On Beatrice's suggestion the subject was dropped for the rest of the walk,
but a week later she delighted him by saying:

"Amory, I have decided to let you have your way. If you still want to,
you can go to school."

"Yes?"

"To St. Regis's in Connecticut."

Amory felt a quick excitement.

"It's being arranged," continued Beatrice. "It's better that you should
go away. I'd have preferred you to have gone to Eton, and then to Christ
Church, Oxford, but it seems impracticable now--and for the present we'll
let the university question take care of itself."

"What are you going to do, Beatrice?"

"Heaven knows. It seems my fate to fret away my years in this country.
Not for a second do I regret being American--indeed, I think that a
regret typical of very vulgar people, and I feel sure we are the great
coming nation--yet"--and she sighed--"I feel my life should have drowsed
away close to an older, mellower civilization, a land of greens and
autumnal browns--"

Amory did not answer, so his mother continued:

"My regret is that you haven't been abroad, but still, as you are a man,