"
Mrs. Vertrees made a little sound of commiseration. "I don't believe
that was because he wasn't suffering, though. I'm sure it was only
because he felt his business was so important. Mary told me he seemed
wrapped up in his son's succeeding; and that was what he bragged about
most. He isn't vulgar in his boasting, I understand; he doesn't talk
a great deal about his--his actual money--though there was something
about blades of grass that I didn't comprehend. I think he meant
something about his energy--but perhaps not. No, his bragging usually
seemed to be not so much a personal vainglory as about his family and
the greatness of this city."
"'Greatness of this city'!" Mr. Vertrees echoed, with dull bitterness.
"It's nothing but a coal-hole! I suppose it looks 'great' to the man
who has the luck to make it work for him. I suppose it looks 'great'
to any YOUNG man, too, starting out to make his fortune out of it.
The fellows that get what they want out of it say it's 'great,' and
everybody else gets the habit. But you have a different point of
view if it's the city that got what it wanted out of you! Of course
Sheridan says it's 'great'.
Pages:
196
197
198
199
200
201
202
203
204
205
206
207
208
209
210
211
212
213
214
215
216
217
218
219
220