But then, to be sure, he began at the wrong end in the matter; why commence with papa?
When a man has his own consent for liking a girl, he must be a contemptible fellow if he can't get her; and as to anything else being wanting, I don't understand it.

But the moment you begin by influencing the heads of the house, good-by to your chances with the dear thing herself, if she have any spirit whatever.

It is, in fact, calling on her to surrender without the honors of war; and what girl would stand that ?" "It's vara true," said the doctor; "there's a strong speerit of opposition in the sex, from physiological causes." "Curse your physiology, old Galen; what you call opposition, is that piquant resistance to oppression that makes half the charm of the sex.
It is with them--with reverence be it spoken--as with horses: the dull, heavy-shouldered ones, that bore away with the bit in their teeth, never caring whether you are pulling to the right or to the left, are worth nothing; the real luxury is in the management of your arching-necked curvetter, springing from side to side with every motion of your wrist, madly bounding at restraint, yet, to the practised hand, held in check with a silk tread.

Eh, Skipper, am I not right ?" "Well, I can't say I've had much to do with horse-beasts, but I believe you're not far wrong.

The lively craft that answers the helm quick, goes round well in stays, luffs up close within a point or two, when you want her, is always a good sea-boat, even though she pitches and rolls a bit; but the heavy lugger that never knows whether your helm is up or down, whether she's off the wind or on it, is only fit for firewood,--you can do nothing with a ship or a woman if she hasn't got steerage way on her." "Come, Skipper, we've all been telling our stories; let us hear one of yours ?" "My yarn won't come so well after your sky-scrapers of love and courting and all that.