fourteen hours a young nobleman winked at me in church. Send me a couple of dozen.”
“What can the girl want with a couple of dozen young noblemen, darling?” asked Jessie.
“I don't know—perhaps she took it too strong. Now these men,” said Gay, laying down the paper, “are benefactors indeed, if they can accomplish all they undertake. I would ennoble these men. They should have statues. I would enthrone them in high places. They would be +3.”
“My generous darling,” said Jessie, gazing into his eyes in a fervid ecstasy.
“Not at all,” replied Gay. “They deserve it. We confer peerages on generals who plunge half a nation into mourning—shall we deny them to men who bring a life's happiness home to every door? Always supposing,” added the cautious clergyman, “that they can really do what they profess.”
The upshot of this conversation was that Gay determined to lay in a stock of philtres for general use among his parishioners. If the effect upon them was satisfactory he would extend the sphere of their operations. So when Sir Caractacus and his daughter went to town for the season, Stanley Gay spent a fortnight with them, and thus it came to pass that he and Jessie went together to Baylis and Culpepper's.
“Have you any fresh Love Philtres to day?” said Gay.
“Plenty, sir,” said Mr. Culpepper. “How many would you like?”
“Well—let me see,” said Gay. “There are a
