So he said to Agnes Brenton when he told her of all this.
"You see, I can't get rid of my money."
"It seems to me," said Mrs. Brenton, "you have made a very good attempt at it." Then, with a little colour in her face, she added, "I go back to my old theory about you. I want to see you well married. I should like you to take a prominent part in the life of the day."
He made no remark for a little while, then he said—
"Yes, I shall marry; I hope soon."
To herself Mrs. Brenton confessed a great disappointment.
"An American woman!" she said to herself. "I did hope he would have married somebody over here."
The welcome the children gave him was a royal one; but Caroline barely touched his hand, and expressed no pleasure at seeing him again. It seemed however, that he had something to say to her.
"I want to talk to you about the children," he said. "Will you come out into the garden?"
"I thought everything was settled for the time being," Caroline said.