to that end. So far, although I have met in the clubs many old gentlemen
of charming manners and prehistoric descent--that is from '49, or even
the more pretentious East and South; and, at all sorts of places, their
sons--who are either building up new fortunes or spending old
ones--there is not one, so far as my observation serves me, that has
lifted a finger to fling off this octopus. Hofer says they have even
ceased to grumble. Their incomes are assured. Some are merely well off,
others immensely wealthy--with a sufficiency invested elsewhere. All can
command about the same amount of luxury, however their establishments
may vary in splendor. And nothing can exceed the luxury of their Clubs.
The older men at least--and they are not so old--have subsided into a
slothful content that makes them a cross between a higher sort of
carnivorous animal and the tacit supporters of the criminals in power.
These friends of mine, whose fathers may or may not have listened to
Kearney in the Sand-lots, are worth the whole lot of your ancient
aristocracy--hybrid, anyhow--and if I do 'hang out my shingle' here in
San Francisco, they are the only ones I care anything about knowing.
They are the only real Americans I have met, for that matter--according
to your own standards--" He broke off abruptly and leaned forward,
smiling at his companion. "I meant to ask you as soon as we got home to
tell me all about your first great party in your beloved city, but I
have been led away by my natural egotism. You were, by general acclaim,
I fancy, the beauty of the evening. Did you enjoy it all as much as you
expected?"

"I fancy I should have enjoyed it more if I had been up-stairs with you.
I found it more of an effort than I had imagined to make conversation
with those young men. Of course I enjoyed being openly admired and
besought for dances. Who wouldn't? But I never deluded myself for a
moment that I was anything approaching those old-time belles. As the
conditions have passed away, however, my vanity doesn't suffer. At all
events I am going to carry out my program and rush about to everything
that is given this week, to forget Rosewater, every aspiration, all that
ever happened to me. Every girl should have one girl's good time, and
although mine is belated, it would be silly to let it pass. Besides, I
am curious to see if I really can--well, delude myself."

"So am I! I have an idea you won't. You are quite different from all
those girls