But there had been no evidence of
anything but a young girl's natural love of pleasure since her debut in
society, and she was quite unaware of Alexina's wicked divagations. She
had spent the winter in Santa Barbara, for the benefit of her oldest, boy,
whose lungs were delicate, and, like her mother, never deigned to read the
society columns of the newspapers. Her reason, however, was her own. In
spite of her blood, her indisputable position, her style, she cut but a
small figure in those columns. She was not rich enough to vie with those
who entertained constantly, and was merely set down as one of many guests.
The fact induced a slight bitterness.
IV
She began tactfully. "I like this young Mr. Dwight very much, and shall ask
him down, as mother desires it. But I hope, darling, that you will follow
my example and not marry until you have had four years of society, in other
words have seen something of the world--"
"California is not the world."
"Society, in other words human nature, is everywhere much alike. As you
know, I spent a year in England when I was a young lady, and was presented
at court--by Lady Barnstable, who was Lee Tarlton, one of us. It was
merely San Francisco on a large scale, with titles, and greater and older
houses and parks, and more jewels, and more arrogance, and everything much
grander, of course. And they talked politics a great deal, which bored
me as I am sure they would bore you.
Pages:
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62