She had quite withdrawn--still further into the sacred preserves, I
suppose....
"They are not only loyal but really seem to have the most exalted
admiration for one another because they are all of the same heaven-born
stock....That is not all, however. The truth of the matter is that they get
so bored out here they would go frantic if they did not cultivate as many
kinds of excitement and indigenous admirations as their wits are equal to.
When they can, they vary the monotony of life with summers in Europe and
winters in New York--or Santa Barbara, where they meet many interesting
people from the East or England; but some of them won't leave their busy
husbands or the husbands won't be left; or parents are not amenable; so
they try to create an atmosphere of high spirits and sheer delight in youth
and one another, and the result is almost a work of art. I rather respect
them, but I envy them a good deal less than before I knew them so well."
"Oh, you envied them? They should envy you."
"Well, they don't! Yes, I envied them because it is my natural right to be
one of them and fate slammed the door before I was born. It embittered my
first youth, and it might have become an obsession after my brother married
into society if I had not found the right kind of work. That and the boring
Sundays I've spent at Rincona, and the experiences I have had with that
young set, who are always at Mrs.
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