Alice Duer Miller

“ Carman.
Jerry found himself turning with relief to Mrs. Carman’s extremely intelligent interest in what he had to say. “Over here, I know women are supposed to have no intentions,” he went on, “but there, you know, a woman is called hard names if she leads a man on for the pleasure of saying no. They are so benighted as to think it dishonorable.”
“Well, I’m sure I don’t know how to refuse a man before he has asked me,” said Marie Louise. ”

“ His manner was always so perfectly friendly, that Marie Louise, rejecting the obvious explanation, began very soon to persuade herself that he had a reason for such self-control. It is a dangerous moment when it becomes necessary to read below the surface. ”

“ Those brought up as members of a society can hardly take in the excitement that people, as such, were to the girl. The born “mondaine” requires some special inducement—an advanced love-affair—to give her the thrill that Marie Louise derived from just going about. ”

“ Marie Louise signed the check, and thought no more about it.
Now, however, the thing seemed to have cropped up again. Mr. Mullins’ letters began to betray anxiety. Fresh evidence had been brought forward. He begged the girl not to alarm herself, but he was himself obviously alarmed. Another check, this time for eight thousand dollars, was sent to keep Thomas quiet.
She did not mention the situation to her mother. She had a strange pride about her fortune. No one should be troubled about it but herself. This, as much as anything, kept her from consulting Peale—a step she had considered. ”

“ She did not naturally suppose that the prince’s own mother was even less modern in head-gear.
The little prince felt that the meeting had gone very well. Mrs. Carman was rendered somewhat shy by his title, and could not bring herself to address him as anything but “sir,” but this did very well, and they contrived to chat very nicely.
A few days afterward he came again, and could not guess that he had seriously injured his cause by bringing a bouquet.
It only shows how dangerous it is to embark in matrimonial projects in alien lands. ”

“ The architect himself, beside being a very good architect, was a very charming man, and could hardly be expected, considering the number of his friends, to refrain from repeating some of her criticisms. ”