become a great girl； and then all at once she had become a young lady。
They had to ask themselves； the mother definitely and the father
formlessly； whether they wished their daughter to marry an Englishman；
and their hearts answered them； like true Republican hearts； Not an
untitled Englishman； while they saw no prospect of her getting any other。
Mrs。 Pasmer philosophised the case with a clearness and a courage which
gave her husband a series of twinges analogous to the toothache； for a
man naturally shrinks from such bold realisations。 She said Alice had
the beauty of a beauty； and she had the distinction of a beauty； but she
had not the principles of a beauty； there was no use pretending that she
had。 For this reason the Prince of Wales's set； so accessible to
American loveliness with the courage of its convictions； was beyond her；
and the question was whether there was money enough for a younger son； or
whether； if there was； a younger son was worth it。
However this might be； there was no question but there was now less money
than there had been； and a great deal less。 The investments had not
turned out as they promised； not only had dividends been passed； but
there had been permanent shrinkages。 What was once an amiable competency
from the pooling of their joint resources had dwindled to a sum that
needed a careful eye both to the income and the outgo。 Alice's becoming
a young lady had increased their expenses by the suddenly mounting cost
of her dresses； and of the dresses which her mother must now buy for the
different role she had to sustain in society。 They began to ask
themselves what it was for； and to question whether； if she could not
marry a noble Englishman； Alice had not better marry a good American。
Even with Mrs。 Pasmer this question was tacit； and it need not be
explained to any one who knows our life that in her most worldly dreams
she intended at the bottom of her heart that her daughter should marry
for love。 It is the rule that Americans marry for love； and the very
rare exception that they marry for anything else； and if our divorce
courts are so busy in spite of this fact； it is perhaps because the
Americans also unmarry for love； or perhaps because love is not so
sufficient in matters of the heart as has been represented in the
literature of people who have not been able to give it so fair a trial。
But whether it is all in all in marriage； or only a very marked
essential； it is certain that Mrs。 Pasmer expected her daughter's
marriage to involve it。 She would have shrunk from intimating anything
else to her as from a gross indecency； and she could not possibly； by any
finest insinuation； have made her a partner in her design for her
happiness。 That； so far as Alice was concerned； was a thing which was to
fall to her as from heaven； for this also is part of the American plan。
We are the children of the poets； the devotees of the romancers； so far
as that goes； and however material and practical we are in other things；
in this we are a republic of shepherds and shepherdesses； and we live in
a golden age； which if it sometimes seems an age of inconvertible paper；
is certainly so through no want of faith in us。
Though the Pasmers said that they ought to go home for Alice's sake； they
both understood that they were going home experimentally； and not with
the intention of laying their bones in their native soil； unless they
liked it； or found they could afford it。 Mrs。 Pasmer had no illusions in
regard to it。 She had learned from her former visits home that it was
frightfully expensive； and； during the fifteen years which they had spent
chiefly abroad； she had observed the decay of that distinction which
formerly attended returning sojourners from Europe。 She had seen them
cease gradually from the romantic reverence which once clothed them； and
decline through a gathering indifference into something like slight and
compassion； as people who have not been able to make their place or hold
their own at home； and she had taught herself so well how to pocket the
superiority natural to the Europeanised American before arriving at
consciousness of this disesteem； that she paid a ready tribute to people
who had always stayed at home。
In fact Mrs。 Pasmer was a flatterer； and it cannot be claimed for her
that she flattered adroitly always。 But adroitness in flattery is not
necessary for its successful use。 There is no morsel of it too gross for
the condor gullet and the ostrich stomach of human vanity； there is no
society in which it does not give the utterer instant honour and
acceptance in greater or less degree。 Mrs。 Pasmer； who was very good…
natured； employed it because she liked it herself； and knowing how
absolutely worthless it was from her own tongue； prized it from others。
She could have rested perfectly safe without it in her social position；
which she found unchanged by years of absence。 She had not been a
Hibbins for nothing； and she was not a Pasmer for nothing； though why she
should have been either for something it would not be easy to say。
