grand
mansion in New York; wise and careful monitor of the Sewall millions;
gracious hostess; kind ruler; I felt as nearly religious as ever
before in my life. I meant to do good with my wealth and position and
influence. Is that hard and calculating?

I accepted Breck's character and morals as a candidate chosen for the
honorable office of governor of a state must accept the condition of
politics, whether they are clean or rotten. Clean politics are the
exception. So also are clean morals. I knew enough for that. Way back
in boarding-school days, we girls had resigned ourselves to the
acceptance of the deplorable state of the world's morals. We had
statistics. I had dimly hoped that one of the exceptions to the rule
might fall to my lot, but if not, I wasn't going to be prudish.
Breck's early career could neither surprise nor alarm me. I, like most
girls in this frank and open age, had been prepared for it. So when
Lucy, who is anything but worldly wise, and Will, her husband, who is
a scientist and all brains, came bearing frenzied tales of Breck's
indiscretions during his one year at the university where Will is now
located, I simply smiled. Some people are so terribly naive and
unsophisticated!

The family's attitude toward my engagement was consistent--deeply
impressed, but tainted with disapproval. Tom came way on from
Wisconsin to tell me how contemptible it was for a girl to marry for
position, even for so amazingly a distinguished one. Elise, his wife,
penned me a long letter on the emptiness of power and wealth. Malcolm
wrote he hoped I knew what I was getting into, and supposed after I
became Mrs. Breckenridge Sewall I'd feel too fine to recognize him,
should we meet on Fifth Avenue. Oliver was absolutely "flabbergasted"
at first, he wrote, but must confess it would save a lot of expense
for the family, if they could stop with Brother Breck when they came
down to New York. "How'd you pull it off, Toots?" he added. "Hope
little Cupid had something to do with it."

Alec waited until Edith had gone to Boston for a day's shopping, and
took me for a long automobile ride. Alec, by the way, is one of this
world's saints. He has always been the member of the Vars family who has
resigned himself to circumstances. It was Tom who went West and made a
brilliant future for himself; Alec who remained in Hilton to stand by
father's dying business. It was the twins who were helped to graduate
from college in spite of dif