Part 6 (1/2)
Craig was ruffled and showed it He did not like persiflage; it seenity, and in those early days in Washi+ngton he was full of dignity and of deternified ihtily and looked about with arrogant, disdainful eyes
”Will you have tea?” said Miss Severence, as Arkwright”Tea's for the women and the children”
Miss Severence's expression made him still more uncomfortable ”Well,”
said she, ”if you should feel dry as you tell me about yourself, there's whiskey over on that other table A cigarette? No? I'ar--”
”And take off
”I see you think I'm a boor”
”Don't you want people to think you a boor?” inquired she with ironic seriousness
He looked at her sharply ”You're laughing at me,” he said, calmly
”Noouldn't it be more ladylike for you to try to put me at my ease?
I'm in your house, you know”
Miss Severence flushed ”I beg your pardon,” she said ”I did not”You simply meant to amuse yourself with me And because I don't knohat to do with ht I wouldn't realize what you were doing You are very narrow--you fashi+onable people You don't even know that everybody ought to be judged on his own ground To size up a race-horse, you don't take hi rooe these drawing-roo real men and women? You--for instance Hoould you show up, if you had to face life with no husband and no money and five small children, as my mother did? Well, SHE won out”
Miss Severence was not attracted; but she was interested She saw beyond the ill-fitting frock-coat, and the absurdto assume easy, nonchalantyou except on your own ground,” said she, ”if you hadn't invited the cohere?”
”Yes”
”You're right, young lady,” said Craig, clapping her on the arer alet away, I'll go I told Arkwright I had no business to come here”
Miss Severance colored, drew her arm away, froze She detested all forms of familiarity; physical fa?” she said, icily
”NOW, what have I done?” demanded Joshua
She eyed hi,” replied she ”We are all so glad Grant has co bit his lip and his taeather-beaten skin reddened He stared with angry envy at Arkwright, so evidently at ease and at horoup on the other side of the roos are acutely self-conscious But self-consciousness is of two kinds Arkwright, assured that his , that his dress was all it should be, or could be, that his position was secure and admired, had the self-consciousness of self-complacence Joshua's consciousness of himself was the extreme of the other kind--like a rat's in a trap
”You ht out West--out where you live?”
”Yes,” said Craig curtly, al wo that in her own house sheh, I heard you speak We all ad cheered up instantly; he was on his own ground now ”How long ago?” he asked
”Three years; two years last Septeht to hear me now”