imed again and wondered whether all American
ladies had such a passion for generalizing as these two.

He sat there a good while: there was a great deal of talk; it was all
very friendly and lively and jolly. Everyone present, sooner or
later, said something to him, and seemed to make a particular point of
addressing him by name. Two or three other persons came in, and there
was a shifting of seats and changing of places; the gentlemen all
entered into intimate conversation with the two Englishmen, made them
urgent offers of hospitality, and hoped they might frequently be of
service to them. They were afraid Lord Lambeth and Mr. Beaumont were not
very comfortable at their hotel; that it was not, as one of them said,
"so private as those dear little English inns of yours." This last
gentleman went on to say that unfortunately, as yet, perhaps, privacy
was not quite so easily obtained in America as might be desired; still,
he continued, you could generally get it by paying for it; in fact, you
could get everything in America nowadays by paying for it. American life
was certainly growing a great deal more private; it was growing very
much like England. Everything at Newport, for instance, was thoroughly
private; Lord Lambeth would probably be struck with that. It was also
represented to the strangers that it mattered very little whether their
hotel was agreeable, as everyone would want them to make visits; they
would stay with other people, and, in any case, they would be a great
deal at Mrs. Westgate's. They would find that very charming; it was
the pleasantest house in Newport. It was a pity Mr. Westgate was always
away; he was a man of the highest ability--very acute, very acute. He
worked like a horse, and he left his wife--well, to do about as she
liked. He liked her to enjoy herself, and she seemed to know how. She
was extremely brilliant and a splendid talker. Some people preferred her
sister; but Miss Alden was very different; she was in a different style
altogether. Some people even thought her prettier, and, certainly, she
was not so sharp. She was more in the Boston style; she had lived a
great deal in Boston, and she was very highly educated. Boston girls, it
was propounded, were more like English young ladies.

Lord Lambeth had presently a chance to test the truth of this
proposition, for on the company rising in compliance with a suggestion
from their hostess that they should walk down to the rocks and look