"Were you pleased with the nomination and election of Catlin ?" "I was pleased at the election, but I should have preferred Porter." "I thought you tried to prevent Porter's nomination ?" "That's what the papers said, but they didn't understand." "I wasn't thinking of the papers.

You know I heard your speech in the convention." "A great many people seem to have misunderstood me.

I tried to make it clear." "Did you intend that the convention should laugh ?" "No.

That surprised and grieved me very much!" Miss De Voe gathered from this and from what the papers had said that it must be a mortifying subject to Peter, and knew that she ought to discontinue it.

But she could not help saying, "Why ?" "It's difficult to explain, I'm afraid.