Епоха невинності

           NewYork’sanawfullysafeplace,"headdedwithaflashofsarcasm."Yes,isn’tit?Onefeelsthat,"shecried,missingthemockery."Beinghereislike—like—beingtakenonaholidaywhenonehasbeenagoodlittlegirlanddoneallone’slessons."Theanalogywaswellmeant,butdidnotaltogetherpleasehim.HedidnotmindbeingflippantaboutNewYork,butdislikedtohearanyoneelsetakethesametone.Hewonderedifshedidnotbegintoseewhatapowerfulengineitwas,andhownearlyithadcrushedher.TheLovellMingotts’dinner,patchedupinextremisoutofallsortsofsocialoddsandends,oughttohavetaughtherthenarrownessofherescape;buteithershehadbeenallalongunawareofhavingskirteddisaster,orelseshehadlostsightofitinthetriumphofthevanderLuydenevening.Archerinclinedtotheformertheory;hefanciedthatherNewYorkwasstillcompletelyundifferentiated,andtheconjecturenettledhim."Lastnight,"hesaid,"NewYorklaiditselfoutforyou.ThevanderLuydensdonothingbyhalves.""No:howkindtheyare!Itwassuchaniceparty.Everyoneseemstohavesuchanesteemforthem."Thetermswerehardlyadequate;shemighthavespokeninthatwayofatea-partyatthedearoldMissLannings’."ThevanderLuydens,"saidArcher,feelinghimselfpompousashespoke,"arethemostpowerfulinfluenceinNewYorksociety.Unfortunately—owingtoherhealth—theyreceiveveryseldom."Sheunclaspedherhandsfrombehindherhead,andlookedathimmeditatively.