I protest against Sibley's coming to our table
again."
"You are absurdly unreasonable," replied Mrs. Mayhew in an aggrieved
tone. "Sibley is only sowing his wild oats now as you did in the
past. I don't know why he is not as good as your friend Mr. Van
Berg, who, as far as I can make out, is more of an infidel than
anything else. I never could endure these doubting, unsettling
people."
"I admit that Sibley is established," said Stanton. "There is
little prospect of his ever getting out of the mire in which he is
now imbedded."
"Nonsense! What has Sibley done that is particularly out of the
way, more than you and other young men? I'm sure his family is
quite as rich and fashionable as that of this artist."
"More rich and fashionable. There is just the difference between
the Sibleys and the Van Bergs that there is between a drop curtain
at a theatre and one of Bierstadt's oil paintings. There is more
paint and surface in the former, but truth and genius in the latter.
If you prefer paint and surface it is a matter of taste."
"I won't endure such insinuations from you," said Mrs. Mayhew,
indignantly.
"Oh, hush mother!" said Ida, quietly.
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