“No, sir,” said the young man, with a flush of embarrassment that seemed habitual with him. “She has no day. She's at home almost every day. She hardly ever goes out.”
“Might we come some evening?” March asked. “We should be very glad to do that, if she would excuse the informality. Then I could come with Mrs. March.”
“Mother isn't very formal,” said the young man. “She would be very glad to see you.”
“Then we'll come some night this week, if you will let us. When do you expect your father back?”
“Not much before Christmas. He's trying to settle up some things at Moffitt.”
“And what do you think of our art editor?” asked March, with a smile, for the change of subject.
“Oh, I don't know much about such things,” said the young man, with another of his embarrassed flushes. “Mr. Fulkerson seems to feel sure that he is the one for us.”
“Mr. Fulkerson seemed to think that I was the one for you, too,” said March; and he laughed. “That's what makes me doubt his infallibility. But he couldn't do worse with Mr. Beaton.”
Mr. Dryfoos reddened and looked down, as if unable or unwilling to cope with the difficulty of making a polite protest against March's self-depreciation. He said, after a moment: “It's new business to all of us except Mr. Fulkerson. But I think it will succeed. I think we can do some good in it.”
March asked rather absently, “Some good?” Then he added: “Oh yes; I think we can. What do you mean by good? Improve the public taste? Elevate the standard of literature? Give young authors and artists a chance?”