the whole country. Mrs. Vivian and Angela are so awfully fond of
scenery--they talk about it by the half-hour. They talk about the
mountains and trees as if they were people they knew--as if they were
gentlemen! I mean as if the mountains and trees were gentlemen. Of
course scenery 's lovely, but you can't walk about with a tree. At any
rate, that has been all our society--foliage! Foliage and women; but I
suppose women are a sort of foliage. They are always rustling about and
dropping off. That 's why I could n't make up my mind to go out
with them this afternoon. They 've gone to see the Waterworths--the
Waterworths arrived yesterday and are staying at some hotel. Five
daughters--all unmarried! I don't know what kind of foliage they are;
some peculiar kind--they don't drop off. I thought I had had about
enough ladies' society--three women all sticking together! I don't think
it 's good for a young girl to have nothing but ladies' society--it 's
so awfully limited. I suppose I ought to stand up for my own sex and
tell you that when we are alone together we want for nothing. But we
want for everything, as it happens! Women's talk is limited--every one
knows that. That 's just what mamma did n't want when she asked Mrs.
Vivian to take charge of me. Now, Mr. Longueville, what are you laughing
at?--you are always laughing at me. She wanted me to be unlimited--is
that what you say? Well, she did n't want me to be narrowed down; she
wanted me to have plenty of conversation. She wanted me to be fitted
for society--that 's what mamma wanted. She wanted me to have ease of
manner; she thinks that if you don't acquire it when you are young you
never have it at all. She was so happy to think I should come to Baden;
but she would n't approve of the life I 've been leading the last four
days. That 's no way to acquire ease of manner--sitting all day in a
small parlor with two persons of one's own sex! Of course Mrs. Vivian's
influence--that 's the great thing. Mamma said it was like the odor of
a flower. But you don't want to keep smelling a flower all day, even