"I know you are enjoying Mrs. De Castro and her lovely home," said Fritzie to Alice. "Of course," she added as Alice assented, "The Towers is on a much grander scale. But I think Black Rock is the ’homiest’ place on Second Lake. I suppose since I saw you yesterday you have been all around?"
"Not quite; but I’ve met many lovely people."
"You can’t help liking Second Lake people. They are a kind-hearted, generous set--notably so for people of means."
Fritzie looked doubtful: "People of large means, perhaps, yes. Indeed, the only trouble here is, there are too many of that sort. Everybody is prosperous and everybody, with, I think, two exceptions, contented. I," laughed Fritzie, "am one of the exceptions. There being no possibility of preëminence in the line of means, I believe I have in my rôle of discontent a certain distinction; and as far as I can see, as much fun as anybody. In fact, I’ve often thought the only place where I should care to be rich would be among the poor. Where every one overflows with luxury distinctions are necessarily lost--and I like distinctions. Isn’t this pretty for dancing?"
"Everything over here is pretty," said Alice.
"The place takes its name, ’The Hickories,’ from the grove back of it. You see there was nothing about the Lake itself to serve the purpose of a country club--no golf course, no polo field. All this stretch of the eastern shore is a part of The Towers estate, but Mr. Kimberly was good enough to set it apart for the rest of us--you have met Mr. Robert Kimberly?"
"There is Charles now." Fritzie indicated a smooth-faced, youthful-looking man coming in through one of the veranda openings. "That is he speaking to Dolly. They call him the handsome Kimberly."
Alice smiled: "For a man that’s rather a severe handicap, isn’t it?"
"It suggests in a way that good looks are exceptional in the family, and they are not, for their sister, Mrs. De Castro is very handsome, I think. Which brother is this?"
"The married brother; the other is Robert. They call him the homely Kimberly. He isn’t really homely, but his face in repose _is_ heavy. He is the bachelor."
"Mr. MacBirney tells me he is completely wrapped up in business."
"That, I presume, is why he has never married."
