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〃He met her at some promiscuous partyI asked him about it
afterwards。 She's not a person〃my hostess was confident〃whom he
could ever think of seriously。〃
〃That's exactly what I believe。〃
〃You don't observeyou knowyou imagine；〃 Mrs。 Nettlepoint
continued to argue。 〃How do you reconcile her laying a trap for
Jasper with her going out to Liverpool on an errand of love？〃
Oh I wasn't to be caught that way！ 〃I don't for an instant suppose
she laid a trap； I believe she acted on the impulse of the moment。
She's going out to Liverpool on an errand of marriage； that's not
necessarily the same thing as an errand of love； especially for one
who happens to have had a personal impression of the gentleman she's
engaged to。〃
〃Well； there are certain decencies which in such a situation the most
abandoned of her sex would still observe。 You apparently judge her
capableon no evidenceof violating them。〃
〃Ah you don't understand the shades of things；〃 I returned。
〃Decencies and violations； dear ladythere's no need for such heavy
artillery！ I can perfectly imagine that without the least immodesty
she should have said to Jasper on the balcony； in fact if not in
words： 'I'm in dreadful spirits； but if you come I shall feel
better； and that will be pleasant for you too。'〃
〃And why is she in dreadful spirits？〃
〃She isn't！〃 I replied； laughing。
My poor friend wondered。 〃What then is she doing？〃
〃She's walking with your son。〃
Mrs。 Nettlepoint for a moment said nothing； then she treated me to
another inconsequence。 〃Ah she's horrid！〃
〃No； she's charming！〃 I protested。
〃You mean she's 'curious'？〃
〃Well； for me it's the same thing！〃
This led my friend of course to declare once more that I was cold…
blooded。 On the afternoon of the morrow we had another talk； and she
told me that in the morning Miss Mavis had paid her a long visit。
She knew nothing； poor creature； about anything； but her intentions
were good and she was evidently in her own eyes conscientious and
decorous。 And Mrs。 Nettlepoint concluded these remarks with the sigh
〃Unfortunate person！〃
〃You think she's a good deal to be pitied then？〃
〃Well； her story sounds drearyshe told me a good deal of it。 She
fell to talking little by little and went from one thing to another。
She's in that situation when a girl MUST open herselfto some
woman。〃
〃Hasn't she got Jasper？〃 I asked。
〃He isn't a woman。 You strike me as jealous of him；〃 my companion
added。
〃I daresay HE thinks soor will before the end。 Ah noah no！〃 And
I asked Mrs。 Nettlepoint if our young lady struck her as； very
grossly； a flirt。 She gave me no answer； but went on to remark that
she found it odd and interesting to see the way a girl like Grace
Mavis resembled the girls of the kind she herself knew better； the
girls of 〃society；〃 at the same time that she differed from them； and
the way the differences and resemblances were so mixed up that on
certain questions you couldn't tell where you'd find her。 You'd
think she'd feel as you did because you had found her feeling so； and
then suddenly； in regard to some other matterwhich was yet quite
the sameshe'd be utterly wanting。 Mrs。 Nettlepoint proceeded to
observeto such idle speculations does the vacancy of sea…hours give
encouragementthat she wondered whether it were better to be an
ordinary girl very well brought up or an extraordinary girl not
brought up at all。
〃Oh I go in for the extraordinary girl under all circumstances。〃
It's true that if you're VERY well brought up you're not； you can't
be； ordinary；〃 said Mrs。 Nettlepoint； smelling her strong salts。
〃You're a lady； at any rate。〃
〃And Miss Mavis is fifty miles outis that what you mean？〃
〃Wellyou've seen her mother。〃
〃Yes； but I think your contention would be that among such people the
mother doesn't count。〃
〃Precisely； and that's bad。〃
〃I see what you mean。 But isn't it rather hard？ If your mother
doesn't know anything it's better you should be independent of her；
and yet if you are that constitutes a bad note。〃 I added that Mrs。
Mavis had appeared to count sufficiently two nights before。 She had
said and done everything she wanted； while the girl sat silent and
respectful。 Grace's attitude； so far as her parent was concerned；
had been eminently decent。
