"I don't want more than one house," said Miriam. "I can't get it out of my head, in spite of everything you have told me, that more than one would be a bother. Besides, you wouldn't know which to call your home."
"Quite right," I said. "Even with us, more than one house might quite well be a bother; and to enjoy your possessions you want to have them all around you."
"I suppose I shall get to enjoy possessions," she said dubiously. "But I don't want too many of them, John dear."
"You shall have just as many, or just as few, as you please. We shall enjoy ourselves immensely in acquiring them."
"Do you think we shall? I shall try and like what you like. But it is a little difficult."
"You shall have some beautiful frocks, Miriam. I know you will like that."
She laughed. "How wicked it sounds!" she said. "Don't tell mother that I shall like having beautiful frocks. Are you sure that other girls—other married women—won't look down on me if I am well-dressed? I shouldn't like to be looked down upon, for your sake."
"My dear, get all that out of your head. The more you spend the less likely you are to be looked down upon."
"It sounds so funny. But it sounds rather nice too. Of course, it isn't really wrong to like spending money, rather, if everybody else does it."
"Not a bit. Not if you've got it to spend. And we shall have. I am going to see about that. Well, shall we live in the country?"