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said Mr。 Ruck； with friendly jocosity。 〃But you came pretty straight
for all that。 I had hard work to keep up with you。〃
〃We will take a cab； Aurora；〃 Mrs。 Church went on； without heeding
this pleasantry〃a closed one。 Come； my daughter。〃
〃Yes； dear mamma。〃 The young girl was blushing； yet she was still
smiling； she looked round at us all； and； as her eyes met mine； I
thought she was beautiful。 〃Good…bye；〃 she said to us。 〃I have had
a LOVELY TIME。〃
〃We must not linger；〃 said her mother； 〃it is five o'clock。 We are
to dine； you know； with Madame Galopin。〃
〃I had quite forgotten；〃 Aurora declared。 〃That will be charming。〃
〃Do you want me to assist you to carry her back； ma am？〃 asked Mr。
Ruck。
Mrs。 Church hesitated a moment； with her serene little gaze。 〃Do you
prefer； then； to leave your daughter to finish the evening with these
gentlemen？〃
Mr。 Ruck pushed back his hat and scratched the top of his head。
〃Well； I don't know。 How would you like that； Sophy？〃
〃Well； I never！〃 exclaimed Sophy； as Mrs。 Church marched off with her
daughter。
CHAPTER VIII。
I had half expected that Mrs。 Church would make me feel the weight of
her disapproval of my own share in that little act of revelry in the
English Garden。 But she maintained her claim to being a highly
reasonable womanI could not but admire the justice of this
pretensionby recognising my irresponsibility。 I had taken her
daughter as I found her； which was； according to Mrs。 Church's view；
in a very equivocal position。 The natural instinct of a young man；
in such a situation； is not to protest but to profit； and it was
clear to Mrs。 Church that I had had nothing to do with Miss Aurora's
appearing in public under the insufficient chaperonage of Miss Ruck。
Besides； she liked to converse； and she apparently did me the honour
to believe that of all the members of the Pension Beaurepas I had the
most cultivated understanding。 I found her in the salon a couple of
evenings after the incident I have just narrated； and I approached
her with a view of making my peace with her； if this should prove
necessary。 But Mrs。 Church was as gracious as I could have desired；
she put her marker into her book； and folded her plump little hands
on the cover。 She made no specific allusion to the English Garden；
she embarked； rather； upon those general considerations in which her
refined intellect was so much at home。
〃Always at your studies； Mrs。 Church；〃 I ventured to observe。
〃Que voulez…vous？ To say studies is to say too much； one doesn't
study in the parlour of a boarding…house。 But I do what I can； I
have always done what I can。 That is all I have ever claimed。〃
〃No one can do more； and you seem to have done a great deal。〃
〃Do you know my secret？〃 she asked； with an air of brightening
confidence。 And she paused a moment before she imparted her secret
〃To care only for the BEST！ To do the best； to know the bestto
have； to desire； to recognise； only the best。 That's what I have
always done； in my quiet little way。 I have gone through Europe on
my devoted little errand； seeking； seeing； heeding； only the best。
And it has not been for myself alone； it has been for my daughter。
My daughter has had the best。 We are not rich； but I can say that。〃
〃She has had you； madam；〃 I rejoined finely。
〃Certainly； such as I am； I have been devoted。 We have got something
everywhere； a little here； a little there。 That's the real secret
to get something everywhere； you always can if you are devoted。
Sometimes it has been a little music； sometimes a little deeper
insight into the history of art； every little counts you know。
Sometimes it has been just a glimpse； a view； a lovely landscape； an
impression。 We have always been on the look…out。 Sometimes it has
been a valued friendship； a delightful social tie。〃
〃Here comes the 'European society；' the poor daughter's bugbear；〃 I
said to myself。 〃Certainly；〃 I remarked aloudI admit； rather
perversely〃if you have lived a great deal in pensions； you must
have got acquainted with lots of people。〃
Mrs。 Church dropped her eyes a moment； and then； with considerable
gravity； 〃I think the European pension system in many respects
remarkable； and in some satisfactory。 But of the friendships that we
have formed； few have been contracted in establishments of this
kind。〃
〃I am sorry to hear that！〃 I said； laughing。
〃I don't say it for you； though I might say it for some others。 We
have been interested in European homes。〃
〃Oh； I see！〃
