"Women may always be forgiven for wondering, my dear," said Mr. Evelyn, "or the rest of mankind must live at odds with them."
"Your principal object was to visit our western prairies, wasn't it, Mr. Carleton?" said Florence.
"No," he replied, quietly, "I cannot say that. I should choose to give a less romantic explanation of my movements. From, some knowledge growing out of my former visit to this country, I thought there were certain negotiations I might enter into here with advantage; and it was for the purpose of attending to these, Miss Constance, that I came."
"And have you succeeded?" said Mrs. Evelyn, with an expression of benevolent interest.
"No, Ma'am my information had not been sufficient."
"Very likely," said Mr. Evelyn. "There isn't one man in a hundred whose representations on such a matter are to be trusted at a distance."
"On such a matter," repeated his wife, funnily; "you don't know what the matter was, Mr. Evelyn you don't know what you are talking about."
"Business, my dear business I take only what Mr. Carleton said; it doesn't signify a straw what business. A man must always see with his own eyes."
Whether Mr. Carleton had seen or had not seen, or whether even he had his faculty of hearing in present exercise, a glance at his face was incompetent to discover.
"I never should have imagined," said Constance, eyeing him keenly, "that Mr. Carleton's errand to this country was one of business, and not of romance. I believe it's a humbug!"