lliam, and say that I will be with him in a few minutes."

The waiter left the room to do his errand, and was soon followed by Mr.
Rockharrt, who found the young duke pacing rather restlessly up and down
the room.

"Good morning, sir," said old Aaron, with stiff politeness.

The visitor turned and saluted his host.

"Will you not be seated?" said Mr. Rockharrt, waving his hand toward
sofa and chairs.

The visitor bowed and sat down. The host took another chair and waited.
There was silence for a short time. The old man seemed expectant, the
young man embarrassed. At length, when the latter opened his mouth and
spoke, no pearls and diamonds of wisdom and goodness dropped from his
lips; he said:

"It is a fine day."

"Yes, yes," admitted the Iron King, taking his hands from his knees, and
drawing himself up with the sigh of a man badly bored--"for London. We
wouldn't call this a fine day in America. But I have heard it said that
it is always a fine day in England when it don't pour."

"Yes," admitted the visitor; and then he driveled into the most inane
talk about climates, for you see this was the first time the poor young
fellow had ever ventured to

"Beard the lion in his den,"

so to speak, by asking: a stern old gentleman for a daughter's hand,
and this Iron King was a very formidable-looking beast indeed.

At length, Mr. Rockharrt, feeling sure that his visitor had come upon
business--though he did not know of what sort--said:

"I think, sir, that you are here upon some affairs. If it is about
railway shares--"

The old man was stopped short by the surprised and insolent stare of the
young duke.

"I know nothing of railway shares, sir," he answered.

"Oh, you don't! Well, I did not think you did. In what other way can I
oblige you?"

Indignation generally deprives a man of self-possession, but on this
occasion it restored that of the embarrassed lover. Feeling that he--the
descendant of a dozen dukes, whose ancestors had "come over with William
the Conqueror," had served in Palestine under King Richard, had
compelled King John to sign the Magna Charta, had gained glory in every
generation--was about to do this rude, purse-proud old tradesman the
greatest honor in asking of him his granddaughter in marriage, he said,
somewhat coldly:

"Miss Haught has made me happy in the hope of her acceptance of my hand,
pending your approval, and has referred me to you."

The Iron King stared at the spe