“There’s a beautiful sky above our heads,” returned Arnold.  “I believe in the sky.”

“Do you?” retorted Sir Patrick.  “You were evidently never caught in a shower.  My niece has an immense quantity of hair.  Are you convinced that it all grows on her head?”

“I defy any other woman’s head to produce the like of it!”

“My dear Arnold, you greatly underrate the existing resources of the trade in hair!  Look into the shop-windows.  When you next go to London pray look into the show-windows.  In the mean time, what do you think of my niece’s figure?”

“Oh, come! there can’t be any doubt about that! Any man, with eyes in his head, can see it’s the loveliest figure in the world.”

Sir Patrick laughed softly, and crossed his legs again.

“My good fellow, of course it is!  The loveliest figure in the world is the commonest thing in the world.  At a rough guess, there are forty ladies at this lawn-party.  Every one of them possesses a beautiful figure.  It varies in price; and when it’s particularly seductive you may swear it comes from Paris.  Why, how you stare!  When I asked you what you thought of my niece’s figure, I meant—­how much of it comes from Nature, and how much of it comes from the Shop?  I don’t know, mind!  Do you?”

“I’ll take my oath to every inch of it!”

“Shop?”

“Nature!”

Sir Patrick rose to his feet; his satirical humor was silenced at last.

“If ever I have a son,” he thought to himself, “that son shall go to sea!” He took Arnold’s arm, as a preliminary to putting an end to Arnold’s suspense.  “If I can be serious about any thing,” he resumed, “it’s time to be serious with you.  I am convinced of the sincerity of your attachment.  All I know of you is in your favor, and your birth and position are beyond dispute.  If you have Blanche’s consent, you have mine.”  Arnold attempted to express his gratitude.  Sir Patrick, declining to hear him, went on.  “And remember this, in the future.  When you next want any thing that I can give you, ask for it plainly.  Don’t attempt to mystify me on the next occasion, and I will promise, on my side, not to mystify you. There, that’s understood.  Now about this journey of yours to see your estate.  Property has its duties, Master Arnold, as well as its rights.  The time is fast coming when its rights will be disputed, if its duties are not performed.  I have got a new interest in you, and I mean to see that you do your duty.  It’s settled you are to leave Windygates to-day.  Is it arranged how you are to go?”

“Yes, Sir Patrick.  Lady Lundie has kindly ordered the gig to take me to the station, in time for the next train.”

“When are you to be ready?”

Arnold looked at his watch.  “In a quarter of an hour.”

“Very good.  Mind you are ready.  Stop a minute! you will have plenty of time to speak to Blanche when I have done with you.  You don’t appear to me to be sufficiently anxious about seeing your own property.”