age?"

"Oh, none," said Tulliwuddle. "They'd be only too keen, IF they approved
of me; but that's the rub, you know."

"So far so good. Now it appears to me that our modest friend here
somewhat underrates his own powers of fascination."

"Ach, Tollyvoddle, you do indeed," interjected the Baron.

"But since this idea is so firmly established in his mind that it may
actually prevent him from displaying himself to the greatest advantage,
and since he has been good enough to declare that he would regard with
complete confidence my own chances of success were I in his place, I
would propose--with all becoming diffidence--that _I_ should interview
the lady and her parent instead of him."

"A vary vise idea, Bonker," observed the Baron.

"What!" said Tulliwuddle. "Do you mean that you would go and crack me
up, and that sort of thing?"

"No; I mean that I should enjoy a temporary loan of your name and of
your residence, and assure them by a personal inspection that I have a
sufficient assortment of virtues for their requirements."

"Splendid!" shouted the Baron. "Tollyvoddle, accept zis generous offer
before it is too late!"

"But," gasped the diffident nobleman, "they would find out the next time
they saw me."

"If the business is properly arranged, that would only be when you came
out of church with her. Look here--what fault have you to find with this
scheme? I produce the desired impression, and either propose at once and
am accepted----"

"H'm," muttered Tulliwuddle doubtfully.

"Or I leave things in such good train that you can propose and get
accepted afterwards by letter."

"That's better," said Tulliwuddle.

"Then, by a little exercise of our wits, you find an excuse for hurrying
on the marriage--have it a private affair for family reasons, and so
on. You will be prevented by one excuse or another from meeting the lady
till the wedding-day. We shall choose a darkish church, you will have a
plaster on your face--and the deed is done!"

"Not a fault can I find," commented the Baron sagely. "Essington, I
congratulate you."

Between his complete confidence in Essington and the Baron's unqualified
commendation, Lord Tulliwuddle was carried away by the project.

"I say, Essington, what a good fellow you are!" he cried. "You really
think it will work?"

"What do you say, Baron?"

"It cannot fail, I do solemnly assure you. Be thankful you have soch a
friend, Tollyvoddle!"

"You don't think anybody wi