Page:The time spirit; a romantic tale (IA timespiritromant00snaiiala).pdf/183

 told the girl, but I'm sorry to say they laughed at me. Yes, sir, society is in a state of flux and no mistake."

"Well, Sergeant Kelly, what's to be done?"

"I should like your Grace to speak a word to the parties. Seemingly they take no notice of me. But perhaps they might of you, sir."

The Duke smiled and shook his head.

"Well, sir, they only laugh at me," said Joe. "But with you it would be different." And then with admirable directness: "Why not see the girl and give her your views in the matter? She's very sensible and she's been well brought up."

The Duke looked at his visitor steadily. If his Grace was in search of arrière pensée, he failed to find a sign of it in that transparently honest countenance.

"A bold suggestion," he said, with a smile. "But I don't know that I have any particular aptitude for handling headstrong young women."

Joe promptly rebutted the ducal modesty. "Your words would carry weight, sir. She's a girl who knows what's what, I give you my word."

The Duke could hardly keep from laughing outright at the sublime seriousness of this old bobby. But at the same time curiosity stirred him. What sort of a girl was this who owned such a genial grotesque of a father? It would impinge on the domain of comic opera to instal such a being as the future châtelaine of Bridport House. Still, as his visitor shrewdly said, society was in a state of flux.

"My own belief is," said Joe, "that she's the best girl in England, and if your Grace would set your point of