on!"

"No spirits at all, Mrs. Clifton. Miss Manning has just been offering us
some water as a substitute."

"You are _so_ lively, Mr. Rushton. You remind me so much of my friend,
Mr. Hunter."

"I suppose he was one of your admirers before you became Mrs. Clifton."

"Really, Mr. Rushton, you mustn't say such things. Mr. Hunter and I were
very intimate friends, but nothing more, I assure you."

"Is Mr. Clifton well?" asked Miss Manning.

"He hasn't got home from the store. You know the dry goods stores always
keep open late. Really, I might as well have no husband at all, it is so
late when Mr. Clifton gets home, and then he is so sleepy that he can't
keep his eyes open."

It was generally believed that Mr. and Mrs. Clifton did not live
together as happily as they might have done,--a fact that will not at
all surprise those who are familiar with their history before their
marriage, which was quite a business arrangement. Mrs. Clifton married
because she did not want to be an old maid, and Mr. Clifton because he
knew his prospective wife had money, by means of which he could
establish himself in business.

"Are you in business in Wall Street, Mr. Black?" inquired Mrs. Clifton.

"No; I keep a store on Sixth Avenue."

"Indeed! my husband keeps a dry goods store on Eighth Avenue."

"Mine is a periodical and fancy goods store. Mr. Rushton here is my
partner."

"Indeed, Mr. Rushton, I am surprised to hear that. You have not left
Wall Street, have you?"

"No; I have only invested a portion of my extensive capital. My friend
Black carries on the business."

Thus far, Rufus had said nothing in the house about his connection with
the Sixth Avenue store; but now that it was no longer an experiment he
felt that there was no objection to doing so. Mrs. Clifton, who liked to
retail news, took care to make it known in the house, and the impression
became general that Rufus was a young man of property. Mr. Pratt, who
was an elderly man, rather given to prosy dissertations upon public
affairs, got into the habit of asking our hero's opinion upon the
financial policy of the government, to which, when expressed, he used to
listen with his head a little on one side, as though the words were
those of an oracle. This embarrassed Rufus a little at first; but as
during the day he was in a situation to hear considerable in reference
to this subject, he was generally able to answer in a way that was
regarded as satisfactory.