n, looking for a seed.

"You have not traveled much in this country, I presume," said Dexter.

"No, man, no. When I travel, I go abroad."

"I have never been abroad," answered Dexter, quietly. "But I can see a
difference between the people of Massachusetts and the people of South
Carolina, the people of Philadelphia and the people of San Francisco,
which is marked and of the soil. I even think that I can tell a
Baltimore, Buffalo, Chicago, Louisville, or St. Louis family at sight."

"You go to all those places?" said Miss Vanhorn, half closing her eyes,
and speaking in a languid voice, as if the subject was too remote for
close attention.

"Yes. You are not aware that I am a business man."

"Ah? What is it you do?" said the old woman, who knew perfectly Dexter's
entire history, but wanted to hear his own account of himself.

"I am interested in iron; that is, I have iron mills, and--other
things."

"Exactly; as you say--other things. Does that mean politics?"

"Partly," said Dexter, smiling.

"And oil?"

"No. I have never had any opportunity to coin gold with the Aladdin's
lamp found in Pennsylvania. There is no magic in any of my occupations;
they are all regular and commonplace."

"Are you in Congress now?"

"No; I was only there one term."

"A bore, isn't it?"

"Not to me."

"Congress is always a riot," said Miss Vanhorn, still with her eyes
closed.

"I can not agree with you," said Dexter, his face taking on one of its
resolute expressions. "I have small patience with those Americans who
affect to be above any interest in the government of the country in
which they live. It _is_ their country, and they can no more alter that
fact than they can change their plain grandfathers into foreign
noblemen."

"Dear me! dear me!" said Miss Vanborn, carelessly. "You talk to me as if
I were a mass-meeting."

"I beg your pardon," said Dexter, his former manner returning. "I forgot
for the moment that no one is in earnest at Caryl's."

"By-the-way, how did _you_ ever get in here?" said Miss Vanhorn, with
frank impertinence.

"I came because I like to see all sides of society," he replied, smiling
down upon her with amused eyes.

"Give me your arm. You amount to something," said the old woman, rising.
"We will walk up and down for a few moments; and, Anne, you can come
too."

"I am almost sure that he is Helen's Knight-errant," thought Anne. "And
I like him _very_ much."

A niece of Miss Vanhorn's