Now when this worthy couple had finished a late dinner, and Colonel Crop had assented to and echoed all that Lord Spoonbill had been pleased to affirm as touching the excellence or the reverse of the various meats and drinks composing their dinner, the hereditary legislator began the work of consultation. "Well, Crop, it is a good thing that I have sent that rascally letter-carrier away." "Very," replied the colonel. "It would have been quite shocking if he had been terrified or bribed out of his secret." "Quite," replied the colonel. "Now I have been thinking," continued his lordship, "that you may be of great service to me in this affair." "You may command me," replied the colonel. That was true enough, and so might any one who would feed him. Young men of weak minds and vicious habits are very much to be pitied when they have such friends and companions as Colonel Crop. "You know Miss Primrose by sight, colonel?" said his lordship. "Can't say I do," replied the colonel; "I have seen her once, but I took very little notice." "I must introduce you then. Now you remember the trouble I had with the old ones about this affair, and you know that I was fool enough, as I told you, to go so far as actually to make Miss Primrose an offer of marriage." The colonel gave his assent to this proposition also; for he seemed to think it an act of rudeness to contradict a lord, even when he called himself a fool. And so perhaps it really is; for a lord ought to know whether he is a fool or not, and he would not say it if he did not believe it; and there is also a degree of wisdom in the discovery that one has been a fool, for thereby it is intimated that the season of folly is over. Whosoever therefore actually says that he was a fool formerly, virtually says that he is not a fool now. So no doubt did the colonel interpret the assertion of Lord Spoonbill, and with this interpretation he said, "Exactly so." "But I think now," proceeded his lordship, "I may have the young lady on my own terms. But the difficulty is how to manage the business without alarming her, and perhaps bringing down some deadly vengeance from that father of her's, for he is as fierce as a tiger." That which is a difficulty to an hereditary legislator and heir to a title and large estate, must of course be a difficulty also to a half-pay colonel, who loves to depend upon occasional dinners, and, like a hospital, to be supported by voluntary contributions. Therefore the colonel said: "Ay, that is the difficulty." "If by any means we could contrive to get the father out of the way, we might perhaps get rid of some obstacle. Crop, can you hit upon any scheme to separate them?"