He doesn't approve of Charity Balls; he thinks that isn't at all
the way to do things."
"Well," said Mrs. Bates, thoughtfully, "it's _a_ way; but there are
better ones, no doubt. Come, cut that lecture altogether. He could pick
up more in half an hour with me there at his elbow than he could learn in
half a dozen courses of lectures, however extended they were."
"And have you act as you acted at Rosy's afternoon? You'd paralyze us
both." Jane blushed at her "both."
"Oh, that's only my little way," returned Mrs. Bates, laughing. "You'd
_both_ understand." Jane blushed again. "A way," she repeated; "but there
are better ones, no doubt." And she laughed once more.
X
Bingham half folded the newspaper, and laid it again on Marshall's desk.
Then he settled his large, long figure back in Marshall's other chair,
and placed a broad finger or two upon each of its curved and varnished
arms.
"Yes," he observed, slowly, with a smile in the direction of the old man,
"the younger generation are holding up their end."
"So it seems," said Marshall, in return, while he scanned the other's
face closely to see what his precise meaning might be. Bingham's remark
had been uttered with an even intonation; it was difficult to determine
whether, after all, he had emphasized "younger" more than "generation,"
or "their" more than "end," or, indeed, whether he had given an undue
stress to either.
"Yes," the old man repeated.
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