t our hostess is too unhappy and burns to get him to deny it
publicly. "My dear lady," Tom said, "would you have me deny I've got a
green nose?" She looked so puzzled, "Oh, Lord Chevenix," she said, "why, of
course you have not. A little sunburnt, perhaps--but _green!"_ Think
of it, Mamma! Octavia and I nearly collapsed, and she is such a nice woman,
too, and not really a fool; bright and cheery and sensible; but I am afraid
out here they don't yet quite understand Tom, or Octavia either, for the
matter of that.

There is a lovely place in New York called the Riverside Drive, charming
houses looking straight out on the Hudson. But if you live in that part
none of the Four Hundred or Two Hundred and Fifty, or whatever it is, would
visit you, hardly. These people we are staying with now have a mansion
there but are soon going to move. The daughter, Natalie, told me to-day,
that after this her Poppa would also take a house at Newport, because now
they would have no difficulty in getting into the swim!

We came here for the Sunday and it was raining when we arrived--after an
odious train journey. Tom's valet and both the maids are perfectly at sea
as yet, and while burning with rage over the lack of, and indifference of,
the porters, are too scornfully haughty to adapt themselves to
circumstances; so they still bring unnecessary hand luggage and argue with
the conductor. We made a mistake in the train and there was no Pullman, so
that means there is only one class. It really is so quaint. Mamma, having
to travel as if it were third. It amused me immensely, two people on a seat
on either side and an aisle through the middle down which the ticket
collector walks, and for most of the journey a child raced backwards and
forwards, jumping with sticky hands clinging to the sides of each seat
while it sucked candy. The mother screeched, "Say, Willie, if you don't
quit that game, I'll tell your pa when we get home!" However, Willie
shouted, "You bet," and paid not the least attention!

Nearly everywhere where you have to come in contact with people in an
obviously inferior or menial position, manners don't exist. They seem to
think they can demonstrate their equality, if not superiority, by being as
rude as possible. Of course if they were really the ladies and gentlemen
they are trying to prove they are, they would be courteous and gentle. The
attitude is, "I'm as good as you, indeed better!" Either you are a
gentleman or woman,