"Usually, I believe, one goes to bed directly after dinner. If one does this, and dines extremely late, the evening slips by quite nicely, we find."
"But the afternoons? Wouldn't they perhaps loom a thought long at times, waiting on for dinner?"
"There's napping provided for the afternoon, you see. And many other diversions, such as reading, walking, and thinking."
"Perhaps one should arrange to spend only afternoons at the Beach. You make them sound simply uproarious."
"We're a simple people here, Mr. Canning, with simple joys and sorrows, easily amused."
Mr. Canning looked down at her. However, Carlisle did not meet his gaze. Having already, in a quiet way, given him two looks where they would do the most good, she was now glancing maidenly at mamma, who conversed vice-presidentially of her Associated Charities policies.
"They must be brought to help themselves!" Mrs. Heth was saying. "Wholesale, thoughtless generosity is demoralizing to poverty. It is sheer ruination to their moral fibre."
"Promiscuous charity!--ruination! Just what I always say," chirped Willie. "Look at ancient Rome, ma'am. Began giving away corn to the poor, and, by gad!--she fell!"...
"Delightful! I see I shall like it here," Mr. Canning was observing--and was there perceptible the slightest thawing in his somewhat formidable manner?... "I too," said he, "have dwelt in Arcady."
The girl looked over the spaces, a little smile in her eyes.