Miss Hastings could not deny it. They were not speaking of a manageable nineteenth century young lady, but of one to whom no ordinary rules applied, whom no customary measures fitted. "I have a letter here," continued Sir Oswald, "from Captain Aubrey Langton, the son of one of my oldest and dearest friends. He proposes to pay me a visit, and--pray, Miss Hastings, pardon me for suggesting such a thing, but I should be so glad if he would fall in love with Pauline. I have an idea that love might educate and develop her more quickly than anything else." Miss Hastings had already thought the same thing; but she knew whoever won the love of such a girl as Pauline Darrell would be one of the cleverest of men. "I am writing to him to tell him that I hope he will remain with us for a month; and during that time I hope, I fervently hope, he may fall in love with my niece. She is beautiful enough. Pardon me again, Miss Hastings, but has she ever spoken to you of love or lovers?" "No. She is in that respect, as in many others, quite unlike the generality of girls. I have never heard an allusion to such matters from her lips--never once." This fact seemed to Sir Oswald stranger than any other; he had an idea that girls devoted the greater part of their thoughts to such subjects. "Do you think," he inquired, "that she cared for any one in Paris--any of those men, for instance, whom she used to meet at her father's?" "No," replied Miss Hastings; "I do not think so. She is strangely backward in all such respects, although she was brought up entirely among gentlemen." "Among--pardon me, my dear madame, not gentlemen--members, we will say, of a gentlemanly profession." Sir Oswald took from his gold snuff-box a pinch of most delicately-flavored snuff, and looked as though he thought the very existence of such people a mistake. "Any little influence that you may possess over my niece, Miss Hastings, will you kindly use in Captain Langton's favor? Of course, if anything should come of my plan--as I fervently hope there may--I shall stipulate that the engagement lasts two years. During that time I shall trust to the influence of love to change my niece's character." It was only a fresh complication--one from which Miss Hastings did not expect much. That same day, during dinner, Sir Oswald told his niece of the expected arrival of Captain Langton. "I have seen so few English gentlemen," she remarked, "that he will be a subject of some curiosity to me." "You will find him--that is, if he resembles his father--a high-bred, noble gentleman," said Sir Oswald, complacently. "Is he clever?" she asked. "What does he do?" "Do!" repeated Sir Oswald. "I do not understand you." "Does he paint pictures or write books?" "Heaven forbid!" cried Sir Oswald, proudly. "He is a gentleman." Her face flushed hotly for some minutes, and then the flush died away, leaving her paler than ever.