‘That would be one difficulty out of the way,’ said Merton.  ’But the gambling establishment?  There is the rub!  And the usual plan won’t work.  You are a captivating person, Logan, but I do not think that you could attract Lady Alice’s affections and disentangle her in that way.  Besides, the Prince would have you out.  Then Miss Bangs’ dollars, not to mention herself, must have too strong a hold on Scremerston.  It really looks too hard a case for us on paper.  You must go down and reconnoitre.’

Logan agreed, and wrote asking Lord Embleton to come to the office, where he could see Miss Willoughby and arrange about her visit to him and his manuscripts.  The young lady was invited to arrive rather later, bringing Miss Blossom as her companion.

On the appointed day Logan and Merton awaited Lord Embleton.  He entered with an air unwontedly buoyant, and was introduced to Merton.  The first result was an access of shyness.  The Earl hummed, began sentences, dropped them, and looked pathetically at Logan.  Merton understood.  The Earl had taken to Logan (on account of their hereditary partnership in an ancient iniquity), and it was obvious that he would say to him what he would not say to his partner.  Merton therefore withdrew to the outer room (they had met in the inner), and the Earl delivered himself to Logan in a little speech.

‘Since we met, Mr. Logan,’ said he, ’a very fortunate event has occurred.  The Prince of Scalastro, in a private interview, has done me the honour to take me into his confidence.  He asked my permission to pay his addresses to my daughter, and informed me that, finding his ownership of the gambling establishment distasteful to her, he had determined not to renew the lease to the company.  He added that since his boyhood, having been educated in Germany, he had entertained scruples about the position which he would one day occupy, that he had never entered the rooms (that haunt of vice), and that his acquaintance with my daughter had greatly increased his objections to gambling, though his scruples were not approved of by his confessor, a very learned priest.’

‘That is curious,’ said Logan.

‘Very,’ said the Earl.  ’But as I expect the Prince and his confessor at Rookchester, where I hope you will join us, we may perhaps find out the reasons which actuate that no doubt respectable person.  In the meantime, as I would constrain nobody in matters of religion, I informed the Prince that he had my permission to—­well, to plead his cause for himself with Lady Alice.’

Logan warmly congratulated the Earl on the gratifying resolve of the Prince, and privately wondered how the young people would support life, when deprived of the profits from the tables.

It was manifest, however, from the buoyant air of the Earl, that this important question had never crossed his mind.  He looked quite young in the gladness of his heart, ‘he smelled April and May,’ he was clad becomingly in summer raiment, and to Logan it was quite a pleasure to see such a happy man.  Some fifteen years seemed to have been taken from the age of this buxom and simple-hearted patrician.