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〃I know it。  And you've no idea how horrible a bed is that you can't sleep
in。〃  The old man's voice broke in a tremor。  〃Ah; it's a bed of torture!
I spend many a wicked hour in mine; envying St。 Lawrence his gridiron。
But what do you think of my theory?〃

〃It's a very pretty theory。  My only objection to it is that it's too
flattering。  You know I rather prefer to abuse my sex; and to be set up as
a natural aristocracyI don't know that I can quite agree to that; even
to account satisfactorily for being at your sister…in…law's reception。〃

〃You're too modest; Mrs。 Brinkley。〃

〃No; really。  There ought to be some men among usmen without morrows。
Now; why don't you and my husband set an example to your sex?  Why don't
you relax your severe sense of duty?  Why need you insist upon being at
your offices every morning at nine?  Why don't you fling off these habits
of lifelong industry; and be gracefully indolent in the interest of the
higher civilisation?〃

Bromfield Corey looked round at her with a smile of relish for her satire。
Her husband was a notoriously lazy man; who had chosen to live
restrictedly upon an inherited property rather than increase it by the
smallest exertion。

〃Do you think we could get Andy Pasmer to join us?〃

〃No; I can't encourage you with that idea。  You must get on without Mr。
Pasmer; he's going back to Europe with his son…in…law。〃

〃Do you mean that their girl's married?〃

〃No…engaged。  It's just out。〃

〃Well; I must say Mrs。 Pasmer has made use of her time。〃  He too liked to
imply that it was all an effect of her manoeuvring; and that the young
people had nothing to do with it; this survival from European fiction dies
hard。  〃Who is the young man?〃

Mrs。 Brinkley gave him an account of Dan Mavering as she had seen him at
Campobello; and of his family as she just heard of them。  〃Mr。 Munt was
telling me about them as you came up。〃

〃Why; was that John Munt?〃

〃Yes; didn't you know him?〃

〃No;〃 said Corey sadly。  〃I don't know anybody nowadays。  I seem to be
going to pieces every way。  I don't call sixty…nine such a very great
age。〃

〃Not at all!〃 cried Mrs。 Brinkley。  〃I'm fifty…four myself; and Brinkley's
sixty。〃

〃But I feel a thousand years old。  I don't see people; and when I do I
don't know 'em。  My head's in a cloud。〃  He let it hang heavily; then he
lifted it; and said: 〃He's a nice; comfortable fellow; Munt is。  Why
didn't he stop and talk a bit?〃

〃Well; Munt's modest; you know; and I suppose he thought he might be the
third that makes company a crowd。  Besides; nobody stops and talks a bit
at these things。  They're afraid of boring or being bored。〃

〃Yes; they're all in as unnatural a mood as if they were posing for a
photograph。  I wonder who invented this sort of thing?  Do you know;〃 said
the old man; 〃that I think it's rather worse with us than with any other
people?  We're a simple; sincere folk; domestic in our instincts; not
gregarious or frivolous in any way; and when we're wrenched away from our
firesides; and packed in our best clothes into Jane's gilded saloons; we
feel vindictive; we feel wicked。  When the Boston being abandons himself
or herselfto fashion; she suffers a depravation into something quite
lurid。  She has a bad conscience; and she hardens her heart with talk
that's tremendously cynical。  It's amusing;〃 said Corey; staring round him
purblindly at the groups and files of people surging and eddying past the
corner where he sat with Mrs。 Brinkley。

〃No; it's shocking;〃 said his companion。  〃At any rate; you mustn't say
such things; even if you think them。  I can't let you go too far; you
know。  These young people think it heavenly; here。〃

She took with him the tone that elderly people use with those older than
themselves who have begun to break; there were authority and patronage in
it。  At the bottom of her heart she thought that Bromfield Corey should
not have been allowed to come; but she determined to keep him safe and
harmless as far as she could。

From time to time the crowd was a stationary mass in front of them; then
it dissolved and flowed away; to gather anew; there were moments when the
floor near them was quite vacant; then it was inundated again with silken
trains。  From another part of the house came the sound of music; and most
of the young people who passed went two and two; as if they were partners
in the dance; and had come out of the ball…room between dances。  There was
a good deal of nervous talk; politely subdued among them; but it was not
the note of unearthly rapture which Mrs。 Brinkley's conventional claim had
implied; it was self…interested; eager; anxious; and was probably not
different from the voice of good society anywhere。




