New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-08-05

claire felt that deccncy owcompeled ner 10 oncr
q certain Acknowledgements 81 want to thank you
for those lovely flowers" she said. They were
beautiful, and il was very kind Of you to send
them"
he began to sway his head slightly from side to
side. 1t was his way of showing nearly every emo
ton. whether embarrassment, perpiexity, chagnn
Come, now,' be began, "you didn't really think
q lot about 'en. did youf"
II liked them very mueh." returned
ant details, though very coverty. She was asking
herself in the dispassonate refectiveness born of
her calculating yet feverish ambition, whether she
could possibly consent TO be his wife If he should
ever ask her. The remembrance of bis great pro-
spective wealth dealt her more than one thrilling
stroke, and yet feelings OF self-distrustful dread
visited her Also She feared lest she might COM
NIT some rreparibe mistake. She was still very
ignorant Of the world in which she desired to
achieve note and place. But she bad, at the same
things that she aimed to do. Her talks with Thurs
ton had let In good deal Of light upon her mind.
She had not lost single point in all his explanatory
Pm glad you did like EN- said Brady, examin-'
ing bis radiant rings for an instant They cost
heap OF stamps" he added suddenly denly. Lifting fin
cIOse-isted chap. especially when I'm f9ud
chaps. but that sH' don't matter. At this point
he suddenly took Claire's hand; bis face had ac-
augsd still Suky gloom it cCudsd By
he SAID, never expected to get married. I've had
some pretty nice girls make regular dead sets at
fancy. You did, though. stuck 1t out for two or
three weeks, and l daresay | kept giving myself
clean away all the time. But l saw 'twasn't any
about IT.. We'll be married whenever you say. IN
do the handsome tbing-that is, father Will.
Fathers crazy to have me settle down. He's worth
a lot o. money! gpOse you know that. He'll like
you when he sees you'll amt afraid he won't. We
can have slam bang stylish wedding, or plain.
as s anS you os
]. Father may kick little at first but he'll COME
round when you've met once or twice, He'll see
you're good, sound girl, even IL you Amt az high
up. quite, as he'd want me to go for. There, now.
to N'' WV '''' 'I' : ''''
several moments, from the very firm grasp OF this
remarkable sutton. But as Brady ended, she lit
orally snatched the hand away and rose, facing
hun, contemptuous and yet calm because her con-
tempt was so deep.
1t Is mpertinent for you to adj
dress me like this she said. In naughty UNDERGONE
" You have right to take for granted that will
marry you. In the first place, do not Ike you; In
the second place, think myself by no means your
INFERIOR but greatly above You as regards breeding
education and inteiligence and IN the third place.
| would never consent to be the wife oil one whom
do not consider gentleman
She at once left the room, after thus speaking.
and saw as she did 80, that Brady's face was pale
with rage and conformation. His insoent patron
age had wounded her more than she knew. On
weeping. But by the time that Sophia and Mrs.
Bcrgemann returned from their drive, she was suff
cienty tranquil to betray no sign OF past perturbA
ton.
That evening Sophia went to one Of her $50
CABLES" A male friend called for her. aud they
were driven together to the entertainments 10 cues
those stricter prophecies advocated IN higher
social realms. Srs. Bergemann retired somewhat
with Thurston who CHANGED to drop in little after
nine O'clock. Just before Mrs. Bergemann left the
drawing groom, she continued to whisper In garru-
ous aside, with her plump face quite close To
Clalres and all her genial harmless vulgarlty at q
sort Of momentary boiling point Il shouldn't be
surprised, DEAR II he should pop tonight. And If
him than Brady for he's ever 20 rich though the
other III get that Sixth Avenu store and two or
three millions o money behind II. Still, please
yourself Claire, and don't forget TO leave the hall
gas burnn' for Sophia when you go upstairs"
Claire was IN q very interrogative mood tonight.
" should like to have Mr.. Brady explained little
more iully," she said, when Thurston and herself
were again seated side by side.
Her companion gave a soft laugh. thought
that we had exhausted that subject" he said It's
not a very rich one, you know"
- don't want you to tell me anything about
his character as q man. Claire quickly re-
piled. But / want TO find out his standing IN
"Ile has no standing in society" said Thurston,
with instant decIslveness.
sDo the people OF whom you have spoken
peatedly-those whom you term the best class,
mean-entirely refuse to know hmr
Not at all. They have never been called upon
TO know MOI to know him. The best class is in o
different world altogether Perhaps Brady is aware
of their existence he NAV have read OF their enter
taipments IN the newspapers, or ne may nave seen
them occasionally at waterlng-places. But that Is
all. HIS self-mportance prevents hun from reaiiz.
ing that they above him. He is essentially aud
utterly common lie Is surrounded by nttie
money, and who are. IN nearly all respects, as COM
You mean the set of people with whom Sophia
Yes. mean the rich vulgar set of which you
have so frequently seen specimens In this very
ROOM"
Claire seemed to muse for short
while but the othersf" she soon asked.
"Those people who hold themselves above the
Bergemanns-are they all refined and cultured
there any Mrs. Bergemanns or SophiasT
al should emphaticaly say not. One may meet
peopl. among them who are by no means models OF
proprieiy or OF higb-breeding, but only as excep-
tional cases. They are generally found to be lsdies
and gentlemen don't know TWO more compre-
honsive words than those for Just what 1 desire 70
express. OF course have no large moral meaning,
now. / would merely imply that IN outward
actions at least they preserve the nceties. lhelf
occasional deeds OF darkness may be as sodIy BAD
as anything of the kind elsewhere. should DO
very 10th to describe them as SANITY. But they
are usually polished. Quite often they are rank
snobs Still oftener they are stupid. Their virtues
might best be explained negatively, perhaps Ihey
don't shock you; they are not crude; they havent
that yero tbsS S % %. oyerdress them
sslves they very rarely shout instead Of talking.
and well, for final negative, they meyer
tell tho truth when Its utterance might wound OF
annoy"
Claire had SC emed to be listening very earnestly.
She did not respond with her usua. promptness.
Her tones were slow and thoughtful when she at
length said Aud they are what you would eau
an aristocracyp
81 don't know why they are not They are inces-
sanity being compared TO their own disadvantage,
with the arlstocraces Of foreign lands: But have
travelled considerably. in my ime and on the wnole
sham about them. and quite as much reason Tor
existence. They point very sad moral, perhaps;
thev illustrate what certain austere critics like TO
calf the failure of republican ideas. But Pye had
30 many good friends among them that cant con-
slider any institution failure which Is responsible
for their development
And il is very hard to become one of their num-
her Claire said after another little pause She |