

"Isn't that Godfrey all over?" demanded Lady Tanagra of Bowen. "He
will snub one woman and compliment another in a breath. Patricia," she
continued, "I warn you against Godfrey. He is highly dangerous. He
should always be preceded by a man with a red flag."

"But why?" asked Bowen.

"Because of his reticence. A man has no right t to be reticent; it
piques a woman's curiosity, and with us curiosity is the first step to
surrender."

"Why hesitate at the first step?" asked Elton.

"Think of it, Patricia," continued Lady Tanagra, ignoring Elton's
remark. "Although Godfrey has seen _The Morning Post_ he has not yet
congratulated Peter."

"I did not know then that I had cause to congratulate him," said Elton
quietly.

"What mental balance!" cried Lady Tanagra. "I'm sure he reads the
deaths immediately after the births, and the divorces just after the
marriages so as to preserve his sense of proportion."

Elton looked first at Lady Tanagra and then on to Patricia, and smiled.

"Can you not see Godfrey choosing a wife?" demanded Lady Tanagra,
laughing. "Weighing the shape of her head with the size of her ankles,
he's very fussy about ankles. He would dissect her as he would a
sardine, demanding perfection, mental, moral, and physical, and in
return he could give _himself_." Lady Tanagra emphasized the last word.

"Most men take less time to choose a wife than they would a
trousering," said Elton quietly.

"I think Mr. Elton is right," said Patricia.

"Then you don't believe in love at first sight," said Bowen to Patricia.

"Miss Brent did not say that," interposed Elton. "She merely implied
that a man who falls in love at first sight should choose trouserings
at first sight. Is that not so?" He looked across at Patricia.

Patricia nodded.

"An impetuous man will be impetuous in all things," said Bowen.

"He who hesitates may lose a wife," said Lady Tanagra, "and---