rossed my legs and tried it over the other way.
Awfully helpful dodge, you know, when you are under some mental
agitation.

He was looking at me through his lashes as he drew the flame to his
cigar, and I knew that now was the time for me to speak. He _expected_
it--had deliberately given me an opening, and a prime one, and now--was
waiting! Of course he couldn't know that I was so dashed
inexperienced--unpractised, you know--in speaking to a girl's father
and that I didn't even know the correct forms and usages. An out-and-out
man of the world like Judge Billings just _couldn't_ understand this,
don't you know, and to have him suspect the truth--oh, it would have
been too mortifying--too _humiliating_, dash it!

So I just leaned forward and made a go:

"Thanks awfully; and--er--by the way--" Then I stuck, boggled wildly an
instant and went on: "That is to say, this intimacy, you know--has it
been too short to justify--" I gulped. "Er--would you be willing to
trust--" And I lost the dashed idea again, floundered a bit and took
another shy: "Oh, I say, you know, have I your permission to speak to
Frances--er--_you_ know?"

"You speak to Francis?"--he just leaped toward me--"Why, my _boy_!" And
he was wringing my arm with one hand while the other clasped my
shoulder. "My _de-e-ear_ boy--why, Lightnut!" By Jove, he almost gushed!
"You're not joking now, are you?" He peered anxiously into my face. "No,
by George, I believe you really mean it!" And he went to pumping like
mad. "How awfully good of you--_self-sacrificing_ is the word! Are you
quite sure you don't mind?"

"_Mind?_" By Jove, I think I looked what I felt at such a dashed silly
question.

"Well! well! _well!_ My dear young friend!" And oh, he went on in the
most disgusting way--why, dash it, you would have thought I was doing
him some favor! I guessed, though, that it was the usual custom, but it
seemed rum--for _I_ should have thought that in giving your daughter
away, you put the thanks up to the other fellow. But Pugsley says the
rule varies--quite often varies! Anyhow, I felt so gratified that I had
taken the honorable course and spoken to her father--understand so many
do not at all, you know. As it was, it gave me quite a comfortable glow
of pride, and I reflected how much better it always is to follow the
wise dictates of your what's-its-name!

"By Jove!" I thought, as I nodded and smiled back, "I wonder what he
would say if he knew that Frances a