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behind a character。 In each of the two main curves of Dorn's headthat from the top of the brow downward over the nose； the lips； the chin and under； and that from the back of the head round under the ear and forward along the lower jawin each of these curves Dorn excelled。
She was about to draw back and make a formal entry； when he said； without looking toward her：
‘‘Welldon't you think it would be safe to draw near？''
The tone was so easy and natural and so sympathetic the tone of Selma Gordonthe tone of all natural persons not disturbed about themselves or about others that Jane felt no embarrassment whatever。 ‘‘I've heard you were very clever；'' said she； advancing。 ‘‘So； I wanted to have the advantage of knowing you a little better at the outset than you would know me。''
‘‘But Selma Gordon has told me all about you；'' said hehe had risen as she advanced and was shaking hands with her as if they were old friends。 ‘‘Besides； I saw you the other dayin spite of your effort to prevent yourself from being seen。''
‘‘What do you mean？'' she asked； completely mystified。
‘‘I mean your clothes；'' explained he。 ‘‘They were unusual for this part of the world。 And when anyone wears unusual clothes； they act as a disguise。 Everyone neglects the person to center on the clothes。''
‘‘I wore them to be comfortable；'' protested Jane； wondering why she was not angry at this young man whose manner ought to be regarded as presuming and whose speech ought to be rebuked as impertinent。
‘‘Altogether？'' said Dorn； his intensely blue eyes dancing。
In spite of herself she smiled。 ‘‘Nonot altogether；'' she admitted。
‘‘Well； it may please you to learn that you scored tremendously as far as one person is concerned。 My small nephew talks of you all the timethe ‘lady in the lovely pants。' ''
Jane colored deeply and angrily。 She bent upon Victor a glance that ought to have put him in his place well down in his place。
But he continued to look at her with unchanged； laughing； friendly blue eyes； and went on： ‘‘By the way； his mother asked me to apologize for HIS extraordinary appearance。 I suppose neither of you would recognize the other in any dress but the one each had on that day。 He doesn't always dress that way。 His mother has been ill。 He wore out his play…clothes。 If you've had experience of children you'll know how suddenly they demolish clothes。 She wasn't well enough to do any tailoring； so there was nothing to do but send Leonard forth in his big brother's unchanged cast…offs。''
Jane's anger had quite passed away before Dorn finished this simple； ingenuous recital of poverty unashamed； this somehow fine laying open of the inmost family secrets。 ‘‘What a splendid person your sister must be！'' exclaimed she。
She more than liked the look that now came into his face。 He said： ‘‘Indeed she is！more so than anyone except us of the family can realize。 Mother's getting old and almost helpless。 My brother…in…law was paralyzed by an accident at the rolling mill where he worked。 My sister takes care of both of themand her two boysand of mekeeps the house in band…box order； manages a big garden that gives us most of what we eatand has time to listen to the woes of all the neighbors and to give them the best advice I ever heard。''
‘‘How CAN she？'' cried Jane。 ‘‘Why； the day isn't long enough。''
Dorn laughed。 ‘‘You'll never realize how much time there is in a day； Miss Jane Hastings； until you try to make use of it all。 It's very interestinghow much there is in a minute and in a dollar if you're intelligent about them。''
Jane looked at him in undisguised wonder and admiration。 ‘‘You don't know what a pleasure it is；'' she said； ‘‘to meet anyone whose sentences you couldn't finish for him before he's a quarter the way through them。''
Victor threw back his head and laugheda boyish outburst that would have seemed boorish in another； but came as naturally from him as song from a bird。 ‘‘You mean Davy Hull；'' said he。
Jane felt herself coloring even more。 ‘‘I didn't mean him especially；'' replied she。 ‘‘But he's a good example。''
‘‘The best I know；'' declared Victor。 ‘‘You see； the trouble with Davy is that he is one kind of a person； wants to be another kind； thinks he ought to be a third kind； and believes he fools people into thinking he is still a fourth kind。''
Jane reflected on this； smiled understandingly。 ‘‘That sounds like a description of ME；'' said she。
‘‘Probably；'' said Victor。 ‘‘It's a very usual type in the second generation in your class。''
‘‘My class？'' said Jane； somewhat affectedly。 ‘‘What do you mean？''
‘‘The upper class；'' explained Victor。
Jane felt that this was an opportunity for a fine exhibition of her democracy。 ‘‘I don't like that；'' said she。 ‘‘I'm a good American； and I don't believe in classes。 I don't feelat least I try not to feelany sense of inequality between myself and thosethose lesslessfortunately off。 I'm not expressing myself well； but you know what I mean。''
‘‘Yes； I know what you mean；'' rejoined Victor。 ‘‘But that wasn't what I meant； at all。 You are talking about social classes in the narrow sense。 That sort of thing isn't important。
One associates with the kind of people that pleases oneand one has a perfect right to do so。 If I choose to have my leisure time with people who dress a certain way； or with those who have more than a certain amount of money； or more than a certain number of servants or what notwhy； that's my own lookout。''
‘‘I'm SO glad to hear you say that；'' cried Jane。 ‘‘That's SO sensible。''
‘‘Snobbishness may be amusing；'' continued Dorn； ‘‘or it may be repulsiveor pitiful。 But it isn't either interesting or important。 The classes I had in mind were the economic classesupper； middle； lower。 The upper class includes all those who live without work aristocrats； gamblers； thieves； preachers； women living off men in or out of marriage； grown children living off their parents or off inheritances。 All the idlers。''
Jane looked almost as uncomfortable as she felt。 She had long taken a secret delight in being regarded and spoken of as an ‘‘upper class'' person。 Henceforth this delight would be at least alloyed。
‘‘The middle class；'' pursued Victor； ‘‘is those who are in part parasites and in part workers。 The lower class is those who live by what they earn only。 For example； you are upper class； your father is middle class and I am lower class。''
‘‘Thank you；'' said Jane demurely； ‘‘for an interesting lesson in political economy。''
‘‘You invited it；'' laughed Victor。 ‘‘And I guess it wasn't much more tiresome to you than talk about the weather would have been。
The weather's probably about the only other subject you and I have in common。''
‘‘That's rude；'' said Jane。
‘‘Not as I meant it；'' said he。 ‘‘I wasn't exalting my subjects or sneering at yours。 It's obvious that you and I lead wholly different lives。''
‘‘I'd much rather lead your life than my own；'' said Jane。 ‘‘Butyou are impatient to see father。 You came to see him？''
‘‘He telephoned asking me to come to dinnerthat is； lunch。 I believe it's called lunch when it's second in this sort of house