“I hope we're not disturbing her. It is so good of you to let us come in the evening,” Mrs. March replied.
“Oh, not at all,” said the girl. “We receive in the evening.”
“When we do receive,” Miss Mela put in. “We don't always get the chance to.” She began a laugh, which she checked at a smile from Mrs. Mandel, which no one could have seen to be reproving.
Miss Dryfoos looked down at her fan, and looked up defiantly at Mrs. March. “I suppose you have hardly got settled. We were afraid we would disturb you when we called.”
“Oh no! We were very sorry to miss your visit. We are quite settled in our new quarters. Of course, it's all very different from Boston.”
“I hope it's more of a sociable place there,” Miss Mela broke in again. “I never saw such an unsociable place as New York. We've been in this house three months, and I don't believe that if we stayed three years any of the neighbors would call.”
“I fancy proximity doesn't count for much in New York,” March suggested.
Mrs. Mandel said: “That's what I tell Miss Mela. But she is a very social nature, and can't reconcile herself to the fact.”
“No, I can't,” the girl pouted. “I think it was twice as much fun in Moffitt. I wish I was there now.”
“Yes,” said March, “I think there's a great deal more enjoyment in those smaller places. There's not so much going on in the way of public amusements, and so people make more of one another. There are not so many concerts, theatres, operas—”