|
Main
- books.jibble.org
My Books
- IRC Hacks
Misc. Articles
- Meaning of Jibble
- M4 Su Doku
- Computer Scrapbooking
- Setting up Java
- Bootable Java
- Cookies in Java
- Dynamic Graphs
- Social Shakespeare
External Links
- Paul Mutton
- Jibble Photo Gallery
- Jibble Forums
- Google Landmarks
- Jibble Shop
- Free Books
- Intershot Ltd
|
books.jibble.org
Previous Page
| Next Page
Page 22
"Perhaps they like to live there, and, again, perhaps they haven't
enough money to change. Besides, that has been Colonel Kent's home ever
since he was married. Allison was born there."
Isabel fidgeted in her chair. "If they're very rich, I should think
they'd have enough money to enable them to move into a better house."
"Oh," replied Madame, carefully cutting her thread on the underside, "I
wasn't thinking of money when I spoke. I don't know anything about their
private affairs. But Colonel Kent has courage, sincerity, an old-
fashioned standard of honour, many friends, and a son who is a great
artist."
The girl was silent, for intangible riches did not appeal to her
strongly.
"Allison is like him in many ways," Madame was saying. "He is like his
mother, too."
"When is he going away?"
"In September or October, I suppose--the beginning of the season."
"Is he going to play everywhere?"
"Everywhere of any importance."
"Perhaps," mused Isabel, "he will make a great deal of money himself."
"Perhaps," Madame responded, absently. "I do hope he will be
successful." She had almost maternal pride in her foster son.
"Is Cousin Rose going, too?"
"Going where? What do you mean, dear?"
"Why, nothing. Only I heard him ask her if she would go with him on his
concert tour and play his accompaniments, providing you or the Colonel
went along for chaperone, and Cousin Rose laughed and said she didn't
need a chaperone--that she was old enough to make it quite respectable."
"And---" suggested Madame.
"Allison laughed, too, and said: 'Nonsense!'"
"If they are going," said Madame, half to herself, "and decide to take
me along, I hope they'll give me sufficient time to pack things
decently."
"Would the Colonel go, if you went?"
"I hardly think so. It wouldn't be quite so proper."
"I don't understand," remarked Isabel, wrinkling her pretty brows.
"I don't either," Madame replied, confidentially. "However, I've lived
long enough to learn that the conventions of society are all in the
interests of morality. If you're conventional, you'll be good, in a
negative sense, of course."
"How do you mean, Aunt Francesca?"
"Perfect manners are diametrically opposed to crime. For instance, it is
very bad form for a man to shoot a lady, or even to write another man's
name on a check and cash it. It saves trouble to be conventional, for
you're not always explaining things. Most of the startling items we read
in the newspapers are serious lapses from conventionality and good
manners."
"The Crosbys aren't very conventional," Isabel suggested.
"No," smiled Madame, "they're not, but their manners proceed from the
most kindly and friendly instincts, consequently they're seldom in
error, essentially."
"They have lots of money, haven't they?"
"I have sometimes thought that the Crosbys had more than their age and
social training fitted them to use wisely, but I've never known them to
go far astray. They've done foolish things, but I've never known either
to do a wrong or selfish thing. Money is a terrible test of character,
but I think the twins will survive it."
Previous Page
| Next Page
|
|