As we still sat at the table, but each a little away from it, she gathered all her resources together to be the lady in authority.
"I'm glad of a word alone with you because—" Apparently she could get no farther in this direction, and so took another line. "I think you said your business was with carpets, didn't you?"
"Somebody may have said it for me—especially after our little talk about the rug—but it didn't come from me."
Her hazel eyes rested on me frankly. "And it's not?"
"No, it's not."
"Oh, then—" Her tone was slightly that of disappointment.
"Did you want it to be?" I smiled.
"It isn't that; but my brother thought it was—"
"I'm sure I don't know why—except for the rug. But one can know about rugs and not have to sell them, can't one?"
"It's not a usual branch of knowledge, except among connoisseurs and artists—"