``He'll
never be anything but a respectable fraud.''
``Why do YOU think so?'' Selma inquired.
``My father is a public man,'' Miss Clearwater explained. ``And
I've seen a great deal of these reformers. They're the ordinary
human variety of politician plus a more or less conscious
hypocrisy. Usually they're men who fancy themselves superior to
the common run in birth and breeding. My father has taught me to
size them up.''
They went down, and Selma, seated between Jane and Miss
Clearwater, amused both with her frank comments on the scene so
strange to her--the beautiful table, the costly service, the
variety and profusion of elaborate food. In fact, Jane, reaching
out after the effects got easily in Europe and almost as easily
in the East, but overtaxed the resources of the household which
she was only beginning to get into what she regarded as
satisfactory order. The luncheon, therefore, was a creditable
and promising attempt rather than a success, from the standpoint
of fashion. Jane was a little ashamed, and at times extremely
nervous-- this when she saw signs of her staff falling into
disorder that might end in rout. But Selma saw none of the
defects. She was delighted with the dazzling spectacle--for two
or three courses. Then she lapsed into quiet and could not be
roused to speak.
Jane and Ellen thought she was overwhelmed and had been seized of
shyness in this company so superior to any in which she had ever
found herself.
Pages:
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180
181
182
183
184
185
186
187
188
189
190
191
192
193
194
195