XXXVI。

〃Why; there's Dan Mavering now!〃 said Mrs。 Brinkley; rather to herself
than to her companion。  〃And alone!〃

Dan's face showed above most of the heads and shoulders about him; it was
flushed; and looked troubled and excited。  He caught sight of Mrs。
Brinkley; and his eyes brightened joyfully。  He slipped quickly through
the crowd; and bowed over her hand; while he stammered out; without giving
her a chance for reply till the end:  〃0 Mrs。 Brinkley; I'm so glad to see
you!  I'm goingI want to ask a great favour of you; Mrs。 Brinkley。  I
want to bringI want to introduce some friends of mine to yousome
ladies; Mrs。 Brinkley; very nice people I met last summer at Portland。
Their fatherGeneral Wraynehas been building some railroads down East;
and they're very nice people; but they don't know any oneany ladiesand
they've been looking at the pictures ever since they came。  They're very
good pictures; but it isn't an exhibition!〃  He broke down with a laugh。

〃Why; of course; Mr。 Mavering; I shall be delighted;〃 said Mrs。 Brinkley;
with a hospitality rendered reckless by her sympathy with the young
fellow。  〃By all means!〃

〃Oh; thanks!thank you aver so much!〃 said Dan。  〃I'll bring them to you
they'll understand!〃  He slipped into the crowd again。

Corey made an offer of going。  Mrs。 Brinkley stopped him with her fan。
〃Nostay; Mr。 Corey。  Unless you wish to go。  I fancy it's the people you
were talking about; and you must help me through with them。〃

〃I ask nothing better;〃 said the old man; unresentful of Dan's having not
even seemed to see him; in his generous preoccupation。  〃I should like to
see how you'll get on; and perhaps I can be of use。〃

〃Of course you canthe greatest。〃

〃But why hasn't he introduced them to his Pasmers?  What?  Eh?  Oh!〃
Corey made these utterances in response to a sharper pressure of Mrs。
Brinkley's fan on his arm。

Dan was opening a way through the crowd before them for two ladies; whom
he now introduced。  〃Mrs。 Frobisher; Mrs。 Brinkley; and Miss Wrayne。〃

Mrs。 Brinkley cordially gave her hand to the ladies; and said; 〃May I
introduce Mr。 Corey?  Mr。 Mavering; let me introduce you to Mr。 Corey。〃
The old man rose and stood with the little group。

Dan's face shone with flattered pride and joyous triumph。  He bubbled out
some happy incoherencies about the honour and pleasure; while at the same
time he beamed with tender gratitude upon Mrs。 Brinkley; who was behaving
with a gracious; humorous kindliness to the aliens cast upon her mercies。
Mrs。 Frobisher; after a half…hour of Boston society; was not that presence
of easy gaiety which crossed Dan's path on the Portland pavement the
morning of his arrival from Campobello; but she was still a handsome;
effective woman; of whom you would have hesitated to say whether she was
showy or distinguished。  Perhaps she was a little of both; with an air of
command bred of supremacy in frontier garrisons; her sister was like her
in the way that a young girl may be like a young matron。  They blossomed
alike in the genial atmosphere of Mrs。 Brinkley and of Mr。 Corey。  He
began at once to make bantering speeches with them both。  The friendliness
of an old man and a stout elderly woman might not have been their ideal of
success at an evening party; used as they were to the unstinted homage of
young captains and lieutenants; but a brief experience of Mrs。
Bellingham's hospitality must have taught them humility; and when a stout;
elderly gentleman; whose baldness was still trying to be blond; joined the
group; the spectacle was not without its points of resemblance to a social
ovation。  Perhaps it was a Boston social ovation。

〃Hallo; Corey!〃 said this stout gentleman; whom Mrs。 Brinkley at once
introduced as Mr。 Bellingham; and whose salutation Corey returned with
〃Hallo; Charles!〃 of equal intimacy。

Mr。 Bellingham caught at the name of Frobisher。  〃Mrs。 Major Dick
Frobisher?〃

〃Mrs。 Colonel now; but Dick always;〃 said the lady; with immediate
comradery。  〃Do you know my husband?〃

〃I should think so!〃 said Bellingham; and a talk of common interest and
mutual reminiscence sprang up between them。  Bellingham graphically
depicted his meeting with Colonel Frobisher the last time he was out on
the Plains; and Mrs。 Frobisher and Miss Wrayne discovered to their great
satisfaction that he was the brother of Mrs。 Stephen Blake; of Omaba; who
had come out to the fort once with her husband; and captu

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