The pause seemed to lengthen, between them, and Marjorie's remark when she made it at last struck her even as she made it as being but poorly conceived. She had some weak idea of being self-depreciatory. "I think you had better win an empire, Mr. Magnet," she said meekly. Then, before anything more was possible, they had come up to Daffy and Mr. Wintersloan and her mother at the gate.... As they returned Mrs. Pope was loud in the praises of Will Magnet. She had a little clear-cut voice, very carefully and very skilfully controlled, and she dilated on his modesty, his quiet helpfulness at table, his ready presence of mind. She pointed out instances of those admirable traits, incidents small in themselves but charming in their implications. When somebody wanted junket, he had made no fuss, he had just helped them to junket. "So modest and unassuming," sang Mrs. Pope. "You'd never dream he was quite rich and famous. Yet every book he writes is translated into Russian and German and all sorts of languages. I suppose he's almost the greatest humorist we have. That play of his; what is it called?--_Our Owd Woman_--has been performed nearly twelve hundred times! I think that is the most wonderful of gifts. Think of the people it has made happy." The conversation was mainly monologue. Both Marjorie and Daffy were unusually thoughtful. § 11 Marjorie ended the long day in a worldly mood. "Penny for your thoughts," said Daffy abruptly, brushing the long firelit rapids of her hair. "Not for sale," said Marjorie, and roused herself. "I've had a long day." "It's always just the time I particularly wish I was a man," she remarked after a brief return to meditation. "Fancy, no hair-pins, no brushing, no tie-up to get lost about, no strings. I suppose they haven't strings?" "They haven't," said Daffy with conviction. She met Marjorie's interrogative eye. "Father would swear at them," she explained. "He'd naturally tie himself up--and we should hear of it." "I didn't think of that," said Marjorie, and stuck out her chin upon her fists. "Sound induction." She forgot this transitory curiosity. "Suppose one had a maid, Daffy--a real maid ... a maid who mended your things ... did your hair while you read...." "Oh! here goes," and she stood up and grappled with the task of undressing. CHAPTER THE SECOND THE TWO PROPOSALS OF MR. MAGNET § 1 It was presently quite evident to Marjorie that Mr. Magnet intended to propose marriage to her, and she did not even know whether she wanted him to do so.