〃We have the entree of the old Genevese society I like its tone。 I
prefer it to that of Mr。 Ruck；〃 added Mrs。 Church； calmly； 〃to that
of Mrs。 Ruck and Miss Ruckof Miss Ruck especially。〃
〃Ah； the poor Rucks haven't any tone at all；〃 I said 〃Don't take them
more seriously than they take themselves。〃
〃Tell me this；〃 my companion rejoined； 〃are they fair examples？〃
〃Examples of what？〃
〃Of our American tendencies。〃
〃'Tendencies' is a big word； dear lady； tendencies are difficult to
calculate。 And you shouldn't abuse those good Rucks； who have been
very kind to your daughter。 They have invited her to go and stay
with them in Thirty…Seventh Street。〃
〃Aurora has told me。 It might be very serious。〃
〃It might be very droll；〃 I said。
〃To me；〃 declared Mrs。 Church； 〃it is simply terrible。 I think we
shall have to leave the Pension Beaurepas。 I shall go back to Madame
Chamousset。〃
〃On account of the Rucks？〃 I asked。
〃Pray； why don't they go themselves？ I have given them some
excellent addresseswritten down the very hours of the trains。 They
were going to Appenzell； I thought it was arranged。〃
〃They talk of Chamouni now；〃 I said； 〃but they are very helpless and
undecided。〃
〃I will give them some Chamouni addresses。 Mrs。 Ruck will send a
chaise a porteurs； I will give her the name of a man who lets them
lower than you get them at the hotels。 After that they MUST go。〃
〃Well； I doubt；〃 I observed； 〃whether Mr。 Ruck will ever really be
seen on the Mer de Glacein a high hat。 He's not like you； he
doesn't value his European privileges。 He takes no interest。 He
regrets Wall Street； acutely。 As his wife says； he is very restless；
but he has no curiosity about Chamouni。 So you must not depend too
much on the effect of your addresses。〃
〃Is it a frequent type？〃 asked Mrs。 Church； with an air of self…
control。
〃I am afraid so。 Mr。 Ruck is a broken…down man of business。 He is
broken down in health； and I suspect he is broken down in fortune。
He has spent his whole life in buying and selling； he knows how to do
nothing else。 His wife and daughter have spent their lives； not in
selling； but in buying； and they； on their side； know how to do
nothing else。 To get something in a shop that they can put on their
backsthat is their one idea； they haven't another in their heads。
Of course they spend no end of money； and they do it with an
implacable persistence； with a mixture of audacity and of cunning。
They do it in his teeth and they do it behind his back； the mother
protects the daughter； and the daughter eggs on the mother。 Between
them they are bleeding him to death。〃
〃Ah； what a picture！〃 murmured Mrs。 Church。 〃I am afraid they are
very…uncultivated。〃
〃I share your fears。 They are perfectly ignorant； they have no
resources。 The vision of fine clothes occupies their whole
imagination。 They have not an ideaeven a worse oneto compete
with it。 Poor Mr。 Ruck； who is extremely good…natured and soft；
seems to me a really tragic figure。 He is getting bad news every day
from home； his business is going to the dogs。 He is unable to stop
it； he has to stand and watch his fortunes ebb。 He has been used to
doing things in a big way； and he feels mean； if he makes a fuss
about bills。 So the ladies keep sending them in。〃
〃But haven't they common sense？ Don't they know they are ruining
themselves？〃
〃They don't believe it。 The duty of an American husband and father
is to keep them going。 If he asks them how； that's his own affair。
So； by way of not being mean； of being a good American husband and
father； poor Ruck stands staring at bankruptcy。〃
Mrs。 Church looked at me a moment； in quickened meditation。 〃Why； if
Aurora were to go to stay with them； she might not even be properly
fed！〃
〃I don't； on the whole； recommend；〃 I said； laughing； 〃that your
daughter should pay a visit to Thirty…Seventh Street。〃
〃Why should I be subjected to such trialsso sadly eprouvee？ Why
should a daughter of mine like that dreadful girl？〃
〃DOES she like her？〃
〃Pray； do you mean；〃 asked my companion； softly； 〃that Aurora is a
hypocrite？〃
I hesitated a moment。 〃A little； since you ask me。 I think you have
forced her to be。〃
Mrs。 Church answered this possibly presumptuous charge with a
tranquil； candid exultation。 〃I never force my daughter！〃
〃She is nevertheless in a false position；〃 I rejoined。 〃She hungers
and thirsts to go back to her own country； she wants 'to come' out in
New York； which is certainly； socially speaking； the El Dorado of
young ladies。 She likes any one； for the moment； who will talk to
her of that