"Do you understand the signification of this?"
"Oh, you have made an unfortunate selection! This rose is all falling to pieces!" said Mr. Carson, innocently.
"So I observed," said Nina, turning away quickly; then, making one of her darting movements, she was in the middle of the saloon again, just as the waiter announced dinner.
Clayton rose gravely, and offered his arm to Aunt Nesbit; and Nina found herself obliged to accept the delighted escort of Mr. Carson, who, entirely unperceiving, was in the briskest possible spirits, and established himself comfortably between Aunt Nesbit and Nina.
"You must find it very dull here—very barren country, shockingly so! What do you find to interest yourself in?" said he.
"Will you take some of this gumbo?" replied Nina.
"I always thought," said Aunt Nesbit, "it was a good plan for girls to have a course of reading marked out to them when they left school."
"Oh, certainly," said Carson. "I shall be happy to mark out one for her. I've done it for several young ladies."
At this moment Nina accidentally happened to catch Clayton's eye, which was fixed upon Mr. Carson with an air of quiet amusement greatly disconcerting to her.