``That sounds
like a description of ME,'' said she.
``Probably,'' said Victor. ``It's a very usual type in the
second generation in your class.''
``My class?'' said Jane, somewhat affectedly. ``What do you
mean?''
``The upper class,'' explained Victor.
Jane felt that this was an opportunity for a fine exhibition of
her democracy. ``I don't like that,'' said she. ``I'm a good
American, and I don't believe in classes. I don't feel--at least
I try not to feel--any sense of inequality between myself and
those--those less--less--fortunately off. I'm not expressing
myself well, but you know what I mean.''
``Yes, I know what you mean,'' rejoined Victor. ``But that
wasn't what I meant, at all. You are talking about social
classes in the narrow sense. That sort of thing isn't important.
One associates with the kind of people that pleases one--and one
has a perfect right to do so. If I choose to have my leisure
time with people who dress a certain way, or with those who have
more than a certain amount of money, or more than a certain
number of servants or what not--why, that's my own lookout.''
``I'm SO glad to hear you say that,'' cried Jane. ``That's SO
sensible.''
``Snobbishness may be amusing,'' continued Dorn, ``or it may be
repulsive--or pitiful. But it isn't either interesting or
important. The classes I had in mind were the economic
classes--upper, middle, lower. The upper class includes all
those who live without work-- aristocrats, gamblers, thieves,
preachers, women living off men in or out of marriage, grown
children living off their parents or off inheritances.
Pages:
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119