ust have _him_
have difficulty in entertaining them. I hear one prominent woman who
was asked last week to dine and meet the Romedeks considered herself
insulted, and has struck her would-be hostess' name off her visiting
list. So you see it wasn't all plain sailing with the Westington's, and
I can hear them decide between themselves to give a "real Bohemian
dinner;" that is, ask people who "do things," and whom you sometimes do
meet out at houses where they are not particular about mixing--the kind
of people who would probably not take offense at being asked to meet
Mrs. Romedek without having her marriage certificate for their dinner
card. Of course, as you know, I don't mind being asked to meet anybody.
Thank goodness! I feel perfectly secure about my reputation, and also
about my position, which is quite good enough to please me. But there
is a difference in being asked to meet a questionable person because
that person is brilliant, or beautiful, or talented, and that therefore
you (belonging to the aristocracy of brains) will appreciate her, and,
on the other hand, being asked to meet her because you are an artist's
wife and don't mind that sort of thing. We _do_ mind it very much! We
don't even _care_ for it in geniuses--only we overlook it in a genius;
disregard it as not being our affair. But to be asked to meet a silly,
loose woman with the idea that I won't mind, almost as if I approved, I
resent that.

However, let me tell you who was there. On Mrs. Westington's right, of
course, sat Romedek, and he is very handsome and very charming, and I
think at least Mrs. Westington enjoyed her dinner if nobody else did.
On Mrs. W.'s left was Mr. ----, who is, you know, a great swell here
and who poses as being a fast patron of the arts and graces--especially
the graces--after the pattern of a Frenchman who has his _entree_
behind the scenes of the opera. His wife never accepts invitations that
he does; they meet, you know, under their own roof, for the sake of the
children--but under their _own_ roof only. So in her place Belle
Carterson was asked, who has gone in for keeping a swell florist's
place, and they say is making money. She is independent, and I like
her, but of course it is considered by her friends in society that
since she went in for business she can't refuse to meet _anyone_. Dick
sat next to her, and had on the other side of him Mrs. ----, who likes
celebrities without the knack of selection, and whose i