ly clear for the
entry and arrangement of his contraband ideas. He met the fair Dolly
almost every day, and their interviews did not grow shorter, although
the days were doing so.

"You should have been born in France," he said, one bright November
morning, when they sat more comfortable than they had any right to be,
upon the very same seat where the honest but hapless Captain Scuddy
had tried to venture to lisp his love; "that is the land you belong to,
darling, by beauty and manners and mind and taste, and most of all by
your freedom from prejudice, and great liberality of sentiment."

"But I thought we were quite as good-looking in England;" Dolly lifted
her long black lashes, with a flash which might challenge the brilliance
of any French eyes; "but of course you know best. I know nothing of
French ladies."

"Don't be a fool, Dolly;" Carne spoke rudely, but made up for it in
another way. "There never was a French girl to equal you in loveliness;
but you must not suppose that you beat them all round. One point
particularly you are far behind in. A French woman leaves all political
questions, and national matters, and public affairs, entirely to her
husband, or her lover, as the case may be. Whatever he wishes is the law
for her. Thy gods shall be my gods."

"But you said they had great liberality of sentiment, and now you say
they have no opinions of their own! How can the two things go together?"

"Very easily," said Carne, who was accustomed to be baffled by such
little sallies; "they take their opinions from their husbands, who are
always liberal. This produces happiness on both sides--a state of things
unknown in England. Let me tell you of something important, mainly as
it concerns yourself, sweet Dolly. The French are certain to unite with
England, and then we shall be the grandest nation in the world. No power
in Europe can stand before us. All will be freedom, and civilization,
and great ideas, and fine taste in dress. I shall recover the large
estates, that would now be mine, but for usury and fraud. And you will
be one of the first ladies in the world, as nature has always intended
you to be."

"That sounds very well; but how is it to be done? How can France unite
with England, when they are bitter enemies? Is France to conquer England
first? Or are we to conquer France, as we always used to do?"

"That would be a hard job now, when France is the mistress of the
Continent. No, there need be no conq