"Oh, but you'll like your neighbors when you know them. Here--Mrs. Crane is at home, I know"--and Drusilla spent a most miserable half hour sitting on the edge of a hard chair, wishing Daphne would rise as a signal to leave. Tea was served by a maid, and Drusilla held the cup awkwardly, while she ate the little wafer and infinitesimal sandwich which was passed with it. "Why didn't they have a table?" she asked when they were outside. "I was in mortal fear that I'd spill the tea on my new dress--and I don't eat well with my gloves on." Two more calls of the same kind were made and as they were turning into another gate, Drusilla leaned forward and said to the chauffeur: "Joseph, go straight ahead." Then, turning to Daphne, Drusilla said: "We're goin' for a ride now; we ain't goin' to spoil this lovely day with no more calls." Drusilla would not listen to Daphne's remonstrances, and the motor flew along the beautiful drive overlooking the Hudson. Drusilla did not speak for a time, simply enjoying the ride. Then she turned to the girl. "Daphne, what does subsidize mean." Daphne frowned for a moment. "I wonder if I can tell. I know what it means but it is hard to say it. It means to pay a certain sum of money to some one or some thing. For instance, the ships that carry the mails for some governments are subsidized; or if the government wants to aid some project, to enable it to start, it subsidizes it--that is, gives it a certain sum per year like a salary. Have I made myself clear? Father could tell you better than I can." "I guess I see what it is," Drusilla said. "Why do you want to know?" queried Daphne. "Well, I got a little mixed up in what it meant. I got a letter this morning from some man--some poet I guess he is--who said that I should leave my money to subsidize struggling poets, who had a great message to give the world, but who had to work so hard making a livin' that they didn't git no chance to give the message. I'm afraid I got kind of mixed up--I could think of nothin' but etherize. I guess it was the strugglin' that confused my mind, and I been wondering why I could etherize a lot of struggling young poets. But now I understand." "Well, of all the impertinence--" "I don't know, Daphne; there's some truth in what he said. He said that nations needed great thoughts as well as they needed great inventions--them's his words not mine--and often rich men subsidized a poor inventor or a poor scientist so's they could have time to make their inventions and not have to worry over their daily bread; so why shouldn't it be done for the poets who would then have time to give great thoughts to the people, thoughts that would inspire them to noble deeds and works. There's a lot of sense in what he says." "But you would never _think_ of doing such a thing--"