"I say, Lightnut, have you ever noticed the view from out here?" he asked briskly. "Fine, you know! Nice to sit here and watch the boats--have you your cigarettes? _Oh_, yes! Try _this_ chair! Now, if you'll excuse me I'll be with you in--" "Luncheon is served!" intoned a human machine. "Ah-h!" The judge's tone evinced satisfaction. "My dear Lightnut," his hand upon my arm, "do you know I look upon you as so nearly one of us--?" "Thank you, judge!" I said feelingly. By Jove, it was devilish comfy to have her father so jolly friendly about it! "That I'm just going to ask you to excuse me from lunching with you--know you'll understand, my boy!--so infernally busy, you see!" I _didn't_ see, though he had been _saying_ this all morning. But as he seemed to think he was busy, I wasn't going to make any dashed break contradicting him, you know. So I pretended I _did_ see. "Thank you--thank you, my boy!" He patted me on the back. "And as you'll have an opportunity of seeing a little more of that charming girl, Miss Kirkland--" Charming girl, indeed! I wondered what he would think, if he knew of her designs on poor Jack! "I want you to go in for her a bit--cultivate her a little; you may change your opinion--eh?" He laughed softly and paused in our progress through the library to dig me sharply in the side. "Go ahead--_flirt_ with her, my boy! She will like it--all girls do--and it will do you good; do both of you good!" The old boy beamed at me over his glasses as he vented a horrible chuckle; didn't seem to notice how painfully shocked I was. A flirtation, indeed! And with the frump, of all others! Of course he was just having his little joke, and didn't seem to realize what devilish poor taste he exhibited as the father of my darling. "Thank you," I said rather coldly, "but I don't think that--er--sort of thing would show much consideration for Frances and--" "Rubbish!" And, by Jove, how he laughed! "Do you think Francis would show any consideration for _you_?"--he snapped his fingers. "I think you're a bit too quixotic, young man!" I didn't know--don't know now; never was up on any of those legal terms. _He_ knew what he meant! "Pshaw, now!" he went on, "if _that's_ what's restraining you, you must drop it! I want you to have a pleasant time while you are here with Miss Kirkland--get along with you!"--then he pulled me back again--"You needn't be thinking about the slightest obligation so far as Francis is concerned. Why should you when the affair is all one-sided?" "One--one-sided?" I repeated falteringly. "Why, yes; the girl doesn't care for anybody in the whole word except her old father--and he idolizes her!" Oh, _did_ he!