But Bulchester laughed.  A laugh at such a time, and a laugh so full of simplicity and amusement brought the other to his bearings again.

“You know I favored the match,” added the nobleman.  “Hang it!  I don’t see why my sister could not have had my taste.  She does not know all your deviltries as I do, but yet I think you the most fascinating fellow in England.”

“Perhaps that is the reason, because she does not know,” laughed Edmonson.  “But, then, you have not been very far beyond England, except to the land of the frog, and nobody expects to delight in the messieurs anywhere but on the point of the bayonet, as we had them lately at Dettengen.”  In a moment, however, he added gravely, “I am afraid my suit to your sister has damaged my prospects in another quarter, at least the matrimonial part of them, and I can hardly expect to be so successful otherwise as to enable me to marry a lady whose face is her fortune.”

“Hardly, with your tastes,” said Bulchester.  “But, for my part, I am glad that I can afford to be sentimental if I like.  For that very reason I shall probably be extremely sensible.”

Edmonson smiled, half in amusement, half in contempt.

“Suppose the lady should be so too?” he asked slyly; then added, “I hope she will, Bulchester, and take you.  I don’t know her name yet.”

“Nor I. But I don’t want to consider only the rent-roll of the future Lady Bulchester.”

“My lord, I shall be devotion itself to Mistress Edmonson, and I assure you that the young lady I have chosen, I having failed to win your adorable sister, is not a nonentity, though I cannot say that she is charming.  But you will see her.  Her father was very gracious to me when I was in Boston last winter, and regretted that I was obliged to leave in the spring on affairs of importance.  How was he to know, he or the fair Elizabeth, that the business was a love suit?  That would not have done.  The old gentleman would not think the king himself too good for his daughter; if he dreamed that she was second fiddle, he would want me to find the door faster than he could shew me there.  So, if you fall in love with her and want to supersede me, there’s your chance.”

“I’m Jonathan to your David,” returned the smaller man, “the kingdom is for you, Edmonson.”  And the speaker looked at his companion with an admiration that was deep in proportion as he felt himself unable to imitate that mixture of good nature, strong will, and audacity that in Edmonson fascinated him.  “Is she handsome?” he added.

“No,” said the other decidedly.  “She has a smile that lights up her face well, and occasionally she says good things, but half the time in company she seems not to be attending to what is going on about her, she is away off in a dream about something that nobody cares a pin for, and of course, it gives her a peculiar manner.  I could see I interested her more than anybody else did, but I had hard work sometimes to know how to answer her queer sayings, for I could scarcely tell what she was talking about.”