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〃Yes；〃 Mr。 Mavering assented。 〃I suppose；〃 he added； out of the
consciousness of his own relation to the affair〃I suppose you've a son
somewhere here？〃
〃Oh dear； no！〃 cried Mrs。 Primer； with a mingling； superhuman； but for
her of ironical deprecation and derision。 〃Only a daughter； Mr。
Mavering。〃
At this feat of Mrs。 Pasmer's； Mr。 Mavering looked at her with question
as to her precise intention； and ended by repeating； hopelessly； 〃Only a
daughter？〃
〃Yes；〃 said Mrs。 Pasmer； with a sigh of the same irony； 〃only a poor；
despised young girl； Mr。 Mavering。〃
〃You speak；〃 said Mr。 Mavering； beginning to catch on a little； 〃as if it
were a misfortune；〃 and his； dignity broke up into a smile that had its
queer fascination。
〃Why； isn't it？〃 asked Mrs。 Pasmer。
〃Well； I shouldn't have thought so。〃
〃Then you don't believe that all that old…fashioned chivalry and devotion
have gone out？ You don't think the young men are all spoiled nowadays；
and expect the young ladies to offer them attentions？〃
〃No；〃 said Mr。 Mavering slowly； as if recovering from the shock of the
novel ideas。 〃Do you？〃
〃Oh； I'm such a stranger in BostonI've lived abroad so longthat I
don't know。 One hears all kinds of things。 But I'm so glad you're not
one of thosepessimists！〃
〃Well；〃 said Mr。 Mavering； still thoughtfully； 〃I don't know that I can
speak by the card exactly。 I can't say how it is now。 I haven't been at
a Class Day spread since my own Class Day； I haven't even been at
Commencement more than once or twice。 But in my time here we didn't
expect the young ladies to show us attentions； at any rate； we didn't
wait for them to do it。 We were very glad； to be asked to meet them；
and we thought it an honour if the young ladies would let us talk or
dance with them； or take them to picnics。 I don't think that any of them
could complain of want of attention。〃
〃Yes；〃 said Mrs。 Pasmer； 〃that's what I preached； that's what I
prophesied； when I brought my daughter home from Europe。 I told her that
a girl's life in America was one long triumph； but they say now that
girls have more attention in London even than in Cambridge。 One hears
such dreadful things！〃
〃Like what？〃 asked Mr。 Mavering； with the unserious interest which Mrs。
Primer made most people feel in her talk。
〃Oh； it's too vast a subject。 But they tell you about charming girls
moping the whole evening through at Boston parties； with no young men to
talk with； and sitting from the beginning to the end of an assembly and
not going on the floor once。 They say that unless a girl fairly throws
herself at the young men's heads she isn't noticed。 It's this terrible
disproportion of the sexes that's at the root of it； I suppose； it
reverses everything。 There aren't enough young men to go half round； and
they know it； and take advantage of it。 I suppose it began in the war。〃
He laughed； and； 〃I should think；〃 he said； laying hold of a single idea
out of several which she had presented； 〃that there would always be
enough young men in Cambridge to go round。〃
Mrs。 Pasmer gave a little cry。 〃In Cambridge！〃
〃Yes； when I was in college our superiority was entirely numerical。〃
〃But that's all passed long ago； from what I hear；〃 retorted Mrs。 Pasmer。
〃I know very well that it used to be thought a great advantage for a girl
to be brought up in Cambridge； because it gave her independence and ease
of manner to have so many young men attentive to her。 But they say the
students all go into Boston now； and if the Cambridge girls want to meet
them； they have to go there too。 Oh； I assure you that； from what I
hear； they've changed all that since our time； Mr。 Mavering。〃
Mrs。 Pasmer was certainly letting herself go a little more than she would
have approved of in another。 The result was apparent in the jocosity of
this heavy Mr。 Mavering's reply。
〃Well； then； I'm glad that I was of our time； and not of this wicked
generation。 But I presume that unnatural supremacy of the young men is
brought low； so to speak； after marriage？〃
Mrs。 Primer let herself go a little further。 〃Oh； give us an equal
chance；〃 she laughed； 〃and we can always take care of ourselves； and
something more。 They say；〃 she added； 〃that the young married women now
have all the attention that girls could wish。〃
〃H'm！〃 said Mr。 Mavering； frowning。 〃I think I should be tempted to box
my boy's ears if I saw him paying another man's wife attention。〃
〃What a Roman father！〃 cried Mrs。 Pasmer； greatly amused； and letting
herself go a little further yet。 She said to herself that she really
must find out who this remarkable Mr。 Mavering was； and she cast her eye
over the hall for some glimpse of the absent Munt； whose arm she meant to
take； and whose ear she meant to fill with questions。 But she did not
see him； and something else suggested itself。 〃He probably wouldn't let
you see him； or if he did； you wouldn't know it。〃
〃How not know it？〃
Mrs。 Primer did not answer。 〃One hears such dreadful things。 What do
you sayor you'll think I'm a terrible gossip〃
〃Oh no；〃 said Mr： Mavering； impatient for the dreadful thing； whatever it
was。
Mrs。 Primer resumed： 〃to the young married women meeting last winter
just after a lot of pretty girls had came out； and magnanimously
resolving to give the Buds a chance in society？〃
〃The Buds？〃
〃Yes； the Rose…budsthe debutantes； it's an odious little word； but
everybody uses it。 Don't you think that's a strange state of things for
America？ But I can't believe all those things；〃 said Mrs。 Pasmer；
flinging off the shadow of this lurid social condition。 〃Isn't this a
pretty scene？〃
〃Yes； it is；〃 Mr。 Mavering admitted； withdrawing his mind gradually from
a consideration of Mrs。 Pasmer's awful instances。 〃Yes！〃 he added； in
final self…possession。 〃The young fellows certainly do things in a great
deal better style nowadays than we used to。〃
〃Oh yes； indeed！ And all those pretty girls do seem to be having such a
good time！〃
〃Yes； they don't have the despised and rejected appearance that you'd
like to have one believe。〃
〃Not in the least！〃 Mrs。 Pasmer readily consented。 〃They look radiantly
happy。 It shows that you can't trust anything that people say to you。〃
She abandoned the ground she had just been taking without apparent shame
for her inconsistency。 〃I fancy it's pretty much as it's always been： if
a girl is attractive； the young men find it out。〃
〃Perhaps；〃 said Mr： Mavering； unbending with dignity； 〃the young married
women have held another meeting； and resolved to give the Buds one more
chance。〃
〃Oh； there are some pretty mature Roses here；〃 said Mrs。 Pasmer； laughing
evasively。 〃But I suppose Class Day can never be taken from the young
girls。〃
〃I hope not；〃 said Mr。 Mavering。 His wandering eye fell upon some young
men bringing refreshments across the nave toward them； and he was
reminded to ask Mrs。 Pasmer； 〃Will you have something to eat？〃 He had
himself had a good deal to eat； before he took up his position at the
advantageous point where John Munt had found him。
〃Why； yes； thank you；〃 said Mrs。 Pasmer。 〃I ought to say； 'An