into the adjoining conservatory. The little general posed himself
before the huge open fire, one hand behind him, the other at the level
of his waistcoat, the big cigar between his first and second fingers.
"Well, my dear?" said he.

Mildred somewhat hesitatingly lifted her eyes; but, once she had them
up, their gaze held steadily enough upon his--too steadily for his
comfort. He addressed himself to his cigar:

"I'm not quite ready to say I'm willing to go the limit," said he. "We
don't exactly know each other sufficiently well as yet, do we?"

"No," said Mildred.

"I've been making inquiries," he went on; "that is, I had my chief
secretary make them--and he's a very thorough man, thanks to my
training. He reports everything entirely all right. I admire dignity
and reserve in a woman, and you have been very particular. Were you
engaged to Stanley Baird?"

Mildred flushed, veiled her eyes to hide their resentful flash at this
impertinence. She debated with herself, decided that any rebuke short
of one that would anger him would be wasted upon him. "No," said she.

"That agrees with Harding's report," said the general. "It was a mere
girlish flirtation--very dignified and proper," he hastened to add. "I
don't mean to suggest that you were at all flighty."

"Thank you," said Mildred sweetly.

"Are there any questions you would like to ask about me?" inquired he.

"No," said Mildred.

"As I understand it--from my talk with Presbury--you are willing to go
on?"

"Yes," said Mildred.

The general smiled genially. "I think I may say without conceit that
you will like me as you know me better. I have no bad habits--I've too
much regard for my health to over-indulge or run loose. In my boyhood
days I may have put in rather a heavy sowing of wild oats"--the general
laughed; Mildred conjured up the wintriest and faintest of echoing
smiles--"but that's all past," he went on, "and there's nothing that
could rise up to interfere with our happiness. You are fond of
children?"

A pause, then Mildred said quite evenly, "Yes."

"Excellent," said the general. "I'll expect you and your mother and
father to dinner Sunday night. Is that satisfactory?"

"Yes," said Mildred.

A longish pause. Then the general: "You seem to be a little--afraid
of me. I don't know why it is that people are always that way with
me." A halt, to give her the opportunity to say the obvious flattering
thing. Mildred said nothi