Lord, why shouldn't they? What's the use of money but to spend, and if
that's what makes them happy, let 'em." Then he added, "I'm always
grateful and kind of devotional towards women. It's only through them
we ever get a taste of heaven on this used-up old earth, and it doesn't
matter how low they've sunk, any of 'em would die for the man they
really love. Whenever I hear a man speak a disparaging word of a woman,
I know, no matter what his other qualifications are, he's a mean yellow
dog underneath."

Did you ever hear of such a darling, chivalrous gentleman, Mamma? And
his eyes got all soft, and I am _sure_, when he was younger, he had all
the quality I told you of; and though it would have been safe to go to
the moon with him because of his honour, he would have made _you_ feel
it would have been nice if he kissed you.

I told him I thought he was lovely, and he smiled rather sadly; and
although he seems to have not much knowledge of literature in a
dilettante sense, he has a great splendid mind; and if there are many
more senators like him at Washington this country ought to be the best
governed in the world. He makes you feel you are on a mountain top or
in pine forests, or some vast space, and all the people of society such
poor little things. But he is too kindly even to despise them really;
and he looks at his daughter's weak, reedy husband with affectionate
toleration as the last toy she wanted and had got. "Lola had a keen
fancy for Randolph," he said. "She liked his being a swell, and if he's
her joy, what's it to me that I could break his bones with one clasp of
my hand?" And he put out his strong well kept fingers.

You know, Mamma, I do wonder if such a man could marry one of us, who
understand that a really fine male creature is our superior and not
meant to obey us, and who would appreciate all his splendid aims, and
not think they were there just to buy us diamonds--I wonder what sort
of children we should have? They ought to be absolutely superb,
oughtn't they?

I was so thrilled with Mr. Elias P. Arden that I stayed on the sofa
with him all the evening, and he told me every sort of interesting
thing, and at last said he would like us to come and see the mining
camps with him in the West. He is a president of the railway there, and
he has a private car.

"I'll bring along a specimen of young man for your inspection, Ma'am,"
he said. "Nelson Renour, the finest young chap I've met in my life."