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and¡¡its¡¡heterogeneous¡¡hops£»¡¡and¡¡I¡¡don't¡¡suppose¡¡there's¡¡ever¡¡such¡¡a
thing¡¡as¡¡a¡¡society¡¡person¡¡at¡¡any¡¡of¡¡them¡£¡¡¡¡That¡¡wouldn't¡¡be¡¡so¡¡bad¡£
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feel¡¡that¡¡there¡¡is¡¡something¡¡in¡¡the¡¡airsomething¡¡they¡¡don't¡¡and
can't¡¡understand£»¡¡something¡¡alien£»¡¡that¡¡judges¡¡their¡¡old¡­fashioned
American¡¡impulse¡¡to¡¡be¡¡sociable£»¡¡and¡¡contemns¡¡it¡£¡¡¡¡No£»¡¡we¡¡can't¡¡do
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acquaintances¡£¡¡¡¡We¡¡must¡¡avoid¡¡them£»¡¡and¡¡keep¡¡them¡¡merely¡¡as¡¡a
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them¡¡have¡¡a¡¡good¡¡time£»¡¡and¡¡sent¡¡them¡¡on¡¡their¡¡way¡¡rejoicing£»¡¡I
confess¡¡that¡¡I¡¡should¡¡feel¡¡myself¡¡distinctly¡¡a¡¡loser¡£¡¡¡¡As¡¡it¡¡is£»
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believe¡¡I¡¡can¡¡ultimately¡¡get¡¡some¡¡literature¡¡out¡¡of¡¡them¡£¡¡¡¡If¡¡I¡¡can
think¡¡of¡¡a¡¡fitting¡¡fable¡¡for¡¡them¡¡Fulkerson¡¡will¡¡feature¡¡it¡¡in¡¡Every
Other¡¡Week¡£¡¡¡¡He'll¡¡get¡¡out¡¡a¡¡Saratoga¡¡number£»¡¡and¡¡come¡¡up¡¡here¡¡and
strike¡¡the¡¡hotels¡¡and¡¡springs¡¡for¡¡ad's¡£¡¨

¡¨Well£»¡¨¡¡said¡¡Mrs¡£¡¡March£»¡¡¡¨I¡¡wish¡¡I¡¡had¡¡never¡¡seen¡¡them£»¡¡and¡¡it's¡¡all
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about¡¡them£»¡¡I¡¡couldn't¡¡help¡¡feeling¡¡interested¡¡in¡¡them¡£¡¡¡¡We¡¡are¡¡a
couple¡¡of¡¡romantic¡¡old¡¡geese£»¡¡my¡¡dear¡£¡¨

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you¡¡turn¡¡them¡¡from¡¡fiction¡¡into¡¡fact£»¡¡and¡¡try¡¡to¡¡manipulate¡¡their
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¡¨You¡¡know¡¡I¡¡can't¡¡let¡¡them¡¡alone¡¡now£»¡¨¡¡she¡¡lamented¡£¡¡¡¡¡¨I¡¡am¡¡not¡¡one
of¡¡those¡¡who¡¡can¡¡give¡¡themselves¡¡an¡¡agreeable¡¡pang¡¡with¡¡the
unhappiness¡¡of¡¡their¡¡fellow¡­creatures¡£¡¡¡¡I'm¡¡not¡¡satisfied¡¡to¡¡study
them£»¡¡I¡¡want¡¡to¡¡relieve¡¡them¡£¡¨

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source¡¡of¡¡consolation¡£¡¡¡¡But¡¡when¡¡she¡¡ended¡¡by¡¡saying£»¡¡¡¨I¡¡believe¡¡I
shall¡¡send¡¡you¡¡alone£»¡¨¡¡and¡¡explained¡¡that¡¡she¡¡had¡¡promised¡¡Mrs¡£
Deering¡¡we¡¡would¡¡come¡¡to¡¡their¡¡hotel¡¡for¡¡them¡¡after¡¡tea£»¡¡and¡¡go¡¡with
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protested¡£¡¡¡¡I¡¡said¡¡that¡¡I¡¡always¡¡felt¡¡too¡¡sneaking¡¡when¡¡I¡¡was
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and¡¡I¡¡was¡¡aware¡¡of¡¡looking¡¡so¡¡sneaking¡¡that¡¡I¡¡expected¡¡every¡¡moment
to¡¡be¡¡ordered¡¡off¡¡their¡¡piazzas¡£¡¡¡¡As¡¡for¡¡convoying¡¡a¡¡party¡¡of¡¡three
strangers¡¡about¡¡alone£»¡¡I¡¡should¡¡certainly¡¡not¡¡do¡¡it¡£

