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such matters and that will make the understanding that we must reach easier for both of us." He turned one of the rings nervously. "I speak of the engagement between your daughter and the Marquis de Brissac de Coudrav. whom I have the honor to represent. As you know, they are engaged. I have come to arrange about the dot."
"The what?" said Pike.
"The dot — the sum you will be willing to settle upon the Marquis."
"You mean you want me to pay him for marrying my daughter?"
The little lawyer was quite disturbed and turned his rings faster than ever.
"It is always so in France," he explained, "the young lady must always have the dot — otherwise the marriage is not acceptable. When the husband is of the nobility, it is very necessary."
The little man, now sure of himself, told more of the custom of the country. It was different in America, he had understood, but it was done in France, and then, smiling, he added: "This, of course, is France."
"This may be France, but this," and Pike slapped his chest, "is Oklahoma."
The lawyer was polite, very polite — Mr. Peters didn't understand — and then explained in detail the matter of the dot, but it went against Pike's grain. He could hardly wait until the lawyer finished.
"Do you know what'd happen," he said, looking over the little figure, "if a feller in America came to a girl's old man and asked him how much he was goin' to come across with? The next thing the feller knew he'd have a cold cloth on his forehead and a ringing in his ears. You've sure picked the wrong customer if you expect me to fall for any such talk as you're handing out. If your marquis wants to marry my daughter and if she'll have him, all right, but none of this bargain-basement stuff."
Never had the lawyer heard such language, but he must make the best of it. He continued to explain the position.
"Well, how much do you want?" asked Pike at last.
"In your money it will correspond to two hundred thousand dollars. It is very little."
Pike could no longer contain himself.
"Me pay two hundred thousand for that," he waved his hand to the window where the marquis could be seen walking in the garden. (Continued on page 105)
"Daddy, we want to go
home," said Opal,
"We've had enough of
France."
"Whatever he has done,
it is all my fault," said
Ross. "I drove him to
it."
"I've come to the conclusion that if parents can just keep their
children out of jail, they have fulfilled their obligations to
'em," sighed Pike.