"We do have our social duties, our duties to society," snapped the widow, hotly. "They are necessary ones. Having been born--or risen to--a certain circle, we recognize the responsibilities attached to it. We ARE careful with whom we associate; we have to be. As for dress, we dress as others of our friends do.""And maybe a little better, if you can, hey?""If we can--yes. I presume--" with crushing irony--"dress in South Denboro counts but little.""You wouldn't say that if you ever went to sewin' circle," with a chuckle. "Still, compared to the folks at your meetin'-house this morning, our congregation would look like a flock of blackbirds alongside of a cage full of Birds of Paradise. But most of us--the women folks especial--dress as well as we can.""As well as you can!" triumphantly. "There! you see? And you live as well as you can, don't you?""If you mean style, why, we don't set as much store by it as you do.""Nonsense! We are obliged to be," with a slight shudder at the vulgarism, "STYLISH. If we should lapse, if we should become shabby and behind the fashion or live in that way, people would wonder and believe it was because we could not afford to do otherwise.""Well, s'pose they did, you'd know better yourselves. Can't you be independent?""No. Not unless you are very, very rich; then it might be considered an eccentricity. Independence is a costly luxury, and few can afford it.""But suppose you can't afford the other thing?""Then we must pretend we can. Oh, you DON'T understand! So MUCHdepends upon a proper appearance. Everything depends upon it--one's future, one's children's future--everything.""Humph!" with the same irritating smile, "I should think that might mean some plannin'. And plans, the best of 'em, are likely to go wrong. You talk about the children in your--in what you call your 'circle.' How can you plan what they'll do? You might when they was little, perhaps; but when they grow up it's different.""It is not. It CAN'T be! And, if they have been properly reared and understand their responsibilities, they plan with you.""Land sakes! You mean--why, s'pose they take a notion to get married? I'm an old bach, of course, but the average young girl or feller is subject to that sort of ailment, 'cordin' to the records.
S'pose one of your circle's daughters gets to keepin' company with a chap who's outside the ring? A promisin', nice boy enough, but poor, and a rank outsider? Mean to say she sha'n't marry him if she wants to.""Certainly! That sort of marriage is never a happy one, unless, of course, the girl is wealthy enough not to care. And even then it is not advisable. All their customs and habits of thought are different. No! Emphatically, no! And the girl, if she is sensible and well reared, as I have said, will understand it is impossible.""My soul and body! Then you mean to tell me that she MUST look out for some chap in her crowd? If she ain't got but just enough to keep inside the circle--this grand whirlamagig you're tellin' me about--if she's pretendin' up to the limit of her income or over, then it's her duty, and her ma and pa's duty, to set her cap for a man who's nigher the center pole in the tent and go right after him? Do you tell me that? That's a note, I must say!"Mrs. Dunn's foot beat a lively tattoo on the rug. "I don't know what you mean by a 'note,'" she commented, with majestic indignation.
"I have not lived in South Denboro, and perhaps my understanding of English is defective. But marriages among cultivated people, SOCIETY people, intelligent, ambitious people are, or should be, the result of thought and planning. Others are impossible!""How about this thing we read so much about in novels?--Love, Ibelieve they call it."
