And yet Selma's brow was clouded. Her thought
reverted to the row of stately houses on either side of Fifth Avenue,
into none of which she had the right of free access, in spite of the
fact that she was leading her life attractively and finely, without
regard to society. She thought instinctively of Sodom and Gomorrah, and
she saw righteously with her mind's eye for a moment an angel with a
flaming sword consigning to destruction these offending mansions and
their owners as symbols of mammon and contraband to God.
That evening she told Wilbur of Mrs. Williams's visit. "She's a bright,
amusing person, and quite pretty. We took a fancy to each other. But
what do you suppose she said? She intimated that we haven't any social
position."
"Very kind of her, I'm sure. She must be a woman of
discrimination--likewise something of a character."
"She's smart. So you think it's true?"
"What? About our social position? Ours is as good as theirs, I fancy."
"Oh yes, Wilbur. She acknowledges that herself. She admires us both and
she thinks it fine that we don't care for that sort of thing. What she
said was chiefly in connection with herself, but she intimated that
neither they, nor we, are the--er--equals of the people who live on
Fifth Avenue and thereabouts.
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