"'But the fact is, her feet might as well be in a brothel as her brain,' I insisted. 'She might shake the dust from her _feet_. Harry, there's one side of life that you ought to study at once--the American side. You've neglected the Western hemisphere in your studies. When can you start for the ranch?' "'Day after to-morrow--if you like. This place is a dreadful bore.' "'Good! I'll attend to the tickets to-day, The cart, drag, and horses will be all the better for a vacation, and the eyes of the people are in need of rest.' "'The whole outfit is going to be sold," said Harry. 'Idiots and the hoi polloi have quite ruined the sport here. The Governor is always poking fun at it, you know, and it has made me so weary! One can't stand that kind of thing forever--can he? I got after his helmet, battle-ax, and family tree, by Jove! Our crested chambermaids and bootblacks have been a great help to me. What a noble band of philanthropists! Father and I have made an agreement. He is going to chuck the battle-ax and saw the royal branches off our family tree and I am going to sell the drag, cart, and horses.' "'That's a great treaty,' I said. 'The settlement of the Alaskan frontier is not more important than fixing the boundaries of our social life. Let us surrender the tools of idiocy; especially, let us abandon all claim to the helmet and battle-ax. They're all right in their place, but they aren't ours. The plowshare and the pruning-hook are our symbols.' "'By Jove! you know, the old Bishop of St. Clare agrees with you exactly,' said Harry. 'I've been reading his life and writings, which I picked up in London, and he's about converted me to your way of thinking. He hated "the glittering idleness" of the rich and put industry above elegance.' "'And he doesn't intend that your education shall be neglected--he's looking after you.' "'He's as industrious as Destiny,' said the young man. 'Did you know that Cub Sayles is engaged?' "'To whom?' "'Mrs. Revere-Chalmers.' "'God rest his soul!' I exclaimed. "'It's just the thing for Cub,' said Harry. 'He's poor but presentable, and has many extravagant tastes. She's quite a bit older than he, of course, but that isn't unusual.' "'I warned him long ago, knowing that his folly would undo him. Now he will be a captain of New Thought, King of the Flub Dubs, advertising manager of the Psychological Hair Factory, and inspector of pimples.' "'But don't you know that he will have everything that he desires?' "'Except happiness.' "'Oh, I think that she is very fond of him!' said Harry. 'She told me to-day that he is the only man she ever loved, and the dear old girl thinks that she won him by concentration.' "With this remark, made on the 20th of May, Harry dropped out of the history of Pointview until December." XIII IN WHICH THE MINISTER GETS INTO LOVE AND TROUBLE