CHAPTER THE SIXTEENTH.
GEOFFREY AS A PUBLIC CHARACTER.
TIME had advanced to after noon before the selection of Geoffrey's future wife was accomplished, and before the instructions of Geoffrey's brother were complete enough to justify the opening of the matrimonial negotiation at Nagle's Hotel.
"Don't leave him till you have got his promise," were Lady Holchester's last words when her son started on his mission.
"If Geoffrey doesn't jump at what I am going to offer him," was the son's reply, "I shall agree with my father that the case is hopeless; and I shall end, like my father, in giving Geoffrey up." This was strong language for Julius to use.

It was not easy to rouse the disciplined and equable temperament of Lord Holchester's eldest son.
No two men were ever more thoroughly unlike each other than these two brothers.

It is melancholy to acknowledge it of the blood relation of a "stroke oar," but it must be owned, in the interests of truth, that Julius cultivated his intelligence.

This degenerate Briton could digest books--and couldn't digest beer.

Could learn languages--and couldn't learn to row.