"No, no," said Mrs. Munger. "We want an impartial opinion."
"I always think as Brother Gerrish thinks," said Putney. "I guess you
better give up the fandango; hey, Billy?"
"No, sir; no, Mr. Putney," answered the merchant nervously. "I can't agree
with you. And I will tell you why, sir."
He gave his reasons, with some abatement of pomp and detail, and with the
tremulous eagerness of a solemn man who expects a sarcastic rejoinder. "It
would be a bad precedent. This town is full now of a class of persons who
are using every opportunity to--to abuse their privileges. And this would
be simply adding fuel to the flame."
"Do you really think so, Billy ?" asked the lawyer, with cool derision.
"Well, we all abuse our privileges at every opportunity, of course; I was
just saying that I abused mine; and I suppose those fellows would abuse
theirs if you happened to hurt their wives' and daughters' feelings. And
how are you going to manage? Aren't you afraid that they will hang around,
after the show, indefinitely, unless you ask all those who have not
received invitations to the dance and supper to clear the grounds, as they
do in the circus when the minstrels are going to give a performance not
included in the price of admission? Mind, I don't care anything about your
Social Union."
"Oh, but _surely_!" cried Mrs. Munger, "you _must_ allow that
it's a good object."
"Well, perhaps it is, if it will keep the men away from the rum-holes. Yes,
I guess it is. You won't sell liquor?"
"We expect to furnish coffee at cost price," said Mrs. Munger, smiling at
Putney's joke.
"And good navy-plug too, I hope. But you see it would be rather awkward,
don't you? You see, Annie?"
"Yes, I see," said Annie. "I hadn't thought of that part before."
"And you didn't agree with Brother Peck on general principles? There we
see the effect of residence abroad," said Putney. "The uncorrupted--or
I will say the uninterrupted--Hatborian has none of those aristocratic
predilections of yours, Annie. He grows up in a community where there is
neither poverty nor richness, and where political economy can show by the
figures that the profligate shop hands get nine-tenths of the profits, and
starve on 'em, while the good little company rolls in luxury on the other
tenth. But you've got used to something different over there, and of course
Brother Peck's ideas startled you. Well, I suppose I should have been just
so myself."