between those two men after that ridiculous, childish,
conspicuous, unusual scene on the bridge--"

"Unusual. Yes," said Hortense.

Kitty's eloquence and voice mounted together. "I should think it was
unusual! Tearing people's money up, and making a rude, awkward fuss
that everybody had to smooth over as hard as they could! Why, even Mr.
Rodgers says that sort of thing isn't done, and you're always saying he
knows."

"No," said Hortense. "It isn't done."

"Well, I've never seen anything approaching such behavior in our set.
And he was ready to go further. Nobody knows where it might have gone
to, if Charley's perfect coolness hadn't rebuked him and brought him to
his senses. There's where it is, that's what I mean, Hortense, by saying
you could always feel safe with Charley."

Hortense put in a languid word. "I think I should always feel safe with
Mr. Mayrant."

But Kitty was a simple soul. "Indeed you couldn't, Hortense! I assure
you that you're mistaken. There's where you get so wrong about men
sometimes. I have been studying that boy for your sake ever since we
got here, and I know him through and through. And I tell you, you cannot
count upon him. He has not been used to our ways, and I see no promise
of his getting used to them. He will stay capable of outbreaks like that
horrid one on the bridge. Wherever you take him, wherever you put
him, no matter how much you show him of us, and the way we don't allow
conspicuous things like that to occur, believe me, Hortense, he'll never
learn, he'll never smooth down. You may brush his hair flat and keep him
appearing like other people for a while, but a time will come, something
will happen, and that boy'll be conspicuous. Charley would never be
conspicuous."

"No," assented Hortense.

Kitty urged her point. "Why, I never saw or beard of anything like that
on the bridge--that is, among--among--us!"

"No," assented Hortense, again, and her voice dropped lower with each
statement. "One always sees the same thing. Always hears the same thing.
Always the same thing." These last almost inaudible words sank away into
the silent pool of Hortense's meditation.

"Have another cigarette," said Kitty. "You've let yours fall into the
water."

I heard them moving a little, and then they must have resumed their
seats.

"You'll drop out of it," Kitty now pursued.

"Into what shall I drop?"

"Just being asked to the big things everybody goes to and nobody counts.
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