COREY put off his set smile with the help of a frown, of which he first became aware after reaching home, when his father asked--"Anything gone wrong with your department of the fine arts to-day, Tom?""Oh no--no, sir," said the son, instantly relieving his brows from the strain upon them, and beaming again.
"But I was thinking whether you were not perhaps right in your impression that it might be well for you to make Colonel Lapham's acquaintance before a great while.""Has he been suggesting it in any way?" asked Bromfield Corey, laying aside his book and taking his lean knee between his clasped hands.
"Oh, not at all!" the young man hastened to reply.
"I was merely thinking whether it might not begin to seem intentional, your not doing it.""Well, Tom, you know I have been leaving it altogether to you----""Oh, I understand, of course, and I didn't mean to urge anything of the kind----""You are so very much more of a Bostonian than I am, you know, that I've been waiting your motion in entire confidence that you would know just what to do, and when to do it.
If I had been left quite to my own lawless impulses, I think I should have called upon your padrone at once.
It seems to me that my father would have found some way of showing that he expected as much as that from people placed in the relation to him that we hold to Colonel Lapham.""Do you think so?" asked the young man.
"Yes.But you know I don't pretend to be an authority in such matters.As far as they go, I am always in the hands of your mother and you children.""I'm very sorry, sir.I had no idea I was over-ruling your judgment.I only wanted to spare you a formality that didn't seem quite a necessity yet.I'm very sorry,"he said again, and this time with more comprehensive regret.
"I shouldn't like to have seemed remiss with a man who has been so considerate of me.They are all very good-natured.""I dare say," said Bromfield Corey, with the satisfaction which no elder can help feeling in disabling the judgment of a younger man, "that it won't be too late if I go down to your office with you to-morrow.""No, no.I didn't imagine your doing it at once, sir.""Ah, but nothing can prevent me from doing a thing when once I take the bit in my teeth," said the father, with the pleasure which men of weak will sometimes take in recognising their weakness."How does their new house get on?""I believe they expect to be in it before New Year.""Will they be a great addition to society?"asked Bromfield Corey, with unimpeachable seriousness.
"I don't quite know what you mean," returned the son, a little uneasily.
"Ah, I see that you do, Tom."
"No one can help feeling that they are all people of good sense and--right ideas.""Oh, that won't do.If society took in all the people of right ideas and good sense, it would expand beyond the calling capacity of its most active members.
Even your mother's social conscientiousness could not compass it.Society is a very different sort of thing from good sense and right ideas.It is based upon them, of course, but the airy, graceful, winning superstructure which we all know demands different qualities.
Have your friends got these qualities,--which may be felt, but not defined?"The son laughed."To tell you the truth, sir, I don't think they have the most elemental ideas of society, as we understand it.I don't believe Mrs.Lapham ever gave a dinner.""And with all that money!" sighed the father.
"I don't believe they have the habit of wine at table.
I suspect that when they don't drink tea and coffee with their dinner, they drink ice-water.""Horrible!" said Bromfield Corey.
"It appears to me that this defines them.""Oh yes.There are people who give dinners, and who are not cognoscible.But people who have never yet given a dinner, how is society to assimilate them?""It digests a great many people," suggested the young man.
"Yes; but they have always brought some sort of sauce piquante with them.Now, as I understand you, these friends of yours have no such sauce.""Oh, I don't know about that!" cried the son.
"Oh, rude, native flavours, I dare say.But that isn't what I mean.Well, then, they must spend.There is no other way for them to win their way to general regard.
We must have the Colonel elected to the Ten O'clock Club, and he must put himself down in the list of those willing to entertain.Any one can manage a large supper.Yes, I see a gleam of hope for him in that direction."In the morning Bromfield Corey asked his son whether he should find Lapham at his place as early as eleven.
"I think you might find him even earlier.I've never been there before him.I doubt if the porter is there much sooner.""Well, suppose I go with you, then?"
"Why, if you like, sir," said the son, with some deprecation.
"Oh, the question is, will HE like?"
"I think he will, sir;" and the father could see that his son was very much pleased.
Lapham was rending an impatient course through the morning's news when they appeared at the door of his inner room.
He looked up from the newspaper spread on the desk before him, and then he stood up, making an indifferent feint of not knowing that he knew Bromfield Corey by sight.
"Good morning, Colonel Lapham," said the son, and Lapham waited for him to say further, "I wish to introduce my father." Then he answered, "Good morning," and added rather sternly for the elder Corey, "How do you do, sir? Will you take a chair?" and he pushed him one.
They shook hands and sat down, and Lapham said to his subordinate, "Have a seat; "but young Corey remained standing, watching them in their observance of each other with an amusement which was a little uneasy.
Lapham made his visitor speak first by waiting for him to do so.
"I'm glad to make your acquaintance, Colonel Lapham, and I ought to have come sooner to do so.My father in your place would have expected it of a man in my place at once, I believe.But I can't feel myself altogether a stranger as it is.I hope Mrs.Lapham is well? And your daughter?""Thank you," said Lapham, "they're quite well.""They were very kind to my wife----"
