Page:Free Opinions, Freely Expressed on Certain Phases of Modern Social Life and Conduct.djvu/138

 *thing—anything—into the passively-resisting matter composing his brain, it would take Leviathan, with, not one, but several hooks, to unfix it. And thus it often happens that the sight of a charmingly dressed, graceful, generally "smart" American girl attracts the stolid Britisher in the first place because he says to himself—"Money!" He knows all the incomes of all the best families in his own country,—and none of them are big enough to suit him. But the American girl arrives as more or less of a financial mystery. She may have thousands,—she may have millions,—he can never be quite sure. And he does all he can to ingratiate himself with her and give her a good time "on spec." to begin with, while he makes cautious and diplomatic enquiries. If his hopes rest on a firm basis, his attentions are redoubled—if, on the contrary, they are built on shifting sand, he gradually diminishes his ardour and like a "wilting flower" fades and "fizzles" away.

I am here reminded of a certain Earl, renowned in the political and social world, who, when he was a young man, went over on a visit to America and there fell, or feigned to fall, deeply in love with a very sweet, very beautiful, very gentle and lovable American girl. In a brief while he became engaged to her. The engagement was made public—the wedding day was almost fixed. The girl's father was extremely wealthy, and she was the only child and sole heiress. But an unfortunate failure,—a gigantic collapse in the money market, made havoc of the father's fortunes, and as soon as his ruin was declared beyond a doubt, the noble Earl, without much hesitation or ado, broke off his engagement,