She made an impressive gesture--she looked like a beautiful young empress. “Let’s not cant,” said she. “Those _are_ the high things of life. Ask any person you meet in America--young or old, high or low--ask him which he’d rather be--a prince, duke, marquis, or a saint, scientist, statesman. What would he answer?” I laughed. “That he’d rather be a millionaire,” said I. “A millionaire with a title--with established social position at the very top--that couldn’t be taken away. That’s the truth, Godfrey.” “I’ll not contradict you,” said I. “And,” she went on, “I’ve brought up our daughter so that she could realize the highest ambition within our reach. Haven’t I brought her up well?” “Perfectly, for the purpose,” said I. “When we came over here, I examined the ground carefully. I was at first inclined to one of the big Continental titles. They are much older, much more high sounding than the English titles--and so far as birth goes they mean something, while the English titles mean really nothing at all. The English aristocracy isn’t an aristocracy of birth.” “That’s, no doubt, the reason why it still has some say in affairs,” said I. “Its talk about birth is almost entirely sham,” proceeded she, not interested in my irrelevant comment. “But I found that it was the most substantial aristocracy, the only one that was respected everywhere, just as the English money circulates everywhere. And it’s the only one that makes much of an impression at home. We are so ignorant that we think England is all that it pretends to be--the powerful part of Europe. Of course, it isn’t, but--no matter. I decided for an English title.” “And Margot?” “I have brought her up to respect my judgment,” said Edna. “I wonder what will become of her,” said I, reflectively, “when she hasn’t you at her elbow to tell her what to do.... But why a marquis? Why not a duke?” She smiled, blushed a little. “The only duke we could have got--and he was a nice young fellow--but he was in love with an English girl of wealth--and he wanted too much to change to an American. Is that frank enough to suit you?” “If you’d only keep to that key,” said I. “He wanted double the American dowry that he was willing to take with an English girl.” “His being in love with another girl might have made it unpleasant for Margot,” I suggested. “That wouldn’t have amounted to anything,” replied she. “Over here the right sort of people bring up their children as I brought up Margot--to give their hearts where their hands should go. They are not shallow and selfish. They think of the family dignity and honor before they think of their personal feelings.” “That’s interesting--and new--at least to me,” said I. “You have been judging these things without knowing, Godfrey,” said she. “You have attacked me for narrowness, when in fact you were the narrow one.” “Yes? What next?” said I.