Yet despite this he was really deeply interested in the movements of the local society, of which he considered himself and his family the most important part.
Always conscious of the dignity and social standing of his family in this community, he regulated his action and speech accordingly.
Ordinarily he struck the passing observer as rather sharp and arrogant, neither as youthful or as playful as his years might have warranted.
Still he was young, attractive and interesting. He had a sharp, if not brilliant, tongue in his head — a gift at times for making crisp and cynical remarks.
On account of his family and position he was considered also the most desirable of all the young eligible bachelors in Lycurgus.
Nevertheless he was so much interested in himself that he scarcely found room in his cosmos for a keen and really intelligent understanding of anyone else.
Hearing him ascend from below and enter his room, which was at the rear of the house next to hers, Bella at once left her mother’s room, and coming to the door, called:
“Oh, Gil, can I come in?”
“Sure.”
He was whistling briskly and already, in view of some entertainment somewhere, preparing to change to evening clothes.
“Where are you going?”
“Nowhere, for dinner.
To the Wynants afterwards.”
“Oh, Constance to be sure.”
“No, not Constance, to be sure.
Where do you get that stuff?”
“As though I didn’t know.”
“Lay off.
Is that what you came in here for?”
“No, that isn’t what I came in here for.
What do you think? The Finchleys are going to build a place up at Twelfth Lake next summer, right on the lake, next to the Phants, and Mr. Finchley’s going to buy Stuart a thirty-foot launch and build a boathouse with a sun-parlor right over the water to hold it.
Won’t that be swell, huh?”
“Don’t say ‘swell.’ And don’t say ‘huh.’
Can’t you learn to cut out the slang?
You talk like a factory girl.
Is that all they teach you over at that school?”
“Listen to who’s talking about cutting out slang.
How about yourself?
You set a fine example around here, I notice.”
“Well, I’m five years older than you are.
Besides I’m a man.
You don’t notice Myra using any of that stuff.”
“Oh, Myra.
But don’t let’s talk about that.
Only think of that new house they’re going to build and the fine time they’re going to have up there next summer.
Don’t you wish we could move up there, too?
We could if we wanted to — if Papa and Mamma would agree to it.”
“Oh, I don’t know that it would be so wonderful,” replied her brother, who was really very much interested just the same.
“There are other places besides Twelfth Lake.” “Who said there weren’t?
But not for the people that we know around here.
Where else do the best people from Albany and Utica go but there now, I’d like to know.
It’s going to become a regular center, Sondra says, with all the finest houses along the west shore.
Just the same, the Cranstons, the Lamberts, and the Harriets are going to move up there pretty soon, too,” Bella added most definitely and defiantly.
“That won’t leave so many out at Greenwood Lake, nor the very best people, either, even if the Anthonys and Nicholsons do stay here.”
“Who says the Cranstons are going up there?” asked Gilbert, now very much interested.
“Why, Sondra!”
“Who told her?”
“Bertine.”
“Gee, they’re getting gayer and gayer,” commented her brother oddly and a little enviously.
“Pretty soon Lycurgus’ll be too small to hold ’em.”