“Well,” he said, when he had disposed of Hannah’s worthiness and even celebrated the merits of Josh in a sentence of appreciation, “it’s something to have such a good sterling set of relations. They’re what make the ‘good families’ in our new West out here. And they’re beginning to understand that in Europe. When they see your people in Paris, they’ll recognize them as the right kind of Americans. The French ain’t as effete as you’d think from what you hear. They know the real from the imitation every time. They’ve had their fill of Coal Oil Johnnys and spectacular spenders. What they’re looking for is the strong man and woman who have carved out their own path.”
Berny’s eyes snapped into an even closer concentration of attention.
“Maybe that’s so,” she said, “but I don’t see when my sisters are ever going to get to Paris.”
“They’ll go over to see you,” he answered. “I guess I could manage now and then to get ’em passes across the continent.”
He rested one elbow on the desk against which he was sitting, and with his hand caressing his short, stubby beard, he looked at Berny with eyes of twinkling good nature.
“Come to think of it,” he added, “I guess I could manage the transportation across the ocean, too. It oughtn’t to cost ’em, all told, more’n fifty dollars. It seems hard luck that Miss Hannah, after a lifetime of work, shouldn’t see Paris, and——”
“What makes you think I’m going to be there?” said Berny sharply. She found any deviation from the subject in hand extremely irritating, and her manner and voice showed it.
“Oh, of course you are,” he said, with a little impatient, deprecating jerk of his head. “You can’t be going to persist in a policy that’s simply cutting your own throat.”
“I rather fancy I am,” she answered in a cool, hard tone. To lend emphasis to her words, she unbent from her upright attitude and leaned against the chair-back in a sudden assumption of indifference. Her eyes, meeting his, were full of languid insolence.
“I don’t feel that I’ll go to Paris at all,” she said. “I think little old San Francisco’s good enough for me.”