"What's in this paper-shelled, painted, hollow thing ye call 'society' to interest three healthy, wide-awake girls?
Tell me that!" "You don't understand, dear," said Patsy, soothing him with a kiss.
"I think he does," remarked Beth, with meditative brows.

"Modern society is a man-made--or woman-made--condition, to a large extent artificial, selfish and unwholesome." "Oh, Beth!" protested Louise.

"You're talking like a rank socialist.

I can understand common people sneering at society, which is so far out of their reach; but a girl about to be accepted in the best circles has no right to rail at her own caste." "There can be no caste in America," declared Beth, stubbornly.
"But there _is_ caste in America, and will be so long as the exclusiveness of society is recognized by the people at large," continued Louise.

"If it is a 'man-made condition' isn't it the most respected, most refined, most desirable condition that one may attain to ?" "There are plenty of honest and happy people in the world who ignore society altogether," answered Beth.