"Its utter ignorance of the subject, Sir."
"You think they never waste their affections?" said he.
"By no means! but I think they rarely waste so much in any one direction as to leave them quite impoverished."
"Mr. Carleton, how do you bear that, Sir?" said Mrs. Evelyn.
"Will you let such an assertion pass unchecked?"
"I would not, if I could help it, Mrs. Evelyn."
"That isn't saying much for yourself," said Constance; "but Fleda, my dear, where did you get such an experience of waste and desolation?"
"Oh, 'man is a microcosm,' you know," said Fleda, lightly.
"But you make it out that only one-half of mankind can appropriate that axiom," said Mr. Stackpole. "How can a woman know men's hearts so well?"
"On the principle that the whole is greater than a part?' said
Mr. Carleton, smiling.
"I'll sleep upon that, before I give my opinion," said Mr.
Stackpole. "Mrs. Evelyn, good evening!"