"But you know I
don't mean that. You think all the others are just as good as you are, only
in different ways, whereas I feel that they're not. You don't mind
vulgarity and underbreeding because you are perfectly indifferent to people
so long as they don't try to jump the fence about your own little private
enclosure."
"Oh, I believe in letting other people alone, and I insist upon being let
alone myself. You see you make the whole world revolve about social
distinctions. The fact is, isn't it, that social distinctions are mere
trifles--"
"You oughtn't to waste time arguing with a prejudice. I admit that what I
believe and feel is unreasonable. But I can't change an instinct. To me
some people are better than others and are entitled to more, and ought to
be looked up to and respected."
Howard had an answer on the tip of his tongue. His passion for high
principle seemed to have been rekindled for the time by his love and in
this tranquillising environment. He felt strongly tempted to reason with
her unreasonableness, thus practically boasted as a virtue. It seemed so
unworthy, this streak of snobbery, so senseless in an American at most
three generations away from manual labour. But he had made up his mind long
ago to trust to new surroundings, new interests to create in her a spirit
more in sympathy with his career.
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