"Perhaps," said the other. "So is the Jungfrau; but I prefer
something more comfortable."

"What's Chappie de Peyster beauing her around for?" asked Mrs.
Venable. "Is he a candidate?"

"Maybe his debts are troubling him again," said Mistress Betty. "He
must be in a desperate plight.--Did you hear how Jack Audubon
proposed to her?"

"Did Jack propose?" exclaimed the Major.

"Of course he did," said the girl. "His brother told me." Then, for
Montague's benefit, she explained, "Jack Audubon is the Major's
nephew, and he's a bookworm, and spends all his time collecting
scarabs."

"What did he say to her?" asked the Major, highly amused.

"Why," said Betty, "he told her he knew she didn't love him; but
also she knew that he didn't care anything about her money, and she
might like to marry him so that other men would let her alone."

"Gad!" cried the old gentleman, slapping his knee. "A masterpiece!"

"Does she have so many suitors?" asked Montague; and the Major
replied, "My dear boy--she'll have a hundred million dollars some
day!"

At this point Oliver put in appearance, and Betty got up and went