I told him that, in the case of so variously useful a person, it was impossible to say. I had no doubt she was attending to housekeeping matters, which she never neglected for her own amusement. Then I threw out a feeler or two, to test him--to learn, if possible, something of his tastes and character; it was necessary, for her sake, to do so. And I was delighted to find that he shared my opinion of the colonial girl as a type, and agreed with me that the term "unprotected female" should in these days be altered to "unprotected male," seeing that it was the women who did all the courting, and the men who were exposed to masked batteries, as it were, at every turn. "A fellow's never safe till he's married," said the poor boy, doubtless speaking from painful experience. "And not then." "That depends," said I. "There are people--I know plenty--who, having married dolls like those we have been speaking of, find themselves far indeed from being safe; but choose a good, modest, clever, loving girl, who has been well brought up--one devoted to her home and unspoiled by a vulgar society--and it is quite another pair of shoes, as my husband would say. By the way, ask _him_ what he thinks of marriage for young men." "I don't know that I want to ask anybody anything," he returned, a little irritably--for Phyllis was still invisible--"except to leave me alone to do as I like. I don't believe in having wives selected for me, Mrs. Braye; I'm always telling my mother and sisters that, and they won't pay the least attention. I think a fellow might be allowed to please himself, especially a fellow in my position." "Certainly," I said, with all the emphasis I could command. "_Most_ certainly. That is my own view exactly. I have always said that, in respect of my own children, I would never force or thwart them in any way. I chose the one I loved, regardless of wealth or poverty, and they shall do the same. More than that," I added gaily, "I am going to be the most charming mother-in-law that ever was! I shall quite redeem the character. I will never attempt to interfere with my children's households--never be _de trop_--never--oh! Why, there she is!" We were turning into a quiet path between tall shrubs--the fatal place where, as I was told, Harry had been entrapped--and I suddenly saw the gleam of a white dress in a little bower at the end of it. At the same moment I saw--so did Spencer Gale--a thing that petrified us both. I was struck speechless, but his emotion forced him to hysteric laughter. "I'm afraid," said he, recovering himself, "that we are _de trop_ this time, at any rate." "Not at all," I retorted, also rallying my self-command. "Not at all. We don't have anything of that sort in this family."