observed.
"No, no," Natica protested. "The men would associate her with dolls and put her in a little house to be played with. A butterfly that wants to be esteemed by moths must shed its bright colors."
"So we men are moths, is that it?" Lev demanded.
"Well, look around this hall. All those gray and dark blue suits. But the girls are like the lilies of the field, quite unsuited for toiling or spinning. Even my humble gown would hardly be the uniform for the floor of the Exchange or for Grant's father's bank." She glanced at Grant, who had been watching her apprehensively, and saw that the reference was mollifying.
"Then I take it," Lev pursued, "that you've liberated yourself from the onerous labor of having to attract the moths. You can all ravage the linen closet together."
"Is that how you see Wall Street? No doubt you know. But yes, I suppose, a girl must make a choice. An ambitious girl, that is. She can marry her way up or work her way up. Of course, it might come to the same thing."
The four men at the table laughed; the girls did not. Natica's sharp ear took in Jessie's murmured remark to her neighbor: "They say there's a lot of feminist agitation in the public schools. At Fox-croft we learn to be ladies before we're men."
"You wouldn't want a family and children?" another girl asked Natica.
"Well, when I consider the brand of joy I've brought to my own darling mama, I wonder if I might spare myself that."
"Haven't plenty of wives and mothers become famous?" Lev put to her.
"Of course! But don't they owe at least their start to wedlock? Not the movie stars, of course. That's another dimension. But who would have heard of Eleanor Roosevelt if she hadn't made effective use of her feminine charms to catch the wandering eye of our president?"
Both sexes at the table indulged in crude guffaws. It was a stoutly Republican group.
"It's rather shaming, really," Natica mused. "Fortunately not many charms are needed."
"Fortunately? Aren't you downgrading your sex?"
"No, yours."
"
Touché!
"
With Lev's exclamation the conversation changed, but Natica felt suddenly elated. She had had her moment in the spotlight, and she felt she had brought it off. Dancing with Grant between the courses, she wondered if she didn't love everyone in the great chamber except Jessie Ives.
"Could we go outside a moment?" she asked him. "It's such a lovely warm evening. Oh, I know we're not supposed to leave the party alone, but others are sure to follow."
He led her, albeit reluctantly, to a door which opened on a wide terrace used for gymnastics in the spring. It was empty and they strolled about. Natica's spirits were so high that she felt she had to do something to give them expression.
"You know what I'd really like? I hardly ever smoke, but I'd love a puff. You don't have a cigarette, do you?"
"Of course not!" He was shocked. "It's absolutely
verboten.
Dr. Lockwood told us that if any of our girls just
had
to smoke, she could do so in his study. But of course he was being sarcastic."
She laughed. "It would be fun to test him. Shall we try?"
"Natica! Are you crazy tonight?"
"Well then, you can give me a kiss instead."
He drew back. "There's not supposed to be any smooching either. Certainly not at the party. It's a strict rule."
"I don't want to smooch. Ugh! What a disgusting idea. I want just one kiss. A chaste one, planted lightly on my lips. Come, sir. A gentleman can't refuse a lady that."
He glanced nervously about and then gave her just what she asked, no more. But she wanted no more, and she would have been quite satisfied had not fate intervened.
"Ooops!" came a voice from the doorway. "Let's not go out there. I thought we were at Averhill. But it seems we've stumbled into Smithport High."
Jessie Ives turned around in the doorway and pushed Lev back to the dance floor.
"It'll be all over the place now," Grant said sourly. "She'll tell everyone we've been necking in the bushes. Let's go in."
"Necking in the
"No, no," Natica protested. "The men would associate her with dolls and put her in a little house to be played with. A butterfly that wants to be esteemed by moths must shed its bright colors."
"So we men are moths, is that it?" Lev demanded.
"Well, look around this hall. All those gray and dark blue suits. But the girls are like the lilies of the field, quite unsuited for toiling or spinning. Even my humble gown would hardly be the uniform for the floor of the Exchange or for Grant's father's bank." She glanced at Grant, who had been watching her apprehensively, and saw that the reference was mollifying.
"Then I take it," Lev pursued, "that you've liberated yourself from the onerous labor of having to attract the moths. You can all ravage the linen closet together."
"Is that how you see Wall Street? No doubt you know. But yes, I suppose, a girl must make a choice. An ambitious girl, that is. She can marry her way up or work her way up. Of course, it might come to the same thing."
The four men at the table laughed; the girls did not. Natica's sharp ear took in Jessie's murmured remark to her neighbor: "They say there's a lot of feminist agitation in the public schools. At Fox-croft we learn to be ladies before we're men."
"You wouldn't want a family and children?" another girl asked Natica.
"Well, when I consider the brand of joy I've brought to my own darling mama, I wonder if I might spare myself that."
"Haven't plenty of wives and mothers become famous?" Lev put to her.
"Of course! But don't they owe at least their start to wedlock? Not the movie stars, of course. That's another dimension. But who would have heard of Eleanor Roosevelt if she hadn't made effective use of her feminine charms to catch the wandering eye of our president?"
Both sexes at the table indulged in crude guffaws. It was a stoutly Republican group.
"It's rather shaming, really," Natica mused. "Fortunately not many charms are needed."
"Fortunately? Aren't you downgrading your sex?"
"No, yours."
"
Touché!
"
With Lev's exclamation the conversation changed, but Natica felt suddenly elated. She had had her moment in the spotlight, and she felt she had brought it off. Dancing with Grant between the courses, she wondered if she didn't love everyone in the great chamber except Jessie Ives.
"Could we go outside a moment?" she asked him. "It's such a lovely warm evening. Oh, I know we're not supposed to leave the party alone, but others are sure to follow."
He led her, albeit reluctantly, to a door which opened on a wide terrace used for gymnastics in the spring. It was empty and they strolled about. Natica's spirits were so high that she felt she had to do something to give them expression.
"You know what I'd really like? I hardly ever smoke, but I'd love a puff. You don't have a cigarette, do you?"
"Of course not!" He was shocked. "It's absolutely
verboten.
Dr. Lockwood told us that if any of our girls just
had
to smoke, she could do so in his study. But of course he was being sarcastic."
She laughed. "It would be fun to test him. Shall we try?"
"Natica! Are you crazy tonight?"
"Well then, you can give me a kiss instead."
He drew back. "There's not supposed to be any smooching either. Certainly not at the party. It's a strict rule."
"I don't want to smooch. Ugh! What a disgusting idea. I want just one kiss. A chaste one, planted lightly on my lips. Come, sir. A gentleman can't refuse a lady that."
He glanced nervously about and then gave her just what she asked, no more. But she wanted no more, and she would have been quite satisfied had not fate intervened.
"Ooops!" came a voice from the doorway. "Let's not go out there. I thought we were at Averhill. But it seems we've stumbled into Smithport High."
Jessie Ives turned around in the doorway and pushed Lev back to the dance floor.
"It'll be all over the place now," Grant said sourly. "She'll tell everyone we've been necking in the bushes. Let's go in."
"Necking in the
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