with whom he was walking.

Apollodorus was silent for a moment, as if reflecting whether this anecdote
was to be regarded as a general judgment of the arbiter that a gentleman
will never smoke in the presence of a lady. But the Easy Chair broke in
upon his meditation with a question, "If you had a son, should you wish to
meet him smoking as he accompanied a lady upon the avenue? or, were you
the father of a daughter, should you wish to see her cavalier smoking as
he walked by her side? Upon your own theory of what is gentlemanly and
courteous and respectful and becoming in the manner of a man towards a
woman, should you regard the spectacle with satisfaction?"

"Well," replied Apollodorus, "isn't that rather a high-flying view? When
can a man smoke--"

"But you are not answering," interrupted the Easy Chair. "Of two youths
walking with your daughter, one of whom was smoking a cigarette, or a
cigar, or a pipe, as he attended her, and the other was not smoking, which
would seem to you the more gentlemanly?"

"The latter," said Apollodorus, promptly and frankly.

"It appears, then," returned the Easy Chair, assuming the Socratic manner,
"that there are circumstances under which a gentleman will not smoke in
the presence of a lady. But to answer your question directly, it is not
possible to prescribe an exact code, although certain conditions may be
definitely stated. For instance, a gentleman will not smoke while walking
with a lady in the street. He will not smoke while paying her an evening
visit in her drawing-room. He will not smoke while driving with her in the
Park."