Marg: (chagrined) Pray, why do I go beyond your expectations? All
this, as you know, is not so new to me. At our house we
entertained very good people--Count Libowski--and people
of that sort; and at my husband's--
Clem:
quite so. No question about that, As a matter of principle,
you realize, I've no grædge against the ootton industry.
Even if my husband happened to be the orner of a co:tton-mill,
Marg:
that did'nt have to affect my personal outlook on life, did
it? I always sought self-eulture in my own way. Now, don’t
let's talk of that period of my life. It's dead and buried,
thank Heaven;
Yes. But there’s another period which lies nearer.
Clem:
I know. But why mention it?
Marg:
Well, I simply mean that you could'nt possibly have heard
Clem:
much about sportmanship from your friends in Munich—at least,
as far as I am able to judge.
I do hope you will stop tormenting me about those friends
Marg:
in whos company you first made mydesquaintance.
Tormenting you? Nensensei Only, it’s incomprehensible to
Clem:
me how you ever got amongst those people.
Marg:
You speak of them as if they were a gang of criminals.
Clem:
Dearest, I'd take my honor on it, some of them looked the
very picture of pick-packets. Tell me, how did you manage
to do it? I can’t understand how you, with your ‘refined
taste--let alone your purity and the scent you used--could
have tolerated their society: how you could have sat at the
same table with them.
(laughing) Did'nt you do the same?
Marg:
next to them--not with them. And for your sake-merely for
Clem:
your sake, as you know. To do them justice, however, I will
admit that many bettered upon eloser aequaintance, There were
some interesting individuals among them. You must'nt for a
moment believe, dearest, that I hold myself superior to felks
who happen to be shabbily dressed. That's nothing against them.
###t there was something in their conduct, in their manners,
which was besitively Laevolting.