"
"That wouldn't help me. I can't feel that it would make any difference."
"What I want, you mean?"
"Yes, what you want."
"Aren't you a shade more tolerant of my existence than you were at
first?"
"I suppose so, but I've never thought about it--any more than I've
thought of this ten thousand a year. It's all outside of my life, but
grandfather's in it."
"Don't you ever feel that you'd like to get outside of it yourself? The
world's a big place."
For the first time she appeared attentive to his words.
"I've often wondered what it was like--especially the cities--New York,
Paris, London. Paris is the best, isn't it?"
"Yes, Paris is the best to me. Have you ever thought that you'd like to
wear pretty gowns and drive through a green park in the spring--filled
with other carriages in which are wonderful women?"
"But I'd feel so miserable and countrified," she answered. "Are they any
happier than I am--those wonderful women?"
"Perhaps not so happy--there's a green-eyed dragon gnawing at the hearts
of most of them, and you, my nut-brown beauty, have never felt his
fangs."
"I'd like to see them," she said after a minute, and moved slowly
onward.
Pages:
279
280
281
282
283
284
285
286
287
288
289
290
291
292
293
294
295
296
297
298
299
300
301
302
303