de to the subject.

When they had left the room and the door had been closed behind
them, the judge began the campaign--began it, and as far as he was
concerned, ended it in a very few minutes. "Graham," said he, "I am
glad to see you."

"Thank you, judge," said he.

"Of course you know, and I know, what that amounts to now. My idea is
that you acted as an honest man when you were last here. You are not
a rich man--"

"Anything but that."

"And therefore I do not think it would have been well had you
endeavoured to gain my daughter's affections without speaking to
me,--or to her mother." Judge Staveley always spoke of his wife
as though she were an absolute part of himself. "She and I have
discussed the matter now,--and you are at liberty to address yourself
to Madeline if you please."

"My dear judge--"

"Of course you understand that I am not answering for her?"

"Oh, of course not."

"That's your look out. You must fight your own battle there. What you
are allowed to understand is this,--that her father and mother will
give their consent to an engagement, if she finds that she can bring
herself to give hers. If you are minded to ask her, you may do so."

"Of course I shall ask her."

"She will have five thousand pounds on her marriage, settled upon
herself and her children,--and as much more when I die, settled
in the same way. Now fill your glass." And in his own easy way he
turned the subject round and began to talk about the late congress at
Birmingham.

Felix felt that it was not open to him at the present moment to say
anything further about Madeline; and though he was disappointed at
this,--for he would have wished to go on talking about her all the
evening--perhaps it was better for him. The judge would have said
nothing further to encourage him, and he would have gradually been
taught to think that his chance with Madeline was little, and then
less. "He must have been a fool," my readers will say, "not to
have known that Madeline was now his own." Probably. But then
modest-minded young men are fools.

At last he contrived to bring the conversation round from the
Birmingham congress to the affairs of his new client; and indeed he
contrived to do so in spite of the judge, who was not particularly
anxious to speak on the subject. "After all that we said and did at
Birmingham, it is odd that I should so soon find myself joined with
Mr. Furnival."

"Not at all odd. Of course you must take up y