"Taking that for granted—yes."
"Very good; your frankness is commendable. Before we go any farther, let me ask one question. Would anything I could give you induce you to go about your business—to disappear, so to speak?"
"Yes."
"Name it," said the President, with ill-concealed satisfaction.
"Your daughter's hand in marriage."
"Ah;"—he lost his hold upon the hopeful alternative and made no sign—"nothing less?"
"Nothing less."
"Very good again; then we may go on to other matters. How do you expect to support a wife whose allowance of pin-money has probably exceeded your entire income?"
"As many a better man has done before me, when the woman of his choice was willing to put love before luxury," quoth Brockway, with more philosophy than he could properly lay claim to.
"H-m; love in a cottage, and all that, I suppose. It's very romantic, but you'll pardon me if I confess I'm not able to take any such philosophical view of the matter."