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lavish。  And he came here with a reputation for popularity from a very
good school; and that always goes a very great way in college。〃

〃Yes?〃 said Mrs。 Pasmer; feeling herself getting hopelessly adrift in
these unknown waters; but reposing a pious confidence in her pilot。

〃Yes; if a sufficient number of his class said he was the best fellow in
the world; he would be pretty sure to be chosen one of the First Ten in
the 'Dickey'。〃

〃What mysteries!〃 gasped Mrs。 Pasmer; disposed to make fun of them; but a
little overawed all the same。  〃What in the world is the 'Dickey'?〃

〃It's the society that the Freshmen are the most eager to get into。
They're chosen; ten at a time; by the old members; and to be one of the
first tenthe only Freshmen chosenis something quite ineffable。〃

〃I see。〃  Mrs。 Pasmer fanned herself; after taking a long breath。  〃And
when he had got into the  〃

〃Then it would depend upon himself; how he spent his money; and all that;
and what sort of society success he was in Boston。  That has a great deal
to do with it from the first。  Then another thing is caution
discreetness; not saying anything censorious or critical of other men; no
matter what they do。  And Dan Mavering is the perfection of prudence;
because he's the perfection of good…nature。〃

Mrs。 Pasmer had apparently got all of these facts that she could digest。
〃And who are the Maverings?〃

〃Why; it's an old Boston name〃

〃It's too old; isn't it?  Like Pasmer。  There are no Maverings in Boston
that I ever heard of。〃

〃No; the name's quite died out just here; I believe: but it's old; and it
bids fair to be replated at Ponkwasset Falls。〃

〃At Ponk〃

〃That's where they have their mills; or factories; or shops; or whatever
institution they make wall…paper in。〃

〃Wall…paper!〃 cried Mrs。 Pasmer; austerely。  After a moment she asked:
〃And is wall…paper the 'thing' now?  I mean〃  She tried to think of
some way of modifying the commonness of her phrase; but did not。  After
all; it expressed her meaning。

〃It isn't the extreme of fashion; of course。  But it's manufacturing; and
it isn't disgraceful。  And the Mavering papers are very pretty; and you
can live with them without becoming anaemic; or having your face twitch。〃

〃Face twitch?〃 echoed Mrs。 Pasmer。

〃Yes; arsenical poisoning。〃

〃Oh!  Conscientious as well as aesthetic。  I see。  And does Mr。 Mavering
put his artistic temperament into them?〃

〃His father does。  He's a very interesting man。  He has the best taste in
certain thingshe knows more about etchings; I suppose; than any one
else in Boston。〃

〃Is it possible!  And does he live at Ponkwasset Falls?  It's in Rhode
Island; isn't it?〃

〃New Hampshire。  Yes; the whole family live there。〃

〃The whole family?  Are there many of them?  I'd fancied; somehow; that
Mr。 Mavering was the onlyDo tell me about them; Etta;〃 said Mrs。
Pasmer; leaning back in her chair; and fanning herself with an effect of
impartial interest; to which the dim light of the room lent itself。

〃He's the only son。  But there are daughters; of coursevery cultivated
girls。〃

〃And is heis the elder Mr。 Mavering aI don't know what made me think
soa widower?〃

〃Well; nonot exactly。〃

〃Not exactly!  He's not a grass…widower; I hope?〃

〃No; indeed。  But his wife's a helpless invalid; and always has been。
He's perfectly devoted to her; and he hurried home yesterday; though he
wanted very much to stay for Commencement。  He's never away from her
longer than he can help。  She's bedridden; and you can see from the
moment you enter it that it's a man's house。  Daughters can't change
that; you know。〃

〃Have you been there?〃 asked Mrs。 Pasmer; surprised that she was getting
so much information; but eager for more。  〃Why; how long have you known
them; Etta?〃

〃Only since Dan came to Harvard。  Mr。 Saintsbury took a fancy to him from
the start; and the boy was so fond of him that they were always insisting
upon a visit; and last summer we stopped there on our way to the
mountains。〃

〃And the sistersdo they stay there the whole year round?  Are they
countrified?〃

〃One doesn't live in the country without being countrified;〃 said Mrs。
Saintsbury。  〃They're rather quiet girls; though they've been about a
good dealto Europe with friends; and to New York in the winter。
They're older than Dan; they're more like their father。  Are you afraid
of that draught at the windows?〃