〃Yes； but she 'squirmed' for her；〃 said Mrs。 Nettlepoint。
〃Ah if you know it I may confess she has told me as much。〃
My friend stared。 〃Told YOU？ There's one of the things they do！〃
〃Well； it was only a word。 Won't you let me know whether you do
think her a flirt？〃
〃Try her yourselfthat's better than asking another woman；
especially as you pretend to study folk。〃
〃Oh your judgement wouldn't probably at all determine mine。 It's as
bearing on YOU I ask it。〃 Which； however； demanded explanation； so
that I was duly frank； confessing myself curious as to how far
maternal immorality would go。
It made her at first but repeat my words。 〃Maternal immorality？〃
〃You desire your son to have every possible distraction on his
voyage； and if you can make up your mind in the sense I refer to that
will make it all right。 He'll have no responsibility。〃
〃Heavens； how you analyse！〃 she cried。 〃I haven't in the least your
passion for making up my mind。〃
〃Then if you chance it；〃 I returned； 〃you'll be more immoral still。〃
〃Your reasoning's strange；〃 said Mrs。 Nettlepoint； 〃when it was you
who tried to put into my head yesterday that she had asked him to
come。〃
〃Yes； but in good faith。〃
〃What do you mean； in such a case； by that？〃
〃Why； as girls of that sort do。 Their allowance and measure in such
matters；〃 I expounded； 〃is much larger than that of young persons who
have been； as you say； VERY well brought up； and yet I'm not sure
that on the whole I don't think them thereby the more innocent。 Miss
Mavis is engaged； and she's to be married next week； but it's an old
old story； and there's no more romance in it than if she were going
to be photographed。 So her usual life proceeds； and her usual life
consistsand that of ces demoiselles in generalin having plenty of
gentlemen's society。 Having it I mean without having any harm from
it。〃
Mrs。 Nettlepoint had given me due attention。 〃Well； if there's no
harm from it what are you talking about and why am I immoral？〃
I hesitated； laughing。 〃I retractyou're sane and clear。 I'm sure
she thinks there won't be any harm；〃 I added。 〃That's the great
point。〃
〃The great point？〃
〃To be settled； I mean。〃
〃Mercy； we're not trying them！〃 cried my friend。 〃How can WE settle
it？〃
〃I mean of course in our minds。 There will be nothing more
interesting these next ten days for our minds to exercise themselves
upon。〃
〃Then they'll get terribly tired of it；〃 said Mrs。 Nettlepoint。
〃No； nobecause the interest will increase and the plot will
thicken。 It simply can't NOT；〃 I insisted。 She looked at me as if
she thought me more than Mephistophelean； and I went back to
something she had lately mentioned。 〃So she told you everything in
her life was dreary？〃
〃Not everything； but most things。 And she didn't tell me so much as
I guessed it。 She'll tell me more the next time。 She'll behave
properly now about coming in to see me； I told her she ought to。〃
〃I'm glad of that；〃 I said。 〃Keep her with you as much as possible。〃
〃I don't follow you closely；〃 Mrs。 Nettlepoint replied； 〃but so far
as I do I don't think your remarks in the best taste。〃
〃Well； I'm too excited； I lose my head in these sports；〃 I had to
recognise〃cold…blooded as you think me。 Doesn't she like Mr。
Porterfield？〃
〃Yes； that's the worst of it。〃
I kept making her stare。 〃The worst of it？〃
〃He's so goodthere's no fault to be found with him。 Otherwise
she'd have thrown it all up。 It has dragged on since she was
eighteen： she became engaged to him before he went abroad to study。
It was one of those very young and perfectly needless blunders that
parents in America might make so much less possible than they do。
The thing is to insist on one's daughter waiting； on the engagement's
being long； and then； after you've got that started； to take it on
every occasion as little seriously as possibleto make it die out。
You can easily tire it to death；〃 Mrs。 Nettlepoint competently
stated。 〃However；〃 she concluded； 〃Mr。 Porterfield has taken this
one seriously for some years。 He has done his part to keep it alive。
She says he adores her。〃
〃His part？ Surely his part would have been to marry her by this
time。〃
〃He has really no money。〃 My friend was even more confidently able
to report it than I had been。
〃He ought to have got some； in seven years；〃 I audibly reflected。
〃So I think she thinks。 There are so