Neither have I except in one or two cases where very dear friends
had been forced by circumstances into the divorce court. I didn't approve
even then. People should wash their dirty linen at home."
"Time moves, as I remarked just now. Nothing would stop me; if, for
instance, I had been persuaded into marrying a member of the A. A. and he
was in the way of ruining my young life. You should be thankful if I did
decide to marry Mr. Dwight--mind, I don't say I care the tip of my little
finger for him. I barely know him. But if I did you would have to admit
that I was following the best Ballinger instincts, for he doesn't drink,
or dissipate in any way; and everybody says he works hard and is as steady
as--I was going to say as a judge, but I've been told that all judges, in
this town at least, are not as steady as you think. Anyhow, he is. His
family is as old as ours, even if it did have reverses or something. And
you can't deny that he is a gentleman, every inch of him."
"I do not deny that he has a very good appearance indeed. But--well, he
was brought up in San Francisco and no one ever heard of his parents. He
admitted to me at the table that his father was only a clerk in a broker's
office. He is not one of us and that is the end of it."
"Why not make him one? Quite easy. And you ought to rejoice in what power
you have left."
She rose and stretched and yawned in a most unladylike fashion.
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