"Classes, yes; but, as you know, we have no ranks in America." The
Altrurian took off his hat and rubbed an imaginable perspiration from his
forehead. He sighed deeply. "It is all very difficult."

"Yes," Mrs. Makely assented, "I suppose it is. All foreigners find it so.
In fact, it is something that you have to live into the notion of; it
can't be explained."

"Well, then, my dear madam, will you tell me without further question what
you understand by a lady, and let me live into the notion of it at my
leisure?"

"I will do my best," said Mrs. Makely. "But it would be so much easier to
tell you _who_ was or who was not a lady. However, your acquaintance is so
limited yet that I must try to do something in the abstract and impersonal
for you. In the first place, a lady must be above the sordid anxieties in
every way. She need not be very rich, but she must have enough, so that
she need not be harassed about making both ends meet, when she ought to be
devoting herself to her social duties. The time is past with us when a
lady could look after the dinner, and perhaps cook part of it herself, and
then rush in to receive her guests and do the amenities. She must have a
certain kind of house, so that her entourage won't seem cramped and mean,
and she must have nice frocks, of course, and plenty of them. She needn't
be of the smart set; that isn't at all necessary; but she can't afford to
be out of the fashion. Of course, she must have a certain training. She
must have cultivated tastes; she must know about art and literature and
music, and all those kind of things, and, though it isn't necessary to go
in for anything in particular, it won't hurt her to have a fad or two. The
nicest kind of fad is charity; and people go in for that a great deal. I