〃Oh no; it's delicious。  And he's like the mother?〃

〃Yes。〃

〃Then it's the father who has the artistic tastehe gets that from him;
and the mother who has the〃

〃Temperamentyes。〃

〃How extremely interesting!  And so he's going to be a lawyer。  Why
lawyer; if he's got the talent and the temperament of an artist?  Does
his father wish him to be a lawyer?〃

〃His father wishes him to be a wall…paper maker。〃

〃And the young man compromises on the law。  I see;〃 said Mrs。 Pasmer。
〃And you say he's been going into Boston a great deal?  Where does he
go?〃

The ladies entered into this social inquiry with a zest which it would be
hard to make the reader share; or perhaps to feel the importance of。
It is enough that it ended in the social vindication of Dan Mavering。
It would not have been enough for Mrs Pasmer that he was accepted in the
best Cambridge houses; she knew of old how people were accepted in
Cambridge for their intellectual brilliancy or solidity; their personal
worth; and all sorts of things; without consideration of the mystical
something which gives vogue in Boston。

〃How superb Alice was!〃 Mrs。 Saintsbury broke off abruptly。  〃She has
such a beautiful manner。 Such repose。〃

〃Repose!  Yes;〃 said her mother; thoughtfully。  〃But she's very intense。
And I don't see where she gets it。  Her father has repose enough; but he
has no intensity; and I'm all intensity; and no repose。  But I'm no more
like my mother than Alice is like me。〃

〃I think she has the Hibbins face;〃 said Mrs。 Saintsbury。

〃Oh! she's got the Hibbins face;〃 said Mrs Pasmer; with a disdain of tone
which she did not at all feel; the tone was mere absent…mindedness。

She was about to revert to the question of Mavering's family; when the
door…bell rang; and another visitor interrupted her talk with Mrs。
Saintsbury。




IX。

Mrs。 Pasmer's husband looked a great deal older than herself; and; by
operation of a well…known law of compensation; he was lean and silent;
while she was plump and voluble。  He had thick eyebrows; which remained
black after his hair and beard had become white; and which gave him an
aspect of fierceness; expressive of nothing in his character。  It was
from him that their daughter got her height; and; as Mrs。 Pasmer freely
owned; her distinction。

Soon after their marriage the Pasmers had gone to live in Paris; where
they remained faithful to the fortunes of the Second Empire till its
fall; with intervals of return to their own country of a year or two
years at a time。  After the fall of the Empire they made their sojourn in
England; where they lived upon the edges and surfaces of things; as
Americans must in Europe everywhere; but had more permanency of feeling
than they had known in France; and something like a real social status。
At one time it seemed as if they might end their days there; but that
which makes Americans different from all other peoples; and which finally
claims their allegiance for their own land; made them wish to come back
to America; and to come back to Boston。  After all; their place in
England was strictly inferior; and must be。  They knew titles; and
consorted with them; but they had none themselves; and the English
constancy which kept their friends faithful to them after they had become
an old story; was correlated with the English honesty which never
permitted them to mistake themselves for even the lowest of the nobility。
They went out last; and they did not come in first; ever。

The invitations; upon these conditions; might have gone on indefinitely;
but they did not imply a future for the young girl in whom the interests
of her parents centred。  After being so long a little girl; she had
become a great girl; and then all at once she had become a young lady。
They had to ask themselves; the mother definitely and the father
formlessly; whether they wished their daughter to marry an Englishman;
and their hearts answered them; like true Republican hearts; Not an
untitled Englishman; while they saw no prospect of her getting any other。
Mrs。 Pasmer philosophised the case with a clearness and a courage which
gave her husband a series of twinges analogous to the toothache; for a
man naturally shrinks from such bold realisations。  She said Alice had
the beauty of a beauty; and she had the distinction of a beauty; but she
had not the principles of a beauty; there was no use pretending that she
had。  For this reason the Prince of Wales's set; so accessible to
American loveliness with the courage of its convictions; was beyond her;
and the question was whether there was money enough for a younger son; or
whether; if there was; a younger son was worth it。

However this might be; there was no question but there was now less money
than there had been; and 

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