"Would that be an inexpedient measure?" "You must judge. I have not thought best to do it; but if it is necessary I can do it now." "I will not give you so much trouble. If you will allow me, I will come again to morrow evening, and get the address." "To-morrow evening!" said the lady slowly. "I am very sorry, I have an engagement; I shall not be at home to-morrow evening." Why did it not occur to Mrs. Busby to say that she would leave the address for him, if he would call for it? Mr. Southwode quietly put up his pencil, and remarked that another time would do; and passed on easily to make inquiries about what New York had been doing since he went away? Mrs. Busby told him of certain buildings and plans for buildings here and there, and then suddenly asked, "When did you come, Mr. Southwode?" "I landed to-day." "To-day! Rotha would be very much flattered if she knew how prompt you have been to seek her out." It was said with a manner meant to be smoothly insinuating, but which somehow had missed the smoothness. Mrs. Busby for that moment had lost the hold she usually kept of herself. "Rotha would expect no less of me," Mr. Southwode answered calmly. "Then you and she must have been great friends before you went away? greater then I knew." "Did Rotha not credit me with so much?" he asked with a smile, which covered a sharp observation of the lady, examining him. "To tell you the truth," said Mrs. Busby, with a manner which was intended to be gracious, "I did not encourage her. Knowing what gentlemen, and young gentlemen, generally are, I thought it unlikely that you would much remember Rotha amid the pressure of your business in England, and very likely that things might turn out so that she would never see you again. I expected every day to hear that you were married; and of course that would have been an end of your interest in her." "Why do you think so, may I ask?" "_Why?_ Every woman knows," said Mrs. Busby in amused fashion. "I will not marry till I find a woman that does not know," said Mr. Southwode shaking his head. "Now that is unreasonable, Mr. Southwode." "I do not think so. Prove it." "I cannot prove it to a man. I have only a woman's knowledge, of what he does not understand. And besides, Mr. Southwode, it is quite right and proper that it should be so. A man shall leave his father and mother and cleave to his wife; and if his father and mother, surely everybody else." "As I am not married, the case does not come under consideration," said the gentleman carelessly. And after a pause he went on--"I have written several letters to Rotha during the time of my absence, and addressed them to your care. Did you receive them safe?" "I received several--I do not at this moment recollect just how many." "Do you know why they were never answered?" "I suppose I do," said Mrs. Busby composedly. "Rotha has been exceedingly engrossed with her studies."