We met at Mrs. Latour’s (you know Valerie Latour, Lady Holloway’s sister; when she is in England she often stays with us at Valmond).  She took to Octavia and me at once, and we to her, and on Wednesday we lunched with her, and when Queen Elizabeth’s descendant, Mrs. Clerehart, said what I told you, she caught my eye, and you never saw such a look of fun in a human eye, and we became great friends at once.  She says one must take New York as it is, and one will find it a most amusing place.  She never hesitates to say what she thinks anywhere, and lots of people hate her, and most of them are afraid of her, but all find it an honour when she will receive them.

“My dear,” she said, “in my young days there were gentle people and common people, but now there is no distinction in society, only one of dollars and cents, and whether you get into the right swim or not.  I receive all sorts, and some of the last risen are quite the nicest, and amuse me more than my own old friends!”

She says the young men in New York are mostly awful, according to her ideas, and nearly all drink too many cocktails, and that is what makes them so unreserved when they get to their clubs, so the women can’t have them for lovers because they talk about it.  She does not think it is because American women are so cold or so good that they are so virtuous, but because the men don’t tempt them at all.  Also she says it’s being such a young nation they are still dreadfully provincial.  But there are other and good qualities from being young, Mamma; it makes them have the kindest hearts, and be more generous and hospitable, so I think I like it as well as our old ones.

Mrs. Van Brounker-Courtfield said she had asked a sprinkling of all sorts to meet us, and it was then she explained about the court relations, because she found she had Mrs. Clem Busfield with the sister-in-law of Clem Busfield’s new wife, and that inadvertently her secretary, who arranged the table, had put them side by side.

She sat in the middle, at the end of the table, with Octavia and me at her right and left, and it was beyond Octavia these two sat.  She explained it all to me in so distinct a voice I was afraid they would hear, but she added that Julia Busfield was really a lady and would pull through all right!

“My dear,” she said, “it is in these situations sometimes the parvenues show the yellow streak, these and being touchy.  They don’t always come up to the scratch, otherwise there is no difference in them, and that is the glory of our country.”

Then she told me that is the way she judges their advance, according to their touchiness.  They can’t stand any chaff, she said, and if a stranger dares to make any criticism of Americans to them, they are up in arms at once and tear them to pieces!  “Now, you in old countries, are amused or supremely indifferent if foreigners laugh at you,” she said, “as we are in the South, but our parvenues in the East haven’t got to that plane yet, and resent the slightest show of criticism or raillerie.  You see they are not quite sure of themselves.”  Isn’t that quaint of them, Mamma?