But while confessing the foibles of Mrs。 Pasmer； it would not be fair to
omit from the tale of her many virtues the final conscientiousness of her
openly involuted character。 Not to mention other things； she instituted
and practised economies as alien to her nature as to her husband's； and
in their narrowing affairs she kept him out of debt。 She was prudent；
she was alert； and while presenting to the world all the outward effect
of a butterfly； she possessed some of the best qualities of the bee。
With his senatorial presence； his distinction of person and manner； Mr。
Pasmer was inveterately selfish in that province of small personal things
where his wife left him unmolested。 In what related to his own comfort
and convenience he was undisputed lord of himself。 It was she who
ordered their comings and goings； and decided in which hemisphere they
should sojourn from time to time； and in what city； street； and house；
but always with the understanding that the kitchen and all the domestic
appointments were to her husband's mind。 He was sensitive to degrees of
heat and cold； and luxurious in the matter of lighting； and he had a fine
nose for plumbing。 If he had not occupied himself so much with these
details； he was the sort of man to have thought Mrs。 Pasmer； with her
buzz of activities and pretences； rather a tedious little woman。 He had
some delicate tastes； if not refined interests； and was expensively fond
of certain sorts of bric…a…brac： he spent a great deal of time in packing
and unpacking it； and he had cases stored in Rome and London and Paris；
it had been one of his motives in consenting to come home that he might
get them out； and set up the various objects of bronze and porcelain in
cabinets。 He had no vices； unless absolute idleness ensuing
uninterruptedly upon a remotely demonstrated unfitness for business can
be called a vice。 Like other people who have always been idle； he did
not consider his idleness a vice。 He rather plumed himself upon it； for
the man who has done nothing all his life naturally looks down upon
people who have done or are doing something。 In Europe he had not all
the advantage of this superiority which such a man has here； he was often
thrown with other idle people； who had been useless for so many
generations that they had almost ceased to have any consciousness of it。
In their presence Pasmer felt that his uselessness had not that passive
elegance which only ancestral uselessness can give； that it was positive；
and to that degree vulgar。
A life like this was not one which would probably involve great passions
or affections； and it would be hard to describe exactly the feeling with
which he regarded his daughter。 He liked her； of course； and he had
naturally expected certain things of her； as a ladylike intelligence；
behaviour； and appearance； but he had never shown any great tenderness
for her； or even pride in her。 She had never given him any displeasure；
however； and he had not shared his wife's question of mind at a temporary
phase of Alice's development when she showed a decided inclination for a
religious life。 He had apparently not observed that the girl had a
pensive temperament in spite of the effect of worldly splendour which her
mother contrived for her； and that this pensiveness occasionally deepened
to gloom。 He had certainly never seen that in a way of her own she was
very romantic。 Mrs。 Pasmer had seen it； with amusement sometimes； and
sometimes with anxiety； but always with the courage to believe that she
could cope with it when it was necessary。
Whenever it was necessary she had all the moral courage she wanted； it
seemed as if she could have it or not as she liked； and in coming home
she had taken a flat instead of a house； though she had not talked with
her friends three minutes without perceiving that the moment when flats
had promised to assert their social equality with houses in Boston was
past for ever。 There were； of course； cases in which there could be no
question of them； but for the most part they were plainly regarded as
makeshifts； the resorts of people of small means； or the defiances or
errors of people who had lived too much abroad。 They stamped their
occupants as of transitory and fluctuant character； good people might
live in them； and did； as good people sometimes boarded； but they could
not be regarded as forming a social base； except in rare instances。 They
presented peculiar difficulties in calling； and for any sort of
entertainment they were toonot public； perhaps； butevident。
In spite of these objections Mrs。 Pasmer took a flat in the Cavendish；
and she took it furnished from people who were going abroad for a year。
X。
Mrs。 Pasmer stood at the drawing…room window of this apartment； the
morning after her call upon Mrs。 Saintsbury； looking out on the passage
of an express…wagon load of trunks through Cavendish Square； and
commenting the fact with the tacit reflection that it was quite time she
should be getting away from Boston too； when her daughter； who was
looking out of the other window； started signif