"The hound beside the hare held consort in the shade, The hind, the lioness, upon the self-same rock, The too loquacious crow--" Here some one knocked at the door. "Come in!" called Mr Benny. The door opened. The visitor was Captain Hunken. "Good mornin'." "Ah! Good morning, sir!" "Busy?" "Dallying, sir,--dallying with the Muses. That is all my business nowadays." "I looked in," said 'Bias, laying down his hat, "to ask if you would do me a small favour." "You may be sure of it, Captain Hunken: that is, if it should lie in my power." 'Bias nodded, somewhat mysteriously. "You bet it does: though, as one might say, it don't lie azackly inside the common. I want a letter written." "Yes?" "It ain't, as you might put it, an ordinary letter either. It's,--well, in fact, it's a proposal of marriage!" Mr Benny rubbed the back of his head gently. "I have written quite a number in my time, Captain Hunken. . . . Is it--if I may put it delicately--in the first person, sir?" "She's the first person--" began 'Bias, and came to a halt. "Does that matter," he asked, "so long as I describe the parties pretty accurate?" "Not a bit," Mr Benny assured him. "A friend, shall we say?" "That's right," 'Bias nodded solemnly. "And the lady?--spinster or widow?" "Widow." "Oh!" "Eh?" "Nothing. . . . I was considering. One has to collect a few data, you understand,--in strict confidence, of course. . . . Trade, profession, or occupation?" "Whose?" "Well, your friend's, to start with." "Is that necessary?" "It will help us to be persuasive." Seeing that 'Bias still hesitated, Mr Benny went on. "May I take it, for instance, that one may credit him, as a friend of yours, with a seafaring past?" "I do believe," responded 'Bias with a slow smile after regarding Mr Benny for some seconds, "as you're thinkin' of Cai Hocken?" Mr Benny laughed. "And yet it would not be so tremendous a guess,-- hey?--seeing what friends you two are." "It won't do no harm," allowed 'Bias after pondering a while, "if you took it to be Cai Hocken; though, mind you, I don't say as you're right." "That's understood. . . . Now for the lady's occupation?" "Well . . . you might make it farmin'--for the sake of argument." "Now I wonder," thought Mr Benny to himself, "_which_ of these two is lying." Aloud he began, setting pen to paper and repeating as he wrote, "'_Honoured Madam,_'--you don't think that too cold?" "Why, are you able to start already?" exclaimed 'Bias in unfeigned amazement. "I like to catch an inspiration as it springs to my brain," Mr Benny assured him. "We'll correct as we go on." CHAPTER XV. PALMERSTON'S GENIUS.