36o THE HOME OF A NATURALIST. 



degree. Miss Ingath could not all at once overcome 

 the traditions of her house, although she could not 

 help arguing with herself in favour of Mr. Nemo. And 

 one of her principal arguments was that he had no 

 \Tilgar relatives, and, therefore, few questions would 

 be asked regarding his antecedents. And while she 

 hesitated, argued with herself, feared and wondered, 

 Mr. Nemo urged his suit as a man deeply versed in 

 human nature knows how to do. 

 He believed with Shakespeare that 



" The man who has a tongue I say is no man, 

 If with his tongue he cannot win a woman." 



And so with that most subtle and most convincing 

 weapon Mr. Nemo continued to besiege the fair lady's 

 heart, and after a time drew from her a favourable 

 answer — favourable in so far that she said she " would 

 think it over." 



Then what rapture was his ! 



Boys of twenty, you laugh at the loves of elderly 

 folks, but you don't know how much stronger and 

 deeper these are than your sweet little airy fancies 

 that light hej'e a moment and there the next. When 

 you are "old fogies" then you will experience the 

 truth of what I say ; meanwhile believe (and the belief 

 may be consolation to you in some hour of " blighted 

 hopes") that youth possesses the happy faculty of 

 casting care from it, and finding in a new dream com- 

 fort for a faded illusion. Middle age, on the other 

 hand, treats dreams as realities, and is so earnest in 



