“They have the highest ratio of women to men in the world, due to Lopez, who almost extinguished their manhood in his wars; it’s impossible for women to tyrannize over men; none of the men do any work; they sit around all day long watching the women do the work. They’re appreciated. I’m not going to discuss the question of equality; perhaps I will call it Imparity. I don’t know.”
“But, Uncle Perce,” I cried, “you’re a back-number; in the U.S.A., too, you’re dreadfully outnumbered.”
“Good God,” said Bill, “look at the women in this room alone.”
“I don’t care,” said P. Hogg obstinately, “I intend to see for myself ”; and looking rather nastily at me, he stumped off, with his head in the air.
Well, this is all. The frenzied crowd of Grandmother’s friends boiled and bubbled round her, and every time I brought up the subject of the suit of furniture, the noise was such that she could not hear a word I was saying. Still, this was not the first snag Bill and I had run into; we took it with a good grace and soon left, without even a cocktail.
We went back to the hotel and, as I said, this is exactly where this finds me now; I don’t think for a moment that this is the end of everything, but I’m no tea-leaf reader. I can only tangle with situations as they come along. On s’engage et puis on voit. Perhaps I just love life. I certainly expose myself to it; and I’m accessible to it. I don’t ask myself, Will this last? It’s a question of getting through life, which is quite a siege, with some self-respect. Before I was married, I had none; now, I respect not only my present position, but also all the efforts I made, in every direction, to get here. I was not always honest, but I had grit, pretty much; what else is there to it? The principal thing is, I got a start in life; and it’s from now on. I have a freight, I cast off, the journey has begun.
Letty Fox Page 69
