They rant and froth, contradict
themselves and one another, wander from the point and never get
anywhere....That would give me hope if it were not for the fact that poor
California is a magnet for the cranks of every fad as well as for the
riff-raff and derelicts....My other hope is that even they--that is to say
the least unbalanced of them--will come in time to realize that socialism
is economically unsound--"
"Do you mean to say," cried Mrs. Abbott, "that Alexina has gone to
socialist meetings?"
"Rather. She's very keen--"
"Believes in it?"
"Rather not. But she is naturally thorough--has a really extraordinary
tendency, for a San Franciscan of her sex and status, to finish anything
she has begun. Sometimes when she is arguing with Kirkpatrick she sticks
out that chin of hers so far that you notice how square it is. She has him
pretty well tamed though. When he is ready to eat the rest of us alive she
can smooth him down like a regular lion tamer."
"Well, you're nothing but a lot of parlor socialists," said Mrs. Thornton
disgustedly. "And just as ridiculous as any other hybrids. But I'm relieved
that it hasn't spoiled your taste for the simpler pleasures of life. Maria,
as you don't play poker we'll have a game of bridge, Ladie, ring for
cocktails, will you--or would you rather have a gin fizz? Don't look so
horrified, Maria. We're better than socialists, anyhow; if they did win
out you'd have farther to fall than we, for you're a moss-backed old
conservative who hates change of any sort, while we not only love change of
all sorts but are regular anarchists: do as we please and snap our fingers
at the world.
Pages:
193
194
195
196
197
198
199
200
201
202
203
204
205
206
207
208
209
210
211
212
213
214
215
216
217