¡¨Not¡¡if¡¡I've¡¡a¡¡headache£¿¡¨

¡¨Not¡¡if¡¡you've¡¡a¡¡headache¡£¡¨

¡¨Oh£»¡¡very¡¡well£»¡¡then¡£¡¨

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and¡¡we¡¡looked¡¡round¡¡into¡¡the¡¡laughing¡¡eyes¡¡of¡¡Miss¡¡Dale¡£¡¡¡¡She¡¡was
the¡¡one¡¡cottager¡¡we¡¡knew¡¡in¡¡Saratoga£»¡¡but¡¡when¡¡we¡¡were¡¡with¡¡her¡¡we
felt¡¡that¡¡we¡¡knew¡¡everybody£»¡¡so¡¡hospitable¡¡was¡¡the¡¡sense¡¡of¡¡world
which¡¡her¡¡kindness¡¡exhaled¡£

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to¡¡convince¡¡her¡¡that¡¡she¡¡was¡¡wrong£»¡¡and¡¡of¡¡course¡¡one¡¡has¡¡to¡¡lift
one's¡¡voice¡£¡¡¡¡I¡¡hope¡¡I¡¡hadn't¡¡the¡¡effect¡¡of¡¡halloaing¡£¡¨

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switchback£»¡¨¡¡said¡¡Miss¡¡Dale¡£¡¡¡¡¡¨I¡¡don't¡¡know¡¡whether¡¡you¡¡call¡¡THAT
holloaing¡£¡¨

¡¨Oh£»¡¡Miss¡¡Dale£»¡¨¡¡said¡¡my¡¡wife£»¡¡¡¨we¡¡are¡¡in¡¡such¡¡a¡¡fatal¡¨

¡¨Pickle£»¡¨¡¡I¡¡suggested£»¡¡and¡¡she¡¡instantly¡¡adopted¡¡the¡¡word¡¡in¡¡her
extremity¡£

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parentheses¡¡that¡¡no¡¡man¡¡could¡¡have¡¡found¡¡his¡¡way¡¡into¡¡or¡¡out¡¡of£»¡¡she
possessed¡¡Miss¡¡Dale¡¡of¡¡the¡¡whole¡¡romantic¡¡fact¡£¡¡¡¡¡¨It¡¡was¡¡Mr¡£¡¡March£»
of¡¡course£»¡¡who¡¡first¡¡discovered¡¡them£»¡¨¡¡she¡¡concluded£»¡¡in¡¡plaintive
accusation¡£

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reeking¡¡with¡¡just¡¡such¡¡forlornities¡¡the¡¡whole¡¡summer¡¡long£»¡¡but¡¡I¡¡can
quite¡¡understand¡¡how¡¡you¡¡feel¡¡about¡¡it£»¡¡Mrs¡£¡¡March¡£¡¨¡¡¡¡We¡¡came¡¡to¡¡a
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astonishing¡¡rapidity¡£

¡¨How¡¡perfectly¡¡heartless£¡¡¨¡¡cried¡¡my¡¡wife¡£¡¡¡¡¡¨I¡¡certainly¡¡thought¡¡she
would¡¡suggest¡¡somethingoffer¡¡to¡¡do¡¡something¡£¡¨

¡¨I¡¡relied¡¡upon¡¡her£»¡¡too£»¡¨¡¡I¡¡said£»¡¡¡¨but¡¡now¡¡I¡¡have¡¡my¡¡doubts¡¡whether
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best¡¡way¡¡to¡¡escape¡£¡¡¡¡We're¡¡certainly¡¡in¡¡trouble£»¡¡my¡¡dear£»¡¡if¡¡people
avoid¡¡us¡¡in¡¡this¡¡manner¡£¡¨



CHAPTER¡¡V



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that¡¡evening¡¡after¡¡tea£»¡¡as¡¡we¡¡walked¡¡down¡¡the¡¡side¡­street¡¡that
descended¡¡from¡¡our¡¡place¡¡to¡¡Broadway¡£¡¡¡¡¡¨She¡¡has¡¡that¡¡girl¡¡on¡¡her
hands£»¡¡and¡¡I¡¡know¡¡she¡¡must¡¡be¡¡at¡¡her¡¡wits'¡¡end¡£¡¨

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both¡¡of¡¡those¡¡women¡¡on¡¡HIS¡¡hands¡£¡¨

We¡¡emerged¡¡into¡¡the¡¡glistening¡¡thoroughfare¡¡in¡¡front¡¡of¡¡the¡¡vast
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going¡¡out¡¡on¡¡the¡¡street¡¡after¡¡dark¡¡in¡¡their¡¡bare¡¡heads¡£¡¡¡¡When¡¡I
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