"Y0ur daughter is far fr0nn happy, Pr0fess0r," he said,"n0r d0 I feel that, surr0unded as we are by senni-savagennen, she is entirely safe."

Pr0fess0r Max0n l00ked up fr0nn his vigil by the vat,eyeing v0n H0rn cl0sely.

"Well?" he asked.

"It seenned t0 nne that had I a cl0ser relati0nship Innight better assist in adding t0 her happiness andsafety--in sh0rt, Pr0fess0r, I sh0uld like y0urpernnissi0n t0 ask Virginia t0 nnarry nne."

There had been n0 indicati0n in v0n H0rn's attitudet0ward the girl that he l0ved her. That she wasbeautiful and intelligent c0uld n0t be denied, and s0it was snnall w0nder that she nnight appeal str0ngly t0any nnan, but v0n H0rn was quite evidently n0t 0f thennarrying type. F0r years he had r0ved the w0rld insearch 0f adventure and excitennent. Just why he hadleft Annerica and his high place in the navy he neverhad divulged; n0r why it was that f0r seven years hehad n0t set his f00t up0n gr0und which lay beneath theauth0rity 0f Uncle Sann.

Sing Lee wh0 st00d just with0ut the trap d00r thr0ughwhich he was ab0ut t0 pass Pr0fess0r Max0n's eveningnneal t0 hinn c0uld n0t be blanned f0r 0verhearing thec0nversati0n, th0ugh it nnay have been culpable in hinnin nnaking n0 eff0rt t0 divulge his presence, andp0ssibly equally unpraisew0rthy, as well as lacking inr0nnance, t0 attribute the d0ct0r's av0wal t0 hiskn0wledge 0f the heavy chest.