'And so you really think of going back for the winter?' she asked Althea finally, when the responsibilities of parenthood and the impermanency of modern musical artifices had been demonstrated. 'Why, my dear? You see everybody here. Everybody comes here, sooner or later.' 'I don't like getting out of touch with home,' said Althea. 'I confess that I feel this home,' said Miss Robinson. 'America is so horribly changed, so vulgarised. The people they accept socially! And the cost of things! My dear, the last time I went to the States I had to pay five hundred francs--one hundred dollars--for my winter hat! _Je vous demande!_ If they will drive us out they must take the consequences.' Althea felt tempted to inquire what these might be. Miss Robinson sometimes roused a slight irony in her; but she received the expostulation with a dim smile. 'Why won't you settle here?' Miss Robinson continued, 'or in Rome--there is quite a delightful society in Rome--or Florence, or London. Not that I could endure the English winter.' 'I've sometimes thought of England,' said Althea. 'Well, do think of it. I'm perfectly disinterested. Rather than have you unsettled, I would like to have you settled there. You have interesting friends, I know.' 'Yes, very interesting,' said Althea, with some satisfaction. 'You would probably make quite a place for yourself in London, if you went at it carefully and consideringly, and didn't allow the wrong sort of people to _accaparer_ you. We always count, when we want to, we American women of the good type,' said Miss Robinson, with frank complacency; 'and I don't see why, with your gifts and charm, you shouldn't have a salon, political or artistic.' Althea was again tempted to wonder what it was Miss Robinson counted for; but since she had often been told that her gifts and charm demanded a salon, she was inclined to believe it. 'It's only,' she demurred, 'that I have so many friends, in so many places; it is hard to decide on settling.' 'One never does make a real life for oneself until one does settle. I've found that out for myself,' said Miss Robinson.